It's not the Raptor DNA
by SkullsandDuggery
Summary: "Her hateful gaze was all too familiar, almost a mirror when he saw past the crimson color, and slit pupils." Because we all know the scientists of Jurassic World had proven themselves incapable of exercising discipline when it came to temptations. Why would it be any different with creating the Indominus? Constructive criticism is welcome and appreciated!
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer; I do not own the Jurassic Park/World Franchise or its characters, but I do own this story and my OC's**

 **Enjoy!**

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"It's not the Raptor DNA"

Owen resisted the urge to let out a shaky breath as he watched his girls fearlessly glare at the line of trees in the all too silent jungle. He knew they had the Indominus' scent; Blue never made mistakes like that. When she had zeroed in on a target, be it a fleeing pig or his bag of Oreos left too near the cage, by God almighty she would get her claws on it.

He just knew this kind of silence was a very bad sign. He didn't like it, he didn't like seeing his girls in the front line. Charlie was still his baby for the love of everything, and she was stepping around nervously, looking to Blue for some reassurance; it killed Owen to see her in danger.

The men around him remained still as stone, and the only sign of life were the moving crimson, laser lines, searching fruitlessly for the white scales.

Owen could feel Barry's nervousness; these animals were his babies as well. Hell, Owen had even seen tough Blue give quiet purrs when gentle, soft-spoken Barry would coo at her.

Blue was fully aware Barry would never resist sneaking her an extra treat when she acted adorable for him. Shameless, little creature she was, but Owen never reprimanded her for it.

Now the blue-scaled raptor was standing tall and confident as she patiently waited for the prey to come to them. Owen bet his best gun she would fearlessly glare Death himself in the eye when he would come for her.

Owen tensed, and gripped his shotgun more firmly when branches snapped under large, heavy feet. His raptors froze before unanimously taking one step back as the white scales were brushed by midnight leaves. The Indominus was still half hidden in the cloak of the forest; he wouldn't give the signal to fire yet, she had to come out more.

It was a pity she wasn't that stupid.

Owen frowned when brave Blue took a confident step forward, and he was shocked when the Indominus met her peacefully. Why wasn't she attacking the raptors? The Indominus attacked anything and everything. She tore people in half, animals were poorly carved with razor talons, and even cars were smashed for the fun of it.

Why were his raptors witnessing a different side of her?

Owen watched the massive, bloodied jaw almost shiver as small, familiar, clicking sounds were made. He froze when Blue threw her head back in an enthused greeting, and the other raptors slowly inched forward to meet the muscular, white scales.

Owen forgot how to breathe, and he half heard Barry whisper, "Something's not right…they're communicating."

The shape of the bloodied muzzle caught Owen's eye, and he felt the heavy ball of fear form in his stomach as he took a proper look at the chittering Indominus rex. Her head wasn't bulky like a Tyrannosaurus, it was more cylindrical, and her neck had a graceful curve to it. The way she carried her claws was a mirror to the four carnivores below her.

He mentally smacked himself for not seeing the painfully obvious before. She had raptor DNA! It made sense now. Her ability to problem solve, her memory, that incredible speed and stamina. It was all raptor. He knew all too well that Velociraptors were capable of setting traps when they detected patterns; he had lost half his turkey sandwiches and Cheetos to his girls. Sly Echo would grab his attention, lure him away, and the others would snag their claws into his lunch bag while he tried to figure out Echo's sudden, odd behavior.

Barry always thought it was hilarious, and Owen had suspected him of assisting his ornery girls more than once.

Everything on that Indominus was a perfect blend of Tyrannosaurus and Velociraptor. The size and aggressiveness belong to the rex. The shape, and intelligence were given from the raptor. Every trait could be assigned to one or the other.

Except for…

Owen frowned at the characteristic that didn't belong to either species. He slowly slid his gaze up to the Indominus, and carefully watched how she socialized. The movements of her head, and arms were not raptor. That cunning, malicious gleam in the smoldering red eyes only belonged to one species who had, several times over, proven itself capable of ruthless evil.

Owen knew the labs used other creatures' DNA to fill in the gaps to create the dinosaurs. He knew even his own raptors would not appear as they did if they had the pure DNA. He knew the scientists liked to use different DNA to see what would help the animals, or make them flashier. Charlie herself bore the patterns of the iguana DNA used in her coding, and even old Rexy was blessed with a longer lifespan.

But there was no way the labs were idiotic enough to even think of using that kind of DNA. There had to be rules and regulations to restrict the usage of certain animals.

Yet there was absolutely no denying what he was seeing right in front of him.

The Indominus was smarter than the average raptor. He knew the white scaled creature would be smart enough to set a trap to lure people into her small paddock. She had to know at least something would happen if she made those claw marks in the cement walls before hiding. She was smart enough to remember where the tracker had been planted; Owen would never doubt that. He would even see Delta give an irritated scratch at her own tracker along the muscled neck.

But how did the Indominus know it would be in her best interest to claw the tracker out? She shouldn't have been able to know the purpose of that device; she had never escaped before.

Or had the tracker been implanted in her after she had become too aggressive? Had she noticed how the keepers would seem to be aware of where she was after she had received the implant?

Raptors weren't smart enough to put that much together, but Owen knew a species who would.

Owen felt the shiver of fear crawl up his spine when the demonic, crimson eyes shifted to him, and bore into his soul. He could read every emotion going through her sick, twisted mind, and he softly said, "I know why they wouldn't tell us what they used to make that thing…"

Barry swallowed nervously when the raptors slowly turned their gazes towards the silent crowd of sitting ducks. He gripped his pistol more tightly as he hoarsely asked, "Why?"

Owen really didn't want to assume anything, but he never went against his gut instinct. That hateful, burning gaze wasn't Velociraptor. She didn't go out of her way to destroy man-made structures because of the temperamental Tyrannosaurus in her.

Animals didn't go out of their way to seek revenge when the world was cruel to them. Animals didn't pick a particular species to focus all forms of anger onto. Animals never felt the need to make a point with nature by going on a killing spree. Animals certainly never approached a clearly different species they had never seen before to hold conversations with them.

Owen didn't want to believe the scientists had been stupid enough to do it, but there was no denying the characteristics. Her hateful gaze was all too familiar, almost a mirror when he saw past the crimson color, and slit pupils.

Because those two, opposing, clawed thumbs on her massive hands certainly weren't Velociraptor.


	2. Chapter 2

"I Understand"

"So that's how it's going to be then?"

Owen tried to keep the bitterness out of his voice as his three girls surrounded him while he stood protectively in front of Claire and her nephews. He knew the raptors would focus on killing him first since it seemed that was what the Indominus had ordered.

Blue curled her lip before giving a low hiss, and Owen refused to break eye contact with her. He could see that internal struggle in her. He knew it had irritated her beyond everything to do those repetitive exercises day in and day out. He knew that, as a Beta, it was her job to question every decision he made when it came to the pack. He also knew she was upset with how things had turned out after the Indominus had taken over.

She was not happy with baby Charlie being blown to bits by that missile, and neither was Owen. If he had the time, he would have probably cried over her body, or at least what was left of it.

What Owen really wanted to do was point out to Blue that if she hadn't ordered the pack to follow the Indominus' orders, Charlie would have been fine. His cheeto snatching baby would still be alive. But now wasn't the time to be blaming others for what could never be undone; he had to keep this pack together. He could already see the warning signs of stress wearing on his girls. Delta looked dangerously irritated, despite already mauling Vic, and Echo seemed cranky with missing her dinner. They were all hurt and confused as to why their baby sister wasn't with them; they feared the worst when Charlie wouldn't respond to Blue's barking commands to come home.

He could still prove himself to his girls.

Owen kept his eye contact as he slowly lowered his silver gun to the ground. He knew Blue was fully aware of what he was doing, but she continued to watch him carefully. She knew she had defied him by acknowledging another as the Alpha.

The gun gently clattered on the floor, and Owen heard Claire give a small gasp. He slowly extended his hand towards Blue; not flinching when she gave a bluffing nip.

"Easy, Blue…shhh, it's okay."

Despite the firm, loud orders he barked at them during their training, Owen had never used a firm hand when touching them. Barry had always used gentle, light touches to calm them, and Owen did the same.

He knew how begrudging raptors could be; they would never tolerate mishandling. Hell, Vic had only looked at Delta wrong, and she had gone out of her way to give the lab's walls a fresh coat of paint with his internals.

Blue remained still as the calloused hand lightly ran across her cheek. Owen always loved how warm, and smooth the scales felt. His fingers bumped over scarred indents in the skin before he softly grabbed the release mechanism of the camera on her head. He gave it a small twist, and gently pulled it off before tossing it to the ground. Blue's golden eyes briefly flickered to the camera as she was finally freed, and Owen smiled as he murmured, "That's my best girl."

He respectfully took a step back to give the raptor her space. Blue had always had a larger bubble than her siblings. Even when she had burst from her egg in a screeching, sopping mess, Blue did not appreciate Owen's 'imprinting cuddles'. She had given him fierce bites for his touchiness, and had retained that trait all her life.

Unless she really wanted Owen's Oreos, then she would allow Barry to kiss her nose.

The golden eyes flickered back up to him, and Owen decided he wouldn't be angry with Blue about her decisions. He knew they had that trust there, and he knew it wouldn't fail him. If nothing else, he hoped Blue would take the pack elsewhere while he tried to get Claire and the boys to safety.

He swore he saw a glimmer of warmth mellowing Blue's eyes, and he felt her respect for him increase. There had always been a physical barrier between them. He had always either been out of her reach, bars between them, or her solid muzzle on. Never had he approached her, defenseless, while she was free.

Owen proved that he completely trusted her as an intelligent pack member, and she seemed grateful for it.

The tension had dissipated incredibly, and he felt like he could breathe again. Even Echo and Delta seemed to relax slightly. Owen was about to shoo his girls off to go find safety, when the telltale thuds of the massive monster shook the ground.

He felt that heavy ball of fear in his stomach as those white scales skulked past the confining buildings, and those smoldering, crimson eyes did a double take at the small group.

Owen swore he saw surprise flash across those eyes, and he grew uncomfortable again. Those thumbs practically screamed how irresponsible her creators had been. He didn't like how human she acted; it frightened him.

Granted, it scared him a little more when the Indominus grew irritated as she prowled over while chittering with Blue. Owen's gaze would flicker between his best girl and the white monster towering over her as the duo seemed to be arguing. Just the way she would use her massive, bloodied snout to gesture to him screamed human. He knew no other creature who would use that kind of body language.

Blue puffed a small amount of air through her nose, and Owen knew she had made her final decision. She was the most stubborn, and bull-headed creature on the face of this planet. When she puffed the air through her nose, Owen had learned to simply give up, and walk away for sake of his blood pressure. No amount of yelling, hollow threats, or begging, would sway the blue raptor from her final decision.

His best girl turned her head to him, and gave a quiet, almost gentle chitter as if to say, 'You with me on this one?'

Owen could have fallen over dead; he was sure it would have taken all the saints in heaven to come down before Blue would even think about consulting with him. He could feel a small, crooked grin pulling at his lips when he gave a single nod; come hell or high water, he was right next to his best girl.

Blue seemed to snort slightly before she turned back to the Indominus, and gave a defiant snarl with all her ivory daggers showing. The other two seemed to bring their small circle closer together as they stood unwaveringly behind their Alpha and Beta.

The Indominus seemed confused by this, Owen could see it clouding the anger that had burned in her eyes since he first saw her. She wasn't sure what to make of something so little compared to her, defying her. The crimson eyes flickered over to him, and Owen stood taller; he had approved his Beta's decision.

The white rex seemed to ponder the blue raptor for a second more before suddenly curling her lip in a confused rage. She let out a livid roar that hurt Owen's ears before pulling her massive hand back. Owen felt his heart stop, and, before he knew what he was doing, he had slid in front of Blue. He held his palm up before barking, "STOP!"

Owen also wasn't aware he had shut his eyes until he heard a slow, rumbling exhale in front of him. He cracked open to see the thumbed hand raised, and claws splayed to swipe at them. Blue shifted nervously, and Owen refused to let out the breath he was holding.

The Indominus was capable of obeying orders.

Or she was so _confused_ with him barking at her that she had startled into pausing. Owen was leaning more towards the latter, but he had her attention. He could do something with this; she had raptor in her, she could be trained. All she needed was positive reinforcement, it was something she had lacked her entire life. He could see the crimson eyes emptying of anger as they filled with innocent curiosity, and her long tail gave a slight flick, like a cat who had just discovered a mouse who fought back.

He stood a little taller, though he kept his splayed hand up, and maintained eye contact with her. How much eye contact had she been given in her life? Had anyone tried to train her? Owen could see the intimidating, literal daggers poking from her gums, and he was sure the answer was no.

She was so intelligent, and she had lived alone her entire life. That paddock wasn't large enough for her to run around, and it was so far away from any other dinosaurs that there was no way she knew they existed until she saw them. She was made of raptor and human DNA; both were highly social creatures.

How could the Indominus not turn bitter, and cruel considering how she grew up?

No one taught her it was wrong to kill for sport, she had never been taught boundaries, and no one had bothered to communicate with her.

So, how did she know the meaning of stop?

Owen didn't risk glancing behind him, but he could hear Claire breathing. She was close enough to hear him whisper, "Is there any way she could hear you talking through that glass in her paddock?"

The Indominus shifted slightly, and Owen quickly glanced down to see her bleeding foot. She was heavily injured with bruises, cuts, slashes, and even burns. She had to be in a lot of pain, and he could see some sedative darts deep in her thick, white scales.

How the hell was she even functioning?

The crimson eyes flickered over to the redhead, and Owen swore he saw that anger creeping back in. She didn't like Claire.

"I-I don't know…"

Owen bet his last, cold beer the Indominus could hear through that glass. She knew Claire, and Owen knew the two had only seen each other through the thick glass. Owen just wasn't sure how much human DNA was in her, but there seemed to be more than enough for his forming theory.

It made him so much more uncomfortable than the two thumbs, and emotions.

Owen used his other hand to reach behind him, never breaking eye contact, as he whispered, "Hey, Gray, you got anything good in that little bag of yours?"

He could hear the young boy rummaging through his bag as the Indominus continued to shift on her feet. That burning curiosity was their saving grace. It seemed she had the curious gene from both her human, and raptor coding.

She literally could not resist her need to know.

Gray was such a quiet kid, and Owen strained to hear the kid mumble, "I…I got some double stuffed Oreos."

A small bag was pushed into his hand before the sentence was finished, and Owen immediately yanked his hand from Blue's snapping jaws. If there was anything Blue would never resist, it was the gift from God above himself in the form of blessed, double stuffed Oreos. Owen was pretty sure that was the first phrase she had gone out of her way to memorize. 'Double-stuffed Oreos.' It was when he learned how shameless a beggar she was, and how mushy Barry could be for her. Blue knew the difference between double-stuffed and regular; God help any soul stupid enough to try and pass the regular as double-stuffed to her.

They had ended up needing a new caretaker after that incident; the 'Oreo Incident' as Barry had taken to calling it.

Owen could feel a smile pulling at his lips as the blue raptor completely tuned out the rest of the world, and she began to cutely beg for even a whiff of those irresistible cookies. This was good, this was very good. Blue's sudden change in behavior was only interesting the Indominus even more. He could see the crimson eyes searching for the cause, and Owen changed his splayed palm to holding his index finger up as he firmly said, "Wait."

The crimson eyes flickered to him, and she took a small step back to acknowledge she had heard him. Blue was wriggling her haunches as she stepped about eagerly. The bottom of her jaw almost shivered as the small, adorable clicks were made, and Owen couldn't help dryly saying, "You know I am not Barry, Blue."

A shrill whine told Owen that she was more than fully aware of that very inconvenient detail. She wanted the Oreos now, and Owen knew better than to tease her. He pulled out one that hadn't been crushed to powder before firmly saying, "Eyes up, Blue."

If the Indominus wasn't watching, Owen would have given Blue the entire bag of Oreos for proving herself loyal to him. After all they had been through, his girls deserved a couple days of nothing but being babied.

But the Indominus had to see how things worked with him, he had to establish some kind of communication system with her.

Blue immediately stood taller as she half pulled her eager, golden eyes from the delectable treat. Owen resisted the urge to snort as he said, "That is very good, Blue. Here."

The Oreo was tossed, and Blue immediately caught it between her teeth. She was such a slow eater with her cookies that it sometimes irritated Owen. She had to lick it to mush, slowly and evenly, before even more slowly savoring the creamy filling in the center.

Owen had given up on trying to understand that; it wasn't like Blue was starved for Oreos.

Owen turned back to the patiently waiting, snow scaled dinosaur. She was carefully watching the raptor with crimson eyes narrowed in thought. The Indominus was all but ignoring them now. He glanced down to her fore limbs, and saw they were pressed close to her chest in an almost protective way. Her index claw seemed to be carefully tapping against her dirtied chest, and Owen felt his eyes widen.

The Indominus had a nervous tic. She had a nervous tic.

She wasn't quite understanding the purpose of this process, and it frustrated her. She was a frustrated creature who had no way of finding relief except through violence.

Owen wasn't sure an Oreo would comfort her; she seemed far too intelligent for a simple 'eyes up' order. She would want to know _why_ , not the immediate reward of obeying.

Owen risked glancing behind him, and wasn't surprised to see Claire and her nephews looking terrified. They had no idea what this creature was going to do; one wrong move, and she would snap.

Owen turned back to the Indominus as he carefully watched those crimson eyes, and the tapping finger. She was pondering, and reasoning Blue's obsession with the cookies; too bad she'd never understand it.

He had to try something else, he had to give her a way to communicate back to him in a way that would be satisfying to her. He glanced back at the curled hand before staring at the frustrated crimson orbs. He finally squared his shoulders; he was just standing around like an idiot, and he needed to make a move before she did.

"Hey, eyes on me."

Owen spoke a little more gently than he would while training his raptors. It was still an order, but it didn't have a sharp bite to it. The Indominus paused from her nervous tic to glare at him for interrupting her thoughts. He briefly paused as he chewed the inside of his cheek before slowly saying, "I think…you _understand_ a lot of what we are saying, don't you?"

She made no indication of whether or not she did, but Owen could feel Claire glaring into his back for talking to the white scaled monster like a tree hugging idiot. He took a small step forward as he added, "I think you have enough of my species in you to know what we are saying, and I think I can help you talk with us."

Owen really didn't want to believe her tail swishing to the side was because of her growing interest. He really hoped she _was_ just thinking of all the different ways she would use his body to pick her teeth.

"It's called Sign Language, we have mute and deaf people learn it so they can talk with us."

Owen looked her up and down once before raising his hand. He firmly said, "I want to know if you understand me."

He held his loosely closed fist near his face, palm facing him, before flicking his index finger up; like when an idea hit you. She watched him intently, and Owen was sure she had the digits to do the same if she understood him.

 _If._

"That little motion of my hand means, 'I understand', in sign language."

Owen really didn't want her to be that human. He knew primates were capable of learning sign; Koko the gorilla communicated with her keepers. Was the Indominus that intelligent?

"Do you understand what I'm telling you? Can you understand what I am saying?"

The Indominus stared at him for a few, very long seconds, and Owen was starting to feel nervous. Was she waiting for him to do something else? He really couldn't read anything on her at the moment; she was simply observing for the moment. He nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard Claire hiss, "You have lost your mind! Get us out of here right now!"

Owen didn't blame her, but he wasn't sure how to do that without setting the Indominus off. He didn't want to give the Indominus a reason to go into hunt mode. She truly seemed to be a curious creature, and he risked turning his head to whisper back, "Wait a minute, okay? If she starts attacking then I'll make sure to give you an openi-"

" _Look."_

Gray had suddenly pointed, and Owen turned back around just in time to see the Indominus raise her left hand. She turned her hand towards herself effortlessly though she didn't raise it as high as Owen had. He could feel his own heart stop when the gently closed hand gave a brief pause before her index finger flicked up.

Like an idea had hit her.

' _I understand.'_


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N**

 **I can honestly say I did not expect the reaction to this story that you guys have given, and it absolutely makes my day. Thank you so much for the comments, and reviews because I am getting wonderful ideas to add to this to show you all what a tragic villain the Indominus truly is. I will try to balance the funnies with the seriousness in the course of this story, but be prepared for random bits of heart wrenching because that is simply how I am. :) I will probably change the rating from 'K' to 'T' just because it seems to be the polite thing to do on here as I simply struggle with refraining myself from using the colorful vocabulary of curse words. I personally never cared what a story's rating is, but I am sure some of you do, and that is perfectly fine. So without further ado, please enjoy chapter three with your snacks of Oreos and Cheetos!**

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"Yes."

Owen was astonished as he gaped at the left hand of the Indominus. She held the pose for a few seconds before slowly curling her hand back to her chest protectively as she waited for his reaction. It wasn't until Gray had poked his back that Owen finally gave himself a mental shake, and replied, "Oh…okay then…"

He was going to get himself killed with stupid responses like that. He had to always remember that this creature had very little to no social skills. She probably didn't know what to do with a baffled human, and when she became confused, she became violent. He didn't want to unintentionally offend her either.

Owen finally cleared his throat, and began to stall with another question as his mind struggled to comprehend that he was about to try and hold a conversation with a dinosaur. This wasn't understanding the various growls of his Velociraptors, the Indominus would be learning his language.

This was terrifying, and he was going to kick every single ass in that laboratory. He would personally see to it that every scientist in there would be whipped into shape for creating something that had absolutely no business being an attraction at a theme park.

His raptors sensed his apprehension, and they only pressed closer to him. Blue had finally finished her Oreo, and decided to surprise Owen by remaining right beside him; he could feel the heat radiating off her body.

The Indominus seemed to tilt her head slightly when Owen brought his hands together as he asked, "So, do you understand _a lot?"_

He put his hands together, like he was holding an invisible ball, before pulling them apart, and she carefully watched.

"Or _a little bit?"_

He took his index finger and thumb before rubbing them against one another twice. He wasn't sure if her thumb was long enough for that. He really didn't want to frustrate her by giving useless tools to her. He waited patiently, and quietly sucked in air when the left hand became a fist. The index finger flicked up before her right hand joined in the conversation to cup the invisible ball, and they pulled it apart.

' _I understand a lot.'_

She understood a lot indeed; she had just communicated to him a complete sentence. She wasn't even lazy with her answers. He had no idea what to do from here. He was even more terrified of this dinosaur than before, and he really wanted someone to yell at. He wanted Claire to point him to the head geneticist right away.

But he just couldn't leave the Indominus to do as she pleased. Just because she was smart enough to communicate, and learn language, didn't mean she was willing to exercise discipline with bloody rampage.

All she had demonstrated was a small hint to the extent of her intelligence. She had done nothing to show her morals, nor willingness to learn human moral.

Owen finally nodded as he began to chew the inside of his cheek. His eyes wandered over the several wounds on her as he tried to ponder his next move. At the very least, he needed to get her away from the some twenty-thousand guests.

But he also had to get his raptors back into their paddock, and he certainly couldn't do that while expecting the Indominus to follow.

He let out a small sigh before holding his hand up, with index finger pointing up, as he asked her to wait, and he turned to a stunned Claire. She refused to take her eyes off the white scaled creature, and Owen didn't blame her for that. He quickly snapped his fingers before saying, "Claire. Hey. Earth to Claire."

The blue eyes snapped back to him, and he was relieved to see the irritation in them as she retorted, "I am _not_ one of your damn animals."

He slowly nodded, and gave a quick glance over his shoulder to see the Indominus carefully watching them. He turned back as he quietly said, "I want you to get the boys to safety while I take care of…"

Owen trailed off, and he frowned before asking, "What's her name?"

Claire looked at him like he was crazy, and she hissed, "It does not have a name!"

Owen held his breath as he silently prayed the Indominus was hard of hearing. When he was not met with angry roars at being insulted, he let out his breath. Claire had put her hands on her hips, and he couldn't help quietly snapping, "I think you need to mind your manners around _her,_ Claire, because she can clearly understand every word we are saying."

Owen wasn't chastising Claire because he felt the need to treat the Indominus as his equal all of a sudden; he just really didn't want to insult all those razor sharp teeth and talons.

Claire's blue eyes nervously flickered over to the white scales, and she flinched when a low, warning growl was given. Owen made a mental note of that; the Indominus would not even tolerate Claire looking at her.

Not good.

Owen bravely stepped in between the two, in hopes of calming the Indominus. Maybe if she didn't see Claire, she would be less irritated with her existence. Owen gently put his hands together as he calmly said, "Okay, new plan because obviously the lab has _really_ screwed us over. _You_ are going to the people, and…keep them calm, while I…see what I can do with the Indominus. Sound good?"

"You have lost your mind, Owen."

He slowly nodded in agreement at that, and Claire rolled her eyes at him. He glanced at his three raptors before quietly saying, "I don't want to see this island shut down, Claire."

The redhead allowed her mouth to drop in shock, and she was silent for a few seconds before snapping, "We just had an island evacuation, Owen! People died! What makes you think we even have a small chance of ever reopening?!"

Owen glanced behind him when he heard the Indominus shift in slight agitation. Her attention span was dwindling, and he need to act quickly. The two adults looked down when Gray quietly offered, "I read that studies proved that the dangerous rides become a lot more popular after fatal accidents…"

Owen pointed at him before saying, "See? People love danger, and all you have to do is sell it that _we_ have the animals under control. Okay? Okay."

Owen took a step back, and pointed at Claire as he said, "You take care of people, and be that amazing saleswoman I know you are-"

Owen then gestured to his raptors when he finished, "And I get everybody to bed before the militia comes in."

Claire put her hands on her hips again before coolly saying, "I thought you said it wasn't about control."

"It's not, but you can sell that little lie to the insurance claimers. I want the lab to be held accountable, and Vic's men. Point the finger, Claire."

Owen gave her a thumbs up with a wide grin, and the redhead rolled her eyes; he could see the smile tugging at her lips, though. She knew he was hilarious. Owen nodded, and said, "Great, I'll see you when I see you. Don't get eaten."

He turned to face the Indominus, and Claire quietly retorted, "You're the one who is going to put the raptors and Indominus to bed, Owen."

He couldn't help his crooked grin as he glanced over his shoulder before saying, "Better than all the bloodsucking lawyers that are going to swarm this place. I'll take her teeth over them any day."

Claire grimaced as she seemed to think otherwise, but she put a protective hand on her nephews as she began to lead them away. Her heels clicked against the cement, and Owen turned when the Indominus gave a low growl. He frowned as he firmly, but quietly, said, "Hey. Eyes on me."

Owen swore he saw irritation flash across those crimson eyes, but she complied. Owen bravely walked a little closer, but remained far enough to get away in case she decided to snap, and he said, "I'm not sure what your next move is, but I really don't want to see you get killed, okay? I am on your side because I feel like you're just a little too smart to be a mindless killer. Do you understand that? I am _expecting_ you to behave better than that. You're not going to go hurt those people."

She narrowed her crimson eyes at the firm tone, and Owen was pretty sure she was wondering where he was storing the massive balls on himself for actually having the idiotic bravery to tell her what to do. Owen refused to back down, though; she needed a firm leader now more than ever. She was so brand new in this world, and had no idea what her place was.

They stared at each other for a few more seconds, both refusing to even blink, and Owen finally said, "Those people have no idea you even exist, okay? They have never done anything to you, and it is _wrong_ to go attack them. I know you're smart enough to know the difference between right and wrong. Do you understand that?"

She narrowed her eyes even more, and the pupils seemed to slit more thinly before she slowly rose taller. Owen couldn't believe how huge she was, and he wondered why labs always made their first of anything to be so large, and hard to control. Why couldn't they have made the hybrid out of the little dinosaurs in the petting zoo first? They could have added cat fur or something to make it fuzzy and soft.

But _no,_ they just had to go right for the wonderful mixture of Tyrannosaurus, Velociraptor, and human.

The Indominus' left hand twisted towards herself before that finger flicked up.

' _I understand.'_

Owen nodded in agreement before he said, "Yah, I had a feeling you would."

He glanced at his three girls, and noticed they were getting tired of standing around. He looked back to the Indominus as he finally offered, "I want you to follow me out of here, alright? I don't want you around a lot of people, and I want to get those wounds on you looked at. I know you have got to be in a lot of pain."

The Indominus slowly lowered herself onto her forelimbs as she finally gave herself a look over. Owen had to admit, he really didn't like seeing those white scales dirty and bleeding. The crimson eyes flickered in the direction of where all the guests were currently hiding, and Owen said, "There is no way you aren't tired, and hungry…eyes on me."

The white snout crinkled in irritation before puffing air through them loudly, and Owen knew that sound. She seemed to simply do a lot of vocalizing with her raptor genes. He was sure she was still listening to him, but he wanted that eye contact; he wanted her attention. She finally humored him, and he nodded in approval as he said, "You give me eye contact when I speak, it's polite, and I promise I'll give you eye contact when you speak to me because I _respect_ you enough to do that. I know the gist of most of the raptor sounds, and I want to teach you more sign language. We can make this work if you're willing to cooperate, okay?"

She flicked her tail at him, and Owen took another step forward as he raised his hand. She immediately focused on the hand, curious to learn more words, and expand her vocabulary. Owen closed his hand, like he was going to knock on a door, before making the knocking motions as he said, "That means 'yes', and this-"

He took his index and middle finger before making a closing motion as the two digits met his thumb; almost like a little mouth closing.

"Means 'no'. Do you understand that?"

The Indominus gazed at him for a few seconds before she took her left hand, and knocked on the invisible door. She surprised Owen by then closing her hand before flicking her index up.

' _Yes, I understand.'_

He couldn't help the small smile on his face before he gently shook his head. Now that the fear was dissipating, it was being filled with a sense of wonder and curiosity. Here was this powerful creature, capable of so much destruction, murder, chaos, and terror.

And he was teaching her sign language.

The white head tilted questioningly, and Owen finally said, "Why don't you stick with me for a while? You know I've raised these raptors since they hatched; they're my girls, my babies. You've got Velociraptor in you, you can join our dysfunctional, little family; you'll fit right in."

He could see she was really tempted by that offer; the longing had filled the crimson eyes at the word family. She wanted somewhere to belong.

She knew the difference between alone and lonely, and she seemed to be tired of being both.

Owen gestured to the direction of the thick jungle with his thumb as he said, "We're more fun than screaming people, and we got snacks. I think you'd like Cheetos."

Owen waited for the delighted chirp at the mention of the cheesy snacks before his heart felt heavy. Charlie wasn't here to steal his Cheetos anymore. He swallowed thickly, but maintained eye contact with the contemplating creature. She shifted on her feet slightly, and Owen winced at seeing shards of glass in her neck; from breaking into the Aviation Paddock.

"I promise no one is going to hurt you anymore, okay? I'll make sure you fit in here if you want. So…what do you say? Want to be part of my Raptor Squad?"

The Indominus carefully looked him over before the crimson eyes thoroughly inspected the three raptors next to him. Owen had to admit he was amazed by her wariness of others despite her lack of interaction with anyone. It was saddening, and yet it made him feel better that she wouldn't blindly follow others; he liked having smart girls in his pack.

Blue gave a small chirp as she suddenly began to nuzzle his hand for the remains of the Oreos, and Owen simply let her have the whole bag. He really didn't know why she hadn't simply tackled him for it. Her joyous clicks at the unfathomable generosity only made him smile, and he finally looked up when the Indominus gave a stern snort. He gave her the eye contact she wanted, and she knocked on the invisible door.

' _Yes.'_


	4. Chapter 4

" _Für_ God Saves the Star-Spangled Queen."

"Don't give me that _shit_ , Echo. It's not like I get six people to clean my own home for me. I hope you know you're spoiled."

The raptor snapped a chirp in response as she nudged the bucket full of crushed, empty beer cans off the small porch. Owen sighed, and shook his head before giving a small smile at the incredibly proud-looking raptor. She had cleared his porch of the mess, and now she had room to drag all his blankets out of his home. Delta was more than willing to assist, and Owen allowed them to make their temporary nest; it wasn't like he used them in this hot, muggy weather.

Owen glanced to the side of him, and felt himself going soft as he watched his best girl gently swing in his hammock. She looked ready to fall asleep, and the slight, rhythmic movements of her tail kept the comfortable bed in motion.

It seems she still remembered the hammock from when she was still a little hatchling. She had always been the fussiest about going to bed, but a few minutes of rare cuddling in the hammock had always worked. Owen had to admit he had been sad when she had grown too aggressive to bring out of her paddock, but maybe now he could spend more time with them instead of just barking orders.

All he needed to see right now was baby Charlie pouncing on Blue, and then the world would be right again.

Owen sighed quietly before turning back to the waiting, white scales. She was carefully observing the small plot of land he called his own, and her large nose gently touched the string of lights hanging above his head; he was glad they provided adequate lighting in this dark night, but the full moon helped.

It was so odd to see her act so gentle, and calm. Even those blazing, crimson eyes had mellowed into an intelligent, quiet, and almost innocent fire. She didn't seem as dangerous at the moment as she continued to softly poke at the string of lights. Owen liked seeing the light's reflection in her eyes as she seemed to ponder. He wasn't sure what she was pondering, but she was clearly thinking.

"Like the lights?"

She gave a sideways glance at him before knocking on the invisible door.

' _Yes.'_

Owen couldn't help his small chuckle as he began to rummage through the unorganized mess of medical supplies piled onto his picnic table. It was everything he owned, and he was sure it wasn't enough to tend to everything on her. He could at least clean all the wounds on her, and maybe bind the most serious cuts.

He was actually amazed that she seemed to have very little wounds that caused him any alarm. He had only seen two slashes that would need stitches, and those weren't even very large. Her burns didn't appear to be very serious considering how close she was to that missile.

"I think I'll clean the wounds before we call it a night. I know the Veterinary Building has a room big enough to wash all this dirt off, and we'll have you good as new by noon tomorrow. That sound good to you?"

She glanced around the small area, her crimson eyes wandering over the snoozing Velociraptors, before turning her gaze back to him. She finally answered, _'Yes.'_

Owen smiled at her before pulling a pair of shiny, silver tweezers from the pile. He showed them to her as he said, "I just want to pull that glass out before we do anything else; it'll hurt, but I don't have any morphine to help. I just really don't want to risk these getting infected."

The crimson eyes glanced at him warily, but he had no intent of lying to her. It probably wasn't going to hurt a lot, but he wanted to forewarn her before pulling all the little bits out. He needed her permission or it could end very badly for him. Her eyes flickered back to the tool in his hand, and he added, "I wouldn't do this if I thought you could wait till morning, but I really want to prevent infections, okay? I need your permission though, and we'll take breaks when it hurts too much. Is that fine with you?"

She continued to hesitate, but Owen refused to push her; he knew he wasn't exactly entitled to do that. He was still just a random stranger to her, he was of little to no value as far as she was concerned. He smiled when she finally curled her left hand, and made the knocking motion.

' _Yes.'_

"Thanks, I'll try to be as quick as I can…"

Owen trailed off before he looked at her, and wondered something. They hadn't done any communicating on the way here; she had simply followed him while he rode his motorcycle, and the raptors alongside him.

He pressed his lips in slight shame for being rude, and she glanced at him curiously before he said, "You know, I never introduced myself, or my girls."

He pointed to the raptor in the hammock as he said, "That's Blue, she's my Beta, and best girl."

The crimson orbs followed his introductions, and they slid over to the mountain of blankets on the porch as he added, "Those two are Echo, and Delta. Echo has the crooked jaw, and she's just as ornery as Blue, but not as good a fighter. Delta is her partner in crime though, and I have to really be on alert when those two go quiet."

The Indominus gave a small puff of air through her nostrils, and Owen found himself smiling at his two girls curled over one another. He loved the way Echo had protectively placed her clawed hand over Delta's back, and how the latter had tucked her nose under a wrinkle in the blanket.

A firm snort pulled Owen from his thoughts, and he realized the white dinosaur was looking at him expectantly. He cleared his throat before sheepishly saying, "Sorry, it's just…seeing my girls safe and warm…it makes me happy."

He only wished Charlie had hidden herself in that pile of blankets.

The Indominus flickered her gaze back to the dozing raptors as she contemplated something. Owen scratched the back of his head before finally saying, "My name is Owen."

She turned her large head to face him, and Owen felt very little next to her. He didn't feel threatened by any means though. She certainly wasn't a gentle giant, but Owen felt like she had the potential to be much more aware of her surrounding compared to the 'Gentle Giants' of Jurassic World. If she didn't want to do harm, then she wouldn't.

Owen liked that.

He twirled the tweezers in his hands before saying, "I know you're limited in how we can talk to each other for now, and we'll fix that as soon as we can, but do you have a name?"

He glanced up at the unreadable expression, and he quietly added, "Like…I don't know, didn't you ever have a keeper name you? You should have had one who made sure your paddock was clean, and your water filled. All the dinosaurs have a name here. Even Rexy, and she's been here for like…forty years."

Owen really wasn't sure why she wasn't responding to him, and he couldn't understand the emotions in her eyes at the moment. It looked clouded, almost offended, and even slightly angry. Was she hurt? Had he unintentionally hurt her?

He knew he had to be tip toeing on a fine line, but he gently asked, "Do you have a name?"

Owen warily watched the massive, scaled lip curl up to further reveal the sharp, ivory daggers, but he didn't move. He slowly slid his gaze back to hers, and she finally raised her left hand. The clawed index and middle finger were raised before closing to meet her thumb, like a mouth closing.

' _No.'_

He glanced back to her before flickering his gaze to the closed hand. She was definitely angry with being nameless; her claws had made a sharp click when smacking against one another. Owen finally cleared his throat before saying, "Well then, we'll give you a name. You're part of my family now, and everyone in my family has a name. Barry and I named all our girls, and we'll get you a name that fits; a perfect name for you, I promise."

Owen had meant that, and he swore he saw gratitude creeping into those crimson eyes. She had finally relaxed into lying down with her forelimbs curled underneath her like a cat. He couldn't believe he was seeing a slight smile either, and Owen felt like he could start with tending to her wounds. He gave the tweezers a small click before saying, "Let's get started then."

The Indominus seemed amused by him, though she continued to critically watch every single move he made. Owen knew what he was doing, this wasn't his first time tending to wounds on a dangerous animal, but her intense gaze made him sweat slightly; like fruitlessly attempting a math test with the teacher hovering.

She didn't seem like a very forgiving creature, and this was a very crucial moment to build their trust on.

The shards of glass came out easier than Owen had thought, and he found himself getting into the swing of things. She remained still as stone, and the plinking of glass was almost rhythmic. He was glad that she had fewer shards than he thought, and he finally pulled back as he sighed, "Alright, glass is gone, and you are the best patient I have ever had. No complaints."

She puffed air at him, and Owen chuckled at his hair blowing back. The white fog surrounding him reeked of bloody meat, but he could tolerate it. Her breath smelled better than Blue's considering the raptor had sweet Oreos to mix with the meat.

He went over to his pile before picking up the large bottle of alcohol, and he gingerly said, "I…this is going to be the worst part, Girly. This is going to hurt like a bitch."

He uncapped the bottle, and wrinkled his nose at the sharp smell before pouring it onto a clean cloth. He offered it to her for inspection, and pressed his lips when her own lip curled at the fumes hitting her sensitive nose. Owen pulled the cloth back as he said, "It's alcohol; it's going to disinfected all those cuts on you. It's going to feel like, I guess a cold burn."

She simply blinked at him in confusion as she tried to make sense of that contradicting description. He finally said, "How about I wipe a small cut so you can get an idea of what I'm talking about, and we'll go from there?"

The Indominus surprised him by looking herself over before extending her massive hand toward him. The clawed index had a small slice on it, he would probably never know where she had received that wound, but he nodded in agreement. He glanced up as he said, "If it hurts too much, don't bite my head off for it…please."

She puffed air at him, and he figured that was all he was going to get out of her. Owen held his breath, and braced when he made a quick, but not rushed, swipe over the cut before bolting back out of her reach.

The Indominus seemed more startled at his sudden moving, and almost amused when she realized why. Owen simply wasn't that kind of a gambler though, and she turned her attention back to the cleaned cut. Her sensitive nose inhaled deeply as she made her analysis of this new experience before finally letting out a massive yawn. Owen flinched slightly when she snapped her jaws shut, and he couldn't help dryly saying, "I bet you have some Mosasaur in you; I've never seen anyone except Lilly snap her jaws like that when she eats the sharks."

She regarded him with a sideways glance, and he couldn't help laughing quietly as he walked back over. Owen poured more alcohol onto the cloth as he said, "Well, alright then, Girly. You're after your own special place in my heart with your toughness."

The snow scaled creature seemed pleased with the compliment, and she relaxed even more as Owen continued to wipe the wounds clean. He truly was amazed by how well she was taking to this treatment, and he would glance at her once in a while to see how she was doing.

She actually looked really tired, and he was grateful she wasn't one to become cranky when being kept awake past her normal routine. Owen was fully aware that Rexy threw ungodly fits if the sound speakers weren't turned off before she turned in for the night.

That mistake was made only once.

Bloody chunks of goat had actually flown into the false log's viewing glass when the speakers had accidently been left on one night. The parents hadn't been too happy about that, but Owen had seen how popular the video had been on YouTube; he was guilty of liking that video as well.

Owen was starting to feel tired by the time he had run out of alcohol, and he cracked his neck before saying, "Alright, Girly, I think you'll be good to go for tonight."

He went back to the table before coming back with large pieces of medical cloth, and added, "I'll do the stitches tomorrow when I have Barry with me; he's good with that stuff. I think you'll like him, he's pretty calm, and quiet. Just let me cover those bigger slashes so the flies don't get in them."

She shivered her jaw as a soft response was made, and Owen smiled at it. It was such a little sound coming from a massive creature. It was almost endearing, especially with how cooperative she was being. Was this even the same creature who had so violently broken out of her paddock only yesterday morning? Owen wasn't even sure anymore, but he really wasn't going to complain.

"You know, I think you'll find yourself a great spot in this world, Girly. You just need a little guidance on how to behave around people, okay?"

Owen took a step back as he admired his doctoring skills, and the Indominus slowly blinked at him. He finally nodded, and said, "Alright, time for bed. Just pick a comfy spot around here…"

He trailed off when she immediately plopped her head onto the ground, chin resting on her hands, and a long breath was exhaled. She seemed to regard him for a moment before her eyes slowly slid shut, and Owen couldn't help chuckling as he went over to the occupied hammock. It was a little too hot to be sleeping in the trailer, and he didn't want to be creaking his porch with two raptors on it.

"Hey, Blue, scoot your butt over."

The golden eyes glared at him, burning into his soul mercilessly for the heinous crime of waking her up, but Owen only snorted at her.

"You don't scare me, Blue. Now, scoot."

He was expecting her to snap her jaws at him, but the Velociraptor seemed to sigh loudly as she rolled over to the side. Owen couldn't help chuckling though it slightly concerned him to see her act so mellow. Maybe she was more tired than he thought.

Regardless he found himself feeling nostalgic as he carefully crawled onto the hammock before gently rocking it. He was surprised the strings didn't snap under the extra weight, and felt himself go soft when the warm raptor allowed herself to slide into his side. He really did miss these nights with his babies.

Owen allowed his gaze to wander to the sleeping Indominus; she was an entire riddle wrapped in a puzzle. He wasn't sure if she was so calm because she was exhausted, or if she simply felt better with having someone to talk to. It really did concern him to see how violent she could be, and she had killed those Apatosaurus without eating them. Why had she gone out of her way to hurt so many creatures? Owen could justify the people; she probably blamed them for her isolation.

Maybe she knew it would cause a lot of trouble for the people if she hurt other dinosaurs. Maybe she really had been trying to figure out her place on the food chain; something in her could have set off, and pushed the human side of her away.

Owen didn't know, and he didn't want to assume anything just yet. She was brand new to him. He looked to the side of him before smiling at the sleeping raptor; he couldn't believe how much Blue had grown. She wasn't his little, Oreo baby, who had put countless holes in his socks anymore. Now, she was a confident Beta and comrade that he could trust to have his back.

Okay, she still was his Oreo baby, but she didn't put holes in his socks anymore.

Owen smiled wider, and finally felt himself sink into the hammock. The island was quiet, but that was only a blessing in itself. He would keep the lights on for his girls just in case they woke up in the night. He checked his watch, and wasn't surprised to see it was around three in the morning; he wondered if Echo would still wake up at five like she always did. She was the rooster of Jurassic World.

He gave a final yawn, with a stretch of his arms, before closing his eyes. He wondered where everyone else was, and if the park would be able to reopen. He wasn't sure, and he wouldn't trouble himself with those thoughts right now.

Because right now, his girls were safe and warm.

* * *

Owen scrunched his nose when something tickled it, and he batted it away before stilling again. The hammock gently swayed, and he found himself drifting off before the buzzing sound came back to land on his dirty nose. Owen batted it away again, but finally cracked open his eyes. He was momentarily confused at seeing how high the sun was, and he wondered why no one had bothered to wake him up.

Owen glanced to the side of him, and frowned when he realized Blue wasn't there. He immediately sat up, and began to work the kinks from his neck as he looked around. The nest of blankets were empty, and Owen startled at hearing a rich laugh nearby.

Owen startled even more at seeing the Indominus lying nearby before he remembered she was his newest girl. Owen ran a hand through his dirty blonde hair, and yawned loudly. He caught sight of his partner in crime, Barry, sitting in front of the Indominus. The man grinned at him before teasing, "So, you finally decide to wake up then?"

Owen chuckled at Barry before he said, "Excuse me for wanting my six hours after running all over the island yesterday."

Barry laughed again, his white teeth contrasting against the dark skin, before he went back to running his fingers soothingly over the white scales of the Indominus. She seemed to love the way her nose was massaged, and Barry only softly cooed, " _You_ are something special, Beautiful. Such a smart girl too, and tough for letting me stitch you up without complaints."

Owen shook his head in amusement before teasing, "Did you kiss her on the nose yet?"

"Of course, how can I not kiss this beautiful face?"

The Indominus shivered her jaw as a low croon was made, and Owen chuckled at her soft purr. Those crimson eyes were filled with adoration as Barry continued to love on her, and gently stroke her large face. Owen finally realized Barry's radio was on, and was currently playing classical music of some sort; he didn't know Barry liked that stuff. He looked around before asking, "So, where are the other girls, Barry?"

The man snorted as he continued to move his hands along the large cheek before answering, "You slept through all the action. Claire wanted all the assets put back into containment as soon as possible. The girls are fine, and sleeping. All I had to do was throw some Cheetos and Oreos into the trailer; they went right in. The only assets not back where they belong are a few from the Aviation Paddock, and this gorgeous girl."

Owen raised an eyebrow before asking, "How are they going to get all those animals back to the paddock?"

"Turns out they had a tracker that gave a shock if they tried to leave the island, and a lot went back when it was time to sleep; it's their nest. Our guys were quick to get them with sleeping gas, and the holes are being repaired."

"…Huh…well, that's convenient."

Barry nodded in agreement, and he looked at Owen before saying, "Claire wanted you to know that the future of this park depends on how you get this girl back to her paddock. If she can argue that there is a way to control her, then the lawyers will back off a little."

Owen slowly slid his gaze to the enamored Indominus as she focused only on Barry, and he finally asked, "Even with the casualties?"

Barry gave a snort, and gently patted the scaled snout before standing. He walked over to his jeep, and rummaged through it before pulling out a thick package of paper. Owen raised an eyebrow at it, and took it as he asked, "What's this?"

Barry sighed before dryly saying, "The Terms and Agreements every guest must agree to before being allowed to purchase tickets."

Barry pulled out another package as he added, "This is what they have to agree to before being allowed on the boat."

Owen felt his jaw drop as he gaped at the two, thick packages of paper. He immediately shook his head before saying, "No way, that's dirty."

Barry pressed his lips as he nodded in agreement before saying, "Jurassic World is only accountable of fatal accidents to a certain extent. There's more leeway on the ride-related accidents, but only fatal accidents related to animals are worth a certain amount of money."

Owen slowly blinked as he tried to comprehend this, and he finally said, "You are not telling me that Jurassic World will get off that easily."

"I am because it is in the contract. If an animal kills a guest, the park pays a certain amount to the surviving heirs. It's right in there, Owen. Hammond knew people never read these long things, and that is this park's saving grace."

"That is dirty horseshit."

Barry shrugged as he tossed the thick packages back into his car. He sighed quietly, and went back to gently stroking the white nose of the Indominus. Owen carefully looked her over before quietly asking, "What about the people she…you know…?"

Barry glanced at him again as he said, "I'll give you three guesses on how the park gets out of that one."

Owen raised his eyebrows high before slowly asking, "All those people signed release forms?"

"They all agreed that they were fully aware of what they were dealing with, and the dangers of the job. They were paid handsomely, and a certain, generous amount would be paid to family in the event of a job-related death."

Owen blinked a few times before finally sitting down next to Barry. He couldn't believe this, and yet he remembered signing his own contract when he had first joined.

He hadn't read it either.

He glanced at Barry, and asked, "So, what now? We repair, and get ready to re-open?"

Barry opened his mouth to reply, but jumped when his radio crackled. The Indominus glared at it dangerously before a voice finally said, "So, I wasn't listening in on your conversation or anything, but Claire actually had a different job for you, Owen."

Owen raised an eyebrow as he glanced at Barry before taking the radio. He pushed the button, and replied, "Who are you again?"

He frowned when the sarcastic reply was, "Oh, just the guy in the control room. You knocked all the dinosaurs off my desk for no good reason. Seriously man, why are you hatin' on my dinos?"

Barry rolled his eyes before saying, "His name is Lowery; he's the only one who stayed behind in the control room when everyone else evacuated. He's all we got for eyes in the park at the moment."

Owen had to admit, he admired Lowery for staying behind, but he really didn't care for the sarcasm. Owen finally replied, "Better the plastic toys than a punch to your nose. What's Claire want? Where is she anyways?"

Owen swore he heard a dry retort being muttered, but Lowery said, "She's making sure the evacuation goes smoothly, and she's getting the board together for an emergency meeting. Claire's kind of acting like the head honcho right now. Anyways, she wants you to focus on making sure this never happens again with the Indominus. Oh and uh, her paddock is almost done being repaired, maybe a couple more hours or so."

Owen nodded in agreement, and he frowned when he realized the music was still playing through the radio.

"What's this shit, Lowery?"

Barry snorted when the tech-geek immediately retorted, "Johann Sebastian Bach's Organ Concerto Number Five in D Minor. I suggest you memorize that _'shit'_ because your newest, most temperamental pack member is a lover of classical music. Beethoven and Bach are now your best friends."

Owen raised his eyebrow higher than he knew possible as he glanced back at the Indominus. The organ resumed with its cheerful play, and her tail began to flick with the beat. She did seem quite happy with the music, and Barry quietly explained, "My car radio had picked the station up, and she just liked it, but I lost the signal; Lowery was nice enough to play it through our walkie-talkies while I gave her the stitches."

He supposed the music was nice, but he was a fan of good old Rock and Roll. He needed to introduce her to Kiss, or Aerosmith.

Def Leopard was a good one too.

Barry gave a knowing smile as he suddenly said, "She doesn't like songs with lyrics, Owen. I already tried that. It seems to irritate her."

Owen couldn't help giving the Indominus a look, and she evenly met it before puffing air through her nose; she didn't care. She liked what she liked, and he could get over it. Barry laughed at her expression before cooing at her again. She immediately melted into the gentle embrace, and Barry lovingly said, "We need to give you a good name that suits you, Beautiful."

Owen leaned back into his picnic table before saying, "Already picked it."

"You are not naming her Foxtrot, Owen."

He blinked at the man, and Barry added, "I know how you pick those names, going down the NATO alphabet. You are not naming her Foxtrot."

"Why not? I have a _thing_ going here, Barry. Foxtrot comes after Delta."

The man rolled his eyes as he continued to stroke the white nose before saying, "She needs a name that fits her, Owen. No code names for her."

The radio suddenly crackled, and Lowery said, "I say name her America."

The duo blinked at the radio, and Lowery added, "I think it fits, and people will love it. Think about it, America was born on the fact that those colonies got tired of Great Britain's shit. The Indominus got tired of our shit, and she reigned hellfire until we yielded. She's pretty 'Merican to me."

Owen gave a look to Barry, and the man dryly said, "Great Britain gave those colonies their freedom because they cost too much money, and they had other wars to focus on. They were tired of the colonies, and Britain certainly wasn't forced into yielding."

The radio was silent, and Owen could feel a smile tugging at his lips when Lowery finally retorted, "No American acknowledges that, okay? Americans are crazy and like explosions. The Indominus likes explosions, she's crazy, and thus is a full blooded American as far as I'm concerned. I don't care if she's never seen American soil, _I will bring some to her_."

Owen rolled his eyes, but he couldn't help his wide smile. Barry shook his head firmly before turning his attention back to the Indominus as he cooed, "No. You are a regal, elegant creature, and you shall have a name that is just that."

The crimson eyes seemed to melt with affection as she gave a grateful chirp at the man. Owen smiled at seeing her relishing the gentle, kind touches, and he had a feeling Barry was now the safest man on the island. Barry continued to run his hands along her chin as he said, "I was actually thinking of Elizabeth. People are going to see you, and think of Queen Elizabeth the First if they hear your name. She was a good queen, and art flourished under her rule. You are beautiful enough to be royalty around here, and that name never goes out of fashion."

Barry flickered his gaze to Owen, and he nodded in agreement. Elizabeth actually was a good name, and he could shorten in into smaller nicknames. It was easy to remember, and the name had goodness to it. Queen Elizabeth had done her name good, and now the Indominus could possibly get the same reaction if she behaved.

Elizabeth it was then, and the Indominus seemed to like it. Owen relaxed as he leaned onto the picnic table once more before the radio suddenly crackled. Barry gave it a sharp look, and Lowery said, "Actually, there is a very infamous serial killer by the name of Elizabeth Báthory, and she reportedly killed over six hundred and fifty women so she could bathe in their blood; she thought it would keep her looking young."

Owen lowered his brows as he glared at the radio, and Lowery somehow felt the burning gazes because he added, "Hey, I'm just trying to help the Indominus. People usually think of Queen Elizabeth the First, but there's going to be those who think of Countess Elizabeth. Just name her America; that name has power to it!"

Barry rolled his eyes before muttering, "And he ruined it because he has a valid point."

He heaved a sigh, but continued to love on the massive rex before him. She didn't seem all that concerned about her name, and Owen figured they had time to make one for her. The content, crimson orbs slowly slid shut as the music became the only sound in the warm air. Her tail would flick with the beat of the various violins, organs, or full out orchestras. She seemed to really like the pieces with deep, slow sounds, and Owen found them soothing as well.

He wasn't sure how much time had passed or how many long orchestra pieces had played before the radio went quiet when the last piece ended. Owen knew that one, Vivaldi's Spring; he had seen ice skaters dance to it before.

Because he was on a date with a very beautiful woman, and had drooled over her most of the night. Granted all he got out of it was a light peck on the cheek, and an empty wallet, but he remembered the music.

The radio soon began to play a tune of only a piano, and Owen knew this song too. He didn't know the name, but it was a short piece that everyone knew. Even younger children would try to play simpler versions of it.

He startled when the Indominus suddenly raised her head, and the crimson orbs lit up with excitement. Barry couldn't help chuckling as he said, "I told you it would come back on, Beautiful."

A loud, happy chirp was made, and Barry chuckled at her. She scooched a little closer to the radio, and Owen found himself smiling at how intently she focused on the song; memorizing all its soothing notes. He looked up when Barry quietly said, "First song she heard on my radio, and she loved it."

Owen nodded in agreement; he knew several people loved this song. It was simple, but original, and easy to memorize. He liked that is was short enough to keep his attention as compared to the ten minute songs. He found himself drumming his fingers to the notes, and he was disappointed to have it end so soon. The Indominus appeared to be as well, but Barry patted her comfortingly as he said, "Do not worry, that song is popular, it will come back."

She flicked her tail at him before leaning her chin into his gentle hands. Owen smiled at her as he asked the radio, "Hey, Lowery, what was that song called?"

There was a brief pause, and the radio crackled, " _That_ is Beethoven's most famous piece, in my opinion, _Für Elise._ It means 'For Elise.' Who is Elise? I have no idea, and neither does Google."

Owen and Barry immediately locked gazes before slowly looking at the Indominus relishing the scratching fingers. Owen slowly said, "Boom. Done. That's her name. Elise."

Barry nodded eagerly as he cooed, "Elise. I like that name. It is elegant and graceful; simple, but it has a certain air to it. People will love it, and if they don't then too bad."

Owen felt a smile growing on his face before he said, "What do you think? Like the name Elise?"

The crimson eyes flickered to him warmly, and she made to move her hand before the radio suddenly crackled. Lowery said, "Actually, Elise is also the name of-"

Owen immediately cut in as he growled, "Lowery, I swear to Christ on his golden throne, if you ruin this name for me, I will shove every, single, plastic dinosaur I find up your ass."

Barry snorted loudly before covering his mouth at the silent radio. Owen dangerously glared into the little radio before Lowery dryly said, "That is weird, Owen, okay? I was going to say Elise is the name of a character in a popular game. She's this French assassin's first love, anyways, people liked her and were really sad when she was killed. I'm still partial to America, but you're the guy who gets to brush the Indominus' teeth. I'll just enter her name into the file, okay?"

Owen looked at the white scaled dinosaur expectantly, and she seemed amused before finally knocking on the invisible door.

 _'Yes.'_

Owen grinned widely with Barry before he said to Lowery, "Sounds good. Elise likes her name."


	5. Chapter 5

"Literal Line."

"So, you want to tell me how you got brave enough to just walk up to Elise, Barry?"

Owen smiled as he continued to hose down the large Indominus rex, and she relished having her scales cleaned. The Veterinary Building was massive, and had even been built with a large shower room. It felt eerie having it so empty, but Owen would take that over a crowded building.

It was added after an unfortunate, accidental spraying of pesticides over the large paddock that held the majority of their herbivore herds. The animals' sensitive skin had absorbed the chemicals, and had grown ill. They had lost several animals before figuring out the problem, and Hammond had built the Shower Room as a precaution in the case of 'next time'. It had hardly been used, but Owen was glad to put it to use now as he stood on the large platform while gently spraying the water over Elise.

Barry chuckled as he leaned on the rail, and Elise began to rub the grime off her snout before he answered, "Well, Lowery had actually seen you stop her from attacking Blue in the plaza. He caught that all on tape, and Claire had to really fight him before he agreed to keep it off YouTube. He showed all of us though, and I figured it would be fine if I showed up quietly."

He paused when Elise opened her mouth widely, and Owen squirted water into it. The stream of water went between her teeth, and she crooned a thank you before she turned to her other side for Owen to hose down. Barry smiled at her before continuing, "Claire wanted the girls put back into their pen, and I brought Scott with me, you know, the new kid Blue almost ate."

Owen nodded as he snorted, and Barry added, "He drove the pickup with the trailer in it, but he wouldn't come out. He really shat himself at seeing Elise, but you were sleeping so I figured everything was fine. I got the trailer door open, and the girls followed the treats. I had another guy follow us on a jeep, and he left with Scott to put our girls back."

"And Elise just watched?"

Barry shrugged as he replied, "I saw her do the sign language with you, Owen. I didn't yell or scream around her, I just acted calm, and gave her some acknowledgement to be polite. I introduced myself after the girls were in the trailer, and she showed me the slashes on her shoulder that needed stitches. I figured you had told her that I would do those, and she let me. She had really watched Blue's reaction for guidance."

"We're going to have to do something about Elise's location; she needs to be near the pack. It won't do her any good to have her sitting alone in her paddock; she'll just go right back to square one."

Barry gave him a sideways glance before quietly saying, "Speaking of that…"

Owen shook his head, and answered, "Still working on that; I don't know how I'll convince her to go back in there."

Barry sighed heavily as he wiped his face; he looked tired and worried. Owen continued to run the water along the large, white scales, but paused when Barry suddenly said, "I brought Charlie home…"

Owen only gave a solemn nod, and winced when Barry softly added, "We can…take care of her when we have Elise settled. I figured you would want to be there…I asked Scott to dig a good hole near those rose bushes Charlie was always staring at…"

Owen sighed quietly, but nodded again. He didn't trust himself to speak, but he gently nudged his friend. Barry sniffed suddenly before hastily wiping his face, and Owen didn't judge him for it. He admired Barry for being able to even talk about it; Owen just wasn't comfortable with crying in front of others.

But Charlie was worth the "embarrassment" of crying in front of others. Owen decided he would allow himself to cry while laying his baby girl to rest. There were some souls who were worth showing raw emotion for. What was the point of growing to love someone if you wouldn't allow yourself to show how much you would miss them when they left?

Barry suddenly gave a watery chuckle, and Owen glanced at him when he said, "I was just…it was a silly thought, Owen."

Owen cleared his throat before softly saying, "I'm all ears."

Barry smiled at him sadly before pointing at the oblivious Elise as he said, "If scientists can create a living being like her; a hybrid made of others…do you think they could create a special tree for Charlie?"

Owen raised an eyebrow at him before slowly saying, "I…suppose they could if they wanted to. What kind of tree were you thinking? Those guys owe us."

Barry nodded in agreement as he turned his gaze to the glistening, white scales. He was silent for a few seconds, and Owen smiled at Elise rubbing her hands together to clean them.

"A Cheetos tree. Tree that grows Cheetos."

Owen gave a sad chuckle at the perfection, and he immediately nodded. He bumped into Barry again, but quietly said, "It might be a while before we get that. We'll probably have to put something else there until we get a Cheetos tree."

Barry finally laughed, and Elise paused to blink at them. Owen playfully squirted her hand with the water and she gently nipped at the stream. Barry sighed as he said, "Actually Scott showed me a picture of a tree that would look good for her."

Owen glanced at him in surprise before saying, "Really?"

He nodded as he said, "It's called a Weeping Snow Fountain. It's beautiful, and the white flowers cover all of the tree, no green leaves until summer."

Owen turned back to the Indominus feeling a little better that he wasn't the only one who was sad. Even the newest kid had wanted to make sure Charlie had a proper grave; that made Owen feel good.

Things were going to be fine.

Or not.

Owen had decided to ride his motorcycle alongside Barry's jeep with Elise following behind them. Things seemed to be going smoothly, and Lowery had been amazing with keeping an eye out for them as he unlocked the gates from his control room.

Too bad Lowery forgot to warn the workers at Elise's paddock that she was headed there.

The only thing the workers saw was ferocious Elise trotting behind two fast moving vehicles. It didn't take a lot to put two and two together before all hell broke loose as everyone scrambled for cover. Dirt flew while all wheels peeled out, and the stragglers immediately dove underneath the heaviest building supplies they could see.

Owen slowly looked at Barry, and the man shrugged as he said, "I think that's the appropriate response."

He craned his neck in his jeep to look at Elise as he added, "No offence to you, Beautiful; they just don't know what to do with gorgeous girls like you."

Elise chittered at him, and Owen chuckled as he got off his bike. He could still see the deep footprints from Elise's hasty exit the day before, and the flipped truck was still there. He glanced around at the shivering, hidden workers, fearfully waiting for him to be eaten.

Owen pressed his lips before giving a small whistle, and Elise turned her head at the sound. Owen beckoned her over, and he smiled when she had lowered her head to his face level. Owen pointed to the vehicle as he gently said, "Actions speak a lot louder than words, Elise. I don't know why you caused all the destruction you did, but I think it's important that we try to fix as much as we can, okay?"

The crimson eyes regarded him for a few seconds, and he saw the reluctance before he added, "I know I haven't heard your side of the story, but we need to show these guys you aren't a mindless killer."

She slowly exhaled through her nose as she stared at the flipped truck. She could see the bloodstains from when she had killed the man who had tried to hide in front of it. Elise finally took her hand before pushing the white truck back onto its tires. Owen nodded approvingly, and gently touched her cheek as he said, "That's my girl. We're going in the right direction now."

He chuckled when Elise blew a puff of air on him, and he combed his hair back before catching sight of Barry. The man had managed to coax the construction manager from a large, metal pipe, and was talking with him. The man with a bright hard hat on was glancing at the massive dinosaur warily, but Barry's calm demeanor seemed to help. Owen wandered over to the massive doors of the paddock, and was impressed to see them fully repaired. He was amazed by how quickly these people could work, and he risked a glance at Elise.

She seemed fairly calm considering that she was about to go back inside. Unless she didn't think she would have to go back in there. Owen chewed the inside of his cheek, and the crimson orbs fell onto him. She regarded him quietly, and Owen finally said, "You do know you have to go back inside there…right?"

Elise narrowed her eyes at him, and Owen stood his ground because he didn't know what else to do. The white Indominus finally used her snout to gesture towards the west. Owen followed her point, and realized he could just barely make out the shiny roof of the Raptor Paddock. He turned back to her as he said, "They're back in their paddock too, Elise."

She huffed in frustration, and Owen made a mental note to really focus on her sign language as soon as possible. He waited patiently for her to do something, and startled when Elise suddenly curled her large body around him tightly. Her nose rested on her tail as her crimson eye stared at him. Owen glanced around him before finally asking, "I'm not allowed to leave?"

Elise narrowed her eyes in thought, and Owen added, "Without you?"

The Indominus finally uncurled herself before raising her left hand to knock the invisible door.

' _Yes.'_

Owen wasn't sure how to break the bad news to her, but he could understand her reasoning. He had made her part of his pack, but now he was asking her to live away from them. Even his own home was closer to the Raptor Paddock than it was to here. There was literally nothing but thick jungle for miles around her paddock.

He was asking her to give up her freedom for a small, isolated pen. How was he supposed to convince her to go in there when he didn't even believe she belonged there?

Owen was still arguing with himself when Barry finally walked over. He raised an eyebrow at the solid doors before saying, "It takes a lot of strength to break those…they finished with everything. They're working on making the walls taller."

Owen didn't want the walls to be taller; they already felt beyond confining. He sighed as he began to rub the back of his neck, and felt Elise's piercing gaze on him. Owen finally said, "I want to take a look in there, make sure it's livable."

Barry nodded in agreement as he followed Owen into the paddock. They could hear the loud steps of Elise, and jumped when a loud crack was heard. Owen whirled around just in time to see a massive tree fall to the ground with a shaking thud, and Elise pushed it into the doorway with ease. He stared at it before the radio on his hip crackled, and Lowery said, "That's a big middle finger to our plan to contain her. I hope you had a really good argument on keeping her in there, because it's going to take _a lot_ to move that. There's no way the doors can close with that in the way."

Owen pressed his lips before reluctantly nodding in agreement. Elise had a smug look on her face as she strolled past him, and Owen didn't have it in him to chastise her for it. Barry simply chuckled as he began to follow the trail. Owen moved to do the same, but looked down when his foot kicked against a large femur. It was brown from being weathered, and he frowned at it; it had obviously been sitting here for a long time. Why hadn't her paddock been cleaned? Even Rexy's paddock was cleaned of bones on a regular schedule.

"Hey, Elise?"

Owen looked up when the white head poked from between some thick tree branches, and he pointed to the leg bone as he asked, "Does anyone ever come in here to clean out the bones?"

Her crimson eyes fell to the skeleton piece, and she blinked at it. It seemed she had forgotten it was there, or she simply thought of it as a normal part of her home. She finally stuck her hand out before taking the index and middle finger, and closing them against the thumb.

' _No.'_

"Does anyone ever come in here?"

' _No.'_

Owen chewed the inside of his cheek in frustration as he looked around the dirty paddock. Bones were scattered everywhere, and brush had overgrown to the point of being suffocating. He didn't like any of this, and couldn't help desperately asking, "So you're in here all by yourself with no one to talk to?"

Elise regarded him for a few seconds, and her gaze flickered over to Barry before she suddenly pulled herself back into the camouflaging trees. Owen startled before glancing at Barry.

She had just avoided a question. A very, _very_ important question.

Owen immediately pushed his way through the thick brush as he blindly followed after the Indominus. Even her large footprints flattening the plants did little to help him. Owen spit as leaves smacked into his mouth, and he pushed branches out of his way. He could hear Barry close behind him, but he was slightly unnerved by how silent things were. Owen jumped a little when Lowery offered, "I think you need to go a little to your right; she's kind of in a clearing."

Owen had no idea how Lowery's camera could actually see through all the growth, but he wasn't about to complain. He veered off to his right before suddenly breaking into a small, flattened clearing. He frowned at seeing the corner of the imposingly tall walls, and the way the plants had been trained to grow. Elise had obviously kept the growth here under control, and Owen glanced around her to see she had somehow created a small, shallow cave?

Out of sticks and vines?

He deepened his frown before taking a step to get a better look. A branch cracked under his foot, and Elise suddenly whirled around before snapping her jaws dangerously close to Owen. He had felt the whoosh of air hit his face, and he startled into leaping back.

Elise had crouched down onto her front limbs with teeth bared in a very dangerous manner; Owen was seeing the Indominus he had first met. Owen didn't like being startled, and he immediately snapped, "Hey! You will _not_ communicate with me like that!"

Barry took a step back when her crimson eyes hardened, and a low snarl whispered from her slightly parted jaws. Owen was seeing all the signs of a territorial raptor, but he remained firm on his ground. He was the Alpha of this pack, and he had to enforce it. He took a step forward, and she blinked in surprise before changing her snarl to a low growl. Owen sternly said, "Don't _ever_ pull that with me again. I will _not_ let you cross that line with me, Elise. You avoided a question, and I want it answered. Are you alone in this paddock?"

Owen knew he was really pushing her on this, but he had to know if she was alone. He needed to convince Claire he had a strong, stable relationship with Elise. She needed a stable, strong relationship.

Elise shifted to block the view of what Owen was sure was a cave. Was someone hiding in there? Who would be able to live in here without anyone else knowing? Was it another animal? Owen didn't care if she had another companion in here, but she didn't need to be so aggressive about it.

He looked over the stiffening Indominus before he slightly softened his tone.

"Elise, I want an answer, and I'm not leaving until I get one. I want to know if you're alone in here because I don't want you to be alone."

The Indominus was clearly not in the mood for this, and Owen had a feeling he wouldn't get any answers out of her for a while. He had to get something though, or else she wouldn't respect him as the leader. He crossed his arms, and the Indominus froze. He could see the slight panic in her eyes before she suddenly began to rise on her back feet. She towered over Owen with her ivory daggered bared, and she suddenly lunged at him.

Owen knew she was bluffing, but he still patted himself on the back for not flinching when her forelimbs smashed into the ground on either side of him. Elise let loose a fierce, shrill roar that left Owen's ears ringing. He squinted his eyes against the loud wind, and could clearly see the back of her mouth as the top of her teeth almost hung over him.

Elise finally took a step back to admire her work before Owen saw the indignant rage flash across her eyes. She curled her lip at him, and he calmly said, "I'm still here, and you're not getting rid of me, Elise. You're stuck with me."

He continued to firmly stand his ground, and he could see Elise struggling with this. She didn't want to hurt him, but he was somehow putting her in a predicament. Owen was going to let her figure it out on her own though, but he would be right here when she made her decision.

He waited patiently, and unwaveringly, before Elise suddenly rose on her back legs. Her middle talon sank deep into the rich soil before she carved through it easily. Owen watched her make a slow, sweeping motion between them until she finally pulled her hand back to defiantly glare at him. Owen observed the trench in the ground, and the radio crackled as Lowery's small voice quietly said, "I really don't want to see you get eaten, Owen. That is a _damn_ straight line she just made, so please don't cross it."

Owen slowly slid his gaze up to evenly meet Elise's hard crimson one. She was refusing to back down on this one, and Owen finally pointed to the trench as he said, "I will take that as a 'no' then."

She refused to give any hint as to whether or not he was right, and Owen took a step back as he added, "Which means you will stay in here until I can get you a place closer to the pack, Elise."

Owen saw the rage beginning to cloud those crimson eyes, and he sternly said, "You will not leave this paddock because all those people out there are terrified of you. I am going to draw a line at those doors out there, and if you take one step over that line, without me or Barry, I will kick you out of my pack. I don't want you wandering the park alone because it is dangerous for you, and the others. Do you understand me?"

Owen hated tough love. He hated getting tough love, and he really hated giving it to his girls. He was always the harsher parent between him and Barry. Barry was always the loving softie, and Owen got the dirty looks, and sulking for enforcing the rules.

But he would rather be the stern parent than see his girls get hurt; he didn't want to even think about Elise getting hurt on his watch.

The Indominus wrinkled her snout in absolute frustration, and rage before taking her left hand and flicking the index finger up. She then twisted herself around before plopping onto the ground in a white pile, and Owen shook his head at her back. He hated it, but he had to do it. He took a couple steps back before saying, "I'll be back tonight, Elise."

She gave no indication of hearing him, and Owen back tracked through the thick leaves with Barry next to him. Neither one said a word until they had walked through the doors, and Barry quietly said, "I'll never know where you got the balls to not flinch."

Owen sighed as he plucked up a can of paint from a tool box before he began to spray the line in a bright orange. He made sure to go over, and even under the tree as best he could just in case Elise tried to be a smartass with him.

"Neither do I."


	6. Chapter 6

"For Whom Shall the Bell Toll For?"

Owen gave a shaky sigh as he rocked in his hammock. Burying Charlie had been a lot harder than he thought. He was glad he had already given himself permission to cry because he had cried whether or not he wanted to.

He hated funerals.

He had only managed to gently toss one pile of rich, brown earth on her wooden coffin before the first sob had just burst from him. It startled him because he thought he was fine, but all of a sudden the tears were rolling down his face, and the ache in his chest made it hard to breathe. It seemed like he was the one to break the dam, because Barry was the next one to start crying softly. It was a sad, watery chain reaction after that.

He was almost ashamed of himself for having to hand the shovel over to a sniffling Scott, and Owen had simply leaned on Barry for a little comfort. Owen appreciated how Scott had tenderly placed each pile of dirt over the coffin, never rushing nor throwing the soft earth. He knew someone precious was in the coffin. Others had even gone out of their way to bring large, smooth stones from the river to line her grave so even visitors knew something special was there; the stones would sit there for a very long time.

It was almost late afternoon now, and he knew he needed to go see Elise pretty soon or she'd get worried. He just needed a little longer to get his bearings about himself before going up there; she couldn't see a weak leader.

Lowery had been keeping tabs on her, and it seemed she had simply slept the day away in her little clearing. She hadn't moved at all, not even to eat the dangling steer. Owen wondered if it was because she was upset or exhausted. Regardless it had given him to time to refresh himself on his sign language. He would teach her the basics first, maybe even how to spell. That would be incredibly helpful in case she was ever around people who didn't know sign.

Owen turned in his hammock again as his thoughts wandered over to what Elise could possibly be hiding in that little cave. Lowery had given a small description of it, and it was clearly too small for Elise. She wouldn't stray from it though, and had almost curled up as close as possible with her nose touching it.

She had to have a something in there, not a someone. Lowery hadn't been able to detect any heat signatures aside from Elise's. He had even gone through the security camera footage, and nothing ever left that little cave.

What could be in there that was so precious to Elise that she willingly went back into her paddock? Granted she had jammed the door first, but she was back in there. She had even gone out of her way to make sure no one else touched it.

Owen probably could have handled that situation differently, but she needed to know there were lines that couldn't be crossed. This was only the second day with each other, and Owen was actually amazed by how wonderful she had been with them. He knew it had helped tremendously to have her away from people, but she had still been fantastic around him.

He just needed to make up with her tonight, and things would go more smoothly.

Content with his decision, Owen relaxed into his hammock. His girls had been lazy today, sad about the fourth, empty nest, but he was sure they would get restless for another run soon. He wondered if he could somehow get them their own attraction. He didn't want people's attention, but he could convince Claire that it would be amazing to see Velociraptors running at full speed. Maybe some kind of racetrack, and people could make bets on it.

He wasn't sure how to fit Elise into that equation though. He didn't know what to do with her. She was just as smart as he was, but she was humongous. What could he do with a giant like her? People wanted something to press their faces against the glass at, not be uncomfortable with seeing something as intelligent as Elise.

Owen grew sad as he realized that even on a park for dinosaurs, Elise had no place in it. She had too much dinosaur in her to leave the island, but she was far too human to ever be a simple attraction sitting in a paddock.

Her creators had been very cruel.

A flash of lights went over Owen's head, and he looked up to see the small, white car pulling into his driveway. He really didn't expect to see Claire here so soon, but the little flip of his stomach made him roll out of his hammock.

He hoped he didn't smell too badly.

She stepped out of the car, and Owen was amazed by how well she had cleaned up considering the hectic night. She had worn her white attire again, and that fiery red hair was perfect. Her makeup wasn't smeared, and she didn't even look tired.

How the hell was that possible?

Owen didn't care, and he hoped he didn't look too eager as he walked over to her with a bounce in his step. There was just something even more incredible about her after she had saved him.

Claire was sexy when she shot a gun.

He couldn't help the slightly crooked smile on his face when she clasped her hands in front of her, and she had startled at seeing him still gross and sweaty. He stopped in front of her before suddenly teasing, "I think you thrive in the field of bloodthirsty lawyers. How do you do it?"

A small, half-smile pulled at her lips, but she bit them to stop it from growing. Owen could never figure out why she wouldn't smile around him, she had a stunning smile. Claire finally replied, "We had better lawyers actually, and Mr. Hammond had saved us with his Terms and Conditions contract."

"Yah, that's what I hear. So, what happened? Is the park going to reopen?"

Claire nodded, and Owen felt hopeful. He was glad he wouldn't have to say goodbye to his girls. He smiled as Claire said, "In about a week, to get the damage cleaned up, and to round up all the scientists. Our head geneticist has disappeared with several embryos, and I pointed the finger at him since he was responsible for creating the Indominus. Lawyers are going after him, and they're searching InGen first. We have a few, good scientists with us still, and I think our labs will be fine with them."

Owen let out a sigh of relief as he smiled, and said, "Good. I want to know exactly what he put in Elise, and why."

Claire frowned at him in confusion, her nose crinkling with eyebrows furrowed in an adorable way, before she asked, "Who?"

Owen gave a sheepish smile as he rubbed the back of his neck. He finally shrugged his shoulders as he said, "Well, we named the Indominus, Elise. She needs a name, Claire; she's smart enough to have one."

The redhead furrowed her brows more deeply as her expression changed from confusion to disbelief. Owen shrugged again as he asked, "What? No one named her, and she wanted a name. I have to call her something, Claire."

Claire continued to stare at him before she let her eyes fall to the ground. Owen didn't like having avoided eye contact, and she let out a small sigh before quietly saying, "The lawyers and the board want the Indominus to be euthanized."

Owen felt his jaw drop, and a heavy ball of fear in his stomach formed when Claire added, "They saw her turn the raptors against you, and they don't like how intelligent she is. They're afraid she'll figure out how to get out again, and more people will get hurt."

Claire slowly looked at him before wincing as she quietly said, "I'm sorry."

Owen immediately shook his head, and pointed at her while he sternly said, "You can't do that to her, Claire. She has human in her! She understands us, she feels like us, and she never asked to be created like that!"

Claire narrowed her eyes as she immediately retorted, "She ate her own sister! She killed several people, Owen. She slaughtered our herd of Apatosaurus. We have dead dinosaurs, and people scattered all over this park! We can't risk her getting out of containment again!"

Owen slowly pointed in the direction of Elise's paddock as he quietly said, "Her door has been open all day because a tree is in the way, Claire. I told her not to leave that paddock, and she's listened to me. She just doesn't want to be alone. How could she have known any better about how this world works when no one even bothers to clean her paddock?"

Owen really hated when Claire wouldn't consider anything, and she would ignore what he had to say. She swallowed before replying, "She wouldn't let anyone in her paddock, she is too aggressive, and I have already scheduled for her to be euthanized by tomorrow night."

" _Who gave you the authority to do that?!"_

Claire startled at him suddenly raising his voice, but she immediately said, "The Jurassic World Board. I've been made CEO of this company after all the assets were put back into containment."

Owen felt his jaw drop before he bitterly said, "You mean after _I_ put Elise and the raptors back into their paddock."

Claire didn't respond to that, and Owen was growing angrier. He threw up his hands as he snapped, "What about the Tyrannosaurus? She's killed people before! Why wasn't she put down?"

Claire's blue eyes immediately hardened as she coolly replied, "Rexy is a different story entirely. She only killed one person, and she's the only reason why this park even succeeded."

Owen looked her up and down once, startled that she had actually called an asset by name. Claire was actually defending a dinosaur, and Owen slowly said, "I know Hammond spent a lot of money fighting to keep Rexy alive. Why won't you even try to do the same with Elise? She's deserves a chance."

"She is not a real dinosaur, Owen. I don't know what she is, but she will not be part of my company."

"Just talk to her for five minutes, Claire! She has a personality! She loves Beethoven and Bach! Elise is practically a puddle for Barry!"

Claire raised her own voice as she stomped on the ground, and yelled, "I will not go talk to that thing! She is not normal, and never should have been created!"

Owen immediately darkened, and took a step forward. Claire refused to give any ground when he almost towered over her, and quietly snarled, "That's your response then? You have the authority to clean up the labs' mistakes, but you're so afraid of something you don't understand that your knee jerk reaction is to kill it. You won't even take the time to _try_ to understand exactly what you have in that paddock."

Owen finally backed away, and began to walk towards his motorcycle. He glanced over his shoulder, and added, "Simon Masrani wouldn't have done that. He would have at least taken the time to understand Elise...but I am talking to the lady who doesn't even know how old her own nephews are."

Claire opened her mouth as he swung his leg over his bike, but he cut her off by saying, "I better see you there tomorrow, Claire. If you're so eager to have Elise killed, then you better have the balls to watch her die. I will not let anyone do anything to Elise unless you're standing right there."

The motorcycle roared into life, and Owen bitterly added, "Congrats on your promotion. I hope you don't go down in flames like Simon."

He was sure Claire yelled something at him, but Owen couldn't hear much over the loud engine. He probably wouldn't have acknowledged her anyways as he sped away.

Owen intended to drive straight for the Raptor Paddock; he needed to get Barry to help him, but he looked down when the radio on his hip crackled.

"Owen? Hey, Owen! You really need to pick up!"

The bike skidded through the dirt, leaving torn grass behind him, and Owen replied, "What now, Lowery?"

He frowned when the radio gave a startled yelp right before Lowery said in a panicky voice, "Elise! S-She's going crazy! The workers managed to shut the doors! You have to calm her down!"

Owen didn't respond; he wasn't sure how he could face Elise again. He didn't even want to calm her down, not if she wasn't going to be rewarded for it. Why should he risk himself when Elise would die tomorrow? He was pulled from his thoughts when Lowery pleaded, "Please, Owen! There might still be a chance for her if you can calm her down!"

"I'm not goi-"

"Quit being a little bitch and go calm down Elise! This isn't about you! We can't let the only American dinosaur in the world dig a deeper hole for herself!"

Owen almost gaped at the radio in his hand, and Lowery paused before quietly adding, "Please."

* * *

Owen could feel himself paling as his bike slid in the gravel. He could hardly hear anything over Elise's furious roars, and he had no idea how he was going to calm her down. The workers were looking around nervously, and Owen could see that they had sawed the tree before shutting the doors.

Elise's roars were actually shaking the leaves on the fallen tree, and he wasn't sure how he was going to calm her down. Owen looked from the doors when the construction manager almost ran him over in a panic of flurried words, "She's gonna kill us all! You have to stop her! Please don't let her eat us!"

Owen didn't respond to him as he dismounted his bike, but walked over to the entrance for people instead as he replied, "Don't ever shut that door without telling me. I have a sensitive animal who is absolutely terrified of being locked in a small space for the rest of her life."

"S-She's just an animal…"

Owen was about to punch the man, simply for the sake of punching something, but his attention was grabbed by the phone being waved around in the gloved hand. He slowly turned his attention back to the shuttering door as the idea began to form in his mind.

Consumers ran this park; whatever they wanted, Jurassic World delivered.

Everyone loved seeing animals do cute or awesome things on the internet.

Claire only said Lowery couldn't post the video of the plaza on YouTube, but she never said anything about other videos.

"I want you to go wait in the control room for this paddock."

The dark haired man flickered his gaze to the building before asking, "Why?"

Owen swiped the keycard from the man's vest, and began to walk towards the entrance as he replied, "Because I think people need to see this."

Owen was pretty sure he had lost his mind, and he was even surer of it when he came to the man sized door. He had left Elise on a bad note, and now she probably assumed he had ordered this. She probably thought she did something wrong, and was being punished for it. Owen could hear the panicked yells from the workers as they tried to call him away from the door when it slid open.

He didn't pay them any mind, and hoped he would be able to walk out alive. For his, and Elise's sake.

Owen only had to follow the sound of the enraged roars, and loud, shrill scrapes against the cement. He passed several fallen, broken trees, and disturbed boulders. The destruction was incredible, and the sinking feeling in his stomach only grew heavier.

He found the white scales focused on the strong, steel doors, and winced when Elise tried to bite a chunk off. Her nose looked rubbed raw, and he thought one of her talons looked broken. He internally grimaced before a shuffle of movement caught his eye, and he saw several construction workers fearing for him behind the observatory glass.

Owen took a deep breath, and squared his shoulders once more before letting out a sharp, quick whistle. Elise immediately froze before whirling around with her teeth bared in a livid manner. Owen slightly winced when the large, clawed hand swiped near him, and a large tree went sailing over the paddock walls.

But she hadn't hit him.

And considering what was coming tomorrow, Owen almost wished she had.

Instead he stood his ground firmly, and raised his hands. The furious, crimson orbs weren't tempted by the knowledge, but Owen made like he was patting the air with his hands as he said, " _Calm down_ , Elise. I didn't know they were going to shut those doors on you. I didn't tell them to do that, but you are scaring them."

Elise let out a furious roar to make it perfectly clear that she could not care less if full grown men were currently cowering in the furthest corner of the room. She even raised her head to glare into the Observatory Room, but Owen immediately said, "Elise, eyes on me."

She turned her head to him sharply, and Owen raised his right hand, splayed palm facing him, before quickly turning it to face Elise as he firmly said, _"Stop it."_

Owen could practically hear the workers holding their breaths as Elise glared at the hands. She finally turned to face him fully before pointing at him with a bloodied index finger. Owen gave her the eye contact as she raised her own right hand before mirroring the sign he just made.

' _You stop it.'_

The retort hardly made sense, but considering just how little her vocabulary was, it was all Elise could use for a retort.

And it was much better than a snap of her teeth.

Owen let out a deep sigh before he sat down on an overturned boulder. He stared at the Indominus quietly, and she shifted on her feet for a minute or so before Owen raised his hand. She watched him point to himself before curling his hand into a gentle fist. He made a circular motion on his chest as he said, " _I am sorry,_ Elise. I really am. I am doing everything I can to make sure you're safe, but other people don't see you like I do…not yet."

Elise seemed to be pulled from her rage at the serious, somber tone. She glanced at the baffled workers for a second before lowering herself onto the ground with a low rumble. Elise looked at Owen when he quietly added, "I know you are terrified of being in here alone, and I never want to hurt you."

Owen stuck his hand out, and she seemed confused by it until he gently placed his hand over her talon; his hand was so small compared to her. He squeezed it gently, though she probably didn't feel it, as he said, "You are just as important to me as my other girls, Elise. You're my baby too, and Barry's."

Elise made a small, loving croon at Barry's name, and Owen couldn't help a sad, small smile at it. He pulled his hand back before he took his index finger, and pressed it against his lips; like he was telling her to be quiet. Then he splayed that hand to cover his other fist, like paper beating rock, as he said, " _I promise,_ that I will never abandon you, Elise. I will never leave you alone, and I will always do everything I can to make sure you are happy. Do you understand that? _I promise,_ and I never break a promise."

The white Indominus pondered his words, as she finally began to memorize the motions he signed before she finally crooned at him. He smiled when she puffed air in his face, and his gaze followed hers as she sat on her back legs. She seemed to wrinkle her snout in thought before raising her left, clawed hand, and making a circular motion on her broad chest.

' _I am sorry.'_

Owen smiled as he took his own hand, splayed his palm, before using the tips of his other fingers to brush it twice as he replied, "I _forgive_ you."

Elise seemed to smile at the motion before pointing at herself, mirroring the motion, then pointing at him.

' _I forgive you.'_

Owen immediately laughed, and stood before splaying his arms as he said, "Get over here, Baby Girl."

Elise tilted her head in confusion but lowered herself to his level. Owen immediately hugged her nose fiercely, almost half hanging off the top of her snout, and Elise puffed air through her nostrils. Owen smiled at her as he said, "It's called a hug. People do this to others they care about, like good friends or family."

He chuckled at her before risking a slight glance at the workers in the observatory, and was pleased to see five of them had whipped out their phones as they gaped in shock at him.

This was good.

But he really needed to prepare Elise for tomorrow.

Owen slid off her nose before sitting back onto his rock. Elise seemed much happier now that she had company, she didn't look so alone. Owen wondered what would have happened if she had had a companion to grow up with.

Owen stared at her for a few seconds, trying to figure out how to break the news without upsetting her. She had finally relaxed enough into resting her head on her front legs, and Owen hated himself for seeing her look so peaceful. It hurt to know how little time she had, and yet he couldn't just leave her alone.

It was selfish to not make her last hours happier simply because it hurt him.

But he had no idea how to tell this creature that she could very well be dead by the next sunset. Was there even a way to tell someone that? He didn't know the words, and he didn't have the courage to say it.

"Elise…"

The crimson eyes fluttered open, and she let out a deep, relaxed breath as she gazed at him. Owen couldn't believe how much intelligent emotion was in those eyes. He slid off the boulder before he scooted over to where he could sit next to her scaled cheek. He gently ran a calloused hand down the white scales as he softly said, "You do know I will do everything I can to protect you, right?"

She blinked at him before raising her hand to knock on the invisible door.

' _Yes.'_

Do you understand that there are a lot of people out there with power? That you scare them with what you might do?"

Owen swallowed when she answered yes, and he struggled not to lower his voice any more as he said, "Sometimes…people become really afraid of what they don't understand. It scares them even more when they realize how powerful it can be."

He paused when the confusion filled her crimson eyes, and he said, "People are really afraid of you because they know they won't be able to control you if you go on another rampage. The people who own this island are in charge of making sure visitors remain safe, and have fun here."

Owen was getting off track, he was avoiding the big news because he didn't have it in himself to say the words. How was he supposed to say, 'Elise, tomorrow you are going to die because of ignorant people who don't even know what you look like.'?

He sighed, and began to pull at some grass on the ground before Elise made a soft noise to grab his attention. She was becoming confused, and she didn't like it. Owen pressed his lips before finally saying, "Elise, tomorrow…tomorrow there are going to be people showing up here to…I am doing everything I can to makes sure it won't…."

Owen finally huffed before asking, "Elise, will you please just trust me to handle things tomorrow? No matter what happens tomorrow, I don't want you to get violent. If I say to hide, I want you to hide. If I say run then run. If I say stay calm then you need to stay calm, alright? It is really important that you can prove you can restrain yourself from getting violent. Will you do that for me?"

Owen could see he had really confused her, but he felt himself go soft when she replied, _'Yes.'_

He rested his forehead on her cheek before pulling back as he said, "Thank you. I just…I'll explain it after tomorrow, okay? Because-"

Owen swallowed when his throat went thick, and he finished, "Because there are some times when I'm not very brave, and I just don't have the courage that I normally have, Baby Girl."

Elise tilted her head at him as the pondering filled the crimson orbs. She seemed to be thinking about something, probably confused as to why her leader had just admitted to lacking bravery, but she didn't seem to hold it against him. Owen smiled when Elise instead curled around him tightly before letting out a content sigh. Her eyes slowly slid shut, and Owen quietly said, "Baby Girl, I am going to have to leave tonight. I need to go take care of things, but I'll be back tomorrow, okay?"

Elise opened her eye to give him a dirty look, and Owen smiled at it as he quietly added, "Please don't scare those workers anymore; they just build what they're told to build."

She huffed at him, and Owen crawled over her tail; it was quite the jump for him. He swore she lifted her tail some to make it more difficult, but he only chuckled at her. Owen patted her tail before he softly said, "Goodnight, Baby Girl. I'll see you tomorrow."

Owen turned to walk away, but startled when Elise suddenly grabbed him in her large hand. He felt like a doll, and before he could say anything, she plopped him back into the little circle she had made. Owen raised an eyebrow at her, and she wasn't moved by him.

"Am I not allowed to leave?"

' _Yes.'_

Owen snorted, and realized he probably should have expected as much from her. He didn't have it in him to leave, and he finally sat down as he said, "I'll stay until you fall asleep, okay?"

She huffed at him, and responded by refusing to close her eyes. Owen only smiled at her; he felt like he was putting a toddler to bed. Elise was stubborn like his own niece was; Owen couldn't remember the last time he saw her, but he did know she was turning seven in a month.

Owen scooched closer to Elise's face before he began to rub soothing circles along the white scales. She gave an irritated growl, and Owen smiled because he knew it was putting her to sleep.

She was a fighter, and Owen had almost begun to think it wouldn't work until she began to blink a little more slowly. Then she started to go cross-eyes, and Owen had to work really hard not to laugh at that. Eventually, Elise allowed her eyes to slide shut, and her breathing turned deep and slow. He waited a few more minutes, just to be sure she was out, before he carefully wriggled out of the circle. She briefly stirred, but didn't wake up. Owen quietly tip toed out of the paddock, and was ecstatic the sliding door was practically silent.

The construction workers had already scrambled to the door to meet them, and he pressed his fingers to his lips. They nodded in agreement, but all gave pats on his back for doing an amazing job, and being the craziest person they had ever seen. Owen made sure to push his bike down the road a little ways before starting it; he didn't want to risk waking Elise up.

Owen intended to ride straight for the Raptor Paddock, and Lowery's admiring voice suddenly broke through the radio.

" _Wow._ That was amazing, Owen, and everyone here saw _everything."_

Owen slowed his bike to a stop before he replied, "Everything?"

"Right down to the little massage on Elise's nose."

Owen paused as he grew even more hopeful before asking, "What are the chances you can…leak that video?"

He waited for a response, and frowned when he didn't get one. Owen pressed the button again before asking, "Lowery?"

He startled when Claire's voice suddenly came on. Owen knew she had to be pissed, but she coolly answered, "Any and all videos that have anything to do with that Indominus will be deleted. I already have security guards going to check those workers' phones. Owen, you are not in charge here. The Indominus will be euthanized tomorrow, and that is final. Just because she is good for you, doesn't mean she will behave for this park. You will go home right now-"

"The _hell_ I will!"

"-Or you will be fired, and sent back to mainland on the next ship."

Owen gaped at the radio in his hand as he tried to keep his temper in check. He knew he was toeing on a very fine line with Claire. He didn't want to get fired; he would never see his pack again. Owen felt his vision going red when Claire sternly asked, "Do you understand?"

Somehow, he felt like she was mocking him, and Owen couldn't help flipping off the radio in his hands before snapping, "Sure."

He made to put it back on his hip before Claire suddenly said, "I saw that, Owen, and I didn't appreciate it."

Owen looked at the radio sharply; he knew it didn't have a camera in it. He heard Lowery quietly mutter, "Camera on the fake bird to your left…"

He snapped his gaze up, and blinked at the stone still bird sitting on the branch. He had to admit he would have never looked at it twice, but he could see the camera lenses in the shining eye. Owen really just wanted to smash the bird, but instead he walked over before cracking his knuckles. He then raised his hands before flipping both his middle fingers up in the most perfect form he had ever done in his life. He was quite proud of how straight his fingers stood, and he retorted, "I don't appreciate you using my girls against me."

He went back to his bike, and switched the radio off when it began to crackle. He then turned his gaze back to the bird as he said, "Sorry, can't hear you."

Owen knew he was going to regret that, but there was just something about Claire that made him feel the need to have the last say. It was an annoying thing between them, and he really wished it wasn't like that.

Owen figured his best bet would be to go home; there was no need to provoke Claire any more than he already had. He needed a shower as well, and he had to think of a new way to save Elise.

Why was Claire fighting him so hard on this? He needed her on his side, he wanted her on his side. She was so smart and strong. He needed a woman like her.

He suddenly wished Elise had eaten him.


	7. Chapter 7

"It Tolls For Thee."

Owen squinted when the sun had finally managed to disturb him, and he slowly sat up in his hammock. He felt a little better after showering, but he hadn't gotten much sleep in the night. He didn't have anywhere to go, and he still hadn't thought of a plan to save Elise.

Legally.

Owen knew there was a nearby island of dinosaurs. It was owned by InGen, but they hardly ever did anything with the dinosaurs on that island. They were much more violent, and the raptors were ruthless. Owen remembered trying to tame a few raptors from that island, before the park had supplied Blue and her siblings, and it had been an absolute nightmare.

Four trips to the island, each time there were four raptors brought back, and only one would actually survive. It would be the winner of brutal, endless fights in the cage onboard. Then the surviving raptor would go into violent seizures before going into a coma, and dying. The vet was forced to perform an autopsy, and discovered there was a kink in the immune system; all the Velociraptors on Isla Sorna were infected with prions, the causes of several degenerative brain diseases.

Unless Owen was sure he would be able to somehow give a vaccination to Elise, he couldn't risk her catching the prions on the other island. It was spread through bites, and Owen knew those raptors would be brave enough to fight Elise.

Those raptor packs on Isla Sorna weren't even organized as a pack should be. There were no Alphas nor Betas, no one stayed behind to guard the nests, and it seemed to be every raptor for itself. There was no social order, just violent creatures, who instinctively knew they were supposed to hunt together.

If there was any way to get the vaccination, assuming there was one, it would be through the Chief Veterinarian, Gerald Harding. The man was old, in his late seventies, but he didn't let that stop him. He had been the Chief Vet for Jurassic Park, and loved working with dinosaurs. Especially the dangerous ones because, "they keep that blood pumpin' real good, and they're the most fun." Owen had a great relationship with him; Dr. Gerry was amazing around the raptors. He never became angry when they snapped at him. He would simply shrug and say, "Why get mad when they're just doing their job? You got good kids, Owen."

Dr. Gerry was a good guy. He appreciated animals of all kinds; he wouldn't be repulsed by Elise. If Owen could get to him fast enough, then maybe there was a chance to get Elise off this island. She would be able to roam free, and he would visit her as often as possible.

Maybe he could convince Claire to reconsider, and have Elise sent there instead. If Gerry would back him up, then there would be a chance.

Owen immediately rolled out of the hammock, and almost tripped over his own feet in his haste to get his boots on. He had almost forgot to put on a shirt as well.

Maybe he could distract Claire if he showed up shirtless…

Owen jumped onto his bike before remembering his radio had been turned off. He could radio Gerry first because that man travelled the island more than any other person here. Very rarely was he in his own office in the Veterinary Building. Owen fumbled with the channel dial, and forced himself to take a deep breath to calm himself. He had to act calm and collected. Gerry was the first channel; always had been.

"Hey, Doc? You there? It's Owen, I need to talk to you…"

Owen held his breath, and prayed the elder would pick up. Gerry would never pick up the radio when he was tending an animal. He always put his patient first. If a Veterinary Technician was with him, and there usually was, then he'd have them answer.

Owen could feel the sweat on his forehead when the radio crackled, and the gravelly voice of the good, old doctor replied, "Owen, 'bout time you turn on that damned thing. Your people have been tryin' to reach your for an hour or so."

Owen didn't like that, and he immediately asked, "Why?"

"Ms. Claire moved the euthanization to about an hour ago."

Owen blacked out for a second, and he was suddenly on the ground with the motorcycle pinning his leg. He blinked a few times before scrambling after the fallen radio, and stuttered, "W-What?!"

Owen couldn't breathe, and his head was pounding. He prayed to any divine above that Elise was still alive. He had never prayed so hard in his life, and Gerry gently said, "Easy, Owen. You know I never put an animal down without her caretaker right with her; that ain't the right thing to do. Ms. Claire's been sitting in her car this whole time; she's pissed, and got things to do, but you need to be here."

Owen scrambled onto his bike, and didn't bother replying to the vet as he kicked his bike into high gear. He couldn't believe this, and Owen was pretty sure someone was going to get punched the moment he showed up.

* * *

The gravel flew as the bike slid from stopping so suddenly, and Owen hardly saw the several Asset Containment Unit soldiers standing warily on guard. He only saw the white car with the oblivious redhead sitting inside. Owen thought he heard Barry call out his name, but it didn't stop him from harshly knocking on the clean window of Claire's car. She jumped high, and Owen was impressed he hadn't broken it, before he snarled, "What the _hell,_ Claire?! You said tonight!"

Owen was glad that he finally got a flicker of fear out of Claire; it meant he finally had her attention. A deep voice from behind him sternly said, "Sir, step away from the car."

Owen gave the filthiest look he could muster as he slowly turned around to face the security guard. It only pissed him off more that Claire had brought someone to guard her, and he snapped, "You need to mind your own _goddamn_ business, and back off. _She_ needs to come out of her car, and talk to me like an actual CEO."

Owen turned back to the car before he felt the heavy, gloved hand on his shoulder. He whirled around to smack the hand off when the balled fist punched him in the gut.

Owen could take a punch, but this was a dirty punch that he wasn't ready for. Owen immediately doubled over as the air whooshed out of him, and he struggled to catch his breath. He heard the car door open, and Claire sternly said, "There was no need for that! He won't hurt me, he's not like that!"

Even at his most livid, Claire knew Owen was a gentleman. He wasn't sure if he should be warmed or infuriated by that. He finally took a large gasp of air before stumbling a few steps away from the car. He spat on the ground as he rose back up, and glared at the man. The beef-stick had the audacity to give a small smirk, and Owen mentally put a target on his forehead. He turned when Claire quietly said, "I'm sorry, Owen, but I couldn't come tonight; I have to be with my nephews. It would be wrong not to show up to this, so I changed the time. No one could get ahold of you though."

Owen took a deep breath to calm himself. Claire was talking like a big girl, so he would talk like a big boy. He lowered his voice as he said, "Please, hear me out, Claire. What if we sent Elise to Isla Sorna? Please, she won't bother anyone there, just let me talk to Dr. Gerry…"

Claire looked torn for his sake, but she still shook her head as she replied, "I already tried that, Owen. I know you think I'm a heartless bitch, but I did try to have her sent there. The board just doesn't want to risk her swimming to mainland; we found some paperwork on her genetic makeup, Owen. She has fish DNA in her. Who knows what she could do? Jurassic World would be responsible if she made it to mainland…"

Owen was starting to grow desperate, and he felt his face fall. Claire winced when he quietly said, "Please don't make me bury another baby, Claire; I can't handle it."

Claire looked around, making sure no one was within hearing, before she softly said, "Owen, I know Elise is something special to you. I know you can see past those teeth, but I have a responsibility to the people and assets here. I have to do everything to keep them safe, especially after what happened. If she was smaller, or had less teeth…but she's just too dangerous."

"I want you to talk with her."

Claire raised her eyebrow in disbelief before asking, _"What?"_

Owen nodded firmly as he gestured to the steel doors, and said, "I want you to talk with her. Away from all these people, and you tell me that she doesn't have human in her."

Claire slid her gaze over to the door before retorting, "I know she has human in her; I saw you signing with her on that camera, but you have to understand that she is an animal who is highly intelligent. She's dangerous, and she's killed people."

Owen darkened, he didn't want to defend her kills, but he quietly said, "I never saw her attack first, Claire. We barged into her only home, raptors are incredibly territorial, and then the Asset Containment Unit went after her. How was she supposed to know any better?"

"She killed those Apatosaurus for sport!"

Owen raised his own voice as he pointed at the paddock, and yelled, "Then give her a chance to explain herself! Christ on his throne, Claire, she can talk!"

Claire immediately hissed, "Will you keep your voice down?!"

Owen gaped at her before dangerously saying, "I am about to lose another member of my family, and you want me to go about this in a calm manner? _Jesus. Christ._ Will you please pull your head out of your ass, and see that Elise is a living, breathing creature who can _communicate with us?!"_

Owen knew that was a toe out of line when Claire's eyes hardened. She took a step away from him as she coolly said, "I am sorry it has to be like this, but I've already made my decision, and I see no reason to reconsider. This is for the good of the company, Owen. You can say your goodbye when she's sedated before we…dispose of the body."

Claire nodded at the security guard as she added, "Please make sure Mr. Grady doesn't interfere with Dr. Harding's work."

Owen felt his jaw drop when the strong hands seized his arms, and he desperately said, "Don't do this to me, Claire. Don't you do this to _her_!"

Claire took a deep breath to calm herself before she said, "This isn't your decision; she belongs to this company. I make the decisions."

Owen opened his mouth to spew profanity at her, but froze when he heard the large doors slowly slide open. He whirled his head to the side, and felt his heart drop when Elise was standing there; looking agitated with all the yelling going on. Everyone went silent, and Elise gave a small, unsure croon that broke Owen's heart. She wanted guidance from him.

And he was powerless.

Her crimson gaze swept across the small, armed crowd before she found him. She stared at him for a signal of any kind, and Owen froze when Dr. Gerry raised his dart gun. He didn't know what else to do. He immediately yelled, "Elise! _Run-_!"

The gloved hand clapped over his mouth, and Owen began to struggle against him. Elise didn't like that; she didn't like seeing Owen stressed or angry, and she immediately let out a terrifying roar. The Asset soldiers readied their guns, ignoring Barry as he yelled, "Don't shoot her! Hold fire!"

Owen rammed his elbow into the hard abs behind him, and the man let out a grunt of pain. Owen twisted away from him, and stumbled back only to get a sharp punch to the nose. He felt the cartilage crack, and the blood began to gush from his nose. The back of Owen's head smashed into the gravel, and he could actually feel the ground vibrate when Elise shook the earth with a shrill roar.

He glanced to the side of him just in time to see Elise lunge forward with jaws wide open. She snapped her ivory daggers near the closest soldiers, and they immediately open fired on her. The small, blue darts did nothing to her hide, and Owen was surprised when she suddenly rushed back into her paddock. The only sound was the heavy thuds of her steps before the screaming of steel shearing filled the air. The Commander immediately yelled, "She's escaping through the other side! Move! Move! Move! No one go in there; go around!"

Owen had to admit he was impressed by how quickly they moved, and he stumbled up before running towards the entrance. He couldn't let Elise get hurt, and he knew she wasn't escaping. Something suddenly collided into his back, and the sharp gravel cut into his face as it further displaced his already throbbing nose. Owen struggled against the heavy weight before it was suddenly swept off him. He heard Claire scream, and looked up to see his savior hovering over him protectively.

Elise had purposely lured the Asset soldiers away before coming back.

The white Indominus barred her teeth dangerously as she took another step over Owen, daring anyone to come near either of them. He startled at seeing her scales shiver before they began to flush a terrifying, blood-bathed crimson with deep stripes of black along her back.

Sweet, baby Jesus in his itchy hay manger, now Elise looked like something that had crawled straight out of hell. Her blazing, blood filled eyes practically glowed against the thick black masking her face. She slowly lowered herself to all fours, and her dagger filled mouth began to shiver as Death himself seemed to be whispering promises of revealing his very face to anyone stupid enough to even make a move.

Owen was so stunned by this impressive display of intimidation that he had no idea how to react. Elise gave a snap of her jaws, and focused on Claire. The redhead was cowering against her car with her fallen body guard sprawled to the side of her. He groaned on the ground before slowly trying to push himself up. Owen couldn't let Elise hurt her; he could not let Claire be right.

He winced as he sat up, and wiped his bloody, wet lip before saying, "Elise. Elise, stand down."

The Indominus gave a deep, insidious snarl that fell from her shivering jaws in a hushed sigh. She wasn't going to stand down unless Owen did something else. He glanced to the side of him, and saw Dr. Gerry hesitating; he had the shot, but he just wasn't taking it. Owen caught his attention, and shook his head before motioning him to back off. The vet nodded, and began to cautiously back away.

Owen had a feeling the sedative would take a few minutes before slowing her down, and he didn't want to think about what she could do in that amount of time. Owen forced himself up before he stumbled to the front of Elise. She hadn't noticed him move, she was so focused on Claire that nothing else existed.

"Elise, eyes on me."

The red eyes snapped down briefly before her large hand dragged him back underneath her massive body; she was protecting him. Owen shook his head as he darted back in front of Claire, and quickly said, "It's okay, Elise. I'm fine, the guy is down, and Claire is going to order those soldiers to back off."

Owen gave a backwards glance at the stunned redhead as he hissed, "Because they won't be able to do _shit_. Just like last time. Your order them to stand down or people will die."

"Owen, I will not-"

"You didn't call it off last time, and just about all of them died! They have the same damned weapons as the other team had. Why the hell would it work this time?! Order. Them. Down."

Elise shivered her jaw in a threatening hiss, and Claire winced. Owen refused to move away from in between them, and he quietly said, "No one will think less of you for calling them off. People respect smart decisions; not the people who can't admit a plan they set in motion may have been a bad idea."

Claire stiffened, and she opened her mouth to retort until Elise gave a dangerous snarl. Claire froze when Elise rose onto her back legs before pointing a sharp talon at her. Claire frowned when Elise splayed her open palm towards herself before quickly twisting it to face Claire. The crimson Indominus then pulled Owen a little closer to herself, and Claire flickered her confused gaze to Owen. He gently patted the giant, protective hand as he quietly said, "She's telling you to stop it."

Claire swallowed nervously as she glanced back at the crimson gaze before almost whispering, "I can't call it off, Owen. I don't have a good reason. Do you know how chastised I was for even trying? I almost lost the promotion because they were afraid of having an emotional woman as CEO. They thought I let my emotions run me when I wanted the Velociraptors to be spared."

Owen felt himself sink; he knew Claire was telling the truth, and he could only imagine how hard it would be for her to gather all the respect Simon had held. He heard Elise snort, and he quietly said, "I know…but Elise doesn't know about _that._ She was talking about the Asset Containment Unit."

Claire glanced back up at the threatening Indominus before she pulled her sleeve back to reveal the silver communication watch on her wrist. She pressed the button before sternly saying, "ACU, this is CEO, I am ordering you to stand down, and return here."

There was a brief pause before the Commander immediately hissed, "Don't you ever speak that loudly over radio! We're in heavy brush, and you'll draw her over!"

Owen pressed his lips, and Claire seemed to deflate. Either because she had been snapped at, or she was losing faith in her ACU. She pushed the button, and dryly said, "Asset has outsmarted you, and came back after you all ran into the jungle like idiots. Get your asses back here right now, Commander. I will be re-evaluating your abilities, and position, if you can't even recognize when an asset larger than a T-rex hasn't escaped her paddock."

Owen winced at the sharp, biting tone, but he supposed it was how Claire would have to act if she was going to prove herself a leader. He really wanted to stand by Claire, he wanted to support her, but he couldn't pick her over Elise. Claire caught his gaze, and he wasn't sure what to say. Elise was still hovering protectively, but she wasn't getting violent with Claire.

Life would have been so much easier if Elise would give him a reason to put her down, but she wasn't. He had told her once that it was wrong to kill people, and she hadn't killed anyone after that. She had only swept the security guard off, and he had already crawled away from them.

Owen glanced up as he softly said, "It's okay, Baby Girl, alright? You can calm down now."

Elise made a deep, low rumble, but she gave a final snap of her teeth at Claire before pulling Owen and herself a few steps back from them. The crimson color slowly melted away, and Owen was relieved when the scales became their snowy white again. It was like an angel and demon sharing one body.

A cheesy way of looking at it, but Elise did seem heavenly after witnessing the crimson scales.

Owen looked back at the torn redhead before silently pleading for a second chance with Elise. He rarely begged, but he was a heartbeat away from getting on his knees to outright plea with Claire. He knew she wasn't a bad person; she had shown emotion when the Apatosaurus has died in his arms. She called Rexy by name, and she had been so scared when her nephews weren't home.

Claire had her flaws, but Owen knew she wasn't cruel by any means. Masrani wouldn't have made her his park manager if she was.

Owen opened his mouth to ask Claire for one more chance to reconsider when Elise suddenly let out a furious roar. Owen nearly leapt out of his skin before snapping his head up to see Elise clawing at something in her neck.

The orange feather of the tranquilizer practically glowed against the white scales, and Owen turned his gaze back to the vet just in time to see Gerry angrily yank his tranquilizer gun away from Clare's bleeding, bruised security guard.

Now Owen really did intend to bury the man.

Elise's foot stomped a little too close to him, and Owen yelped as he darted away. He briefly froze at seeing the glazed looked taking over the confused, crimson orbs as Elise stumbled onto all fours. Owen dove out of the way as he yanked Claire with him before the loud thud of Elise collapsing shook the ground.

There's no way that should have worked so quickly.

Owen immediately ran over when Elise gave a scared moan, and her glazed eyes wandered over to him helplessly. He gently shushed her as he ran his hands along the scaled cheek.

"Easy, Baby, it's okay. You're just falling asleep, you'll be alright, I promise. I will take care of that guy. Don't fight the drug, okay, Baby?"

Elise made to move, and Owen could only imagine how heavy her limbs felt to her. She gave a distressed, high pitched wine that broke his heart, and Owen continued to gently rub her scales. He ignored the blood on his lip, the throbbing from his nose, and the aching cuts on his cheeks. He had to make sure Elise would stay calm, it was never good when a distressed animal was sedated.

He watched the clouded, crimson orbs slowly slide shut as her massive body relaxed. Her head lolled to the side, and Owen watched her massive ribcage slowly rise and fall with each deep breath she took. It was so quiet that Owen could actually hear the loud heartbeat that kept Elise alive.

It sounded so powerful.

Owen didn't feel good about this; he didn't like how quickly that had knocked Elise off her feet. He was half aware that he was breathing a little faster than normal as he glanced to Claire for help. She looked just as shocked as he did, but was pulled out of it when Dr. Gerry snarled, "If you ever touch my shit again, I'll feed you to Rexy! I'll enjoy picking what's left of you from her teeth at the next dental appointment!"

Owen actually felt his jaw drop when quiet Barry had marched up to the security guard, and threw a hard punch into the jaw. Owen swore he heard bone crack, and the guard's eyes rolled up; he was out cold before he even hit the ground.

Claire turned to the side when the ACU soldiers had finally made their appearance, and she walked over to the Commander with a dark look in her eye. Owen watched her get in the guy's personal space as she chewed him out before pointing at the large, armored vehicles. The man only stiffly nodded, and Claire dismissed them before she came back over to him.

Dr. Gerry was grumbling to himself as he locked the tranquilizer gun in his pickup before he looked up when Claire called out his name. She gently gestured to the sleeping giant, and Dr. Gerry gave a small sigh.

The cold fear in Owen's stomach was too much, and he quietly pleaded, "Claire…"

Claire finally gave him the eye contact he wanted, and she kneeled down to his level. She remained wary of the massive teeth, but gently grabbed Owen's hand as she softly said, "I am so _sorry_ that you got caught up in this mess. I am so sorry you lost Charlie, and I am so sorry about…Elise. Even if I stop this, someone else will come around to do it. I cannot justify sparing her to the board. If I could, I wouldn't have even scheduled this…."

Owen felt his throat going tight, and the hopelessness creeping into his very soul. He wouldn't be able to function after this, he just knew it. Elise was something special, she was funny in her own way, and she wasn't violent by nature. She had enough human in her.

She was his tough baby.

Owen startled from his thoughts when Barry was suddenly next to him, and already struggling to hold back tears as he gently cooed to the sleeping, white scales. Owen looked away because he wouldn't be able to hold it together, and he half heard Dr. Gerry softly say, "You take your time, Owen. I know you got nothin' but good kids…"

Owen desperately stared at the elder, and couldn't get angry with the gentle calmness about him. This wasn't Dr. Gerry's first time dealing with attached caretakers.

Owen lowered his gaze to the large syringe in the old vet's hand. The light blue liquid almost looked harmless, and Owen numbly turned back to his precious Elise. He gently ran a hand down her scarred nose as he struggled to find the words to describe how sorry he was for failing her. He had asked for her trust, and he failed. He ordered her to run, but she refused to abandon him.

A creature he had known for less than three days, who he had actually fired a gun at, had risked her own self for his sake.

And she was going to pay for it.

Owen finally felt his vision grow blurry when he stroked a sensitive spot on Elise's nose, and she relaxed further; exhaling a large sigh that ruffled his hair.

He couldn't believe he would be saying goodbye to another one of his girls.

What a cruel world he was faced with, and Owen held his breath when he heard music playing in Barry's jeep not far from them. It was a calming tune that everyone knew and loved. An undying love song composed for a nameless woman who had stolen the heart of a brilliant composer.

Owen had only wished he knew just how cursed the name was before giving it to this special soul before him.

The world would never know who had inspired Beethoven's most timeless piece of music.

And the world would never know an intelligent dinosaur had lived her life in complete isolation, only being gifted a mere moment of freedom before breathing her last. The world wouldn't care.

Owen kept his face straight though he wouldn't stop the first tear that had finally spilled over, and he quietly heard the piano go silent. He didn't acknowledge anything when Barry softly said, "I told you it would come back on…it's a really good song."

Owen only mentally agreed.

Für Elise was a masterpiece.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N**

 **I'm sorry if I ruined your guys' night yesterday! No one should ever go to bed sad, but I warned you in chapter two that I would break out the heart wrenching moments! On a more serious note though, I know I didn't put a warning yesterday, and I didn't think about how it might have really upset some of you. That was insensitive on my part. I have absolutely no problem with putting warnings for death if you guys don't care for those kinds of surprises. I hadn't posted a warning yesterday because no one technically died. If you're not comfortable with posting that request in the reviews, then PLEASE give me a PM, and I will make sure to give warnings. *I will say this is a sad start as we continue where we left off!***

 **Thank you for your reviews! ...And your several threats along with reprimands from yesterday, those were fun ^.^**

* * *

"#Badassery"

Owen could not understand the hollow pain in his chest as he kept a firm hand on Elise's warm nose. He loved how the scales felt, and Elise's were so huge that it made him feel little.

Elise made Owen realize just how little he really was in this world.

He was pulled from his stupor when Dr. Gerry's hand gently squeezed his shoulder. The old vet had pulled his sunglasses off, and the wrinkled, blue eyes held only empathy, and understanding. Dr. Gerry softly said, "It's not going to hurt her, and it'll be fast. She knows you love her, and that's all she's going to need right now. As long as you're right here with her, she'll be fine."

Owen began to breathe a little faster as he shook his head, and desperately whispered, "I can't do this."

Gerry squeezed his shoulder firmly as he said, "I think you need to, Owen. It'll be easier on her, and it'll be better for you, trust me."

Owen had asked Elise to trust him, and now she was going to die. She wouldn't abandon him like the loyal pack member she was, and she was paying the price. Owen gave a shaky cough to cover the hiccupped breath, and he shoved one hand in his pocket to ball his fist. He kept his other hand on the warm nose as he tried to hold his breath.

If God above was watching over him right now, he really needed some help. Any divine up above would work for him. Lightning, an earthquake, _anything_ that would pull that blue syringe away from his tough baby. Dr. Gerry was fitting a large, sharp needle on, and Owen half wondered if Elise would be lucky enough to have scales too tough for the needle's sharp point.

Gerry gave a small, sad sigh as he lifted the syringe up before giving it a small push; the blue liquid dribbled from the point as all air bubbles were pushed out, and Owen felt another gust of warm air on his face. He desperately pleaded with Claire, and she bit her lip, but she didn't look away.

At least she was humane enough to give him that much.

Gerry moved close to the soundly sleeping, peaceful giant, and he gave her a gentle pat above her closed eye as he said, "I'm sorry, Kiddo."

Owen began to sag when the old hand moved along the scales as he searched for the jugular. It wasn't hard to find, and Gerry pressed against it. It only took a few seconds before the vein began to bulge, and Owen finally began to realize what was about to happen.

There was nothing he could do about it. He couldn't watch, and he pressed his forehead against Elise as he waited.

Owen nearly leapt out of his skin when the silent, somber feeling in the air was broken by Lowery quickly yelled over the crackling radio.

"WAIT! WAIT! Don't do it!"

Gerry gave an irritated glare at the radio when he dropped his syringe in surprise, and Claire looked livid as she snatched the radio from Owen's hip. He blinked dumbly at her, and Claire quietly snapped, "What the _hell,_ Lowery?!"

Barry lifted his face from the scales, and the pattern had imprinted into his forehead, as the sound of things being flung around garbled on the radio. Lowery sounded breathless, like he had been running, and panted, "Video…leaked…already has…millions of views! People…are going crazy over it!"

Claire immediately paled as she slowly looked at Dr. Gerry. The old man narrowed his eyes as a stern, disapproving glare set on his face. Gerry hated putting animals down, and he hated dragging things out; it only made things worse for everyone. Claire swallowed as she quietly said, "How. Did. That. Happen? I said to delete all the videos."

Owen blinked a little more as he had pulled himself from the suffocating blue emotions, and heard Lowery desperately say, "I don't know, Claire! I did delete everything! This wasn't even the one where Owen put her to bed! It's the one in the plaza! Where he saved _Purple_ , or whatever, from being mauled!"

Owen frowned, his mind was so fogged at the moment that he had no idea who Purple was. Was Lowery referring to Blue? Owen had saved Blue; that felt like such a long time ago. He met Claire's stunned, slightly angry gaze, and Lowery added, "It's all over the news, Claire! People love it, and the tickets to see the Indominus? Those are selling for triple their worth on EBay!"

The redhead gaped at the radio, and Owen held his breath. People liked her? Or were they just stunned to see little him actually stop massive her from attacking? Claire blinked as her mind whirled to comprehend this, and Lowery continued to push, _"Guests want to see Elise, Claire…"_

That was enough to pull Claire out of her shock, and she slowly slid her gaze up to the Indominus before her. Owen was afraid to believe he saw her thinking hard, and winced when Gerry cleared his throat.

It was never good when Gerry cleared his throat; it meant he was about to give a _thorough_ ass-chewing. Owen himself had been chewed out only once, and that was enough to straighten him out for life. Even Blue and the girls seemed a little quieter when Dr. Gerry came around after that incident had happened.

Gerry didn't like how Owen fed his girls soft "people food" that would allow plaque to build up around their gums. The old vet was getting tired of pulling teeth from the petting zoo dinosaurs because all they ate was soft food.

Owen was petrified of Gerry finding out he still snuck his girls the sweet treats.

Claire glanced up from her phone when Gerry sternly growled, "Claire, I will say this only once. If you make the decision of cancelling this euthanasia, and change your mind later, I will _never_ even consider putting this animal down for your reasons. I just watched Owen keep a hold of her; she's not violent, she's protective. You can't get mad at her for doin' her job."

Claire seemed startled that she was being chastised, and Gerry continued, "If your pencil pushin', money-hungry suits actually had a brain about themselves, they'd realize all this girl needed was support. She needs social structure, and Owen is providing it. All that chaos this kiddo caused could have been prevented if she had grown up with a keeper like Owen."

Gerry slowly pointed to the sleeping dinosaur, and shaken caregivers as he growled, "Don't you _ever_ put these three through this again. I've got three more of Owen's girls that I might outlive, and I will not see either of these two, grown men cry any more times than that. This animal will never trust strangers again, and you might have just conditioned her into associating bad things with crowds of strangers. I suggest you think really hard about her fate, because putting her down won't be an option with me anymore."

Gerry sharply looked at his black watch before adding, "You got an hour before I make the decision for you."

The old vet then hobbled over to his truck as he grumbled to himself. Owen winced at the tone, but he didn't dare raise his eyes to Claire. He was so afraid of becoming hopeful once more; he just couldn't take it.

Owen actually jumped a little when Claire pushed the button on her radio before asking, "Lowery, I don't want an exaggeration on how popular that video is…"

The radio in her hand was silent for a second before he replied, "I don't exaggerate, okay? That video is on fire, and it's starting to appear on some of the news channels. Your receptionist came in, she's looking for you because interviews are wanting to be made. Jurassic World is all the hype again."

Claire looked up from the little radio before she walked over, and kneeled in front of Owen. He knew he had to look pathetic when she spoke in a soft, gentle tone that he was sure wasn't even used for her nephews.

"If I call this off, you do know you'll be in the spotlight, right?"

Owen only nodded, he didn't trust his voice at the moment, and Claire asked, "Can she handle that kind of attention? If we sell tickets to see her, then she's going to see a lot of people. Are you sure you can keep her under control, Owen?"

"If I'm where she can see me, and no one threatens me then we'll be fine…"

Claire flickered her gaze up when a deep breath from Elise ruffled her red hair. Owen followed her gaze before quietly adding, "She has to have space to run, Claire. She's got to have a spot to hide because she's got human in her; she needs her privacy too…"

The CEO contemplated her decision for a few minutes as she continued to stare at Elise. Owen kept his mouth shut for fear of saying the wrong thing, and he swore Barry was holding his own breath. Owen could see Gerry carefully watching Claire from the corner of his eye.

Owen was starting to go crazy with how long Claire was taking, and he wished Gerry hadn't given her such a long time to think about it. Even Lowery seemed to be nervously tapping something on his desk; Owen could hear the repeated tapping until someone shushed him.

Was the entire Control Headquarters watching?

Owen jumped again when Claire finally stood as she went into business mode, and said, "Jurassic World has moral principles that it always has to stand by. We created this asset with the full knowledge that she could be dangerous. The labs refused to give full details on what traits she could possibly show; they were irresponsible in the amount of power they were given. We couldn't properly accommodate her for this reason, and we all paid for it. She didn't know better when she went on her rampage, and that's not her fault. We can market this to sway the board. The guests still want to see the Indominus, and Jurassic World has the means and people to do so safely."

Claire looked at Owen as she coolly added, "You will be in charge of the Indominus rex. You're responsible for her well-being, and making sure this company does everything it can to make this safe for everyone; dinosaurs and guests. I want reports on her progress, and anything else she's going to need. Tomorrow, you _and I_ start working on the tweaks of her paddock that was made for public viewing, as well as what we are going to tell the public."

Owen took a deep breath, and nodded before Claire awkwardly pointed at him as she said, "Please dress in…something professional as well. You're a big part of this park now, Mr. Grady."

Owen had no idea what she wanted for professional, but he wasn't going to say anything; he simply nodded again. Claire seemed to be growing concerned about his lack of witty remarks, but she slowly said, "Well…then, I will be leaving to announce my decision to the board…you have it from here?"

Owen nodded again. Claire raised her eyebrows at him, and glanced at Gerry for some help. The vet simply shrugged his shoulders as he said, "He'll be fine when she wakes up; might be a couple hours."

Claire glanced at Owen again, and blinked when Barry had turned away from her. She wasn't quite sure what to do, and she took a slow step towards her car. She knew there was something comforting she was supposed to say, but she lacked the ability to comfort people.

She finally went back to her car, and paused when she opened it before glancing back at him. Claire bit her lip before quietly saying, "Owen?"

Owen glanced up, confused as to why she was switching between formal and informal names, but she said, "If…you're not busy tonight, my nephews really wanted to eat dinner with you as well. Gray has a bunch of questions about your raptors, and Zach…well Zach just thinks you're a total badass."

Owen nodded once more, and waved at her; his attempt of saying he would try really hard. Claire wasn't sure what to do with that, and she glanced at Elise one more time before getting into her car. She drove away, and Gerry gave a sigh as he turned to his pickup. He put the tip of the empty syringe into a bottle; medicine to help Elise recover from this. He then mentally counted down from five…four…three…two…one…

Owen startled himself when the large sob tore from his chest, and Barry was mush as he loudly cried over Elise's ribcage. Owen buried his face in his hands as he tried to get ahold of himself, but he had been so scared. He leaned close to Elise, and Gerry only pressed his lips.

He still had to go pull rotted teeth from the petting zoo dinosaurs. Stupid, uneducated people always had to feed soft food like that. Even Rexy would need monthly dental appointments from eating soft, squishy goats all day. She wasn't getting enough big, hard bones to chew on to break up the plaque, and it aggravated Gerry to no end when the caretakers acted so surprised when the teeth began to rot.

At least he convinced Owen to stop feeding the raptors Oreos and Cheetos.

* * *

Owen let out a loud sigh as he waited at the top of the platform of the Raptor Paddock. He wanted to stay with Elise, but Gerry had assured him the Indominus wouldn't even twitch for another few hours. She had gone down fast because it was so much more than what was recommended for her. Owen had spent another few minutes freaking out until Gerry had chased him off.

The vet would stay with Elise until he thought she was out of the clear; Barry was with her as well.

Owen hadn't seen his girls since they all slept at his place, and he missed them. He wasn't sure if they missed him, but they did miss chasing after the pig. He could hear their delighted chirps, and it seemed they had mostly recovered from losing their baby sister; Owen wished he had that ability. They knew Charlie was gone, and they accepted it; they moved on for sake of survival.

At least it felt good to be going about his normal routine again, and _without_ Vic drooling a short distance away! That was a big bonus, but Owen found it weird how the InGen men had all but disappeared. It almost felt empty around here, but Scott and a few other caretakers were eagerly watching from the side. Owen liked them, even if they were just kids, he felt like they respected his girls more than the others had.

Owen was pulled from his thoughts when the pink pig rocketed from underneath him, and Blue hot on its heels. Owen immediately put his hand up as he sharply said, "Whoa!"

Blue skidded into a halt as Delta and Echo finally caught up with her. She snipped a chirp at him while the other two gave their own greetings. Owen couldn't help his chuckle while he assessed his girls' attention. He was immensely pleased to see they were waiting attentively, and he said, "Eyes up."

Owen swore Blue would roll her eyes if she could, and he made a mental note to bring some new commands in. Even he was getting tired of telling them to stand a little taller. Regardless, all three stood a little taller, and Owen made a few clicks with the white tool in his hand before saying, "And now we're moving."

He reached into the bucket before pulling out a chunk of lamb leg. He called out Delta before tossing it to her, and Echo was rewarded with her own chunk of beef. Owen smiled as he held up the white rat, and gently called out Blue as he tossed it to her.

The blue scaled raptor snapped her jaws around the treat eagerly before swallowing it. Owen made to dismiss them before doing a double take at his best girl. Owen frowned deeply as he leaned over the railing, and said, "Blue…what did you do now?"

Owen could clearly see a long cut along the raptor's neck, and he had no idea how she had gotten that. It looked fresh too. The three stepped about in some confusion, and Owen realized he had messed up their routine. He immediately chopped the air with a hand as he said, "Get going."

His girls knew that much, and they darted away to get back to their busy lives. Owen began to descend the stairs, intent on taking a closer look at his best girl, and Scott was already filling up a bucket of warm water and a little soap. He followed Owen over to the entrance, and Owen couldn't help saying, "You're really pulling you're weight around here."

Scott gave a sheepish grin as he replied, "I figured if you could get them back on our side, then you wouldn't have a problem going in there to clean her up. I'll have the cameras do a sweep to see if she had cut herself during the run."

Owen took the bucket before pausing, and he asked, "How'd you know I got them back on my side?"

Scott glanced around, like Owen had asked a dumb question, and he slowly said, "You know…the video? It's everywhere. Man, it was scary, but _awesome_ how you got that Indominus to quit attacking."

Owen finally looked around, and noticed the awed looks he was getting from the others. He turned back to Scott as he quietly asked, "Who's seen that video?"

"I think a shorter list would be who hasn't seen that video. Haven't you seen it?"

Owen shook his head as he opened the cage door, and Scott said, "Well, it's called hashtag Badassery if you want to see it."

" _What?"_

Owen almost dropped the bucket as he glanced at Scott. He had no idea what kind of a title that was, but now he wasn't sure if Lowery had leaked that video or not. Lowery seemed to have been telling the truth, but that title just sounded like something Lowery would do.

Scott only nodded as he whipped out his phone. He walked over, but didn't go into the cage with Owen, before he said, "Yep, right here. It's hashtag Badassery. Six million views and counting, and this is only the one on YouTube. It's all over Facebook, and Twitter; Instagram even. You're like…really famous."

Owen finally blinked, and gave a shake of his head as he quickly said, "W-Whoa, hold up. Who posted that?"

Scott shrugged before replying, "Dunno, the account only has this video, but he sounds like he knows you. Wanna hear the description?"

Scott didn't wait for Owen's reply, and he read, "Here is the most badass man you will ever meet on the face of this planet. This hardcore dude rides his motorcycle with his Velociraptor pack; it's _awesome_. Watch him not only stop this big Indominus thing, but actually teach her how to do sign language! If this isn't badass then I don't know what is. Hashtag Badassery."

Owen swiped the phone from the kid, and he blinked in shock at actually seeing the video. He could see himself, and his girls. This was definitely taken by the security camera, and it had caught everything. Owen watched himself take the camera off Blue before Elise showed up out of nowhere. The security camera gave small shudders with each step she took, and then he watched himself stop the large dinosaur from attacking Blue. Owen held his breath when it didn't end there, and caught the entire sign language conversation. The footage ended when he had climbed onto his bike, and his girls darted alongside him with Elise following. He almost gave the phone back, until the bold, white words showed up on the screen; asking everyone to share the video as fast as possible.

Owen pressed his lips when the video ended, and he really wasn't quite sure what to do as he handed the phone back. He walked further into the comforts of his cage, and Scott leaned on the bars as he asked, "So…what's the Indominus like? Is she like the raptors?"

Owen was really uncomfortable with how the kids seemed to be crowding around the cage. He resisted the urge to shuffle as he nonchalantly answered, "She's very smart, smarter than the girls, but she's got raptor in her. I'm not sure if she was trying to escape; we might have startled her by going into her paddock all of a sudden."

Scott nodded as Owen gave a small whistle to grab Blue's attention. The Beta trotted over, and waited patiently while the door slowly slid open. Three days ago, Owen wouldn't have dreamed of attempting this, but he had proven himself; his girls had chosen him as their Alpha.

And he had Oreos in his pocket.

Owen stepped under the gate, and quietly greeted, "Hey, Blue. You going to let me take a look at that gash?"

The raptor gave a loud snort that pulled at Owen's lips, and gently extended his hand. Blue allowed him to run his fingers along her scales until he drifted a little too close to the cut, then she gave a small, warning growl. It was long, but not deep; she probably had run by something sharp.

Owen mentally sighed, but he dipped the soft, clean cloth in the water. He offered it to his girl for her to inspect before he began to gently wipe across the cut. Blue had tensed at first, but she relaxed with the soft wipes. Owen kept an eye on the other two, but there wasn't a tension in the air. Owen could definitely get used to this.

Owen couldn't help giving Echo a dry look when she suddenly knocked the bucket over proudly. He set it upright with his foot as he said, "Really, Echo? We're gonna start this shit again?"

An ornery croon was her reply, and Owen couldn't stop the short laugh from escaping him. He could always count on Echo giving him a good laugh. Delta was on his other side, sniffing him closely, and Owen did not doubt she was catching Elise's scent. He wondered how she would be a part of this pack. There was no way she'd fit in here, and it sounded like she already had her own paddock ready to go. Packs lived together.

Maybe Owen could still get the girls with Elise; he knew the Indominus would tire of talking with just him and Barry.

Owen closely inspected the cut before deeming it clean. It wouldn't need stitches or to be covered, but he would need to keep a close eye on it just in case. He dropped the pink cloth in the bucket before reaching into his pocket as he quietly said, "You are a very good girl for not being a little shit for once. I think you earned your Oreo."

Blue immediately perked up, and her gold eyes practically glowed with joy. Another Oreo! Oh, blessed be the maker of Oreos, for he hath brought great joy to this creature of the Earth. Owen chuckled as he tossed her the cookie before giving the other two one each. As always, Blue savored hers slowly while the other two simply swallowed it whole. Owen rolled his eyes as he tucked the wrapper in his pocket before jumping when a gravely, stern voice growled, " _Blue,_ I know that is not an Oreo I see in your mouth…"

Owen whirled around before mentally cringing at the sight of disapproving Dr. Gerry standing with a raised eyebrow. Owen didn't risk glancing down to see if the wrapper was hidden, but Gerry simply cleared his throat. Blue froze before suddenly spitting her Oreo out where it mushily splattered onto Owen's boot.

Blue didn't like when Dr. Gerry got angry. She clearly remembered the elder chewing Owen out once, and she never wanted to be the recipient of such anger. If Gerry could scare Owen, then he could scare her.

The other two nervously licked their lips as they made sure to swipe away any evidence of their sins, and Blue shuffled a little closer to Owen. He could never read anything on the vet, and Gerry gave a harrumph before asking, "So, how did good 'ol Blue get ahold of one of those, Owen?"

"I have no idea. I'm sure she snatched it from one of the new guys; she's smart like that."

The old vet narrowed his eyes when he smelled a lie, and he immediately glanced at Echo. The raptor did her best to avoid eye contact as she pretended to be interested in a dying bush next to her. She still cringed slightly when Gerry growled, " _Echo,_ I know you're my honest girl. Where'd the Oreos come from?"

Owen knew Echo didn't understand that much, but she was smart enough to know they had been caught with treats that made Gerry mad. She also knew she would be spared the wrath if she showed him the source.

But there was no way she'd rat him out like that; they were family.

Owen gave a dark, dangerous look when the raptor began to scooch over to him. She briefly paused at it, but his evil eye was nothing compared to what Gerry could do. Her sharp claws slowly snagged into his pocket before pulling out the damning evidence, and Owen hissed, _"Traitor…"_

Echo hissed back; this was life or death. She would not be going down on this ship; if her Alpha could swim, then good for him, but she was already on her way towards land with or without him.

The blue wrapper fluttered to the ground, and Owen mentally kissed his own ass goodbye. He was startled when Gerry suddenly burst out laughing, and his raptors slowly hid behind their caretaker. Owen wasn't sure what was funny, but funny was good. Gerry finally let out a sigh as he leaned on the bars, and said, "Ah, Owen, I'm just messing with you. I know you take care of your kiddos. They got good teeth, and you ration those treats."

Owen slowly nodded; he couldn't believe he had just avoided the wrath of Dr. Gerry. The old vet then turned stern as he growled, "But don't let anyone see you feed them those; no need to encourage it."

Owen immediately nodded as he walked over. Blue cautiously walked behind him; she knew she was supposed to have her Alpha's back, but she would have rather fought Elise. Gerry only smiled at her as he said, "You're alright, Kiddo. One Oreo won't kill you."

Blue gave a quiet, respectful chirp that made Gerry smile wider before he turned back to Owen, and said, "I did all I could for your biggest kid; Barry is still with her."

Owen grew hopeful, and he immediately asked, "So, Elise is going to be okay?"

A ball of fear weighed heavy in Owen's stomach when the vet sighed, and pulled up his ball cap to wipe the balding head. He put the cap on before saying, "I found some major problems on her. She and I will be getting to know each other real well in the future, and I suggest you make sure my replacement has a good, strong relationship with her."

"W-Why? What's wrong?"

Gerry blinked at the panicked tone before quickly saying, "She'll be awake in about fifteen minute or so, Owen. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. I was talking about potential health problems that could get out of hand if we don't watch her."

That didn't really comfort Owen, and he was afraid to ask, "Like what?"

Gerry shook his head in irritation as he growled, "These damned scientists, Owen, they're the dumbest smart people on this planet; sometimes I think they hurt us more than idiots. I know Elise has Velociraptor and Tyrannosaurus in her, and I feel like she would have been fine if they stopped there, but I can tell some dumbass mixed in a couple more carnivores than that."

Owen frowned as he leaned on the bars, and said, "Claire mentioned she had fish DNA in her…"

Gerry nodded as he replied, "Yep, for camouflage, but that's not a problem; just a fancy little ability. What really bothered me, was her teeth."

Gerry caught Owen's slightly irritated look, and he snapped, "Hey, if they can't eat then they die. Half the problems here would be solved if we actually fed these animals properly, but Elise's problems aren't because of her diet. She has really crowded teeth that don't let her close her mouth properly; it's making her jaw crooked. I took a look around her little paddock, and she's been chewing on trees and rocks. Kiddo loses enough teeth to have her own personal tooth fairy, and I _still_ think she's not losing them fast enough."

Owen blinked; he hadn't noticed any teeth on the ground, but he hadn't really been looking for teeth. Owen just hoped Gerry hadn't gone past the line; Elise wouldn't be happy if he had. Gerry paused to pick a bag off the ground, and Owen peered inside to see teeth. He raised an eyebrow at them, and Gerry pulled out four or five different ones as he said, "These look like they're out of the same mouth to you?"

Owen shook his head; they all looked different. Some were a little more slender while others longer or short. Two even looked sharper, and Owen recognized one that looked like a really big Velociraptor tooth. Gerry pointed at a quiet Blue as he said, "Don't her teeth look uniform to you?"

Owen nodded, and Gerry said, "I compared every one of these to Elise's; she's got at least four different types that technically serve the same function, and that's only what I could see; I bet she's got another set of different ones growing in the back of her mouth."

Gerry set the bag down as he added, "I know people have different types of teeth, but Elise's teeth look like the same type from four, different carnivores; that's going to really limit what she should be eating."

Owen glanced at Blue before he turned back, and asked, "So we need to be careful about what we feed her?"

Gerry sighed, and shook his head as he answered, "That problem can be fixed with a good dental appointment, and the right cut of meat. What scares me is what this means for her immune system."

Gerry leaned on the bars again, and lowered his voice when he added, "Every time this park creates a new dinosaur, we get a whole new set of health problems. The labs have never mixed dinosaur DNA before, but now we have one with five or six at least. If a creature with only one set of dinosaur DNA has its own set of health problems, what's a hybrid like Elise going to surprise me with? I don't even want to think about it. Some part of her might be fine with a plant, she'll chew it, thinking it's good for her, and then another part of her ends up being severely allergic to it. I know Rexy likes to chew on a couple trees to help with digestion, and Elise might want to do the same…but what if another part of her is allergic, and she won't find out until she's on the ground?"

Gerry sighed again, and clarified, "I just wonder if we're lucky enough that Elise might have gotten only the really good parts of the immune system from all that different DNA in her. She's never been out of that paddock, and it has its own set of germs; I hope she didn't pick anything up in her little run."

Gerry reached through the bars to pat Owen's shoulder as he said, "Just watch her real closely for the next couple days; maybe we'll get lucky. I'll see you around, Owen. Keep watchin' your kiddos like you do; one less thing for me to worry about."

Owen glanced back at Blue before he suddenly remembered something, and called out, "Hey, Doc?"

Gerry turned around, and Owen said, "I did hose her off in the Veterinary Building; she had a lot of dirt on her…"

"So she didn't lick herself clean?"

Owen shook his head, and Gerry smiled as he said, "Then we should be fine. That water has a little bit of solution in it to help disinfect. Maybe bring her in there once or twice every couple weeks to help her out. Just watch what she eats, Owen."

Owen let out a sigh of relief, and waved as the vet left. Blue waited for the pickup to be out of sight before she nuzzled his pocket. Owen snorted at her as he said, "Doc scared the Oreo right out of your mouth. We don't flinch when Elise roars, but we spit out treats that are to die for when Doc doesn't even bare his teeth."

Blue chirped at him, and Owen turned to pick up the wrapper before tucking it into his pocket.

"We even had a thick gate in between us, Blue; there's something wrong with that picture."


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N**

 **I'm sorry this one is a little late, I have a lot of animals to take care of, and things are getting really hot where I live.**

 **No warnings for this chapter! It's a little slow since you need a small break from the heart wrenching, but the action will pick up again. This is necessary filler, and there is such a thing.**

 **Please enjoy, and give your honest opinions like you wonderful people always do!**

* * *

"Uncle Owen"

"Hey…I think she's starting to wake up…"

Owen glanced at the shifting Indominus, and he nodded in agreement. Elise had been growing a little more active, but she had yet to do anything promising yet. He was sure Claire would page him to come to dinner soon, but he didn't want to leave until Elise was back in her paddock, where it was safe.

He had to be here when she woke up. Even if it meant being a little late to dinner. Claire had ordered him to make Elise's well-being a priority, so she couldn't get mad at him, right?

Owen only continued to gently rub Elise's scaled cheek before swatting a mosquito away. He hated the little bloodsucking insects, even if they had made this park possible. Owen looked at Barry when the man quietly said, "I hope Dr. Gerry can get these teeth out…"

Owen nodded in agreement as he turned his gaze to the sharp daggers. He hadn't realized how her jaw seemed to be crooked until he had actually looked for it, and her teeth did seem a little crowded. Owen wondered how he would convince Elise to allow Gerry to pull her teeth out.

Owen also wondered if Dr. Gerry would be able to scare Elise like he did everyone else on the island. Did Gerry scare Rexy? Owen bet he did.

"I think he'll be able to; it sounds like she's been trying to get rid of them on her own anyways…"

Barry nodded, and his gaze flickered over to the open, massive, steel door. Owen could see he was thinking about it, and Barry quietly said, "She's out cold right now…we could go see who's been keeping her company…"

Owen was really tempted by that; Elise probably never would know. He wouldn't even have to cross the line she had made for him. He would be able to see into the cave easily, but he glanced back at Barry as he asked, "You've been here this whole time. Why didn't you go in? Did Doc see anything?"

Barry sighed as he rested against Elise's ribcage, and said, "I did, but I didn't get very far. I told Dr. Gerry about it, and you know what he said?"

"I can only imagine."

They shared a chuckle, and Elise let out a long, deep breath. Owen glanced at her hopefully; he wanted to see those crimson eyes again, but he was disappointed when she did nothing. That tranquilizer had really knocked her out.

Owen rested against her nose, and Barry said, "He said if she had gone out of her way to make it that obvious that she didn't want us to see what was in there, we deserved to get eaten for crossing that line. Dr. Gerry didn't even go near there; he said it was disrespectful to Elise."

Barry shrugged to himself before adding, "It made sense, and she's not hurting anyone by wanting a little privacy. We don't touch the bottle caps in Delta's nest, and we don't go peeping into Elise's little cave."

Owen immediately agreed; even he had a small box of memoirs he never let anyone see. Stupid, cheesy poems to lost loves, pictures of close family, even his first dog's collar. He didn't like people seeing that stuff, and it seemed to be a similar situation with Elise. Every person had their own little stash of secrets, good and bad. Elise apparently had enough human in her to do the same.

Owen gave a small chuckle before he said, "And we don't try to take Echo's blanket."

"Or Blue's boot."

Owen loudly rolled his eyes at Barry's wide grin, and couldn't help dryly saying, "She keeps that boot to mock me. She knows I can't get to it, but I can see it just fine. That boot was expensive, Barry."

The man burst out laughing, and Owen couldn't help a small smile at the memory of losing his boot to defiant Blue. He remembered taking her reward of a white rat away for not listening to his orders. She had responded by faking an injury, and Owen had been gullible enough to run into the paddock; he had been convinced by the pained moans. He had practically shat himself when the blue raptor suddenly sprung up before snapping her jaws into his boot. She had been younger, and his boot a thick leather, but Owen still had the small scars on his foot from when she had torn the footwear off.

Barry had found that absolutely hilarious, and even cried when Blue had started to carry the boot in her mouth when Owen would do their pig chasing exercise. She would sit there with a gloating look in her eyes as she chewed on it. Blue would follow the orders perfectly, and Owen had no choice but to reward her with the white rat.

But he would never get his boot back.

When Blue wasn't sleeping with it in her nest, she would hide the boot in the oddest places; right where Owen could see it. She had once even plopped herself right in front of the cage before slowly raking her claws up and down the rich leather, not once breaking eye contact with Owen. Barry had absolutely lost it.

Owen was just glad she had started to do that less and less; once in a while he would be mocked by it, but Blue had matured. She was growing up, and Owen was grateful for it.

Elise suddenly wrinkled her snout before puffing out a harsh breath of air. Owen moved to the side of her, and gave a sigh of relief when the glazed, crimson orb cracked open. Her pupil was beyond dilated, and Owen wondered if she would have a pounding headache.

The Indominus gave a low, pitiful moan, and Owen was reminded of an old buddy who would do the same after a long night of drinking.

He gently stroked her cheek as he softly said, "Hey, Baby…I'm right here. You're okay."

The crimson eye wandered over to him, and Owen highly doubted she even realized what she was looking at, let alone who. He didn't feel like he was in danger though; he wasn't quite sure she was even focusing on him. Owen only continued to stroke her cheek gently, as he murmured soft comforts, and Barry remained quiet as he leaned on her comfortingly.

Elise would only give low moans as she slowly became more aware of her surroundings. She began to blink a little more frequently, and would respond to Owen's hushed words more frequently. Owen couldn't believe how relieved he was to see those beautiful eyes again, and he felt much lighter than he had for the past couple days.

She finally lifted her massive head, and Owen backed up just in case she would suddenly plop back down. Elise didn't though, and Owen was happy to see her looking around. Her gaze finally fell on him, and he gently said, "They're gone, Baby Girl; we're safe. I'm sorry you got hit with the dart, that wasn't supposed to happen, and Barry broke that guy's jaw just for you."

Elise slowly blinked when Barry stood next to Owen, and he cooed, "He will be drinking through a straw for the next couple of months. I am so happy to see those beautiful eyes of your again."

Barry smiled when the jaw came into his reach, and he began to love on the dinosaur. Elise still looked confused, and incredibly tired. Owen didn't blame her, and he quietly said, "Hey, Elise. I really want to get you back to your nest. I don't want you to sleep out here, you feel better in the morning."

Elise looked like she didn't even want to move ever again. She only shifted herself into a more comfortable position before exhaling a long sigh. She laid her head back down again, and focused her gaze on Owen. She seemed to be looking him over, and Owen was glad he had cleaned up before coming back here. Dr. Gerry had straightened his nose out for him.

Owen would usually go to Dr. Gerry before a doctor for humans; it amused the old vet to no end, and he had once jokingly given Owen a checkup after looking at his raptors.

"I'm fine, Baby; Dr. Gerry took real good care of me. He's a good guy."

Elise only huffed at him before relaxing into Barry's quiet scratching. Owen allowed her a few more minutes to gather her bearings before he gently patted her cheek, and said, "You really do need to go into your paddock. I don't want people bugging you, and it has to be more comfortable in there instead of these sharp rocks…"

Elise gave a grumbling moan; she knew no creature would be dumb enough to actually disturb her. However, the promise of a comfortable bed forced her to slowly stumble up. She obviously struggled with her weight at the moment, and the duo had scrambled out of the way when she swayed heavily to the side.

Owen didn't want her to fall over completely, but he couldn't exactly help her here. He darted in front of her, and gently said, "Hey, Baby, don't rush yourself, okay? I don't want you to get stuck; just find a comfortable spot, and…"

Owen trailed off when the Indominus smooshed down a stretch of lush ferns before curling up tightly. She was just clear of the door, and Owen pressed his lips before walking over. She had tucked her nose underneath her tail, but cracked open a tired, crimson eye when he gently patted her cheek. Owen felt really bad for her, and he softly said, "Thank you for protecting me, I'm going to stay right here until you fall asleep, okay? I'll be back first thing in the morning to check up on you."

Elise lifted her head before gently blowing air on his face, and Owen promised to never take that symbol of affection for granted. He smiled at her, and she tucked her nose back in as her eyes slid shut once more. Owen didn't even have to wait for her to fall asleep, and he gently ran a calloused hand over her cheek before leaving the paddock. Barry twirled a keycard between his fingers before tossing it over as he said, "Opens and shuts every door to this paddock; one of Claire's men brought it out."

Owen nodded as he shut the large doors, again amazed by how silent they were, before he said, "We should have asked Doc to take her down when she escaped the first time. Sheesh, one dart from him, and she didn't even blink before falling over."

"You do realize we are incredibly lucky that she actually woke up, right? And also…"

Owen glanced at his best friend, and Barry shuffled a little before quietly adding, "Well, Dr. Gerry had to put an oxygen mask on her; he used Rexy's, and it fit nice, but it was still scary to watch…"

"How the hell did he fit that on his little truck?"

"It folds up."

Barry shrugged at Owen's disbelieving facial expression, and said, "Hey, if we can create dinosaurs, and even hybrid dinosaurs, why can't we have foldable oxygen masks?"

"Fair enough point."

Barry finally chuckled as he walked with Owen back to the awaiting vehicles. Owen hopped onto his bike as he said, "Doc caught Blue with an Oreo."

The man froze before glancing fearfully at Owen; he was afraid to ask what the casualties are, and Owen added, "She spat it right out when he cleared his throat."

"Owen, _I_ don't even eat sweets around him. I bet she did spit it out, Dr. Gerry scares everyone."

"And Echo ratted me out; pulled the wrapper right out of my pocket."

Barry burst out laughing, and leaned on the steering wheel of his car. Owen found himself joining in on the happy laughter, and it felt good; he felt less tense. Barry finally sighed as they stared at the large, steel doors, and he quietly said, "I am glad for how today ended, but I never want to repeat today, Owen. You are not allowed to bring me anymore bad news for…three days, am I clear?"

Owen laughed again as he nodded; Barry gave him a serious look that made him laugh harder, but he replied, "I'll see what I can do. Hey, what did Claire mean by dress professionally?"

A sly smile immediately tugged at Barry's lips before he answered, "She is going to put you in one of the park's uniforms. You get to wear the stupid, safari gig with the tan shorts and weird hat."

Owen grimaced at the very image of being in one of those stupid uniforms. He didn't understand the Mosasaurs caretaker's uniform. The lady looked like she was ready to give him peanuts on an airplane, not feed a shark to a giant, underwater predator. Owen didn't even want to think about what he would have to wear, and he was pulled from his troubled thoughts when Barry teased, "Promise me you will talk like the Crocodile Hunter in front of all the guests."

Owen was about to flip Barry off, but he paused to actually think about it, and Barry began to laugh when Owen nodded.

"You know…I could actually do that. It would confuse the hell out of Elise, but I'll give it my best."

"I will pay to see it every day, Owen."

The two grinned at each other widely before starting their own vehicle. Owen couldn't help revving his bike, and only grinned wider when Barry did the same with his jeep. They both silently agreed the fork in the road would be the finish line, and the gravel flew in the air when both smashed the gas. They both laughed loudly as they drove off.

And Elise hardly stirred in her paddock.

* * *

Owen had to admit he was a little creeped out by how empty everything was. Even the sound speakers had been shut off, and all he could hear was…wind. It spooked him actually, but it seemed all the workers had gone home for the day, though he would see a few, familiar faces in some of the smaller restaurants.

It seemed like progress was being made on all the damage. All the garbage had been cleaned up, and the Main Street looked presentable; ready for guests. Even the snow cone carts had been put back in their rightful place, alongside the corners.

That made Owen feel better, he was glad Claire was getting things under control, and now he could support her fully. He only hoped she hadn't received too much grief from the board.

Owen would take of them on for her; he could bring Blue in.

Or Dr. Gerry; Gerry would have them all whipped into shape without saying one word.

Owen smiled a little as he wandered over to the quiet looking restaurant; it had a fancy name that he didn't care to remember. Everyone here simply called it the Steak House. The chef was an older guy who didn't skimp on portion size, and he cut a break for all employees.

"Owen!"

Owen turned around at the child's voice, and gave a grunt when Gray had tackled him in a tight hug. Owen hadn't expected that, but he didn't hesitate to return the squeeze as he said, "Hey, Gray. Decided to stick around 'cause you didn't get enough of the Jurassic experience?"

He ruffled the longer, dirty blonde hair, and Gray gave a shy smile as he answered, "Aunt Claire convinced my parents to let us stay for a couple more days. Our winter break is still going on, and I wanted to see your raptors again."

Owen liked this kid, he liked how smart both of them had been. They had figured out how to get back here without any help, and Owen had been impressed by how they somehow fixed the ancient jeep.

Owen liked kids like that, and he nodded as he said, "Tell you what, I'll figure out my schedule for tomorrow, and I'll let you see them do the Pig Run."

"Pig Run?"

He nodded, and opened his mouth, but was interrupted by Claire gently saying, "Gray, please do not run off like that; it's not safe."

Gray pointed to the taller male as he said, "Owen is safe; he totally stopped that Indominus with just a wave of his hand."

As Owen recalled, it was divine intervention on his behalf, and Elise's overpowering curiosity that had saved the day. Owen had simply given her something better to do compared to vengeful murder.

He smiled at Claire before looking at a mellow, but happy Zach, and said, "You're gonna tell me how you managed to fix that jeep, right?"

Zach didn't try to play cool, though he did try to make his smile smaller than what it seemed as he said, "Definitely, Gray moved all the heavy stuff."

The younger brother beamed, and Owen was warmed by that. He was glad Zach was taking good care of his brother; it would have been very easy to leave him behind in a moment of sheer panic, but Zach hadn't abandoned him.

Claire smiled at them fondly before leading them inside, and she quietly asked, "So, how is the Indominus doing?"

Owen grimaced a little as he sat down, but he noticed the two boys taking both chairs closest to him on their square table. He resisted the urge to chuckle at them, and he answered, "She barely made it into her paddock; she's right against the doors. Why didn't we use that tranquilizer?"

Claire paused, trying to figure out if Owen was simply asking or if he was criticizing. When she realized he was only asking, she shrugged her shoulders as she said, "Well, because that was an overdose, and we thought…you know…"

Owen immediately nodded, and waved it off by saying, "She's fine; I'm sure she'll be back to normal by tomorrow. I just couldn't believe how fast she went down."

Claire made one of her faces that irritated Owen; he didn't have a name for them, but she would give a small 'hmm' while raising her eyebrows. She glanced down at her menu as she answered, "Well, I can't believe she didn't kill anyone."

Owen couldn't help pressing his lips as he quietly said, "I asked her not to the night before, Claire. I told her a bunch of people would be coming over, but she promised not to get violent."

Zach stopped tapping his fork on the table before he asked, "How'd you do that? Can she really talk to you?"

Claire was starting to look uncomfortable when Owen nodded, and he answered, "She can hold a conversation if you ask the right questions. She's pretty smart about getting her point across when she doesn't have the right words."

Gray's eyes went wide with wonder, and he turned to Claire as he softly asked, "Can we go see her tomorrow? I want to talk to a dinosaur."

Claire immediately shook her head before firmly saying, "Absolutely not. She is dangerous, and you don't know her. I only allow Owen to do his insane ideas because he's the only one who would get eaten. Your mother would kill me if I even let you look at the Indominus through a camera."

Gray deflated slightly, and Zach couldn't help dryly saying, "Harsh, Aunt Claire. I think she's safe if she didn't hurt all those containment guys. She didn't even kill that jackass who broke Owen's nose."

Claire frowned slightly before quietly saying, "How did you know about that?"

Zach kept his mouth shut, but winced when Gray honestly said, "We followed Mr. Lowery into the Control Headquarters. The Indominus looked really scary when she turned all red. She's really big up close, Aunt Claire."

Owen noticed the slight way Zach seemed to relax when Gray finally began to eat at the small, fresh loaf of bread. Claire didn't though, and she coolly said, "Well…I really didn't want you two to see that…"

Zach only shrugged, and Owen knew he would do as he pleased. He wondered if the kids had seen him openly weep over sleeping Elise. He didn't like the idea of all those strangers seeing him cry, but at least they saw Barry cry as well.

Owen began to snack on the bread, and Claire suddenly excused herself to go freshen up in the bathroom. The two boys watched her leave, and when they were sure she was out of sight, they both exploded in a million questions that startled Owen.

"So does her breath smell?"

"What's the Indominus like? Is she still dangerous like the raptors?"

"Hey, can I have one of her teeth to show my class?"

"Me too! I want to make a necklace out of one. Do you make necklaces out of your raptor's teeth?"

Owen paused mid-chew as his gaze flickered in between the two alternating questions. He finally swallowed his food before patting the air, like he had with Elise to calm her down. Owen couldn't help his smile when it worked on them, and he answered, "Her breath doesn't smell as bad as Blue's. I'm sure Elise will give you one of her teeth if you ask her, and I do not wear my raptors teeth; they feel like I'm taunting them when I do."

Gray immediately lit up, and he asked in a hushed tone, _"We can go see her?"_

Owen glanced at the restroom doors, before quietly answering, "Well, I won't send you away if you two somehow find your way over to her paddock."

Zach slowly gave a crooked smile when he got the hint, and Owen winked at them. The two brothers looked at each other like they had found the golden treasures of all adults; someone who would let them tag along when the guardian said no.

It was quiet for a second longer before Zach nonchalantly asked, "So, did you see the hashtag Badassery video?"

Owen nodded as he watched for Claire before saying, "I did, and I am going to buy that person a big, steak dinner when I find out who it is. He or she saved Elise's life."

Owen didn't notice the way the two brothers seemed to share a wide grin, but Owen was startled when Zach slyly said, "I like mine medium-rare, thank you."

"Can I get a cheeseburger instead?"

Owen gaped at the two, grinning boys, and his mind went blank before he quickly said, "Whoa, whoa, hold on. You two leaked that video?"

They nodded, and Owen's eyes went wide as he asked in a shushed tone, _"How?"_

Zach looked around to make sure no one was around to hear them, and he pulled his chair a little closer before quietly saying, "That Lowery guy had called in all the employees to show them the video, and we were bored in the Evacuation Building, so we followed. It was really cool watching it on the big screen, and I convinced him to send us a copy of it to Gray's phone. It was back at home though."

Owen blinked at them, and Gray added, "We saw you calm down the Indominus, and then Aunt Claire got really mad about the videos. She said she had to put the Indominus down because she didn't have a good reason to keep her alive. It was Zach's idea to post it because people would think she was awesome, and it worked!"

"I got my girlfriend to post it for me. She has a key to my house, and she got a hold of Gray's phone."

They heard the restroom door open in the almost silent, empty restaurant, and Owen pointed at the both of them before quietly saying, "I buy your dinner tonight, I'll introduce you to Elise tomorrow, and we'll go raid the Ben & Jerry's across the street as soon as we're done here."

Both lit up excitedly, and Claire glanced at them in confusion, though she smiled as she asked, "What did Owen tell you guys? I haven't seen either of you smile like this in awhile."

Owen opened his mouth to cover for them, but Gray immediately said, "He said we can call him Uncle Owen."

If Owen wasn't fond of these two before, he sure as hell was now. Claire glanced at him; wondering if he had insinuated that they were dating, but he only nodded as he said, "That's right; Uncle Owen. It's got a nice ring to it, don't it, _Aunt Claire?"_

Owen only grinned widely when he was met with an irritated sigh. Now the world seemed much better. He wasn't afraid of what the next day would bring anymore, but he was sure more problems with Elise would show up; he would handle them though. Hopefully with less tears.

Owen hoped Elise would get along with the Zach and Gray tomorrow. He just needed to figure out how to sneak them away. It probably wouldn't be that hard to sneak them away from Claire; she'd be busy, and there was nothing wrong with _Uncle Owen_ showing his nephews the job he worked. They'd be safe, and it would be educational. Claire couldn't get mad with that.

But Owen was already mentally carving out his own headstone for when Claire would find out. That was fine though.

Owen liked all dangerous creatures, Claire including.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N**

 **We have a warning of potentially being grossed out by snot!**

 **Enjoy you wonderful people you!**

* * *

"Bless You!"

Owen gave a sigh when he turned his bike off in front of Elise's silent paddock. Now that it had been fully repaired, no one was ever around here. It was way too silent, and Owen wondered how Elise ever dealt with that constant silence; not even the birds were chirping over here.

At least her new paddock was much better, and Owen had very few complaints about it. It was massive with plenty of space to run around, and there was even a large pond for her to cool herself off in; Owen wondered if he could put some fish in there. It would give a wonderful excuse for him to go in there, but that was for another day.

The only thing that concerned Owen was who Elise's neighbor would be. He had nothing against Rexy, the little, old lady was a spitfire, but he wasn't sure how she would take to having someone like Elise so close to her territory. Claire had even known Rexy wasn't one who liked changes, even different brands of road flares were not something she would take kindly to. Rexy wanted a set schedule, and her territory untouched.

So how would she react to seeing Elise? The fence between them wasn't a solid concrete, it was electric fences similar to what Jurassic Park had used. Granted they were more powerful and stable, but would that do anything to a territorial carnivore like Rexy? No one wanted her constantly upset or feeling the need to patrol the fence frequently.

Claire and Owen agreed to give the two a week to get to know each other; maybe things would turn out fine.

Owen shrugged it off as he walked over to his own door, and slid the card down. Claire had given him the code to make a new password, and he would be able to use his own fingerprint after resetting the system. He didn't see a point though, the park was scheduled to reopen by next week, and Claire was really pushing her workers to make that date. She wanted all assets ready to go, Elise including.

Owen would have no problem with that; Elise would be the easiest one here to transport. The door silently slid open, and Owen stepped in. The leaves crackled under his feet as he looked around for any sign of his girl; it was really quiet, and he wondered if she was still asleep. He began to walk on the trail as he called out, "Elise? Baby Girl? It's, like, noon. Time to get up!"

Owen raised an eyebrow as he looked around the silent, thick trees.

"Where you at, Baby? Elise?"

Owen certainly didn't want to try and intrude on her privacy, but he needed to check up on her. Owen took a few more steps towards down the trail, and it seemed Elise wasn't here. He frowned before picking up his radio, and pressing the red button as he asked, "Hey, Lowery? Can you get some eyes in here? I can't find Elise."

The radio crackled, and gave some static as Lowery asked, "What? Elise? What do you mean you can't find her?"

Owen rolled his eyes before replying, "I mean I can't see her, do you know where she is-"

A loud sound Owen had never heard before cut him off. It almost like an explosion, but it trailed off into a low, pitiful growl. Owen couldn't stop himself from yelling as he accidentally tossed the radio in the air. He fumbled with it before finally catching it and whirling around, wide eyed and chest heaving.

Elise only sniffed at him apologetically, and Lowery quietly said, "Right there; she was following you for the past three minutes, Owen…"

The white Indominus slowly blinked at Owen before giving another sniff, but he still clutched his chest. Owen took a few seconds to get his heart back under control before saying, "Baby, are you trying to kill me?"

Elise seemed to frown in confusion before raising her left hand to sign, _'No.'_

Owen pressed his lips, and opened his mouth to reply when Elise's lip suddenly curled violently. He backed up when she raised her head, jaws splayed wide, before making the loud, explosive sound as her snout hit the dirt.

Owen raised an eyebrow, and grimaced when he looked at the snot-covered leaves where Elise had sneezed. She gave another, pitiful moan as she raised her head, and Owen went mushy at the pathetic look.

"Ah, Baby, you got a cold…"

Elise only garbled a rumble at him as she tried to wipe the dirt clinging to her nostrils. She looked like she had an earthly goatee, and Owen felt humorously bad for her. Her nose was dripping with dangling snot, and her jaw was slightly parted so she could breathe through it, though, saliva dribbled from it. Her eyes looked tired, and Owen wondered how much sleep she had gotten. They seemed a little crusty, and Elise garbled again.

Owen pressed his lips before switching the dial on his radio. He glanced at Elise one more time before saying, "Hey, Doc, you there?"

Owen watched Elise rub her face through some of the thicker bushes as he waited for a reply. Elise pulled back, looking no better; emerald leaves clung to the dirty goatee. Owen gave a sympathetic chuckle before the radio crackled, and Dr. Gerry said, "I'm here, and I know you aren't callin' to say hi."

Owen smiled and gave Elise a comforting pat on the cheek as he answered, "Well, no, it's Elise; she caught a cold. I just wanted to know if I could bring her over to hose her down. Her mouth is all dirty, and she miserable."

Elise gave another, pitiful moan to confirm this, and Owen heard Gerry give a snort before saying, "Sure, but don't run her. I'm here anyways, and I can give her some medicine to help; maybe prevent a few things."

Owen nodded as he put the radio away, and gave Elise another pat on the cheek. She sniffed once more, and Owen said, "You okay with following me there? I think you need another bath, and Dr. Gerry will help you out."

That was all Elise needed to hear, and she all but left Owen behind as she began to walk over to the paddock doors. Owen chuckled to himself, but he did feel bad for her; all the selflessness she had showed yesterday, and she was rewarded with a hellish day and a cold.

Elise gave another, thunderous sneeze as the doors slowly slid open, and she suddenly gave a threatening growl. Owen immediately darted to the front of her before blinking at the old jeep with Zach and Gray in it. The two cringed fearfully, and Owen turned to Elise as he quickly said, "Easy, Baby, that's Zach and Gray. They're just kids, they aren't here to hurt us, and they were the reason why those guys left yesterday. They just wanted to meet you, okay?"

Elise looked like she was in absolutely no mood to be socializing, but she followed Owen over to the jeep. The two brothers eyed her with awe, and Owen grinned as he said, "We're going to the Veterinary Building; she's a little sick. Just follow us, and try not to bump into her, okay?"

Zach nodded, but they both jumped when another sneeze shook the trees. Gray stared at Elise, who was rubbing her nose before he slowly glanced at Owen. He reached into his bag as he shyly said, "I got…some tissues if she wants them…"

Owen chuckled, and took the tissues when Elise cocked her head to glare at the small offering, but she lowered her head as he pulled one out and wiped a small section of dirt off as best he could. It wasn't much, but Elise appreciated the effort. She gave another snotty sniff, causing Zach to scrunch his nose in disgust. Owen patted the jeep, and said, "Follow, but don't bump, okay?"

"What happens if we do?"

Owen glanced at his sick baby, and could see the creeping irritation in her crimson eyes before he simply said, "I doubt she'll say excuse me."

* * *

Owen was always baffled by how empty the Veterinary Building was. It wasn't like they didn't have a lot of vets; Gerry was chief over three others, who all had at least two Vet Techs working for them. He wondered if they had even realized an evacuation was going on just a few days ago.

Gerry had said he slept right through it.

Elise gave a loud sniff, and Owen was starting to get used to her doing that every few seconds. She didn't like the snot running down her snout, and it had made a clear, runny trail. The trip hadn't been too bad except for when Elise had been trotting for a small bit. She had sneezed loudly, stumbling off the road and smashing into a tree. Zach and Gray had laughed until they cried when the shock wore off; Elise only glared at them.

Owen wasn't sure how to explain why a massive tree had fallen over when Lowery asked about it.

The large door slowly pulled up, and Owen led the way in; the two brothers skittered ahead of him; they were afraid of Elise accidentally stepping on them. Gray looked around with wide eyes, and Zach nonchalantly asked, "So, this is the shower room for your dinos?"

Owen nodded as he began to climb the steps, but was interrupted by Lowery crackling on the radio.

"Hey, um, Owen? We have a bit of a problem…."

Owen pressed his lips as he wondered why he even thought he would be able to have a problem free day. He hoped it was a small one at least.

"What?"

Lowery paused, and the two boys stared at it curiously before he said, " _Woof_. Don't be bitin' me, okay? I'm just the messenger… _and a certain dino's lifesaver…"_

Owen rolled his eyes loudly, but he wouldn't argue with that part, and Lowery finally answered, "So, obviously with all this blood and chaos, new reporters are getting nosey; especially since Claire is staying really quiet about this. She only made one public statement; she's been dealing with all the families who suffered losses as quietly as she can."

"Okay, and?"

Owen smiled at the two kids' quiet laughs when Lowery gave a huff, and he answered, "We've been catching reporters trying to sneak in. We've caught all of them so far, except one, and that one is headed right for the Vet Building."

Owen frowned, and Lowery answered his question with, "We already have security headed there, but we're pretty sure they want to catch a glimpse of the Indominus up close and personal. They'll probably try to get an interview out of you. Just keep them busy until we get there; we'll seize the footage, and you can be about your way."

Owen had once dated a journalist, and those people did not give up their stuff lightly. They were all violently possessive, and massive risk takers. He glanced at the open door as he said, "Um, Elise is sick, and she's really not in the mood for strangers. You should probably try to beat them here."

He swore he heard Lowery shrug before the dry reply came, "Eh, it's just _Jackal News_. They're always harping on us about how we " _abuse our animals because they're supposed to run free_ ", or whatever. I don't know about you, but Rexy seems pretty content with her food chained up."

"Maybe those are the animals they're talking about…"

Lowery seemed to be contemplating that, and Zach snorted before the tech-geek said, "Nah, they only care about the animals who'll get them some good reviews. They don't care about goats; that's PETA's department. Anyways, I see them getting out of their car…idiots are right in front of the camera… _eww_."

Owen raised an eyebrow at that, and Lowery sounded like he was squinting when he said, "Oh…honey, the windblown look is not your friend…and neither are those pants, nuh-uh."

Zach and Gray burst out laughing, causing Elise to grumble at the loud sound, but Owen gave her a gentle smile as he continued to climb up the stairs. He paused at the handles before turning to Elise, and raised his hands. She sniffed as he made a C shape with his hand before pressing the tips of his fingers to his chin. He then swung the C-shape away as he asked, "Do you want the water to be _hot?"_

' _No.'_

Owen bunched his fists before raising them up in front of them. He then shook them like he was cold as he asked, _"Cold?"_

' _No.'_

Owen chuckled at her before brushing the back of his fingers up his chin. She watched the hand gently continue its swing up before moving like he was illustrating his breath exhaling.

" _Warm?"_

Another sniff, and Elise knocked on the invisible door.

' _Yes.'_

Owen smiled, and began to crank the handles as the water ran over his hand. He looked up when Zach asked, "Where'd you learn to sign?"

Owen shrugged as he gave a small spray on Elise's tail. She deemed the temperature acceptable, and he answered, "There was this really beautiful woman I met in college, but she was deaf. I took a sign language class because I wanted to talk to her, and I needed another credit. It was actually a pretty fun class."

Gray quietly watched Elise use the water to rub her dirty nose, and his older brother asked, "So, what happened?"

Owen swore he saw two shadows betraying the trespassers outside the large door Elise had come through. He continued to watch them as he simply answered, "Turns out she's not really interested in men, but we're still good friends. We still Skype every couple weeks; she thinks I'm crazy for working with raptors."

Zach agreed with that, but flinched back when Elise suddenly turned around with a loud snarl. Her claws made a loud, scraping sound on the cement, and Owen took that as his cue. He turned to Zach, and quietly said, "You two will be fine; she won't hurt you, but be smart about where you stand."

The older brother nodded as Gray took his hand, and Elise gave another dangerous snap of her teeth. Owen quickly descended the stairs as he said, "Easy, Elise! Stay calm!"

Elise was not in the mood to repeat yesterday, and she only glanced down when he slid in front of her. Owen gave a quick whistle for her attention, and he patted the air as he said, _"Calm down."_

He pointed at the railing where the boys were, and he said, "Zach is going to run the water down your back, okay? I'll take care of it. They aren't dangerous."

Zach looked like he really didn't want to, but Gray nudge him until he picked up the hose. Elise tolerated the gentle streams down her scales, though she absolutely refused to turn around. Owen took a few steps towards the two figures, and startled when Elise's massive hand was suddenly in front of him. He glanced at her questioningly, and watched her draw a very faint line in the cement in front of him.

Another straight line to not cross; only this time he was on her side of the line.

He nodded at her before calling out, "Can I help you two? You're making my girl nervous, and I really don't appreciate that."

Elise gave a dark growl to confirm that, but the two didn't seem to hesitate to walk forward. It was the typical, pretty reporter, with the tired looking twenty something guy following her around. Owen wasn't sure if he was filming yet; the guy held the camera on his shoulder effortlessly like he was.

It wouldn't matter anyways.

Owen crossed his arms at them, and raised an eyebrow before saying, "Look, not to be rude, but my girl likes her space. You can stop there."

The dark haired woman raised an eyebrow, but she cleared her throat before giving a flirting, perfect smile that didn't sway Owen. She batted her long, lashes just enough to get the hint across, but not enough to look stupid; he gave her koodos for that. She kept herself composed, and her voice adorably polite when she said, "Mr. Grady, it's nice to finally meet you. I'm Alexa Higgens from Jackal News, but you can call me Lexi."

She stretched her hand out, but flinched when Elise snapped her jaws loudly. Owen pointed at the ground as he said, "Don't cross that line, Miss Higgens; it's for your own safety. Now, spit it out so I can take care of my girl; she's not feeling good."

Alexa blinked at him, but refused to back down as she gestured to Elise, and said, "Well, I think the world needs to meet the Indominus and her trainer. Would you please give us an interview?"

Owen didn't even hesitate when he responded, "No. My boss wouldn't like that, I don't snitch, and my girl is not in the mood to be around strangers. You're trespassing, and invading our space."

Alexa seemed slightly put off that her good looks weren't swaying this male. However, she wouldn't take the hint, and pursed her lips before asking, "How did you know to teach her sign language?"

"I felt like waving my hands around like an idiot before getting munched, and she decided that was funny."

Alexa narrowed her eyes at the dry tone, but flickered her gaze up when Elise snarled throatily. Owen continued to stand in front of Elise, and Alexa finally put a hand on her hip. She curtly said, "Everyone wants to know if Jurassic World used human DNA when making the Indominus. If she has enough human in her to know how to talk to us, it is immorally wrong to put her on display like she's a regular dinosaur. If she's a human trapped in a dinosaur's body, then Jurassic World selling tickets to see her is prostitution."

While Alexa did have valid points that Owen agreed to, he couldn't help dryly pointing out, "I think if you were so concerned about her well-being, you would have asked for her name first. If you really believed what you were saying, you would have introduced yourself to her."

She blinked, and Owen gave her a disappointed look as he snapped, "I get that everyone is curious about her, but she's brand new, and I'm doing everything I can to stop her from being overwhelmed by that."

"So, you're her legal guardian?"

"I'm the one who is going to kick your asses out if you don't get moving."

Alexa stiffened, but Owen flickered his gaze to the camera guy. Owen saw the flickering red light, and he wondered if they had been smart enough to try and make this live. He bet they were, and he uncrossed his arms as he said, "Let's pretend you actually care about her. How about you talk to her? Go ahead."

Owen took a step to the side, and Elise let out a long, insidious growl as she slowly lowered her large face. She cocked her head to the side so one piercing, crimson eye bore into Alexa's soul, and her pupil slit thinly when the reporter swallowed. Owen had to roll his eyes when she stuck out her hand, and said, "Hello…I'm Alexa Higgens. Nice to meet you…"

Elise turned her head to sniff at the extended hand, and Owen was impressed how Alexa bravely kept it there. Her massive snout suddenly crinkled from the strong perfume, and her lip curled violently. Alexa took a step back, but Elise had already given another thunderous sneeze.

Owen had no idea what to do. Nothing in life prepared him for this situation. Now he really was hoping the guy had caught it on camera because the world _deserved_ to see that over and over again.

Zach was suddenly heard saying in shocked disgust, " _Ohhh_ , and she had her mouth open too!"

Alexa still had her mouth open as she had simply froze from the shock of being covered head to toe in slimy, thick mucus. This time, Elise did not give an apologetic sniff; she simply curled her lip like she was grossed out before backing away.

Owen was only moved out of his stunned silence when four security men walked into the Shower Room. Elise glanced at them, but Owen quickly assured her with a comforting pat. He motioned the men over, and the head guard grimaced before asking, "What the hell happened to you?"

Alexa looked ready to cry, and no one really wanted to touch her. They only made a half circle to cut off her exit. They glanced at her partner, and the camera guy tried to bolt, but didn't make it very far. He fell onto the floor with an indignant yell when he was tackled, and his camera clattered to the side. One of the guards picked it up, and Owen immediately said, "Don't delete that footage, I am begging you. I have watch that again."

He gestured to Elise's running nose, and then to Alexa before the guards got the hint. They grinned widely, and Owen startled when a stream of water suddenly splashed on the squishy reporter. She gave a shocked gasped, and Owen looked up when Gerry growled, "Cold water cuts right through the snot, but I'd spray you with it even if you were bone dry. I don't appreciate nosey, little shits like you upsetting my patients."

The head guard thanked the vet before escorting a baffled, furious reporter away. Owen gave a sly look at his tough baby, and he saw the amusement dancing in those ornery eyes. Elise glanced at him when the radio crackled before Lowery enthusiastically announced, "Tonight on Jackal News, _Jurassic Snot."_

Elise gave a smaller sneeze that she tried to control, and Gray shyly, but clearly said, "Bless you, Elise!"

Owen finally started to laugh loudly, and he intended to leak the end of that video if no one else would.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N**

 **We have a potential heart wrench warning!**

 **Because it involves death.**

* * *

"I Was Never Alone."

"There we go, Kiddo. You should be back to your sweet self by morning."

Elise good-naturedly licked the white pill off Dr. Gerry's hand before she swallowed it. He wiped his slimy hand off as he added, "And if Owen's draggin' his ass to get you here, you know where I'm at; just knock. I usually sleep on the couch here; I'm too lazy to walk to my house every night."

Owen let out a chuckled as he hosed the floor off. Elise had calmed down immensely after Dr. Gerry had come in; she seemed to adore him for squirting Alexa off.

Owen knew he loved Dr. Gerry all the more for it.

Zach and Gray were immediately put to work by the old vet, and they actually liked helping make Elise feel better. The snow scaled dinosaur was much warmer towards them now, and had even begun to gently blow air on Gray when her nose was briefly cleared of snot.

Once in a while, Owen's radio would crackle, and loud laughter roared over it. Lowery swore he would somehow make a remix of the sneeze before bestowing the gift to the world. It sounded like Control had briefly stopped working to simply play the interview over and over again. Owen hoped to see it again, and the two boys intended to get a copy of it as soon as they got back; Owen was amazed Claire hadn't said anything about their absence.

Owen wished she wasn't so busy, and he could see she wanted to spend time with her nephews.

Maybe he could get them together for another dinner tonight, and Claire would forgive him for letting them tag along.

Owen was pulled from his thoughts when the old vet said, "Alright, you're good to go. I don't think you'll need a shot of anything, but if you start to feel worse, I need you to tell Owen, okay?"

Elise knocked on the invisible door as she quietly sniffed, and Gerry gave a gentle smile. He reached a hand out to her, and Elise met it with her index talon as the vet fondly said, "You're a good kiddo, Elise? You know that?"

Her tail gave a soft swish, mindful of Owen, and she answered, _'Yes.'_

Owen couldn't help laughing at her answer. She gave him a dry look that told him how many times she had been called good in the past few days. What else was she supposed to answer with? Gerry only chuckled as he began to go down the steps, but he slyly said, "Keep Owen on his toes, Kiddo. Good 'ol Blue is losin' her touch for the sake of Oreos."

Elise gave a playful croon; she felt much better after her warm shower, and Gerry had attached a different nozzle that would squirt out soap suds with the water. Elise had absolutely loved it.

Owen never thought he'd ever live to see a vanilla scented dinosaur.

"You know Blue still has my boot."

Dr. Gerry gave a loud snort before he retorted, "Good, you looked like an idiot working with animals while wearin' those expensive, prissy things."

Zach burst out laughing while Owen rolled his eyes at the vet. Dr. Gerry waved them off as he disappeared back into his office, and Owen led the way out of the Shower Room. Elise gave a wide yawn as she paused by the vehicles, and Gray suddenly asked, "Hey, Uncle Owen, was that lady right?"

Owen's foot slipped on his clutch, and he looked up as he said, "About what?"

Gray shyly gestured to Elise, who was occupied by two butterflies fluttering around her nose, and he said, "Is it wrong to sell tickets to see her?"

Owen leaned on his handlebars as he turned his gaze to Elise. On one hand, it was wrong to sell tickets to make money off of her when he wasn't sure she fully comprehended the marketing of this system. It was wrong to own a human, but he couldn't help thinking her as part of a circus; almost, and he would never voice this _ever,_ but almost part of the freak show.

But even those people had, at some point, consented to that.

Owen pressed his lips when Elise had suddenly snapped her jaws around said fluttering butterflies, and she looked immensely pleased with herself. She had just enough human in her, but there were so many dinosaur traits that muddled them. Where did the human in her begin, and the animal merge with it? He would need to talk to Claire about this, they had to be careful. He didn't want to hurt Elise, and the park would look immoral by using Elise like that.

Owen finally realized he hadn't answered the question, and he finally said, "You know, I'm not sure, but I think it would be good to explain everything to her. If she's fine with it, then good."

Zach raised an eyebrow when Elise zeroed in on another butterfly, and he quietly asked, "And if she isn't?"

The jaws snapped again, and another butterfly left this world before Owen answered, "Then we'll have some problems…but we have to do what's best for her. Claire is a good woman, and she's got a clear head most of the time. She cares about this park, and you guys. She ran across this whole island in those ridiculous shoes looking for you."

"Is it healthy for her to be eating butterflies?"

"Probably not, Elise, quit eating those; I don't want you to get even sicker."

Owen rolled his eyes when Elise replied by sneezing her next target away. The butterfly had been hit with such force, that a single, tattered wing fluttered to the ground. Zach watched it hit the ground, and he quietly whispered, "You know, sociopaths start off with insects, then animals…"

"Well, then she's not one, because she went right after the humans first."

The two grimaced at the dark joke, and Owen smacked himself for not censoring his words. He quickly distracted them by revving his bike, and Elise spared her next, fluttering target to follow the two vehicles racing down the road.

* * *

Owen was grinning wildly as he almost pulled ahead of Zach; the kid was a good racer, and he didn't play dirty. Once in a while they would slow down to let Elise catch up, but that competitiveness was just too much.

Elise was content to go her own pace anyways.

They rounded the clearing of trees, and Owen immediately smashed the brakes when he caught sight of the white car parked in front of Elise's paddock. Zach did the same, and they cringed when Claire's bright red hair stood out in the distance. They shared a glance as Elise caught up. She snorted at them, but continued on her way back home; she was tired. She wanted to go back to her comfortable nest.

Owen held his breath before sticking his hand out to Zach as he said, "It was good knowing you."

Zach gave his hand a firm shake as he somberly replied, "Same here."

"Try to make sure there's something left of me to bury?"

"And I'll even come back for Elise. Gray and I will talk to her."

Owen couldn't ask for any more than that as he led the way over to Claire.

* * *

Elise paused by the large doorway of her paddock as she looked down at the small redhead. She looked even smaller when she wasn't standing in that room where glass would separate them. Elise had never cared for the way Claire would peer into her home; she looked at Elise like she was a weird looking tree.

At least Owen had always looked at her like a living creature.

Claire felt the piercing gaze, and Elise was satisfied by the fact that she had given eye contact. Maybe Owen had talked sense into her thick skull, but Elise wasn't sure; she didn't always catch everything Owen said. He was little too, so his voice wouldn't always reach her ears.

Why did people always try to talk so quietly around her? It only irritated her to not be able to hear what they said, and she didn't know how to ask them to repeat themselves. She wasn't in the mood to play twenty questions with Owen right now; she would learn later. Her nose wouldn't dry up, and everything smelled weird.

A small sound from Claire caught Elise's attention, and she lowered her head to the little human's level. Elise respected that the redhead didn't give any ground to her; Elise knew Claire was some sort of leader around here. Was she the Alpha of the humans on this island? Owen was Alpha to his raptors, but he didn't seem to order people around.

Claire did, and she looked different than other humans. Elise had never seen red hair before, but the white clothes comforted her; it brought back a fuzzy memory she couldn't quite recall. It irritated her to try and remember the images, but the feeling was never forgotten.

It was one of the few comforting ones she could visit when things were a little too quiet, and lonely in her paddock.

Owen had given her more happy memories, and so did Barry. Elise loved Barry. Barry didn't get into fights like Owen did. Elise thought he was stupid for trying to pick a fight with all those men. She remembered how they dressed similar to the ones she met by the river, and she knew she could just eat them again.

But Owen had asked her not get violent. Elise appreciated that he asked, and never ordered. He knew she was powerful, he respected that power. In turn, Elise thanked him by giving him her trust, and he hadn't failed her.

It was easy to lead the idiots away; Elise knew they mistook her for a dumb creature, but Owen didn't. Elise respected him for that.

Elise was pulled from her thoughts when Claire suddenly asked, "Are you feeling better?"

Elise blinked at her, and wondered why Claire would even care about that. She knew the redhead cared about Owen; it was the only reason why Elise hadn't eaten her. Maybe she was trying to be polite. The Indominus was starting to get a comprehension on what polite was; human manners seemed odd to her. No growling or snapping of teeth. It was weird to make the odd gestures with her hands, but it was an absolutely euphoric feeling to actually communicate with humans.

Elise would forever treasure Owen for giving her that gift; it seemed like the other urges lessened when she was learning human behaviors.

Claire shuffled, and Elise realized she hadn't answered her question. That was apparently rude. She lifted her left hand before closing it into a fist like Owen had showed her, and then she made the same gesture that apparently meant yes.

Elise did feel better.

Claire flickered her gaze to the clawed hand, and she slowly nodded before replying, "Well…I'm glad…"

Elise thought Claire just looked downright uncomfortable, but at least she was looking at her like a living creature. Maybe Claire had humbled a little. Elise flickered her gaze to the slowly approaching vehicles; Claire had to be an Alpha of some sort around here. Owen had acted like he had been caught doing something bad at the sight of the white car.

Were Claire and Owen the only Alphas of this place? Gerry smelled like an Alpha, and he talked like one too. Maybe there were different types of Alphas on this island. Elise didn't concern herself with it; she had her place. She was part of Owen's pack, and that was enough for her though she wished they would learn more sign language soon. She wanted someone to actually hold a conversation with. Maybe Owen would let her talk with Blue and her sisters; they had been amusing.

Elise turned her gaze back to Claire when she realized the redhead was peering into her paddock. Elise didn't like anyone going into her home; she had smelled Gerry's scent in there, but he had stayed clear of her nest. He seemed to have mostly stuck to the area that had soft trees she liked to chew on. Barry had been in there as well, but he stayed close to Gerry.

Elise didn't trust Claire to respect her lines. She wasn't part of the pack, but Owen did like her. Elise wasn't going to be tolerant of a trespasser though; she would give _one_ warning if Claire tried to go in there.

Luckily she didn't take a step towards it, Claire only looked at her and said, "It is kind of small…isn't it?"

The tone was quiet, and almost shamed. Elise didn't understand it, but she detected no ill will from Claire. Maybe…sympathy? Owen did that a lot, and Barry was just warm and fuzzy to her. She liked the warm and fuzzy.

Elise glanced into the paddock; it was getting smaller, or she was getting bigger. Elise felt like she wasn't done growing; sometimes her legs would hurt, and then she'd be taller than she remembered. It used to be really big, almost too big, and she would get lost.

Elise wasn't sure how to communicate that she was content with her home, but she agreed it was getting small. Elise only made a low, rumble that never seemed to panic humans. They liked quiet, low sounds; not hissing or snarls. Claire blinked at her, but they turned their heads when Owen finally stepped off his bike. He seemed to be wary of Claire, and Elise gave a reassuring rumble to let him know the redhead was not a threat.

Owen wasn't sure why Elise was tolerating Claire's presence, but he wasn't about to complain. The two boys bravely walked behind him, and Elise flicked her tail before disappearing into her paddock. Owen watched her leave, and Claire asked, "Dr. Gerry took care of her?"

There was absolutely no anger in that tone, and Owen was immediately suspicious of it. Claire should had torn his head off by now. Zach and Gray seemed uneasy as well, but Owen nodded as he replied, "It's just a little cold. She should be back to normal in just a few days."

Claire glanced back at the paddock before looking at her nephews. Zach was ready for the chastising, and blinked when she asked, "Did you enjoy watching Elise sneeze all over the reporter?"

Now Owen wasn't sure if he was talking to Claire. She looked like Claire, but she sure as hell didn't act like her. Zach was thinking the same thing, but Gray gave a wide smile as he answered, "It was funny. Aunt Claire, will you let that one get posted on the internet?"

A small smile pulled at Claire's lips, and she finally said, "Well, they did want an interview, and people already enjoy videos of…Elise. I had asked Lowery to edit the video before posting it. Jurassic World doesn't take kindly to trespassers, and Jackal News needs humbling."

Zach and Gray looked absolutely excited, and Claire gestured to her car as she said, "I brought you some sandwiches. I had a feeling you two would tag along with Owen when you woke up before I did."

They gave sheepish grins before bolting over to the car, and Owen raised an eyebrow when they were out of hearing. He couldn't help a sly grin as he said, " _Miss Dearing,_ where were you on our first date?"

Claire playfully smacked his arm, and Owen's grin widened. He quietly added, "Things are going well then? Everything is going smoothly?"

Claire glanced at her nephews before biting her lip quietly; Owen knew that look. It was the bad news look, and he asked, "What?"

The redhead sighed as she tucked her hair behind her ear, and she softly said, "Everything is going smoothly, except for…it's InGen."

Owen darkened immediately; he knew they would be back. Claire caught his dangerous look, and she said, "They tried to seize your raptors."

" _What?!"_

"But they never legally owned any of them since it was Jurassic World who supplied them. Your raptors are safe, but…"

Claire looked back at the paddock before taking another step towards Owen. She paused before saying, "But we don't own Elise; we owned her sister, but InGen owns Elise. They want to seize her, and take her to Isla Sorna. Apparently they have their own research lab there where the dinosaurs haven't broken into."

Owen felt the air leave him as the blood in his face drained. Claire panicked when he swayed, and she added in a panicky voice, "I'm fighting them! I have my best lawyers on this, Owen. I'm suing them for legal rights to Elise."

Owen swallowed, and reminded himself to act calm. He had to keep a cool head about himself, he still had illegal options to go through if things didn't work with the lawyers, and he took a deep breath before saying, "Okay. Okay…so how is that going to work?"

Claire looked like she wanted to stick her hand out to steady him, but she decided not to as she replied, "InGen didn't provide any security to Elise, so it should legally be their fault for how she got out. I read the contracts, we only agreed to raise Elise and her sister until she was five years of age. She turned six a week ago."

Owen held his breath, and glanced around before saying, "And?"

He was glad when Claire didn't give him a look for not getting it. She simply said, "That means InGen has legally been responsible for Elise for over a year now, and look what happened under their watch? Nothing happened when we took care of her, but she escaped when InGen was supposed to be preventing that."

Claire finally did roll her eyes at Owen's expression, and she said, "If we can prove that we are the more responsible company for Elise, then we should get rights to her."

Owen licked his lips as he finally nodded. He glanced at the paddock as he quietly asked, "How much human is in her?"

Claire shook her head when she replied, "I don't know; we don't even have a complete list of what she's made of. We only found a partial that was left behind during the evacuation, and it was what we already knew."

Owen nodded, and the two were silent for a few seconds. Claire glanced at her nephews sitting in her air conditioned car when Owen suddenly said, "Promise me you'll try to argue for her human side in there."

"What?"

Owen gently touched her arm as he said, "Please promise me, if things won't go our way, you'll argue that she's too human to be owned by anyone. Even if it means you can't use her as an attraction without her consent."

Claire bit her lip thoughtfully, and Owen loved that look. She was cooking up a scheme. He waited eagerly and she gestured to the paddock as she said, "Why don't we go talk to her right now? As much as…well she scares me…she's definitely a little smarter than most people. The court date is still a couple weeks away, and if we get her consent now, then we won't have a problem with anyone. If we have to say she's human, then we'll already have some paperwork to prove we've been doing things right. We'll keep this under the table; it'll be one of our final cards."

"Do you know how beautiful you are?"

Claire raised an amused eyebrow when Owen added, "And dangerously smart?"

The redhead only raised her fist before knocking on the invisible door, and Owen burst out laughing as he followed her into the paddock.

* * *

Elise cracked open an eye when she heard the leaves in her paddock crunching from one pair too many feet, and she knew those footsteps.

Only one human here made clicks when they walked.

Elise could feel her irritation rising as she rose from her comfortable nest; she thought Owen would be smart enough to realize that she had only been tolerating Claire for his sake. She wasn't going to welcome the redhead into her territory.

Elise silently peered through the trees as she glared at the two walking along the trail. Owen seemed incredibly happy, and even a smile tugged at Claire's face. The Indominus tilted her head at that; Claire looked much kinder when she smiled.

Elise decided to make a soft sound to grab their attention; if Claire would be respectful then Elise had no reason to be hostile. It was amusing to see Owen jump, but his soft smile only made Elise feel good. He was always happy to see her.

Owen was a rare treasure.

"Hey, Baby Girl. Claire and I needed to talk to you about a few things."

Elise figured that much. Claire certainly wouldn't traverse through here without good reason. She slowly slid past the trees' branches before curling up in front of the duo. She wanted to sleep, but Owen wouldn't bother her without good reason.

She watched the two, small humans sit on a smoother rock, and Elise rested her head on her forelimbs to put them all at the same level. Owen seemed to like it when she did. It hurt her neck sometimes, but she was getting used to it.

Owen shuffled a bit, not sure how to start the conversation, and blinked when Claire decided she would speak. Elise's crimson eyes flickered to her when Claire said, "Elise, I think you're intelligent enough to have a good understanding of what's going on around you. I did watch that reporter, and she had made some valid points. Do you know why we're here on this island? Do you know what we do here?"

Elise did not, and she lifted her hand to sign, _'No.'_

Owen translated to Claire, and the redhead paused to gather her thoughts. She bit her lip, trying to pick a place to start, and she finally said, "This island is called Isla Nublar, and on it is what we call a park. People pay money to come here because they want to see the dinosaurs on this island. This park is called Jurassic World, and this is the only place to come see dinosaurs safely."

Owen saw the mild confusion in Elise's eyes, and he pulled out his wallet as he showed her.

"This is money, Baby Girl. It's how humans get what we want. If we want food then we give a certain amount of this in exchange for the food. It's valuable to us. We use it to get things we want like territory, clothes, even homes."

Elise suddenly scrunched her nose as her eyes went wide with confusion at the money. Owen couldn't help his laugh at her baffled expression, and he let go of the dollar when she gingerly picked it up with the tips of her claws.

Elise had thought humans were intelligent. This was dirty, green, and thin paper; it smelled bad too. It had a picture of a weird human's face on it, and she couldn't comprehend why humans even had this. Why not simply take the food, or hunt for it yourself? What value did this hold? Elise let out a distressed whine when she realized she might have allied herself with the wrong species, and looked down when Owen comfortingly said, "Elise? Baby. Don't worry yourself over why humans are like that. I just need you to understand that we use money to trade things instead of fighting over them."

Elise wasn't comforted by that, but she gave the dollar back, as Claire continued, "You need to understand that all the animals on this park are dinosaurs. They don't exist anywhere else on this planet, and that's why people want to see them; they're rare."

Elise could vaguely understand that, and she rumbled for Claire to continue. The redhead scratched the back of her head as she tried to explain, "You see…Jurassic World…creates dinosaurs. The very first animals here weren't born; they didn't have parents. People who work for this park made them."

That went over Elise's head completely. She understood that dinosaurs came from eggs; she had passed a nest of cracking eggs, she watched those babies come into the world. Elise had also seen another dinosaur, a long necked one, laying the eggs. She put two and two together that babies came from the adults.

But how did one create a baby without parents?

Elise shoved some dirt and sticks towards the redhead before gesturing to the pile with her snout. Claire raised an eyebrow at it, but Owen laughed as he said, "Baby, we don't make the dinosaurs out of dirt. It's really hard to explain, but all we need is some blood to start off. I won't try to confuse you with the details, but we have…really smart people, called scientists, who know how to create baby dinosaurs. Like Blue, and her sisters; they don't have parents, they were made."

Elise blinked, but the raptors had seemed perfectly normal to her. They were healthy, they communicated fine, and were brave, loyal creatures. She supposed it wasn't bad if they were 'made'; not when they functioned fine.

Elise was pulled from her thoughts when Owen scooched forward as he said, "See, dinosaurs used to be extinct; they had all died a long time ago. Humans didn't even know dinosaurs had existed until we accidentally dug up a skeleton of one. Do you understand that?"

Elise thought about it. That made sense as to why they had to 'make' a dinosaur if there weren't parents around to bring more hatchlings. Elise relaxed a little, humans may have been dumb with their green paper, but she knew it would probably be very difficult to create a creature from only crimson blood. She had no idea why humans would want to bring back dead things; dead things should stay dead, but she knocked on the invisible door.

Claire glanced at Owen, and he knew she was concerned about Elise not fully comprehending the situation of what they were saying, but he motioned for her to continue. Claire turned her gaze back to Elise, and said, "That's the purpose of this park. To show people animals who had died a long time ago. People like to see dinosaurs, but sometimes they get bored. So when that happens, the park brings in a new dinosaur to get peoples' attention again. It's our way of encouraging people to spend their money here."

Elise was sure she was understanding this correctly. Dirty paper was valuable, and humans created ways to hoard it. This 'park' was just an elaborate way to go about it.

Claire paused at the low rumble before she continued, "The reason why you are here is because…well, you were supposed to be our next big attraction to bring people in."

Elise immediately narrowed her eyes as she gave a sharp hiss. She would not be used in this ridiculous scheme. She didn't like crowds of people; she was not going to allow herself to be used like this. Claire winced, but quickly said, "Let me explain!"

Elise would give Claire one chance to give an explanation. She relaxed her posture slightly, but couldn't help her lip curling the slightest. Claire bit her lip as she glanced to Owen for help, and he said, "Baby, I want you to understand something, okay? We care about you. Which is why we are explaining all of this to you. We think you have the right to know these things…"

The Indominus paused as she stared at them suspiciously. She had a feeling she would be hearing things she did not want to know. She gave a low rumble, and Claire took a deep breath before saying, "People were getting bored with regular dinosaurs. So…we decided to create a…hybrid; a mix of dinosaurs…and that's what you are…"

Elise wasn't sure what Claire meant by that, and she turned to Owen for a better explanation. He pressed his lips before standing as he said, "You know what Blue is, right? She's a Velociraptor."

Blue was ornery, brave, and smart. That's what Elise knew. She supposed the creatures that Blue looked like were called Velociraptors. Owen was a human, Claire was a human, Blue was a Velociraptor. So, if Blue was a Velociraptor, then so were her siblings. Elise understood that, and she knocked on the invisible door.

' _Yes.'_

Owen smiled at her; it was his proud, happy smile. He knew she was smart, and it always made him happy when she proved it.

Owen then scratched his head as he explained, "Well, you have Velociraptor in you. You're kind of like Blue, but you have other dinosaur blood in you."

Owen paused as he let out a sigh; this was much harder than he thought. He didn't want to crush Elise by being too blunt, but he didn't want to lie to her either. Owen glanced up at the confused eyes of his tough baby before he said, "The scientists basically took blood from one dinosaur, and mixed it with blood from other dinosaurs, and that's how they got you."

Elise scrunched her nose as she tried to comprehend that. She was a mixture? She wasn't one or the other? Why would they do that? So what was she? Were there more like her? Owen seemed to be reading her thoughts, and he gently said, "You're the very first one, and…the labs haven't made anyone else like you. You are the only one like you…"

Elise immediately lifted her hand to sign, _'No.'_

Elise remembered that she wasn't the only one. She knew she wasn't the only one of her kind. She had the comforting memories in her head; she knew those weren't a lie.

The two blinked at her, and Owen winced when Claire bluntly said, "Well, you're the only one of your kind who is alive. We know you had a sister, and we know she's dead."

Owen gave a dry look at Claire, but she didn't notice. Elise kept an unreadable expression, and Claire suddenly asked, "Why did you eat your sister?"

" _Claire!"_

The redhead glared at Owen as she retorted, "No, I want to know, Owen. If I am going to use all my resources to defend her, and keep her safe on this island, I want to know why she ate her sister. None of the dinosaurs here do that, and people certainly don't do that."

Claire turned her sharp gaze back to the Indominus, and Elise seemed caught off guard. She suddenly bared her teeth, but Claire refused to back down. Instead, she crossed her arms, and said, "Elise, people are trying to take you off this island because they own you. I own the dinosaurs here, and I can do what I want with them. I use them to make money because they're animals, and they don't think like a human. They only use their instincts to push through life, but people are thinkers. For whatever reason, those labs gave you human blood, so now you can think like us. I am trying to stop those people from treating you like you're a dumb animal, but I need to know who I am defending. I don't want to defend someone who ate her own sister unless you have a really good reason for doing it. Why did you eat her?"

That was a huge bombshell Elise was not ready for. She was property? She didn't have a choice in what she wanted in life? She wanted to stay with Owen, but she couldn't because other people decided they would use her for dirty paper?

 _Dirty paper?!_

Elise slowly rose with a dangerous snarl. She would not be leaving this island; she would sooner die than stoop to being used by humans. She knew how to use others; she had used Blue and her siblings to destroy those humans. Granted, she felt terrible afterwards, and did her best to offer her condolences to the grieving sisters, but Elise had used them.

And now these weak, fragile, little squishy things thought they had the power to use her for their own means? Elise could feel that red rage clouding her calm thoughts as her lip pulled higher. Claire took a step back, and Elise knew she held no real control over her. The control humans had created were false illusions, and dumb animals their victims. Elise would remind them again, she would humble these arrogant creatures.

A sharp, quick whistle startled Elise from her rage, and she sharply glared at Owen. She felt that anger die some; he wasn't a normal human. He never bore her ill-will, and his pack loved him as their Alpha. Elise had been so confused when Blue and her sisters openly defied her for sake of this squishy human. Elise had been completely startled from her murderous rage when Owen had shielded Blue with his own body.

A human risked his own fragile, little life for something that wasn't even a human.

Elise had never heard or seen such a thing before. She had seen that fear rolling off him, but there was something else she had never been given before; respect. Owen immediately respected the power she had. He knew she could easily kill him, and he never tried to convince her otherwise. He never tried to pick his weapon up against her, but instead extended a bare, harmless hand.

Elise knew she had to belong somewhere in this world; outside the paddock. Something about humans had always aggravated her; she somehow knew it was unfair for her to be stuck in the pen, alone. She had tried to communicate when she was younger, and lost her temper when they didn't understand. Then they never came back in until Owen, and the other two, squishy humans trespassed.

Owen understood though, and he gave her a way to speak to humans.

Elise immediately knew Owen was a precious treasure when she had seen his raptors stand fearlessly next to him. They had not been used by him; he took care of them, and his scent had mingled with theirs. She had been astounded when he offered her a place in his pack. A human? Offering a place in his dinosaur family? Even in her heavily sheltered life, Elise knew a ridiculous idea when she saw one. Yet, the appeal of family was enough to soothe an open wound in her soul. She hurt less around Owen.

Elise lowered her head, and gave a gentle shiver of her jaw as the soft croon was made when she lightly nudged him. She was so afraid of hurting Owen; he was so tiny. Humans were so easy to pull apart; Elise never wanted to see any hurt on Owen.

Owen was a good human. Owen was good because he took the time to explain things to her. He offered knowledge and comfort rather than harsh words and hurtful weapons. Elise adored Owen for his rareness. He had shown her more, wonderful humans, and happy memories to visit when she felt alone in the dark.

Elise would try to be more patient, and do the same as Owen.

Because Owen was good, and she wanted to be good.

The kind hands rubbed along her scarred scales, and Elise only wish she had the words to say what she thought. Owen made gentle sounds, and he gently said, "We're just trying to understand you, Baby. You're brand new to us, and we want to understand you before someone tries to make up lies about you, okay?"

Elise raised her head up before taking her left hand. She held the closed hand towards herself before flicking her finger up.

Like an idea had hit her.

' _I understand.'_

Owen chuckled at her, but Claire remained serious. She wanted her answers, and Elise supposed she would have to answer her question as best she could without violence.

Because that is what Owen would do.

Elise lacked the words, but she had something else. She gave a low rumbled before disappearing into the trees, and Owen blinked at that. He glanced at Claire as he said, "I guess we follow…"

Claire only huffed before marching over the thick leaves, her heels sinking into the rich soil, but she ignored it. Owen followed her, and wondered what trick Elise had waiting for them.

He was surprised when they came into the clearing, and Elise was curled up on front of her cave. Her large back was to them, and Owen scrambled when Claire made to step over the trench. She gave an indignant squeal when Owen had suddenly wrapped his arms around her waist before hauling her back.

" _Owen!"_

Elise didn't like angry words being used at Owen, and she turned around with a snarl. She would start with the non-violence tomorrow. Owen immediately stood in front of Claire as he quickly said, "Easy, Elise! Claire didn't know about the line, okay?"

Elise wished she could tell Owen how much of an idiot he was sometimes. Elise knew Claire wasn't aware what the purpose of the line was. She would need a warning before consequences. Elise was mad because Claire had yelled at Owen.

Regardless, Elise gave an irritated huff before glancing down at the trench she had made not long ago. She was happy Owen continued to respect her lines.

Now it was time for understanding.

Elise took her hand before wiping the dirt over the trench, and filling it. She had made the line because she hadn't trusted Owen yet. Barry was adorable to her, but she didn't want him past the line either.

Elise trusted Owen now; he would be gentle.

If not then Claire's white clothes would be turning red pretty soon.

Owen stared at the moved dirt before slowly turning his gaze up to Elise. He pointed at the ground, and asked, "I'm allowed over there now?"

' _Yes.'_

"Is…Claire allowed over there?"

Elise flickered her gaze over to the confused redhead. She didn't trust Claire to be gentle. Owen quickly offered, "How about I go over there first then, okay"

Elise also wished she could tell Owen how much she loved him for making solutions that made everyone happy.

' _Yes.'_

Owen let out a breath as he glanced at Claire before gingerly following the large Indominus. Owen wasn't sure what he expected, but he blinked at the shallowness of the vine-like cave. He glanced at Elise before kneeling down in front of it. The top of the cave didn't even go past his hips.

Owen peered inside, and saw the cement wall of the paddock at the back. The arch of the cave seemed to have been molded from sticks and dried mud; dead leaves had also been added to reinforce the structure. The vines dangled to create a curtain at the mouth of the little cave that Owen had gently pushed aside. He looked at the moss covered ground, and blinked.

"There's nothing in here…"

Elise snorted at him, and a small snot bubble popped on her nose before she wiped it off. Owen watched her large hand pile some plants on the ground before gently pushing them away.

"Oh…"

Owen turned back to the cave, and stuck his hand in. He was very aware of Elise's attentive gaze. It was more intense than when he had pulled the glass shards from her neck. There was something very important in here, and now Owen was afraid to move the moss.

What if it was an egg? Could she reproduce asexually? Owen bit his lip as he gently plucked a small piece of moss off, and held his breath at the tan underneath. He risked a glance at Elise, and her eyes were only focused on his hand.

Another piece of moss was brushed aside as more of the almost, dark amber was revealed. Owen frowned when he had removed enough moss, and was suddenly met by the eyeless sockets of a small skull.

Owen almost forgot about Elise as he pulled the rest of the moss off until he was staring at the small, arched skeleton. He gently traced the curve of the skull before brushing his fingers along the sharp, crowded teeth. The shape of the skull was familiar, and he moved the foliage until the forelimbs were revealed. It had been completely undisturbed, and Owen could clearly see the two, little thumbs attached to the small hands that could easily be enveloped in his own.

Owen turned to Elise, and softly asked, "Is this your sister?"

' _Yes.'_

He snapped his gaze back to the brown skeleton, and two things immediately jumped out at him.

The skeleton was _undisturbed._

And Elise had created a cave to protect her sister's remains.

If Elise had eaten her sister, then the bones would have been pulled apart, and ribs pushed aside; he couldn't even see teeth marks on these bones. Owen startled when he glanced down at the mouth of the cave; the dirt had been indented down in a familiar shape.

Elise had been sleeping in front of this little cave frequently.

"Elise…did you kill your sister?"

Owen glanced up at her, and she was pleased how he asked the right questions immediately.

' _No.'_

Elise watched Owen run his fingers over her sister's remains as softly as possible. She knew Owen would be gentle; she was glad her trust was well placed. She was glad Owen could finally meet her sister. Small One, Elise had always called her, even long after she stopped moving.

Elise still talked to Small One; she had told her about Owen and Barry. She told her about the outside world, and how big it was. Elise knew Small One liked all the nice people Elise had met. She liked the pretty flowers Elise had brought back from outside the paddock, but they were both sad when they turned brown and ugly. Elise had removed them after that.

Owen turned to the redhead as he called her over, and Elise trusted Owen to make sure Claire would be gentle with Small One.

Owen gave another, sad glance at Elise that she didn't understand. She thought Owen would be happy to finally have his question answered. The one she had refused to answer.

Elise realized her sister wasn't alive, but a part of her forced her to pretend she was for sake of her sanity. It made Elise feel better, and sometimes she could still catch her sister's scent.

Technically speaking, Elise had never been alone in her paddock.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N**

 **More warnings for heart wrenching!**

 **Also death.**

 **Heart wrenching death.**

 **Enjoy you wonderfully honest people you.**

* * *

"I Am Sorry."

Elise gave a critical stare at the redhead when she had kneeled in front of the cave that had withstood so many, long days and nights. Claire blinked at Small One, and Elise wasn't sure if her sister liked Claire or not. Claire suddenly reached out before gently pulling a dried piece of brush away from the cave.

Small One liked Claire; she was gentle on her little, fragile bones.

Elise could never picture Small One being bigger than what she always was. She wasn't sure Small One was meant to grow big and strong like Elise had. She was so little; Elise had always been bigger than her tiny sister.

Owen glanced to the side of him when Claire swallowed. She wasn't sure what to do, and he gently nudged her. Claire blinked at him, and he quietly said, "There's no teeth marks…no one ate her…"

Claire swallowed again as she began to trace the sturdy, earth coffin around the little creature, but she didn't say anything. Owen glanced back at Elise, and she didn't seem upset by any of this. He turned back to Claire, and quietly asked, "Did…the workers just assume…?"

Claire's face gave a grimace, but she quickly covered up as she gave a quick nod. She cleared her throat before whispering, "They said they found the sister's finger stuck in her teeth…."

Owen peered into the cave as he counted the digits, and he said, "Unless she had an extra, her fingers are all here."

Claire swallowed, and couldn't stop herself from trying to brush more dirt off the brown bones. The skeleton was no bigger than a large housecat; it was so hard to imagine Elise ever being that small. Claire was afraid of accidently breaking the small bones, but she felt the need to offer some kind of comfort. Owen continued to stare at her, and she finally said, "They probably made a mistake then…they were afraid of even getting close to her. They only assumed, and we didn't have the thermal detectors until a couple years later. We tried to do a sweep with the cameras, but we never found the sister. We just…"

Claire suddenly stood, and she turned to Elise. She didn't make eye contact as she tried to go into business mode, and said, "Thank you for answering my question, Elise."

Claire took a few steps towards the thick brush as she added, "I know my way out…"

Elise highly doubted that, but the redhead disappeared into the emerald leaves. Elise didn't understand why Claire was upset, but she turned her attention back to Owen when he gently asked, "Been protecting your little sister all this time?"

' _Yes.'_

Owen gave the smile that made Elise feel good about herself, and he asked, "Were you trying to get out? Or did we startle you?"

Elise thought about that. She still wasn't sure what had drawn them into her paddock, and it had startled her. She had been wanting to get out though; Small One had wanted to see the world outside the tall walls. There were sweet smelling flowers outside their paddock that Elise wanted.

Then the people were screaming, and the red rage clouded her thoughts. She couldn't remember much after snapping her jaws around the bigger, squishy human. Owen suddenly asked, "Why did you put those claw marks in the walls?"

Elise blinked; she put claw marks on all the walls. It was something to do, and she liked dragging her sharp weapons across the hard surface. Was Owen talking about the ones near the thick glass room? Elise had done that to scare the big squishy one, but she hadn't realized he wasn't in there until afterwards, then she left to go talk to Small One.

Small One always thought it was funny to scare snakes. Elise knew if she did a cooling of her skin then she would be invisible to snakes. It was funny to make snakes jump.

It was funnier to make people jump.

Elise wasn't sure how to communicate all that to Owen, and he simply shook his head. She knew he was frustrated with her lack of answers, but he wasn't frustrated with her. She was fine with that, and he asked, "Did you try to lure us in here by making those claw marks near the window?"

' _No.'_

Owen pressed his lips when he realized he had made the biggest mistake out of all of them. He was the one who pointed out the claw marks, and then the thermal detectors had messed up. They should have waited for Control to get the reading on her tracker before even going in there.

So many mistakes were made with Elise. She was alone, no trainers, and people were too afraid to work with her. Now Owen wasn't sure if she had been an accident waiting to happen. Things wouldn't have ended well when people were so afraid of her.

But now he could make it up to her. He was teaching her how to talk to people. Owen only hoped Elise would forgive him eventually.

He gently gestured to the cave as he asked, "Want me to put the covering back?"

Elise glanced around as she admired the clear, blue sky. Today was a nice, sunny day, and Small One liked calm days like these. She signed, _'No.'_

Elise would put the covering back later; when weather was not so kind. Owen smiled at her, and gave a gentle pat on her cheek. Elise crooned at him, she felt better now that Small One was able to meet Elise's first friend from outside the walls. Now Owen was her friend too.

Owen continued to stroke her cheek, and he finally said, "Thanks for answering our questions, Baby Girl. Are you in the mood to hear the rest of what we have to say?"

Owen couldn't help his laugh when Elise said no. She looked tired, and curled up in front of her sister's cave. Owen didn't doubt that she would sleep the day away, and he quietly retraced his steps back to the paddock entrance.

He found Claire pressing her lips into a tight, pale line, and she jumped when he asked, "You okay?"

Owen knew it was a lie when she simply nodded, but he didn't press for details. She gave a small sigh, and said, "I'll make sure this is added to the records…"

He only nodded; he had no idea why paperwork seemed to comfort Claire, but he wouldn't chastise her for it. He glanced at the boys finishing off their food, and he quietly said, "Gray really wanted to see the raptors do their Pig Run if you want to join us. It's pretty cool…"

Owen was glad when Claire nodded, and she suddenly gave a playful smile as she said, "I bet I can beat you there."

Owen felt a crooked grin pulling at his lips as he coyly said, "Do I get another date if I win?"

"I'll buy you a washer so your clothes don't smell so bad. Your poor girls, Owen."

Owen only laughed loudly as he shut the paddock doors before swinging himself onto his bike. He revved his motor, and almost died laughing when Claire tried to do the same with her quiet, ecologically friendly vehicle.

Claire had started laughing when her spinning tires sprayed Owen with gravel.

* * *

Elise ignored the lightly showering rain in the dark. She didn't care for getting wet, but the constant sound was a nice break from the silent nothingness. She only wished she had made Small One's cave out of something else; when it rained, she had to shelter the mud cave with her own body. Elise didn't sleep when it rained.

Small One was afraid of the flashing lights in the sky and booming sound; Elise had to be awake to comfort her.

One time the ground had flooded, and Elise had to dig a trench to lead the water away because Small One never learned to swim. It was fine though, Elise could take care of her.

Owen had come by a little earlier; he had wanted to make sure the tall shade on the other side of the paddock was in decent shape for Elise. He didn't want her to get sicker by sitting in the rain.

But he hadn't known that Elise had even forgotten the shade had been there. Small One didn't like to sleep alone.

Elise didn't care; she was tough, and did not need the shelter. She felt better after her long afternoon nap, and she knew where to go if she started to feel worse. Dr. Gerry was nice, and he was a friend.

A long sigh exhaled from her lungs as the water dripped off her perfectly still body. Claire had given her a lot to think about today. Elise wondered if there were other dinosaurs who were smart like her, but Claire had said it was because of the human blood in her.

Elise wondered if Small One had been given the human blood as well. She had been smart and gentle when she still moved.

When Elise didn't have to make up the words for her when they talked.

A sharp sound caused Elise to turn her head towards the thick brush. She knew that sound; it was coming from the Observatory Room as Owen called it; the doors were opening. She knew no human traveled here in the dark; they were afraid of her.

Elise glanced down at the dry cave beneath her before making the decision to go investigate. Her large talons carefully pulled brush aside to reveal a faded, slick rain jacket she had yanked off a worker long ago. Elise had left it there because it tasted bad, but she learned that the jacket kept the ground underneath it dry.

Elise would use it to shelter Small One until she came back.

When she deemed the cave mostly covered Elise turned, and melted into the trees as she silently traveled along the soft, wet dirt. She carefully wove, mindful of shaking the trees, and she allowed her scales to match the dripping leaves around her. She grew incredibly still as she peered into the dimly lit room.

Elise blinked before narrowing her eyes at the figure in the room. It was Claire. Why was Claire here? Had she left something important in the room? Elise didn't think so when Claire simply crossed her arms over her chest protectively as she began to chew on her lip. The blue eyes scanned across the silent trees, and they passed over Elise.

Elise contemplated going back to Small One; she wanted to be there just in case some bright lights flashed across the sky, but she wanted to know why Claire was standing here. The overpowering curiosity forced Elise to move from the trees, and her scales became their snow white again.

Claire jumped at seeing her, but didn't look how she normally did. Elise was confused at the change in clothes. They were a soft looking purple now, and her shoes didn't make a click sound when she moved to the little control stand. Elise watched Claire slide her hand over it before snapping her crimson gaze towards a window when a small pop sound was made. Claire walked over to it, and gently swung it in. Elise was amazed Claire had removed a boundary between them, but she respected Claire for it.

"Hey, Elise…"

The Indominus blinked at the soft, gentle tone she had never heard before. Claire slowly sat down on the floor with her feet dangling over the ledge. She folded her hands over her lap before she quietly asked, "I didn't wake you, did I?"

There was sincerity in her tone that Elise liked. She shifted on her feet slightly before signing, _'No.'_

Claire gave a small smile at the left hand before it curled back to the scaled chest protectively. Elise waited for Claire to say something, but the redhead had stared in the direction of where Small One was sleeping. Elise was about to grab her attention, but Claire suddenly said, "I like to check on Rexy every night before I go to bed. I know Owen checks on you, but I just wanted to be sure you were fine too."

Elise wasn't sure what Claire meant by that. Was Claire concerned she would escape again? Did Claire not trust her? That was a wise decision on her part.

The redhead twirled her thumbs silently before suddenly saying, "Since you're already up…I wanted to finish our conversation from earlier."

Elise wished she could make facial expressions like Owen. It was so difficult to be handicapped like this around humans. Elise wanted to roll her eyes loudly like Owen liked to. Claire didn't notice though, and she looked at Elise when she said, "I said you were supposed to be an attraction to this park, but there are other people who are trying to take you off this island because they own you. They're called InGen. When you and your sister were born, Jurassic World agreed to raise both of you until you were five years old, and you turned six years old about a week ago."

Six years? What was that? Elise figured it had to do with time. Humans measured everything, and she had even measured the amount of days that had passed since she broke from this paddock. Elise only rumbled, she was too tired to be angry with what she had already been told. Claire bit her lip before continuing, "But I'm trying to stop them from doing that. I want you to stay here because…well, Owen would go crazy."

The Indominus believed that, and she snorted in amusement at how concerned Owen would be about her. He was the one who was as small as a baby; she was the larger, stronger one.

Claire gave a small smile before scooting a little closer to the edge of the window. Elise didn't like how close she was getting; she would probably fall off if she came any closer. Claire didn't notice though, and she continued, "Elise…you are…a lot more human than I knew. I didn't even know you could talk to us until Owen had said something a couple days ago."

Elise glanced down when she noticed Claire's pale hands bunching up the purple fabric on her knees. She looked up when Claire cleared her throat before saying, "I'm sure I'll be able to keep you here, and if you do get to stay, I have a much bigger paddock that we are going to move you to. We can move your sister too; she can go with you…"

Elise liked that idea. She wanted to be able to run around, and she appreciated that Claire hadn't forgotten Small One.

Maybe Claire was also part of Owen's pack. Blue had explained the basics of pack to Elise while Owen had slept. The Alpha made the final decisions for the pack, and it was wrong to question him without good reason. Blue had communicated that it was her job to make sure Owen didn't do anything stupid, and she was in charge when he was gone. The pack stayed together, hunted together, and didn't leave anyone behind.

Claire wasn't leaving Small One behind; Claire was acting like she was part of the pack. That made Elise happy, and she gave a soft croon to show for it. The redhead gave a gentle smile, and she added, "I know it probably confuses you with all this information, but it is wrong for a human to use another human to make money without their permission. I…I won't sell those tickets, or use you for an attraction, without your permission…you're human enough that you should be able to decide."

Elise blinked at the unexpected happiness chasing the cold from her wet scales. Claire was going to treat her like an equal? She was giving her a choice? Elise knew she didn't look like at human, but Claire had decided there was enough to fight for. Claire had claimed her a human, and she deserved the same rights.

Elise gave a warm croon, and Claire returned it with a smile. She looked down at her twiddling thumbs, and Elise heard her mutter, "I just hope the smarmy bastards don't get rid of me."

Claire then cleared her throat before saying, "We can always make enough money to cover what it cost to make you…I hope…"

Elise tilted her head in confusion. Was Claire's position as Alpha not as secure as Owen? Humans didn't always act like a pack, and it seemed like Claire would be in trouble for this decision. Elise remembered the dirty paper Owen had shown her. He said this park was a way to make bring more of that money. So, wouldn't the Alpha of this park be the one who was best at bringing in the most money? That was obviously Claire, and she had expected to use Elise to bring in the dirty paper.

Who would Claire use to lure in the dirty paper if Elise wouldn't give her permission?

Claire blinked at her, and hesitated before saying, "I'll figure it out…you shouldn't have to do that if you don't want to. The paddock is really big, so you could hide from people when you're tired of them, but…I would appreciate you showing up for them. Maybe you could walk by at certain times, or…I don't know…"

Elise could tell Claire wasn't used to being in this position; where she was at the total mercy of another. Claire looked very comfortable swaying other people, but she seemed to struggle to even meet Elise's eyes.

"Elise…?"

She gave a low rumble to let Claire know she was listening, and Claire quietly asked, "Did your sister get sick before she died?"

Some part of Elise always knew Small One had been born a little weaker than what she should have been. Elise did her best to take care of her, but Small One always lagged; she was never a good hunter. That was fine though, Elise was there to hunt for both of them, and Small One was always grateful.

But Small One was never able to put on weight; Elise would grow stronger and bigger, but Small One would only grow thinner.

Then she had stopped getting up. Elise had to help pick her up, but Small One would squeal in pain when Elise tried picking her up by her hips. Elise didn't want to hurt her, so she had brought the food to her.

Water was harder to bring, but Elise was smart about bringing the water in big leaves. That had worked for a while.

Until Small One started breathing wrong. She would pant with her mouth wide open, and Elise could only sit near her; she couldn't help her. Small One would get too warm too. Elise had made the mud cave to provide shelter, and Small One was grateful for it.

But then she wouldn't eat or drink.

Not long after that, she wouldn't sit up; she had fallen onto her side, and Elise had to prop her up against her own body.

Elise had tried to bring the humans over, but they didn't understand. So she had stolen the raincoat, and bit the man hard for being stupid. His hand had bled heavily.

Humans didn't come into her paddock after that, and Elise realized her mistake.

She stayed near Small One after that, and would comfort her by talking about the world outside their tall walls. She promised her little sister they would see what made the strange sounds, and they would chase the dumb humans for locking them up here. They would find all kinds of snakes to scare.

Small One had thought that was funny.

Elise then gave comforting licks on Small One's head; it soothed her into a deep sleep.

Small One had stopped breathing wrong after going to sleep, and Elise was happy because she thought her sister was getting better.

But Small One wouldn't wake up when the sun rose, and it was time to eat. She was cold, and Elise remembered wrapping herself around Small One to try and warm her up.

It wasn't until Small One had started to smell that Elise finally realized her sister wouldn't wake up again. A little part of her had broken, it felt raw, and it had always hurt. Elise had grown so used to the dull ache in her chest, that she had forgotten it was there until Owen had made some of it go away.

But it still hurt.

Claire suddenly shifted, and Elise rumbled softly at her. She raised her left, clawed hand before knocking on the invisible door.

' _Yes.'_

Elise tilted her head when Claire's face suddenly pinched up. She swallowed before asking, "Did you ever try to get peoples' help?"

' _Yes.'_

Claire didn't say anything that time. She only nodded her head, and Elise could smell a change in her scent. It turned bitter almost. Was Claire sad? There was nothing Claire could have done; Elise had never asked for her help, and Claire hadn't been around when Small One had gotten so sick.

"…Was there anything I could have done?"

Elise wasn't sure why Claire was so focused on this. There was nothing she could do to make Small One breathe again. Elise accepted this. She could only protect what Small One had left behind for Elise.

Fragile, amber bones, and a few, precious memories to visit in the dark.

' _No.'_

Claire stared at the closed fingers before slowly raising her blue eyes to Elise's crimson ones. Elise paused at the shininess of Claire's eyes, and the redhead softly said, "I am so sorry I accused you of eating your sister. I am so sorry I thought you were just a dumb animal, I'm sorry you've been stuck in here all your life, Elise. I'm sorry no one helped you when you asked for it. I wish things would have been different, I-"

Claire suddenly covered her mouth when her voice cracked, and Elise was startled by that. She didn't understand why Claire's shoulders were lightly shaking or the clear drops of water trickling down her pale cheeks.

Elise flared her nostrils when Claire sniffed loudly, and she narrowed her eyes as her vision distorted slightly. She could see all the heat radiating off Claire's body, and Elise tilted her head at the flare of red in her little chest.

Elise knew the flare of red meant hotter, or in pain. Claire didn't smell hotter. Was her chest hurting? Why had it started to hurt so suddenly? Claire was staring into the paddock, and Elise followed her gaze.

Was Claire looking to where Small One slept?

Elise turned her gaze back, and Claire mumbled another apology as she wiped the water from her eyes. Elise knew that sorry meant they regretted something. Blue regretting putting her pack in danger, she was sorry for replacing Owen as their Alpha.

Elise regretted causing the raptors to lose their sister, and she had made amends with them.

Did Claire regret Small One dying?

Elise was confused by that. This grief was not hers to burden, it was Elise's alone to shoulder. She had taken care of her sister, she knew Small One, and Small One had died before Claire met her.

Unless…

Blue and her sisters had comforted each other when their baby sister hadn't come home. Was Claire trying to comfort Elise? Was Claire trying to share the dull ache in her massive chest? Claire was feeling pain in her chest...

Claire had moved her arms to her chest protectively, and Elise decided that was what Claire was trying to do. Claire was part of this pack, she had made Elise an equal by giving her respect and a choice in what she wanted in life. Claire was going to move her and Small One to a better home.

Now Claire was sharing this dulling pain in her chest so Elise would feel better.

Elise remained incredibly gentle as she lightly brushed the back of her finger against Claire. The redhead glanced up tearfully, and Elise decided Claire was not bad. She acted like a stern Alpha, but she was good.

Like Owen.

Elise splayed her palm before using the curves of her claws to brush them twice.

' _I forgive you.'_

Claire swallowed at the massive hands before quietly saying, "I have no idea what you said."

Elise let out a loud snort, and Claire gave a watery chuckle. She wasn't a pretty crier, and Elise wished Owen would walk in to see this ridiculous sight; his face would be amusing. For some reason, the thought had pulled Elise's lip up in a way that wasn't to be threatening. Her jaws parted slightly, and an odd, repeated sound was made when air was sucked in.

Claire startled at it before she covered her mouth, and began to quietly laugh. The sounds Claire made only encouraged the feeling in Elise's chest, and she her own, responding sounds grew louder, and a little faster.

Claire finally fell on her back as she began to laugh loudly, and Elise couldn't understand why she couldn't stop this weird sound from being made. She felt light, and her stomach was beginning to hurt. She liked this though. Why had she never made these sounds before? Why was she making them now?

Claire had no idea what to do with a smiling, grinning dinosaur. Elise looked petrifying when she smiled, but her laugh sounded like a loud, sucked in hiccup. The confusion in Elise's eyes, when she realized she couldn't stop, only made Claire laugh harder.

Elise's vision distorted when her eyes began to water, and she slowly slid onto her forelimbs. Elise couldn't get the image of what Owen's face would look like out of her head, and the feeling intensified.

Claire finally let out a sigh, and she pushed herself into a sitting position before peering at the ground below her. Elise gave a loud sniff, and a small hiccup, causing Claire to giggle again. Elise glanced up at her, and rose to her level again. Elise allowed Claire to brush some leaves off her scaled chin, and Claire quietly said, "Elise, you have the funniest laugh I have ever heard."

Is that what it was called? A laugh. Elise decided she liked laughs. Claire's laughs made her laugh, and Elise's lip pulled up again. Claire glanced at her bared teeth before adding, "And the scariest smile I have ever seen."

Elise's smile became bigger, and Claire couldn't stop herself from smiling either. She kept her hand on the white scales, and marveled at how warm they were. She knew dinosaurs weren't cold blooded, but they always looked so cold and slimy.

"I remember visiting this park before it opened. The man who created this place was named John Hammond…he was really nice. I think you would have liked him."

Elise rested against the building, and titled her head in a way that she could watch Claire add, "I always thought dinosaurs were cool, and I wanted to work here. My uncle was supposed to be a manager when the park opened, but the first one never did."

Claire continued to run her fingers along the smooth white scales as she became lost in her fond memories. She almost smiled when she said, "Mr. Hammond liked me, and he took me on a tour when all the animals had been put back into their paddocks. The first dinosaur I met was Rexy, and she scared the life out of me, Elise. I think she's a little scarier than you…"

Elise had no idea what was 'scary' about herself, but now she was curious about this Rexy. Elise turned her head a little more when Claire said, "Mr. Hammond said he knew I would be good for this park. He told me that if I take care of the animals, then they would take care of me, but Rexy would be the one who would always bring people in. She's the reason why this park is still so popular. No one ever gets tired of seeing Rexy."

Elise paused when she thought she heard some loud rumblings in the sky. She listened attentively, but decided it was still far away, and she listened to Claire say, "If I ever had a problems, I could always go to Rexy for help. It's her job to be the big boss of this island. She's the real Alpha of this place."

Elise tilted her head at that; this Rexy was the one who held the power over this island? Humans didn't acknowledge dinosaurs as Alphas though…

Claire suddenly gave a fond chuckle, and she said, "Hammond made this place because he wanted people to realize how little they really were. I never understood what that meant, but I do know I feel little around Rexy. I think Rexy makes others feel little too, and that why they go back to her."

Claire gave a smile at Elise when she said, "You make me feel little too. I think people would really like you, Elise. I know it doesn't sound all that great, but…but would you at least try doing this for a week? Letting people see you? Rexy only shows up at certain times, and people love her. She only sees people five times a day."

Claire shrugged, and slyly added, "You know…there's a glass window there too, where people could see you. I think it would be really funny if you hid before scaring the people."

Elise tilted her head, and Claire quickly added, "Not, don't attack them! But, I mean…like, just startle them by showing up out of nowhere."

Elise knew how to do that. She loved doing that! She had scared Small One before Small One became too fragile to scare, then Elise had moved on to snakes.

Claire would allow her to scare humans?

Elise was eager to do that, and she immediately signed, _'Yes!'_

Claire blinked at the excited hand, and she gave a small smile as she stated, "You like to scare things, don't you?"

Elise _lived_ for that. It had been hilarious to scare the flying ones when she had accidentally broken into their glass home.

It had been less funny when the loud, metal bird had crashed into the nest and burst into hot flames. Elise took off before the flyers would get mad at her for bringing that kind of destruction to their home.

Claire suddenly laughed as she stood, and said, "I hope you scare Owen because he is a butt-head."

Elise crooned to promise Claire she would, and the redhead gave another laugh before patting the wet scales. Elise pulled her lips up in a ferocious smile when Claire said, "You can scare him tomorrow when we come to move you to your new paddock."

Elise eagerly awaited that moment, but Claire gestured into the thick trees as she said, "I can ask Dr. Gerry to move your sister. He knows how to move bones without hurting them, if that's alright with you."

' _Yes.'_

Elise trusted Gerry to be gentle. His hands were rougher than Owen's, but his touches were almost too light to feel. Small One would like Gerry. Elise would make a new cave for Small One in their new home, and she could tell her little sister about all the people she scared.

Claire took a step back as she quietly said, "Well, goodnight, Elise. I hope you sleep well. I'll see you tomorrow, and…thank you for giving me your permission."

Elise moved from the window, and gave a final croon before disappearing into the midnight jungle. Claire waited a few more seconds before closing the window, and she turned out the lights. She felt much better now, and maybe she would finally be able to get some sleep.

Claire was surprised Elise had been up so late; it was around one in the morning. She hadn't lied about checking up on Rexy every night, but Claire always did that around seven in the evening. Now she had another dinosaur to check up on.

Hammond had told her the secret to success for this park, but Claire never understood the plain riddle.

The success of this park is dependent on making people feel small.

Claire would probably never understand that, but she knew Rexy always made her feel little.

And now Elise did too.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N**

 **Thank you all for your reviews!**

 **Please enjoy! No warnings as far as I know.**

* * *

"New Home."

Owen raised an eyebrow as he parked his motorbike outside Elise's paddock. He was slightly concerned at seeing Claire's white car already parked, but he had to tell himself not to panic at the sight of Gerry's pickup.

Owen didn't see either of the two owners as he walked into the paddock, and he wondered if they were in the Observatory Room. He wanted to see Elise first, if she was fine, then everything else would be fine.

He hoped she had gotten enough sleep, and he wondered if she was feeling better.

Owen pushed the thick bushes aside before blinking at the empty clearing. He swore Elise would have been near her sister's cave, and he could still see some of the amber bones from where he was standing.

"Elise? Baby, where are you at?"

Owen retraced his steps to the large shade that had been tucked against the side of the wall. Owen didn't even have to walk near it to know Elise hadn't slept in there during the storm. None of the overgrown plants had been smooshed.

Had Elise gotten sicker, and tried to make her way over to Gerry?

Owen knew that wasn't right since the doors were still closed, but the panicked thoughts still clouded his mind. A loud tapping made Owen jump, and he snapped his gaze up to see Claire giving a small wave at him. Gerry was standing next to her, and she slid the window back. Owen raised an eyebrow, but asked, "Where's Elise?"

A small, dangerous smile pulled at Claire's lips, and Owen felt like he was in danger. A branch snapped behind him, and Owen whirled around. He came face to face with a wide open jaw of several sharp daggers, and a guttural growl vibrated his bones.

Owen shrieked as he stumbled, and fell into a thick pile of brush. He panicked at getting tangled in the thick vines, and he could hear Claire laughing hard. Then strong claws snagged around his midsection in a way that made Owen think of the claw machines that never let anyone win.

Elise remained gentle as she slowly pulled him up, and gave a concerned croon. Owen was still trying to get his heart rate under control, and he couldn't help growling, "Are you trying to kill me?!"

Elise bared her teeth, but Owen saw no anger in the warm, crimson eyes. She lightly smacked her teeth against each other while garbling at him good-naturedly. Owen let out a huge sigh as he went limp in the claws. He clutched his hand to his chest before Elise shifted him onto her large palm. Owen looked around when the Indominus had curled her hand close to her chest, and he could hear that powerful heartbeat. He glanced up at Claire when she giggled, "You look like a Ken doll!"

Owen felt like a doll; he just hoped Elise would be gentler than his niece. She liked to swing her dolls around by their hair or legs. However, Elise simply kept her palm flat while using the other one to almost create a fence so he wouldn't fall forward. Owen stood up before resting his arms on the top of her hand, and he said, "This is a nice view from up here. I could get used to you carrying me."

Elise crooned at him quietly, and Owen looked at his radio when Lowery said, "I'm posting that on our website, just so you know."

"You make comments at the weirdest times, Lowery."

Owen could hear the tech-geek shrug before retorting, "I'm the guy who gets to see what the cameras see all day. It's either watch the Triceratops fight for dominance, the ranger step in a pile of dino dung, or watch Elise scare the life out of you. Elise is hilarious, and people just about died at seeing her sneeze all over that reporter."

Owen rolled his eyes, but peered at the far away ground when he heard Dr. Gerry ask, "You ready to get movin', Kiddo?"

The old vet was holding a small, wooden box in his hand, and Elise suddenly turned as she led the way back to her nest. Owen was grateful for how she shielded him from the slapping branches, and gently set him down when she stepped into the clearing.

Owen was impressed by how the mud cave still stood strong against the rain storm. It didn't even look like it had been wet. Owen frowned at that, but turned when Gerry stepped over a large bush. His knee gave a small pop, but the vet grumbled, "You know, Kiddo, you can carry the old man. Owen still has good knees; I'm on my second pair."

Owen burst out laughing, and even Elise seemed to give a light snort as the vet hobbled over to the cave. He paused before growing a little somber as he slowly kneeled down.

Elise lowered herself into a comfortable position as she watched Gerry meet Small One for the first time. Elise had talked about Gerry a lot last night; she wanted Small One to know everything there was to know since the old vet would be the one to move her.

Gerry gently ran rough fingers along the thin scapula bone before shaking his head. He glanced to the side of him, and quietly said to Owen, "Claire said an InGen vet was provided to take care of these two."

Owen couldn't help dryly saying, "Well, he didn't do a very good job, did he?"

Gerry shook his head before he said, "I got ahold on some of Elise's records. This kid was a lot smaller than what she should have been. The vet did neglect them, but I'm not sure if anything could have been done."

Gerry took Owen's hand before gently brushing them along the brown bones. Owen raised an eyebrow, but Gerry asked, "Feel that? They don't feel that strong, do they?"

Owen only had to look at the bones to know they were fragile, and he nodded. Gerry sighed as he took the lid off his box, and said, "Take a look at your big kiddo, Owen. I don't think this kid was born with a skeleton that could handle that kind of weight. I'm sure we would have had the medicine to keep her alive, but she would have never walked past a certain weight."

Gerry paused as he looked the skeleton over before sadly adding, "And I think this was the weight limit."

Owen stared at the small skeleton before leaning on Elise's nose. She puffed air at him, and he smiled. They watched Gerry carefully drape a soft, pink blanket over the skeleton before removing the roof of the cave. The dirt fell onto the blanket, but the bones remained intact when the blanket was pulled back.

At first, Gerry had tried to pull the skeleton up, but discovered the bones were stuck in the ground. After some contemplating, the vet had decided to get a shovel to dig around the small Indominus. It had worked better than expected, and Elise seemed pleased with the job.

Owen was allowed to carry the simple, wooden box while Elise carried Gerry. The vet had found that funny. They found Claire talking on her phone, but she hung up at the sight of them. Owen knew that irritated look, and he hesitated before asking, "Something wrong?"

"A loose Triceratops. She knocked her tracker out, and ACU can't find her. We've been having some troubles with them fighting lately. The old Alpha has been fighting a challenger lately, and she just lost apparently. She took off."

Claire's blue eyes then fell onto the box, and she asked, "Are we ready to go then? We have everybody?"

Owen nodded as he shifted the precious cargo closer to his chest.

This was not the time to have butterfingers.

* * *

Elise could smell prey nearby, and her claws itched to actually hunt something. She was independent, damn it. She loved hunting, surprising, and then the chase. She was still exploring the entrance of her new paddock though; she wanted to make sure everything was to her liking.

The doors actually towered above her this time; she couldn't touch her nose to the top like she could with her other paddock. There a lot of tall trees too, and the shade was a wonderful welcome change. She could actually walk around without having the branches always poke her side.

Elise turned her head when Owen gently patted her leg. He chuckled at her before suggesting, "How about you go explore your new home? I'll keep your sister safe with me until you decide where you want your nest to be."

Elise liked that idea; she trusted the Alpha of this pack to safe-guard Small One. She had seen how gentle they had been with her box. It had almost been annoying to walk behind the slowly moving vehicle. It seemed like it had stopped at every bump, and the two would give panicked looks at Elise before they peeked into the box.

Even Elise knew Small One wasn't _that_ fragile.

Regardless, Elise gave a small puff of air on the wooden box before she did the same with Owen. She snorted when he blew air on her nose, and she left with a gentle croon.

Owen gently set the box on the ground, pressed against the wall, and looked up when he saw Claire's white shoes. She had her hands clasped in front of her, and was staring at the quiet trees before he asked, "So, you still gonna try to convince her to give you her permission?"

Claire glanced at him as she gave a proud smile, and replied, "I already got her permission. I told her she could give the guests little scares when they got close enough to the glass."

"Is that why she scared me?"

Owen blinked when Claire only gave a small laugh. He crossed his arms when she pressed a button on her silver, communications watch, and asked, "Vivian, has ACU contained the Triceratops yet?"

There was a brief pause before Vivian answered, "No, they still haven't found her either. She stampeded towards Paddock Eleven, but they're still headed that way. ACU is pretty sure she'll turn somewhere at the fencing."

Claire pressed her lips before flickering her gaze towards the silent jungle. Owen followed his gaze, but gently nudged her with a sly grin as he coyly said, "So…the kids are gone. We got about twenty-minutes to ourselves…"

The half-smile pulled at Claire's lips, and Owen waggled his eyebrows mischievously. He burst out laughing when Claire said, "I think we can go get _one_ drink. Lowery can tell us when Elise comes back."

Owen looked down when his radio crackled, and Lowery indignantly exclaimed, "Why am I her babysitter?! I've never even met her!"

Owen snorted as the paddock door slid shut, and he retorted, "Because I said so, and you can come meet her anytime. She'll recognize your voice."

Claire smiled when Lowery paused before saying, " _Nah…_ I'm fine where I'm at…"

"That's exactly what I thought."

"Why do you always gotta have the last say, Owen?"

"Because."

Owen only beamed when Lowery gave an exasperated sigh before going quiet. He bumped into Claire playfully as he said, "You know, I think I have a good idea with the raptors. We can make them part of the park too…"

Claire let out a sigh of relief, and said, "Oh, good, I needed to tell the board something about them. What were you thinking?"

"Raptor Races."

* * *

Elise let out a happy croon as she strolled along the tall fence. She had broken from the tall, thick jungle, and was ecstatic to see a wide plain all for herself. There was a small pond with clear, cool water to drink from, and Elise had seen small, grey animals that hopped on the floating pads.

She had decided to stay close to the fence before venturing into the center of her territory. She didn't want to get lost. Elise would occasionally stop to peer through the fence, and she wondered if there was another dinosaur who lived there. She was tempted to try and push down the fence, but she had watched a small creature she had never seen before try to squeeze by the harmless looking cables.

It practically exploded before being flung back. Elise didn't want that to happen to her, so she didn't touch the cables.

She came to the base of a hill, and she decided to glance through the fence again. She couldn't see anyone else, and she curiously stared at the flashing lights at the top of the metal fence. She assumed that meant the cables would still explode whatever was dumb enough to touch them.

A crackling startled Elise, and she snapped her gaze towards a bird sitting almost too innocently on a small, metal perch of the steel pole. Elise bared her teeth at it before giving a firm growl that usually sent other birds away.

Elise knew this wasn't a bird when it didn't flinch.

She narrowed her crimson eyes when it crackled again, but tilted her head when the familiar voice dryly said, "Ya…that's not gonna make the bird fly, okay?"

Elise knew that voice; it was the guy who always talked on the little box Owen carried around. He wanted to name her America. Elise shifted on her feet, and Lowery cleared his throat before annunciating his words like he was talking to a child.

"Do not fear. I am a friend. _Friend._ Owen asked me to keep an eye on you, so don't pull anything on my watch. Got it?"

Elise let out a loud breath; she would not be taking orders from a talking bird. Owen should have picked a better caretaker. She made to move away, and Lowery suddenly boomed, "Fear my voice! I am everywhere! You cannot do anything here without my knowing!"

Elise dryly stared at the arrogant bird before she began to dig her claws into the hard dirt. She made a pile of the clumpy, dry dirt, and Lowery asked, "What are you doing?"

He made a confused sound when Elise suddenly let saliva dribble into the dirt as she worked it into mud. She wouldn't need very much, and Lowery asked, "Are you making a mud pie? Elise?"

The Indominus scooped the wet mud into her large palm before walking over to the crackling bird. She wasn't sure what would happen if she touched it, so she simply threw the mud at the creature. It was silent for a few seconds before Lowery whined, "Elise! Come on! That's not fair…"

Elise gave a proud croon as she began to walk away. She only flicked her tail when Lowery thundered, "Get back here young lady! You better come clean that camera off! Don't make me get Owen! I'll do it! Elise? Elise!"

The light feeling filled Elise's stomach when she heard laughter over the Lowery's stern scolding. She made her own, sucked in laugh, and her lip pulled up into a fierce smile as she continued up the hill.

She paused at the top as she surveyed all what was now hers. She memorized all the details so she could tell Small One tonight. She could see the sparkling pond in the distance, and the thick line of trees where she would most likely make her nest. Elise wondered where the people would be able to see her. A light breeze caressed her scales gently; how she missed the wind when she first met it after escaping the paddock. No wind ever came into her confining cage, but now she could feel the wind, and so could Small One.

A feeling of happiness made her chest swell.

She did it. She had gotten away from the tall walls. She had found a pack who would take care of her, and she had even brought Small One with her. They had a home now.

A safe home with caring Alphas, and gentle friends.

Elise couldn't stop the loud, joyous roar from spilling over her wide jaws. It was a long, shrill sound that always made animals run on terror. She was proud of her roar. Only Blue and Owen had stood defiantly against her cry for Death's presence.

She gave a satisfied snort when she saw a flock of birds fleeing their perches. Now she could chase birds. Elise made to continue her patrol, but paused mid-step when a furious roar thundered from across the tall fence.

She had never heard another roar as ferociously as her. Elise turned her gaze towards the fence, and she contemplated before giving a loud roar. It was neither antagonizing nor threatening. It merely meant 'I'm here.'

She cocked her head, and waited for a few seconds. She grew excited when the replying roar turned less angry. It was still stern and commanding, but it had a touch of curiosity to it now. Elise wasn't challenging, and she wasn't trespassing. The roar demanded she give her location, and Elise gave another 'I'm here' roar.

Elise attentively ran her gaze across the thick line of trees on the other side of the fence. She slowly descended her hill to get a closer look, and she paused when the other's roar was much closer than before. It sounded so loud and commanding. She wondered who this was.

Through the fence, Elise could see trees suddenly shudder as they were pushed aside, and birds gave panicked squawks when they scrambled into the air. Heavy footsteps made the earth shudder, and gleaming gold eyes burned dangerously from behind the camouflaging, emerald leaves. She wasn't hiding though, and confidently parted from the thick jungle when she caught sight of the white Indominus.

Elise froze when she saw how huge this dinosaur was. Never had she been in awe of another, but there was an old grace that demanded her attention. Sharp, ivory daggers lined a powerful jaw, and white, jagged scars traced down a thick, muscled neck. A massive chest swelled impressively with each, growling breath, and large, clawed feet made clear prints where each step was taken.

Elise actually felt little.

She was just a fraction shorter than this creature, but it was a big enough difference for Elise.

A stern, suspicious snort puffed from large nostrils, and Elise gave a quiet, curious croon. She wanted to know this creature; she wanted to be around another who was her size. Even if there was a fence in between them, Elise wanted to know more.

Golden eyes looked her over for a few seconds, pausing at the sharp teeth and large claws, before she gave a low grumble. Elise understood that rumble! This one wanted to know why she was here. Elise wondered if she shared blood similar to this dinosaur if she could understand her.

It would explain why Elise was so big, and not the same size as the raptors.

Elise gave a low rumble that sounded like this creature. The golden eyes flickered with confusion at hearing her own tongue, but Elise assured that she was not a threat. She did not wish to anger this one.

Elise actually couldn't stop herself from shifting from one foot to the other eagerly as she purposefully kept her head lower than the other's. There was something about her that told Elise not to question her dominance, and Elise suddenly paused.

This had to be Rexy!

She was the top Alpha of this place. There was no questioning her power, and the raw authority that seeped from her forest scales. Rexy looked old, but Elise wondered if she could actually beat her in a fight. The white scars told of difficult battles, but Rexy had clearly been the victor.

Elise didn't think Rexy was one to back down from a fight. It was do or die for this creature.

The white Indominus couldn't stop an excited croon, and she bounced around almost childishly. She hadn't bounced around since playing with Small One so long ago.

Rexy looked her over curiously, and the dangerous fire mellowed into a slightly amused, wary flame. Elise scooted closer to the fence, and felt her chest vibrate in a curious, friendly growl. She waited eagerly as Rexy shifted slightly, graceful tail giving gentle whips behind her, before the deep rumble was made.

Elise wanted to know if there were more of large creatures like them, but both dinosaurs flinched when a sharp crackle was made. Elise heard Lowery give a short curse, and her eyes fell on another stupid bird. She made to simply bite the bird, but paused when Lowery quickly said, "Elise, I need you to get out of there. You need to head back to where Owen left you, okay? Like, right now."

Elise tilted her head; he wasn't angry, but concerned. Rexy gave a dangerous snarl as she glared at the rude interruption. Elise didn't want to leave, and she shifted a little closer to Rexy. Lowery almost sounded desperate when he added, "Please, Elise. I know you're tough, but I don't want you getting into a fight. Get going now!"

Elise was confused; Rexy wasn't angry with her, and neither were in the mood to bite the cables to get to one another. Elise didn't think Lowery would tell her to leave without a good reason though, and she jumped when Rexy gave a thunderous roar.

Elise turned her head when she heard the challenging, bellowing response, and froze at the furious looking creature. This one was big; she wasn't as tall as Elise, but the muscle was imposing. She looked much more dangerous than the hard-shelled ones Elise had met in the dark forest. The two large, sharp horns waved threateningly when the crested head was tossed. Elise wasn't sure what to make of the blood flushing the crest a threatening color, and she didn't like how angry this creature was.

Elise didn't know what she had done wrong, but she didn't like how the herbivore was pawing the ground before charging. The head lowered in order to spear Elise, and the Indominus only gave a fierce, shrill roar.

* * *

Owen smiled as he listened to Claire excitedly talk about how they would set up the Raptor Race. He loved the energy around her, and those blue eyes practically sparkled. Claire had actually enjoyed the Pig Run a little more than her nephews, and she wanted to do something similar to that.

Claire had even drank some tequila, and Owen was proud of her for that.

"I think we should add some obstacles in the race course; maybe we should switch it around to keep the raptors on their toes."

Owen nodded in agreement, and he opened his mouth to reply, but was cut off by Vivian's voice breaking through Claire's watch.

"Claire! We have a breach in Paddock Eleven! The Triceratops broke through the fence!"

Owen paled, but Claire remained cool as she immediately replied, "I want ACU over there right now, and tell Lowery to bring Elise back to the entrance."

Vivian's voice cut out momentarily as other, panicked voices drowned her out before she said, "Elise is cornered! She's fighting the Triceratops, and Paddock Nine Asset is trying to break through the electric fence!"

Owen saw his own fear mirrored in Claire's eyes, and they both stood when Vivian said, "It's the old Alpha Triceratops! She's trying to ram Elise into the electric fence!"

Owen bolted when he heard Elise's furious roar through Control's cameras. He had no idea if he could even do anything, but he was sure of one thing.

Owen certainly wouldn't be standing around like an idiot if Elise died.


	14. Chapter 14

"A Lesson in Fighting."

Elise's roar had only temporarily stopped the Triceratops. The massive dinosaur had stumbled slightly in her step, but she gave a defiant bellow before charging even faster. Elise didn't know what to do, and she had charged with gaping jaws to attempt to sink her teeth into the scaled flesh.

She hadn't realized that's what the Triceratops had wanted, and Elise gave a furious shriek when the sharp horn had made a deep cut in her leg when it clipped it. She didn't like seeing her white scales turn crimson, and she stumbled to the side when her opponent had given a fierce toss of her head.

Rexy suddenly gave a deafening roar that distracted the Triceratops, and Elise took her opportunity to ram her head into the muscled side; it had worked with the hard-shelled one.

But it didn't work this time.

The Triceratops only darted back before giving another dangerous swing of her strong horns. Elise roared furiously when she lost her footing as the horns struck her, and the air whooshed from her lungs when she landed hard on her side. Elise quickly pushed herself onto all fours, and snarled angrily as her scales shivered before turning their insidious crimson.

Elise gave another loud, shrill roar, and the Triceratops shook her head to clear her ringing ears. It didn't stop her from making another charge; she knew Elise was inexperienced in fighting large adults like her, but Elise was a quick learner. She made sure to be wary of the large spears, and angled herself in a way that her soft underbelly would avoid damage. She bit the crest as hard as she could while clawing around the Triceratops' face.

Her opponent gave a pained bellow before suddenly pulling back. Elise hadn't expected that, and she slipped forward before the hard skull collided with her own. Elise saw a flash of white as her head snapped back, and she stumbled onto her side.

A panic began to creep in her stomach when she couldn't get her back legs to push her up with her forelimbs. A scared whine slipped from her throat, and Elise gave a startled yelp when one horn suddenly thrust under her arm while her other was pinned to her side as the Triceratops wedged her in between her horns.

Elise didn't like the sharp nose digging inter her belly, and she struggled to get her footing when the Triceratops began to push forward. She was ignoring the furious Rexy, and Elise began to panic when she glanced behind her to see the buzzing cables creeping closer.

* * *

Lowery was pulling his hair out as he helplessly watched Elise desperately fight against the massive Alpha. The electric fence wouldn't kill her if she gave it a quick touch, but being pushed into it would be fatal.

Rexy was furiously pacing the fence as she gave thunderous roars that would overwhelm the audio on the cameras. The old Tyrannosaurus already had burns on her mouth from biting the cables; she knew how to get through the fence, but she couldn't bite through them.

Lowery jumped when Vivian suddenly yelled, "ACU! Get moving right now! Paddock Eleven Asset is being attacked by the Alpha! Mile Marker Three! Get there before Asset Nine breaks through the fence!"

They all stared at the bottom corner screen when the Commander desperately exclaimed, "The new Alpha took out Vehicle Two! It's down! Primary Vehicle isn't functioning properly! I don't understand this, we had this thing inspected this morning! ACU is on foot!"

Lowery licked his lips nervously when Elise gave a terrified shriek as she slipped closer to the fence. A flash of silver on the screen caught his attention, and Lowery saw Owen tearing along the fence on his bike. There was no way Owen would get there in time to do anything, and Lowery jumped again when Claire snarled on the mic, "Someone do something! Lowery, help Rexy take care of it!"

Vivian paled as the two shared a look. Lowery knew Claire was crazy, but she was also the crazy _boss_. He didn't want to watch Elise die either. Lowery immediately dove onto his computer as the screens popped up and down while he zoomed through the security.

Why were there so many protocols he had to go through before shutting down a section of fence?

Lowery could actually feel the sweat building on his forehead before giving a half crazed sigh of relief when he pressed the Shut Down button. He could hear Claire yelling at Vivian, but he turned his attention to the screen when he heard the first cable give a clean snap.

* * *

Owen gritted his teeth when his tires landed hard in the dirt, and could hear the furious roars echoing over the hill. He hadn't realized how far Elise had managed to travel in such a short time. He hadn't realized _this_ was Paddock Eleven. He would have gone with Elise if he had known.

Owen knew the Triceratops could be aggressive, but there was absolutely no need for this. It took a lot to break through the fence. There was no way that animal had simply 'run' through it without a good reason. This wasn't the first time the Triceratops herd fought for dominance, and Owen had never heard of one of them going on a lone stampede.

The radio on his hip crackled, and Owen only slowed down when he heard Claire yelling on it. Owen held the radio to his ear as he yelled, "What?!"

He hated the reception out here, and Owen had no idea why Jurassic World didn't improve it, but Claire suddenly yelled, "Don't go over there! Rexy will take care of it!"

"Rexy can't break through that fence, Cla-"

Owen yelped, and skidded to a halt when a cable gave a loud whip. He watched with wide eyes as, one by one, the cables shuddered before whipping backwards with echoing, springing sounds. The fence slowly went limp, and Owen nearly leapt out of his skin when the deafening thunder roared furiously.

* * *

Elise shrieked in pain when the Triceratops crushed her against the sturdy pole, but she didn't understand why she hadn't exploded. She could feel the hot cables pressing against her back. Maybe they knew she didn't want to touch the cables, and chose not to explode her.

The Triceratops paid no mind to the snapping cables, but she did flinch back when Rexy gave a livid roar. Elise took her opportunity, and snagged her foot against the face of the Triceratops before giving a hard push. Her arm gave a painful twinge when the horn slid past it, and Elise landed harder than she meant to on the ground.

There was too much going on. Her head was spinning, and she couldn't get her bearings about her. Her crimson eyes slid to the side of her when she heard Rexy give a furious roar, and the earth shuddered under a powerful step. The Triceratops bellowed defiantly before they charged at each other.

Rexy was experienced; she knew how to fight Triceratops. She had fought enough to know how to beat one with a simple trick.

The old Tyrannosaurus snapped her jaws onto the ivory horn before she began to whip her head back and forth. She knew if the horns broke, the animal would go away or become defenseless. Either way she would be the victor.

The Triceratops suddenly flung her head up, and Rexy let go of the horn before bashing her hard skull into the well-muscled, sturdy shoulder. She remembered crippling a smaller Triceratops by doing the same thing.

The Triceratops didn't cripple this time, but she did bellow in pain. Rexy knew the trick was to be relentless, and she took the opportunity to charge at the startled animal once more. Sharp teeth sank into the horn before Rexy gave a sharp twist of her head.

She heard the satisfying crunch before pulling back as she spat out the horn. The Triceratops screeched in pain as the blood squirted from the remains of her broken spear in a small, crimson fountain. She continued to back up as she shook her head, and Rexy gave a final warning roar.

The Triceratops, once again, took the opportunity to run from a lost fight. She held her head at an odd angle while it continued to bleed. She would go back the way she came, and find safety in the herd.

Rexy gave a satisfied snort at seeing the dinosaur run, and she turned her large head when the white one let out a shaky breath. The smell of trauma, and blood was strong, but Rexy knew what to do.

* * *

Owen slid to a stop before diving onto his stomach at the sight of the massive Tyrannosaurus. He had left his bike at the base of the hill for fear of it being too loud. She hadn't seen him, and he slowly buried himself into thick brush as he watched the Triceratops stampede back from where she came.

He turned his gaze back to his fallen baby, and his heart hurt at the sight of her bleeding leg. It wasn't gushing, but it would need stitches as soon as possible.

Rexy suddenly turned her attention back to Elise, and Owen held his breath. He didn't like how close those powerful jaws were to the white neck, and he contemplated grabbing Rexy's attention. He didn't know this dinosaur, and he didn't know if she was an opportunistic killer; maybe she wanted to expand her territory.

Owen almost jumped when a hushed voice on his radio asked, "Owen? Owen, you there?"

Rexy hadn't heard anything, and the wind was blowing towards him. Owen watched her dangerous jaws moved towards Elise's head, and he quietly asked, "Who is this?"

Owen didn't recognize the voice, but he answered, "Tim Murphy. I'm Rexy's caretaker. Listen, I can see you right there, don't try to grab her attention. She's not going to hurt your girl, okay?"

"How do you know?"

Owen thought he heard Tim give a smile as he said, "She would have already done it, and Elise has enough Tyrannosaurus in her. They're social animals; families hunt together."

Owen grimaced when Elise gave a small shiver before he said, "But Elise isn't family."

Rexy suddenly opened her jaws, and a large pink tongue gently ran up Elise's forehead. Owen blinked as he watched the old dinosaur run her tongue along Elise's face in a gentle, soothing manner, and Tim proudly said, "It's not the first time Rexy has adopted. Elise is now the fourth kid."

Owen had to admit it was a bizarre sight to see such a terrifying creature be so gentle and calming. Elise relaxed her head onto the ground as her eyes slid shut. She still shivered, and was breathing a little too hard for Owen's liking. Rexy only continued to swipe her tongue along the white scales, and Owen asked, "Fourth? I thought she was the only Tyrannosaurus here…"

Rexy moved a little closer as she moved along Elise's head before gently nudging a cut arm. Elise made no move, and the old dinosaur softly groomed the arm. Owen was reminded of a mother kissing her child's cut better. Tim seemed to shrug before answering, "Well, my grandpa had two Tyrannosauruses when he first started the park. He had Rexy and a younger male we called Jr. Rexy was already full grown when Jr. was hatched, and she took him in. He wasn't the brightest bulb; ended up drowning in our lake. I don't know how, they can swim, but Jr. sank apparently."

Rexy gently nudged Elise's jaw, and the white dinosaur made a small sound. Owen could only watch, but he asked, "What about the other two?"

"Oh. That's Claire and me."

" _Claire?"_

Owen winced at his own, loud tone, and he pressed himself closer to the ground. He was afraid to even peek between the thick grass. He heard Rexy pause from her grooming, and he swore that burning gaze would set his hiding spot on fire. She finally gave a satisfied snort before resuming with Elise.

Tim gave a quiet chuckle through the radio, and he said, "Claire has known Rexy almost as long as I have. You know she visits her every night, right?"

Owen only shook his head as he bravely peeked through the thick grass. Rexy had moved to the injured leg, and she was gently inspecting it. Owen jumped when Rexy suddenly gave a sharp nip at Elise's hips. The white dinosaur snapped her head up as she flinched away from the teeth, and Tim quietly added, "She's a tough mama though. A really good mama, but she likes tough kids. Good news is Rexy thinks Elise is in good enough shape to walk."

Owen heard Rexy give a stern growl before giving another firm nip at Elise's hips. Elise didn't look happy about it; she would have rather rested until help came, but another growl from Rexy forced her up. Elise wobbled slightly, and was hesitant about putting weight on her leg. She warily watched Rexy inspect the wound, but relaxed when the pink tongue began to clean that.

Owen couldn't help asking, "Why did she bite her?"

Rexy suddenly raised her head when they heard the Triceratops give a furious bellow that echoed across large plain. Elise couldn't suppress her shiver, and she tucked her head underneath Rexy's small arms as she tried to bury herself in the large chest. Owen swore he saw amusement smoldering in those gold eyes, but the old mother gave gentle, light scratches along the scaled neck. Rexy kept a watchful gaze on where the Triceratops was heard while Tim answered, "Well, I remember a smart man once saying we couldn't just zap sixty-five million years of gut instinct out of them. What do you think happened to the hatchlings who wouldn't get up?"

"…I guess they died."

"Pretty much. Rexy doesn't want Elise to die, so her butt has to get up."

Owen nodded in agreement, and he relaxed at seeing Elise cuddled underneath Rexy. He had never pictured Rexy as motherly until now, and he was glad he wouldn't have to be concerned about the two not getting along. Owen glanced down at his radio when Tim suggested, "I say leave the two be until feeding time. I'll put some light sedatives in Rexy's food, and then we can get a look at Elise."

"…Light?"

Tim quietly snorted before he said, "Mama is an old lady who is in bed by nine every night. She don't fight sleep. C'mon, it sounds like ACU is about to get their asses ripped, and so is the Triceratops Handler."

Owen silently nodded, and he quietly pushed himself backwards while Rexy was still comforting her newest daughter.

* * *

Elise relished the comforting, deep rumbles that vibrated her bones. It soothed the pain in her leg, and she felt less afraid. The protective presence was something she had never felt before.

She knew Owen was protective, but Owen was little; Owen could get overwhelmed without the pack. Rexy was not little; she had power, and could chase away anything she fought. Rexy could fight alone; she didn't need to depend on a pack.

Elise was somewhat sad when Rexy pulled back, and she watched the carnivore step back over the ruined cables. Elise wasn't sure what to do; she wanted to stay with Rexy until Owen showed up, but she didn't dare cross that line.

Rexy paused, and glanced back at Elise before giving a stern snort. Elise crooned happily; she understood the order to follow. Elise gave a final look over at her paddock; she was sure Claire wanted them separated for a reason, but Elise didn't want to run into the Triceratops again.

She winced at the sharp pain in her leg, but Rexy only slowed down a little. If Elise couldn't keep up, then she would be left behind, and Elise did not want to get left behind. Rexy was a comfort, and something Elise never knew she had been missing.

A mother.

Elise was vaguely aware she should have had someone there to look after her and Small One, but the role had fallen to her when no one had taken the job. She was bigger and stronger, so she was the caregiver.

But Rexy was bigger, and she knew how the world worked. Elise would remember to go after the horns if she ever fought one of those dinosaurs again. Elise wondered what other dinosaurs Rexy had fought.

Had Rexy fought humans before?

Elise picked up her pace as she limped after the older Tyrannosaurus. Rexy cocked a golden eye at her, but seemed pleased with her eagerness to keep up.

Rexy was less pleased with Elise's lack of experience with animals her size. It made it irritating to walk through the thick jungle. Elise wanted to lag behind for fear of accidently stepping on Rexy, but Rexy instinctually knew that the white nose should have been right on her tail.

Rexy wasn't the most patient creature, but she was willing to work with an eager youngling. The Tyrannosaurus was smart enough to realize Elise wasn't exactly like her, but there had been an abundance of food with the presence of humans. If the humans stayed, then food would be plenty. Afternoon naps were part of her set routine of consistent meals, some attentive patrolling, and then goat eating.

It was time to factor in a hatchling.

But there were no males for that.

Rexy had been content to give stern guidance to the tall, human male who would show her where the goats were. Her eyesight had never been that great. He was quick and smart; Rexy liked that. She kept him on his toes when he thought she wasn't aware of his presence in her paddock. Sometimes she would chase him; he needed to learn to be quick on his feet since he wasn't big enough to fight.

She would never bite him, but he didn't know that.

Rexy also liked the red haired human who consistently came by each night a few hours before it was time to sleep. Rexy still wasn't quite sure why she always showed up, but she seemed to want company. The white clothes reminded Rexy of another human she had been fond of; he used to come by every night, but then he stopped.

Rexy didn't like that disturbance in her routine, and the red haired one filled that void. So, Rexy liked her.

But now, Rexy had a youngling who could be shown how to survive in the world. She was a good fighter; she only lacked experience. Rexy would occasionally eye the white scales on her newest youngling. She stuck out worse than bleeding prey screaming in pain.

But she was quick in mind and snapping of teeth. She looked like she would grow even bigger than what she already was. Rexy had, at first, mistook this one for an odd looking, and full grow, Tyrannosaurus. However, the lack of experience screamed youngling to Rexy. She bounced around with the energy of a child, and Rexy could smell the alone on her.

Rexy had no idea how such a brightly colored dinosaur survived infancy when she obviously had no parent to care for her. Rexy suspected this one had tried to live with others; she smelled like a human. Perhaps he had been a caretaker for her.

Rexy glanced behind her, and was pleased to see the youngling had finally learned to walk a little closer to her. The two, massive creatures broke into a hidden clearing, and Elise tilted her head at the massive nest. The walls would be very tall to Owen, but a comfortable height to herself.

She watched Rexy step into the nest before circling around few times as she routinely checked to make sure nothing had disturbed her bed. The humans only had to be told once that she didn't appreciate their nosiness.

Rexy gracefully lowered herself before stretching onto her side. She liked how this nest was made because she could lean on the wall. She could stretch out, but she wouldn't have to put a bunch of effort into getting back up again.

Rexy glanced up to see Elise carefully observing everything around her. She held her leg gingerly, but she wanted to memorize every detail. Rexy liked that; she liked an observant youngling, and she gave a gentle rumble. Elise snapped her crimson eye at the old dinosaur, and Rexy called her over into the nest.

Elise couldn't remember the last time she had actually shared a nest with someone; it had to have been before Small One had died.

Elise limped over to the nest, and remained careful as she stepped over the sturdy walls. She was sure it wouldn't do anything if she accidently hit it, but she didn't want to risk offending Rexy. Elise slowly lowered herself, and curled her lip at the pain in her leg, but she loved how comfortable this nest actually was. She sank deeper into the nest, and curled up tightly with her nose under her tail. Elise briefly cracked open a tired eye when Rexy inspected her again, but the Tyrannosaurus only scooted a little closer before curling her tail over Elise.

The jungle was pleasantly quiet, and the strong sound of Rexy's massive heart lured Elise into a deep sleep. She hoped Owen wouldn't be mad at her for going over here, but Elise felt safe around Rexy.

Elise couldn't wait to tell Small One that she had finally found a mother.


	15. Chapter 15

"A Problem."

Owen was surprised to see Claire waiting for him by the entrance of the gate along with a tall, dirty blonde man who looked close to his age. The man was a simple jeans, t-shirt, and good ball cap kind of guy; Owen could always get along with those types. He gave a friendly grin as he extended his hand over to Owen, and said, "I was afraid I'd get stuck with a boring neighbor. Good to know you aren't afraid to dive into the paddock."

Owen snorted as he gave a firm handshake, and said, "Thanks for making sure I didn't get munched by Rexy. I know she doesn't take kindly to disturbances in her routine."

Tim waved a hand as he replied, "Ah, Mama doesn't mind a good fight. She just gets tired of hearing the stupid speakers after eight in the evening."

Owen snorted, but turned to Claire as he quietly said, "Elise is with Rexy, I saw her go into Rexy's paddock."

Claire gave a curt nod as she began to walk to her car, and said, "Rexy will keep an eye on her; she'll be fine. We can have Dr. Gerry look at her later, but I want both of you to meet me with the Triceratops Handler."

The two nodded, and Owen swung onto his bike while Tim jumped onto an ATV. Claire gave him an odd look before asking, "You don't want to ride in the air conditioned car?"

Tim gave a sheepish grin as he answered, "I'm not a real fan of cars with sun roofs on them."

Claire blinked, but she shrugged as she got into her car and lead the way down the road. Owen and Tim began to play chicken with one another along the way, and Owen found it hilarious.

* * *

They found the Triceratops Handler, and ACU, by the heavily sedated Triceratops. Her horn was still bleeding, and Owen could see Dr. Gerry's pickup bouncing along the dirt road as he made his way over. Owen glanced at the flustered handler who was biting his lip nervously, and the Commander wasn't doing any better as he was angrily kicking the tire of his idle vehicle.

The group stiffened when a displeased Claire silently stepped from her car, and Tim gave Owen an 'Oh shit' look. Owen couldn't help mirroring the look, but both stood next to Claire as she quietly said, "I want to know exactly what happened. How did a Triceratops break into Paddock Eleven?"

The Commander pulled himself from his armored truck as he growled, "The gate was wide open. She never broke through it. I want to know who left the gate open."

The dark haired man glowered at Owen, and he immediately snapped, "I checked those grates before we put Elise in here. That gate was shut tight, so don't pin it on me. At least I can keep my vehicle functioning."

"It was fine this morning! We have our mechanic inspect it every morning and night."

Claire kept her face straight as she calmly said, "Then have him double check it tonight, and if he missed something, then he gets to have his ass chewed by me. I want to know how you let your guard down enough to get rammed by a Triceratops; they don't run fast."

The Commander curled his lip as he pointed the finger at the Handler, and snapped, "He said they would leave our vehicles alone so long as we maintained a distance from the calves. They're used to the gyrospheres, but that new Alpha went out of her way to destroy the armored car. We didn't even see any calves!"

The sandy haired handler snapped his gaze from his Triceratops, and he immediately retorted, "That's because that Triceratops isn't part of the herd! I have no idea who that animal is, and I have never seen her in my life!"

Owen blinked before carefully asking, "So, she just showed up out of nowhere?"

The handler caught the dry tone, and he snapped, "Every Triceratops is photographed and named. I have twenty-two Triceratops, calves and elders including, I have never seen this one before. Lady Margaret is the Matriarch; she knows everyone in her herd, right down to the handlers, and she doesn't know this one. This new Alpha is a stranger Triceratops."

Owen frowned, but he didn't question the guy. He knew Jurassic World hired top handlers who were in touch with their animals. He didn't doubt this man knew all the Triceratops by name, and he even looked like he took cues from the top leaders of the herd to get a feel on what was going on.

If the handler didn't recognize this Triceratops, then Owen believed him.

Claire glanced down at the sedated animal, and she asked, "This is the old Alpha?"

The man nodded before he sternly said, "I don't want that new Alpha in the paddock when we reopen. If she'll go after a car that's not even close to the herd, what do you think she'll do to gyrospheres that go right through the herd? I won't be responsible for that Triceratops, Miss Claire."

Owen was glad he wasn't in Claire's position right now because even he wouldn't know what to do. He wouldn't know what to make of a random dinosaur suddenly popping up out of nowhere. Owen walked to the front of the drugged Triceratops and winced at the busted horn. She had to have a hell of a headache, and he quietly asked, "Is she going to be fine?"

Her handler sighed as he looked at her, and Owen saw the fondness in his eyes, before he answered, "It's not the first time a horn has been busted."

"First time by a Tyrannosaurus?"

The sand haired man shook his head with another sigh before saying, "No, Rexy got ahold of Lady Margaret's left horn after the park went down almost twenty years ago. Dr. Gerry almost got smooshed when he got caught up in that fight."

Somehow, Owen could picture Gerry being in the middle of that fight. Yet, he couldn't see Gerry running. The old vet had always had one, steady pace that he liked to work at. He wouldn't be rushed no matter what, and Owen admired him for that.

The Triceratops handler looked up when Claire asked, "Is there any way that new Alpha could have somehow slipped by you?"

He immediately shook his head, and answered, "No, we always keep track of them, and we tag them. I have never seen her before."

"She could have slipped by you."

The man finally, but reluctantly, nodded at the firm tone as he said, "But not Lady Margaret. She would have seen her, and she doesn't act like she knows this one. Lady Margaret likes to graze on the hill when things are fine, but whenever we introduce a youngling, she always hovers around them."

Owen agreed with that, the herd would know her even if the handlers didn't.

He looked up when the white pickup slowed to a dusty halt, and old Dr. Gerry slid out of his truck. He blinked at the Triceratops before saying, "So little Bakhita met Rexy. I doubt she was protecting a calf though."

Gerry gave a glance at her handler before he added, "I told you she was a sore loser, Rick. She lost, and decided to go pick on Elise. Too bad for her that Rexy decided to adopt Elise. I think Rexy is one of the best mothers I've ever seen."

Rick silently agreed with the vet, and Gerry turned to Owen and Tim before saying, "Let me guess. Elise needs stitches somewhere, and Rexy taking Bakhita's horn off means she probably has burns on her mouth from biting through the electric cables."

"She needs stitches on her thigh."

"The burns don't look too bad; Control shut the fence off before she finished biting through it."

Gerry snorted before he kneeled next to the dinosaur, and he began to gently inspect the bleeding horn. He narrowed his eyes in thought before going back to his pickup as he said, "We're probably going to have to cauterize it. Bakhita is going to have a hell of a headache when she wakes up. It's a good thing she was sedated on this side of the fence."

Owen silently agreed with that, and Claire grimaced at the blood still squirting from the broken horn. She swallowed, and turned her gaze back to Rick when she asked, "Is there any way that Triceratops somehow wandered away from the herd, and then came back? The Indominus broke through several fences."

Rick shook his head before saying, "That Triceratops is _huge,_ there's no way she could have survived for so long in the jungle. And Lady Margaret would have remembered her; these animals are a lot like elephants. They don't forget."

Now Claire was starting to get flustered; she had thought these population kinks had been worked out. It didn't look good when a Triceratops showed up out of nowhere, and she didn't want to risk her guests getting attacked. Claire wasn't comforted when Rick added, "What I'm saying is that Triceratops has never been part of this herd."

Owen startled when he heard a hissing, and winced at the smoke coming from the bleeding horn when Gerry had pressed the hot iron against it. Rick looked like he had seen it plenty of times though, and easily held the iron as Gerry inspected his work. As usual, Gerry had done his job right the first time, and he took the iron back as he said, "Good as new. Now maybe she'll quit with all the fighting, and I can stop carryin' this thing around."

Rick snorted as he gave his girl a gentle pat on her horned nose. Owen wasn't sure how he felt about the Triceratops, and he was startled by Gerry suddenly laughing. Owen blinked at him, and the old vet said, "I've noticed three, distinct groups between all the handlers. There's the ones who take care of the carnivores; they're kind of loners, smart, and a bit of energy junkies. The ones who take care of herbivores are social, and they like to get into their herds."

The vet shut the tailgate of his pickup, and he sighed, "Then there's the petting zoo group…"

Owen raised an eyebrow when the vet didn't finish, and Tim burst out laughing. Even Rick snorted from his corner, and Owen said, "I don't get the joke."

Rick took a clean cloth from Gerry, and began to wipe the blood off as he said, "I forgot; you're the one handler who doesn't have his animals as attractions. Since your Indominus is going to be one, you're going to meet all the others. The petting zoo people…well, you ever been to Disney World?"

Owen raised his eyebrow higher, and Tim laughed as he said, "They're kind of like the ones who dress up like the characters. They're the ones who dress in the safari outfits, and really get into cheesy character. They don't stop when the guests leave, and it's almost weird how they carry pictures of their dinosaurs in their wallets. I know we get attached to our animals, but they take it to a whole new level."

Rick looked up from his animal as he said, "Let it be known that no herbivore caregiver actually dresses in that stuff."

"Or carnivore, so don't even think about it, Owen."

Owen rolled his eyes as he leaned on the hood of Claire's car. He still wanted to know how the gate to Elise's paddock had been opened, and where the Triceratops had come from. He shared a glance with Claire, and she seemed to be thinking the same thing.

Owen was pulled from his thoughts when the radio in Gerry's car went off. The vet gave a sigh as he strolled over before pulling it out, and saying, "I'm here, what's the problem?"

Rick looked up when he recognized the voice saying, "T-The Alpha Triceratops just died! I have no idea what happened. She was fine, and then she started to have a seizure! There wasn't anything I could do, and none of the herd will even go near her! I think she had something!"

Owen caught the flash of fear in Gerry's eyes, and he was thinking the same thing as the vet.

Diseases always spread incredibly quick in dinosaurs.

* * *

Owen had never really traveled far from his raptor paddock. All he really did was venture from his home to his paddock, and occasionally to civilization for a good steak. This was his second time in the plains where the herbivore herd grazed peacefully as the gyrospheres would weave through them.

The first time wasn't all that positive. He didn't consider holding a dying animal in his arms to be something he enjoyed. This second time wasn't much better. Owen admitted it was better to finally see some live herbivores, but he was confused by how they had made a large arch away from the massive, dead Triceratops sprawled in the grass.

Even from far away, Owen could see the torn grass from where she had violently kicked the grass in her last moments. He wasn't sure he wanted to get very close to the body either. Just the way the animals went out of their way to avoid being close to it gave Owen the shivers.

He had learned to watch animals for things he wouldn't be aware of, and it was clear the animals were very aware of something wrong.

He had even backed his bike up a little further away than the parked vehicles, and he let the old vet walk over to the massive body. Gerry raised an eyebrow as he gave it a look over, and Rick stood next to him. Neither Claire nor Tim seemed all that eager to get near the body either.

Owen leaned on his handlebars as he called out, "What're you seeing, Doc?"

Gerry frowned deeply as he looked the body over before glancing at the herd. He scanned the nervous Triceratopses over, and replied, "An animal with unique markings. The herd usually shares similar patterns, but this one isn't even close…"

Owen raised an eyebrow, and he said, "The girls don't look the same."

"Your kiddos were made from scratch in the lab, Owen. We can flush the Triceratops for eggs before we make them into…eggs. These are all related."

Claire frowned, and narrowed her eyes when some crimson caught her attention. She gestured to it, and said, "Where did she get those scratches? She looks like she was attacked."

Gerry poked his head up, and walked around the fallen animal until he was staring at the well-muscled neck. Owen looked up from his boot when Gerry called him over in a serious tone. Owen blinked, but trotted over, and followed Gerry's gaze.

The Triceratops had slashes on her neck. Deep, but healing gashes from three very sharp claws. Owen trailed his gaze down the Triceratops' back to see more slashes and bite marks decorating the thick hide. Some wounds were starting to look infected, and the dried, white froth around the sick tissue screamed _disease_.

Owen immediately recognized the marks from countless training sessions, and several pink pigs he was never able to save.

"Velociraptors."

Gerry nodded in agreement, and he tugged Owen over to the front of the Triceratops. Owen stared at the white foam slowly oozing from the beaked mouth, and he looked at the sunk in eyes staring dully at nothing. Gerry lowered his voice as he quietly said, "I don't want to assume anything, Owen. I need to do tests first, but this looks a little too familiar."

Owen let out a breath as he whispered, "Prions."

Gerry nodded again as they stared at the dead animal. Owen had seen enough Velociraptors from Isla Sorna die in a violent seizure. They all looked the same. The disturbed earth from uncontrolled kicking, the frothy mouth, the dehydrated, sunk in eyes.

And the wounds from other, infected raptors.

Owen was pulled from his thoughts when Gerry said, "There are only two ways that this Triceratops got prions, _if_ that's what she has. Either she got them from the raptors from Isla Sorna, and somehow made it over here before dying, or she got it from raptors on this island."

Owen paled at the fear in his gut, but he kept his voice steady as he said, "Those girls are fine, Doc. They bite each other all the time."

"They could be carriers, Owen. I need to test them. If they're carrying the prions…"

Gerry trailed off; he didn't want to finish his sentence. He knew it would be a public hazard as well as a safety issue for employees if there were diseased raptors running around. Claire would never allow it, and it would only be a matter of time before an accident happened.

Owen swallowed heavily, but he firmly said, "I know those girls aren't carriers. This trike had to get it from somewhere else. I don't even know if Blue and them came through here."

Gerry sighed as he began to collect samples from the body, and he said, "Well, obviously she hasn't been hanging round here. Maybe your kids met her elsewhere. These wounds are a couple days old, Owen. I'll come by to collect blood samples from them tonight. I want to rule them out, okay?"

Owen nodded, but he didn't like this. He knew his girls weren't infected, right? There was no way they could have somehow contracted the prions. Owen gave a hesitant look at Claire, and she seemed to be sharing his concerns. Tim only shook his head at the massive body as he hopped onto his ATV. He turned it on, and said, "I'm headed back; I want to check on Rexy."

Gerry suddenly froze as he wandered his gaze over to the present herd. He slowly turned his head to Claire, and quietly said, "I might have to test all these animals. Prions aren't spread through just bites…"

Claire stiffened, and Owen paled when he realized that Rexy and Elise might have just contracted the prions. Rexy had bit through Bakhita's horn. She had the Triceratops' blood in her mouth.

And she had cleaned an open wound on Elise.

Owen took a step back towards his motorcycle, and Gerry firmly said, "I want a vile of blood from Elise and Rexy. I'll send a Vet Tech to collect it. Owen, I'm going to go to the Raptor Paddock when I'm done here."

Owen nodded, and Gerry muttered to himself, "What a fucking mess. We might have a disease epidemic on our hands."

The vet turned to Claire, and he quietly said, "I can't let you open the park until all the animals are tested. Prions can spread to people, and I know Mr. Hammond didn't give us a waiver to that in his contracts."

Claire immediately paled, but she gave a firm nod as she went into business mode. Owen turned to Tim when the CEO had whipped out her phone, and he said, "I know how to collect the blood. I'll help you with Rexy."

Tim only nodded, and Owen could tell how upset he was about losing Rexy. Owen didn't even want to think about the possibility of what they were facing.

Practically mad-cow disease on an island of dinosaurs. When one cow was discovered with it; the whole herd had to be slaughtered.

Jurassic World was now faced with the very same problem. By this time next year, Isla Nublar could very well look like Isla Sorna.

Sick, and plagued with the stench of sweet death where the carnivores were carriers of brain destroying diseases. Injured animals would die in huge numbers, and often the corpses would be piled into the near center of the island by the many running rivers. There would be no reopening. No noisy tourists.

And Owen's babies would have to be put down.


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N**

 **Thank you for your reviews! Truly I appreciate every single one of them! No warnings for this one, please enjoy!**

* * *

"Hey, Mama."

Owen carefully peeked over some bushes in the unusually quiet jungle. He really wished Rexy had a tracker in her, but the dinosaur had been too old by the time they were being used in the park. None of the dinosaurs from the first park had a tracker.

And Elise.

Owen still wasn't sure how he was going to tell her that she was going to get another one. He had been putting it off actually, and he hoped some other fool would draw the short stick and have to do it.

Owen knew he was close to the nest, and he trusted Tim to lure Rexy away. It was almost time for her feeding, and Owen had heard the loud footsteps shaking the ground as she passed by. Owen hadn't seen her, but if Rexy worked like clockwork, then it would be her. While Time was busy with Rexy, he would get Elise, and he would get her to a safe area where her leg could be tended to. He could get the vile of blood from her as well, but Owen didn't really want to think about that part.

Owen remained cautious as he stepped over some broken branches on the floor. He wouldn't put it past Rexy to ignore her meal if she suspected something was amiss. Even for an old lady who had lived in captivity for almost forty years, Owen never doubted her sharp, observant nature.

Owen had no idea how Tim had the balls to comfortably walk along here; he had seen a few trails made by the blonde man.

Owen pressed up against a tree as he peeked around the rough bark, and let out a sigh of relief at the sight of the nest. He couldn't see over the tall, dirt wall, but he had a feeling Elise would be comfortably curled up as she waited for 'Mama' to bring back the kill.

Owen looked around one more time before skittering over to the large nest.

* * *

Tim patiently waited from his tall platform. He had given the shrill whistle for Rexy to come get her food, and he had already laced it with medication. It was always funny to Tim how the old lady would give him a dry look each time she somehow smelled it, but she trusted him enough to not do anything stupid while she was sleeping.

Because absolute hell would be raised when she woke up.

Tim never used any heavy medication because Rexy would make it very clear of when she wasn't feeling well, and she would know exactly why. If Rexy had, rarely, caught something, she would be a fraction of a bit more patient. If she felt sick because of _sedatives,_ then she would become the mortifying monster Tim had been terrified of when he first met her.

So, Rexy got light sedatives.

Rexy was fairly mellow considering her nature. She grew quiet, and sometimes gentle, around consistencies in her routine. Tim remembered accidentally locking himself in the paddock one time. His keycard snagged, and broke off before the door slid shut. Tim hadn't memorized the new code yet, and he stood there for a few seconds before a puff of warm air scared the life out of him.

Rexy had stood there in all her rightful glory, and Tim had clenched his butt cheeks. He didn't know what else to do, and he had no other way of unlocking the door. He froze in hopes that Rexy's vision really was based on movement, but that golden fire had already seen him. Her tail had only gently whipped back and forth as she continued to silently judge this disturbance.

It wasn't until a few minutes had passed, that Tim finally realized Rexy was waiting for him to do something. She had recognized him, and she was wondering why he wasn't in his normal spot, tossing a flare to her food. Tim didn't have a flare on him; it had been a Monday, he had forgotten it.

Tim remembered almost pissing himself when the powerful jaws had lowered to his level, and the strong gusts of breath had blown his cap off. Tim had actually seen the small grooves of the massive carnivore's ivories. He had only remained still as she continued to inspect him before she cocked her head to glare at him.

There was actually a lot of stern wisdom in the golden orb. Tim was reminded of the several times his own mother had scolded him for doing something stupid. It had briefly startled him when Rexy had given a fierce snort, and Tim realized she was reprimanding him for being stupid.

She knew he came into her paddock frequently, but she knew she wasn't supposed to see him in her paddock. Tim had messed up, and thus the consistency was messed up. He remembered how she had narrowed her eye in irritation before giving another stern snort. She then raised her massive head, and melted back into the jungle, but Tim understood the very clear message.

'Don't you _ever_ let me catch you doing anything stupid again.'

Tim had taken to calling her Mama after that. She was a good mother who wanted smart, tough kids who would survive in case she wasn't there to save them from their mistakes.

Tim was pulled from his thoughts when he heard the trees shudder as they were pushed aside, and he gave another shrill whistle. The telltale thuds drew closer to his platform, and Tim bent over the rail to peer at the panicking cow. Rexy loved cows, and she was more forgiving of the sleep-inducing drugs when they were on the cow.

Tim glanced up with a smile when the massive carnivore parted from the trees before freezing.

* * *

" _Elise!"_

Owen wasn't even comfortable with talking normally, and he had been hissing the Indominus' name as he slowly drew closer to the nest. Owen paused at the base of the tall nest, and he wondered if he would even be able to climb up it. Maybe if he jumped he would be able to snag his fingers onto the lip of the nest.

Owen frowned at the nest when he didn't hear any movement, and he hissed, "Elise! I need you to wake up!"

Nothing happened, and Owen huffed. He glanced around, looking for signs of Rexy, before he began to quietly back up. If Elise wasn't coming out, then he was going in. He briefly wondered if the Indominus had gone back to her paddock when Rexy left to go get her dinner. Elise knew he would get her better medical help than a simple cleaning.

Owen darted at the nest before giving a high jump. It was a louder sound than he would have preferred, but he just barely snagged his fingers on the lip of the rough mud. Owen grunted as he hoisted himself up until he was able to hold himself up by his elbows.

A shadow rose over Owen, and he snapped his gaze up at the startled rumble. Owen paled when he realized just how much trouble he was in.

Rexy looked just as shocked as he did. It was obvious that no one had touched her nest in a very long time, and Owen bit the inside of his cheek when he slowly slid down the nest. Rexy only rose taller as she continues to peer at him, still flabbergasted by his trespassing, and Owen began to sweat when he realized he had stupidly made marks on the nest wall.

They both snapped their gaze towards the lip of the nest when a small crumble of dried mud rolled down the side. The clump was no bigger than Owen's hand, but he winced at every loud bounce the clump made until it damningly stopped at the toe of his boot.

It was a very pregnant, petrifying silence as Rexy seemed to almost gape at her damaged nest. Owen cringed when the golden eyes suddenly pierced daggers into his soul, and the burned lip began to slowly curl.

 _Never_ in her entire life had she had someone so stupidly trespass in her own nest. _Never_ had she been so _disrespected_! Rexy had a vague idea that she probably shouldn't eat humans, but this was a line she had established a long time ago.

Do. Not. Touch. My. Nest.

Even the other animals that lived here didn't come near her nest. The birds themselves avoided the very trees shading her home. Now this puny human, who she had never seen before, had the audacity to not only trespass in her territory, but go right into her nest?

This world was about to witness an entirely new level of hell.

She slowly curled her lip, and the human took a step back from her. A smart, but futile move. The wind suddenly shifted, and Rexy froze at the human's scent.

She picked up the white one's scent; it clung to him in a way that Rexy knew the two spent a lot of time together. So this was White One's caretaker? Rexy didn't approve of him, but she was fond of her own caretaker. Maybe she would only give chase, and tell White One to keep him away. Rexy had already sent her off to go explore after she woke from her nap.

Rexy began to open her jaws to give the thunderous roar when another scent wafted to her sensitive nose, and she began to see red. It was the sickly sweet scent of the cunning pack hunters. The one who had never paid heed to her territory lines after the humans had abandoned this island.

 _Velociraptors._

Under no circumstances would Rexy tolerate her youngling to be around a human who ran with the pack hunters. It all made sense now. Just like his pack, he didn't respect territory lines, he had the ballsy stupidity to waltz right up to her nest; probably looking for an egg to steal.

And just like the pack hunters, he would bolt when she would give chase.

She curled her lip higher when he took another step back, and quietly said, "Hey, Mama…easy now."

Rexy knew the word 'Mama'. Her tall human always called her that; it was his cry to her. Every hatchling made a certain cry when they wanted their mother's attention. Her first son had used a growl, her tall human called her 'Mama', the redhead would make a soft 'Hello', and White One had taken to using gentle croons.

She was not this human's caregiver. She had not adopted him into her family, and she certainly had no intent of doing so. If the human wasn't family.

Then he was food.

* * *

Tim gaped at the curious, white dinosaur. He paled several shades before hoarsely asking, "Elise?"

Tim swallowed when the Indominus gave an almost innocent croon at him. She curled her hands to her chest protectively as she titled her head at him. Tim was overwhelmed by everything. She looked so intelligent, and those crimson eyes were terrifying, yet they were not angry. She was _massive._ How the hell was she only six years old?

Her eye contact with him was way too human for his liking. Tim had heard the rumors, and he had even seen the video, but he still hadn't quite believed it. He believed it now. Elise's calm stare was so much more human than Rexy's stern one.

Tim swallowed again at the thought of the Tyrannosaurus because _Elise_ was right here.

He snapped himself out of his stunned silence, and pointed in the direction that the white dinosaur had come from as he asked, "Is Rexy still in her nest?"

Tim was petrified for two reasons when the Indominus moved her clawed hand like she was knocking on a door.

He had no idea what the hand signal meant.

And a dinosaur had just answered his question.

He thought fast, and quickly said, "Elise, I don't understand sign language, okay? This-"

He nodded his head once, "Means 'yes', and this-", he shook his head before saying, "Means 'no'. Okay? Owen went looking for you at the nest. Is Rexy still at her nest?"

Tim really didn't want to believe he saw the flash of panic in the red eyes before Owen's shrill voice suddenly screamed, _"Elise! Help!"_

Tim jumped high when Rexy's furious roar drowned it out, and echoed loudly across the thick trees. Elise seemed to all but forget about the deep gash in her leg as she immediately darted back into the thick jungle. Tim could only helplessly watch as the trees shuddered, and Elise gave a shrill roar.

* * *

Owen was sure he didn't run this fast when he ran from Elise the first time he went into her paddock. He didn't give a damn if Elise was genetically modified to be the most terrifying combination of the super predators of the world.

She had _nothing_ on the scorching hellfire that was Rexy's temper.

Owen would take all the prion infected raptors on Isla Sorna over an angry Rexy. Christ on his golden throne, the old lady was over forty years old; twice what she should have lived. Old people were terrifying when they got mad.

Owen didn't risk a glance behind him as he wove around another tree, but he was pretty sure Rexy still ran like she was in her prime of twenty.

A shrill roar sang heavenly music to his ears, and Owen made a sharp turn. He heard Rexy smack into a tree, and the dull thud from the fallen palm made Owen push himself to go faster. He had no idea what would happen when he got to Elise, but he knew he'd be dino dung by this time tomorrow if he didn't get to her.

"Elise!"

Owen yelped when he felt the whoosh of air from jaws snapping close behind him, and he desperately yelled Elise's name louder.

Rexy definitely ran like she was still twenty years old. All those days of consistently patrolling her paddock had kept her in shape.

Owen was ashamed to admit he gave a shrill scream when large hands suddenly snagged him before pulling him out of the rampaging Tyrannosaurus' way. He was almost suffocated as he was pressed against the hard, scaly chest, and the loud heart thumped against him.

Owen needed air, but he didn't dare breathe for fear of giving himself away. Elise had cupped him against her chest, and the only thing he could do was remain as still as possible.

Elise could feel Owen's little heart thudding quickly as she held him a little closer to herself. Earlier, she had thought about introducing Owen to Rexy, but now there was no way the Tyrannosaurus would even tolerate the mentioning of him after what he did.

Communicating with Rexy wasn't like communicating with Blue and her sisters.

It was more basic, and she heavily depended on body language with the old dinosaur. Elise could understand Rexy fine, but Elise had yet to figure out how to talk purely in her tongue. It wasn't until the Tyrannosaurus snarled angrily that Elise realized she had been mixing in Velociraptor sounds.

Elise wasn't sure how to talk Rexy out of killing Owen when she could barely ask basic questions.

Elise refused to wince when Rexy slid through the soft dirt before whipping her blazing eyes at her. She felt Owen freeze when the dinosaur gave a dangerous rumble, and Elise knew she would have to think of something quick when Rexy began to sniff the ground. She was given an order to find the human, and Elise did the only thing she could think of; she didn't want to risk angering Rexy.

Rexy looked up when a sharp crunch was heard, and she watched the blood dribble out of the side of Elise's mouth. She swallowed before giving a proud croon.

Rexy blankly stared at her, and Elise tilted her head innocently while the dinosaur began to sniff around her. Rexy caught the human's scent, and she didn't question the blood staining the crowded ivory teeth.

Rexy gave a delighted rumble as she gave a rewarding lick over the white scaled cheek. Elise basked in the affection, and the Tyrannosaurus gave a satisfied snort before rumbling; she would be going to go get her dinner now that the trespasser had been dealt with.

Elise was mindful in her reply that she wasn't hungry, and she wanted to go rest. Rexy merely flicked her tail at her before disappearing into the thick brush. Elise waited until she couldn't hear the thudding footsteps before pulling her cupped hands from her chest.

She gave a soft, concerned croon, and Owen finally went limp in her palm as he let out a sigh of relief. Elise winced as she sat on her hindquarters while leaning against a sturdy tree. She gave another croon, and Owen finally said, "Thank you, Baby."

Elise felt herself relax slightly as she tried to work out the terrified, confusing thoughts in her head as she tried to assure herself that Owen was fine. It was difficult to make sense of everything.

A lot of herself demanded she eat Owen because he was prey.

The Tyrannosaurus in her was furious for disobeying the Alpha.

The Velociraptor said Owen was the Alpha.

And the human in her was simply relieved Owen was fine.

But all of them agreed Owen was an idiot for going near Rexy's nest.

Sometimes it would become overwhelming with the strong desire to be aggressive. She wanted to crush things, pull them apart, or just chew them.

But Owen made her want to be better than that. He expected better of her. He knew she was a capable killer, but he also knew she had the willpower to exercise discipline.

Owen made it easier for her to connect with her human blood.

And she had almost lost that saving grace.

Elise couldn't stop the shiver of fear from running her hot blood cold. Owen was much more precious than she had initially realized. At first, he was simply something to entertain her. She had been amazed by his dedication to his pack, but she hadn't invested anything in him. Then he made her part of his family.

Elise thought she had been scared when those uniformed men had swarmed her home, but that was nothing compared to today. Owen hadn't been afraid then. Elise had been terrified to hear that fear in Owen's voice.

He had cried for her help.

Before he had always protected her, but now she was aware that he was protecting her from _humans_.

Elise let out a tired sigh as she cupped her hands back to her chest, and she silently promised Owen she would protect him from other dinosaurs. Starting right now.

Elise winced at the pain in her leg as she pushed herself up, and began to backtrack through the thick jungle. She knew Rexy wouldn't go into her territory without good reason, and she had a feeling the charging animal would be long gone by now.

Elise didn't slow down, but she did look at Owen when he quietly said, "Baby, I need to get you somewhere safe so I can get your leg looked at, okay? Rexy's food has sedatives in it; she should be out cold in a half hour or so. You won't have to walk all the way around to get back to your paddock; we can walk through the gate."

Elise almost snorted at how confusing Owen was. He cried for help like a scared hatchling, then he tried to baby her. He acted like an Alpha around her, but he wouldn't dare challenge Rexy.

Then again, neither would Elise.

She wasn't comfortable here, and Elise really didn't want to be caught with Owen. She didn't want to know the consequences of disobeying Rexy. She wasn't in any shape to fight. She would rather walk than wait for Rexy to fall asleep.

The duo remained silent, fearing the Tyrannosaurus possibly hearing them, and Elise started when Owen's radio gave a quiet crackle. She looked at him sharply for even bringing it, and Owen gave a sheepish grin that melted the anger away.

Owen glanced around before asking, "Come again?"

Elise gave a slight pause in her limping gait when she recognized the voice. She missed seeing Barry, and he angrily hissed, "Owen! Have you lost your mind?!"

Owen nodded, and gazed at the white jaw above him as he answered, "Yep. Did you find it? I kind of need it back."

Owen smiled when he heard Tim laughing over his angry friend, and Barry growled, "Get your butt back here with my beautiful girl. I will feed you to Rexy if Elise gets hurt again."

Elise wondered if that threat would be carried out, but Owen asked, "So, is Rexy fed? Because she didn't take too kindly to me calling her Mama. I have no idea how Tim gets away with it."

Barry gave an exasperated sigh over the radio, and Owen knew he was shaking his head. There was a pause before Barry tiredly asked, "How are you not concerned about walking around that paddock while Rexy is still awake? You put a big, fat target on your head by going to her nest. How are you not terrified?"

Elise wondered that as well, and she looked down when she felt Owen give a happy smile at her. She blinked at the soft sincerity of it; it wasn't his smart-ass smile, or his 'I'm proud of you' smile. Owen finally answered on the radio, "Because I got Elise with me. I trust her."

Owen chuckled at the baffled look on Elise. She had paused to stare at him as she tried to make sense of this baffling gift. She looked terrified and exhilarated at the same time. Owen only crossed his arms behind his head as he nonchalantly said, "What? I trust you. You saved my life, and I won't forget that. It's important to have trust and respect in a relationship. I trust Blue and her sisters, and I trust you. You're my tough baby."

Owen patted his chest before adding, "Right there. You got your own special place in my heart from now on."

Elise couldn't help the soft croon she gave him. His words touched her; it had been so long since anyone had given her that kind of trust. Humans like Claire expected her to behave, but Owen now trusted her.

She held her hands more closely to her chest, and walked with a little more vigor out of the jungle. The pain in her leg seemed to lessen, and that ache in her chest dissipated a little more.

Owen always knew how to make the hurt go away.

"Hey, Elise, what did you crunch back there? It sounded really gross…"

Elise snorted as she paused, and Owen tilted his head when she angled her jaws more crookedly. He jumped when she suddenly crunched a tooth off, and the gum dribbled blood onto her white scales. Owen hissed in disgust before growling, "Please don't do that, okay? I'll get Dr. Gerry to help you with those teeth. I know they probably hurt, but there's a better way, okay?"

Elise only pulled her lips up in a smile as she continued walking. If only she had the words to tell Owen she crunched her tooth to fake his death. She would need to figure out a way to tell him to avoid Rexy for the rest of his life. There was no need for the old lady to know Elise was a good liar. Owen snorted as he leaned back into her palm and Elise crooned at the precious cargo who always knew how to make her better.

Owen definitely knew how to make the hurt go away.


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N**

 **Thank you for your wonderful reviews! Please enjoy!**

* * *

"Trypanophobia."

"You are my sunshine, my only sunshine!"

Elise couldn't stop the smile tugging at her lips as she continued to walk along her side of the broken fence. She had been content to hug Owen to her chest, and it seemed he had grown incredibly mushy or very bored because he had taken to singing loudly.

"You make me happy when skies are grey!"

Granted it didn't sound all that great; she had heard the 'singers' on Barry's radio, and they sounded a little more…smooth than this, but the sincerity of the words warmed her.

"You'll never know dear, how much I love you! Please don't take my sunshine away!"

Elise gave a long croon when Owen relaxed back into the large palm. She liked that song, and Owen began to gently bat his hands at the clawed fingers around him. He shifted to peek over the tall hand, and he asked, "So, Claire said you gave her your permission to sell tickets to see you?"

Elise didn't want to shift her hands around to sign, and she remembered what the tall man on the platform had said. She nodded her head once, and Owen blinked at her before asking, "Where'd you learn that?"

Elise thrust her nose in the direction of Rexy's paddock, and Owen chuckled as he said, "So you met Tim? He's Rexy's caretaker; he seems like a pretty smart guy."

Elise liked Tim; he had been polite to her. At first she thought he had been afraid of her, but she liked him for being concerned about Owen. He was quick to realize she was smart enough to answer questions. Rexy had talked a little bit about a tall man she liked; Elise assumed she was talking about Tim. Elise glanced down when Owen said, "I'm sorry you got attacked by that Triceratops, Baby. That wasn't supposed to happen."

Elise figured that much, and Owen added, "Claire ordered Lowery to turn off the fence, that's why Rexy was able to bite through the cables."

Then Elise was very grateful to the both of them for their quick thinking. She was glad Claire was a good Alpha who looked after her own. Claire respected the other Alphas of this island, and she even knew she could depend on Rexy to help if she wasn't able to do anything.

They remained quiet until Elise began to weave through the trees, and Owen finally said, "Are you feeling okay, Baby? How's that leg doing?"

It stung horribly, and yet it wasn't the worst pain she had ever dealt with. Elise found physical pain much easier to endure than dull aches in her chest. She always knew physical pains would scar, and heal over, but something about the constant rawness in her chest that had eroded hope for her before meeting Owen.

But now she had hope, she had something to live for besides a promise made to a creature who had breathed her last long ago. Now, Elise had a family, she had someone to talk to, people and animals who cared about her.

Elise felt like she had a new purpose in life; she would get to scare people.

The simply innocent, yet sadistic, delight of scaring people made Elise's tail curl in on itself, and her lip pulled higher. Elise looked down when Owen said, "I know that look. You're having an evil thought, aren't you?"

Elise snorted at Owen when she caught his playful grin, and she crooned at him. Elise suddenly paused, and did a double take when she saw the massive, fallen log. It didn't look right to her, and she tilted her head at it. Owen craned his neck to follow her gaze, and he said, "That's where the people will be if they want to see you. Rexy has the same thing in her pen, but they feed her goats to get her over there."

Elise blinked at it before walking over. She peered through the dusty window, and saw that it looked very similar to the Observatory Room. It was plainer though, and looked like a dark box. Elise turned her gaze to the side more before realizing the log was a tunnel in disguise. She followed the length of the false bark, and saw that it went through the solid wall decorated in vines. She assumed that's where the people would enter this false log.

Elise still didn't understand why people wanted to come see her. She didn't comprehend why humans found her so interesting. She knew why they would be fearful of her, and just about all of them had, at first, reacted out of fear.

The nosey 'reporter' had been terrified of her, Elise still didn't understand why humans were so grabby with their hands. Was it how they greeted one another? She didn't like touching humans, and very few were permitted to touch her.

Elise was pulled from her thoughts, and looked down, when Owen gently said, "Hey, you're thinking too hard, Baby."

Elise rumbled at the human lying comfortably in her palm. He had crossed his arms behind his head, and gave a crooked smile at her when he added, "Don't worry about it, I'll be right here on opening day, okay?"

Owen pointed to the corner in the room, and Elise would have rather he be in the paddock with her.

"And if you get tired of the people, then you can leave. You don't have to sit here all day; Rexy doesn't do that. She only comes at certain times of the day, and we can do something like that for you."

Elise liked that idea, and a dull throb in her leg made her turn back towards the large, paddock doors. She pushed through the thick brush, and was momentarily startled to see them already open.

Elise gave a delighted croon when she saw Barry, and all but dropped Owen in her haste to meet the loving, kind hands on her nose. Barry gave a rich laugh as he stumbled slightly under the exuberant greeting, but he only cooed, "Ah, there is my beautiful girl! I missed seeing your sweet face!"

Owen huffed as he dusted himself off, and Barry narrowed his eyes at him before saying, "I cannot believe Owen made you carry him all the way around. You should have made his lazy ass carry you."

Elise only tilted her head to the side when Barry's long fingers found a sweet spot under her strong jaw. Owen had to smile when the pink tongue lolled out as she gave a low, delighted rumble. He glanced to the open doors, and saw the Vet Tech ready to collect the blood sample. Owen had almost forgotten about that after Rexy had scared ten years of his life away.

He glanced at the mushy dinosaur before walking over to the younger Vet Tech respectfully waiting by the entrance. Her hair was dyed the deepest shade of blue Owen had ever seen, and it was pulled up in a bouncy ponytail. He could see a few lines of a neck tattoo poking from underneath a clean, long-sleeved shirt, and she gave a sincere, warm smile as she extended her hand to him. Owen had to admit he liked the firm shake, and she said, "It's nice to finally meet the world famous dinosaur tamer. Sounds like Rexy wasn't swayed though."

Owen let out a chuckle as he nodded, and replied, "Old ladies never really liked me. I'm Owen, by the way. You the bravest Vet Tech out of the bunch?"

She crinkled her nose as she gave a short laugh before saying, "No, actually. I'm job shadowing Dr. Gerry; he's training me to take over his position when he finally decides he wants to take a day off."

Owen gave a crooked smile as he gestured to Elise, and said, "Hope she's not too scary for you."

"Nope. Dr. Gerry already said she's a sweet kid, I just wanted her permission before walking into her home. I try to do that with all my patients."

Owen instantly liked this vet in training, and he gave a quiet whistle. Elise cracked open a crimson eye as Owen waved her over. She grumbled at leaving Barry's sweet hands, but she limped over before glaring at the blue haired woman.

Elise had to admit she was impressed with how the human didn't flinch under her gaze. She only gave a warm smile, and suddenly said, "Hey, Elise. My name is Jackie, I work for Dr. Gerry, and he asked me to stitch up your leg. Is it alright with you if I come in?"

Elise blinked before staring at Jackie's feet, and she was surprised to see the vet hadn't taken a step into her new home. Jackie was being respectful of her space, and she wanted her permission before coming in.

Elise was instantly suspicious, and she lowered her head before moving her sensitive nostrils close to the woman. Jackie didn't even flinch under the warm gusts of wind ruffling her clothes. Elise was confused when Jackie had even moved her arms from her side to allow Elise to give an more thorough inspection.

Jackie did indeed smell like Dr. Gerry, and several other dinosaurs. Elise gave a sideways glance at Owen to see his reaction, and he seemed perfectly fine around Jackie. Maybe this was another good human. Dr. Gerry liked to help sick animals, and he was very kind; he wouldn't allow bad people in his pack, nor would he have sent Jackie if she wasn't good.

Elise also knew what liars smelled like; they smell like bad food. Jackie didn't smell bad, and she didn't act like she was going to do anything wrong. Her hair did have a funny smell to it; Elise didn't know humans could have such a bright color. She thought Claire was the only one who had a unique hair color. Elise finally backed up before knocking on the invisible door.

' _Yes.'_

Jackie beamed as she said, "Awesome-sauce. I'm just gonna go get my stuff ready. Sit tight, Cutie-Pie."

Owen loudly snorted when Elise turned her head almost completely sideways in confusion. She looked like an owl with the angle of her head as she tried make sense of the new words. Jackie was completely relaxed around Elise, but respectful.

Jackie was humming a cheery tune as she slipped on blue gloves while walking over. Owen was impressed she somehow knew where Elise's bubble began, and she said, "Alright, Cutie. Can you kind of lay down so I can get a look at that gash?"

Elise still wasn't sure what to make of this human, but she gingerly relaxed onto her side as she kept her crimson eyes on the blue haired vet. Jackie began to roll up the sleeves of her shirt, and Elise raised her head at the colorful markings.

The Indominus couldn't help bringing her head closer to look at the markings covering Jackie's arm, and she was confused. She had never seen humans with actual patterns on their skin. She dimly recalled one or two with light speckles along their cheeks, but nothing this vivid.

Owen laughed when Jackie blinked at the white dinosaur, and he said, "Baby, those are called tattoos. People aren't born with those; they basically…I guess draw them on. They make those markings."

Now Elise knew humans were weird. There was no purpose to this pattern on Jackie's arm; not when she covered them. Elise could make out what looked like red flowers on the arm; maybe Jackie liked to hide in thick brush before scaring people too.

Still, the pattern was appealing to Elise in a way. She liked all the vivid greens and reds; even the deep blue hair was calming to her.

Owen raised an eyebrow when the white scales almost seemed to shiver before a deep blue began to bleed through them. Owen had never seen blue on dinosaurs except for a few male raptors on Isla Sorna, and even then they hadn't been this vivid. Elise's tail flicked in thought as her crimson eyes narrowed before a pattern similar to Jackie's tattoo wove along her scales.

The Indominus grew very still when she had colored herself, and Owen stared at the amazing attention to detail. He had been impressed with how well Elise had camouflaged before ambushing the ACU, but this was entirely different.

Elise had made her own pattern by simply looking at Jackie, and mirroring it in her own way.

The vet let her mouth hang open in shock before she let out a short laugh, and said, "Holy shit! That is completely _badass!_ You're like my twin!"

Jackie suddenly tossed her phone to Owen before bouncing over to the unmoving dinosaur as she said, "You totally need to take a picture of this!"

Jackie gave an energetic smile by Elise's face as she made a peace sign. Owen only snorted as he aimed the phone, and saw the confusion in Elise's eyes when the phone made the clicking sound. She raised her head, and the blue pattern melted into a snow white once more. Jackie grinned widely as she admired the picture before saying, "You're a total badass, Cutie. Thank you for making my day."

Elise tilted her head at the vet, but gave a warm croon. Even if she didn't understand some of the words, Elise did know the happy, sincere tones. Barry only chuckled, and shook his head as he walked back over to the jeep. Jackie cracked her knuckles, and Elise startled at the sound, but the vet only said, "Back to business. Let me get a look at that so I know what kind of thread to use."

Elise kept her gaze on Jackie the entire time, but the vet had kept a light hand on the white scales as she moved around the dinosaur. Elise liked that; Jackie was letting her know exactly where she was.

Jackie became serious as she focused on the slash along the thick muscle. It was deep, but not life threatening. Elise would have survived this wound in the wild, and Jackie nodded as she said, "It's going to make a hell of a scar, but you'll be fine when we get that closed. I just need to wash it out before we get started. Rexy did a good job of getting the dirt and whatnot out, but I just want to be sure."

Owen remained close to Elise's face as the vet backed up her own pickup into the paddock. Elise had almost moved out of the way when it drew to close, but Owen assured her everything was fine, and Jackie turned her truck off. The vet slid out, and trotted over to the white cab before pulling a hose out.

Elise recognized the nozzle Gerry had used to make all the good smelling bubbles for her bath, and she rested her head onto the soft ground. Jackie remained gentle and quick as she cleaned the wound. Elise would curl her lip at times when the slash would give a painful throb, and she hoped the Triceratops was hurting just as badly.

When Jackie was satisfied with her work, she softly patted the wound fry with a clean towel, and she said, "I think you are my favorite patient, Elise."

The Indominus made a soft sound that made Owen smile, and Jackie pulled out a steel toolbox before opening it. Elise dully watched her as Jackie said, "I'll just take a little sample before I give you the morphine."

Owen raised an eyebrow when Elise stiffened, and the crimson gaze snapped to the vet's back. Jackie turned around as she fitted a sharp needle to the tube, and Owen jumped when Elise suddenly raised her head with a shrill roar.

Jackie only froze as she carefully watched Elise bare her teeth lividly while slowly backing away. The white scales shivered before that insidious crimson bled over, and a chilling hiss fell from the parted jaws.

The vet slowly turned her gaze to Owen, and he was just as baffled as she was. Elise was completely focused on Jackie, and Owen quietly said, "Baby, it's okay. Jackie isn't going to hurt you. See?"

Owen took a few steps towards the vet, and full blown panic filled the crimson eyes. Elise let out a shrill shriek that hurt Owen's ears, but she refused to come any closer. Jackie wasn't sure what to do, but Owen recognized that sound.

It was Velociraptor. It was the cry to let pack members know danger was nearby.

Owen had only heard those cries from his girls once. He had accidentally startled Delta when he was squirting water into their trough. He didn't feel like going inside, so he had used the hose to squirt it in. Delta had been sleeping nearby, and he hadn't thought anything about it.

Delta did not appreciate the loud sound the splashing water made, and he had never seen her jump so high in his life. It didn't help when she had leapt right into the stream, and Owen almost had a heart attack at the shrill scream his girl had made.

Owen had briefly thought, for a millisecond, that he actually killed Delta with water.

Blue had been the first to come to her sister's rescue with teeth bared dangerously, and claws splayed. Delta continued to make the shrieks until the other two had made a defensive circle while they searched for the threat. Owen was glad they never figured out it was him, but Delta had refused to sleep outside for weeks after that.

Elise was in that same defensive position as her eyes nervously flickered from Owen to Jackie. She wanted him away from the danger, but she was too afraid to come any closer.

Owen blinked at Jackie, and the needled tube in her hand before he looked at Elise again. He quietly pointed at the object as he asked, "Elise, are you afraid of needles?"

That didn't make sense to Owen. Barry had used a needle when he stitched her shoulder up. There was no way Elise was afraid of the little needles.

The crimson Indominus made no indication of even hearing the question, and Owen quietly said to Jackie, "Toss the needle out of the paddock."

Elise stiffened, and deepened her red color, when Jackie slowly capped the needle before pulling it off the tube. She didn't break eye contact with Elise as she tossed the needle over her shoulder, and they heard the plastic cap bounce on the cement.

Elise didn't relax at all. She only continued to breathe heavily as the saliva dripped dangerously from the ivory daggers. Owen flickered his gaze at the vet before quietly saying, "Give me the tube."

Jackie wasn't so sure about that move, but she slowly extended the tube towards Owen. He watched Elise's gaze attentively follow the tube before he took it. Elise looked confused and terrified when she realized Owen was holding the tube now. He took a step towards her, and she backed up with rising panic in her eyes. Owen was not understanding this, and he softly said, "Elise, Baby, it's fine. It's just a plastic tube. It's not going to hurt you. See?"

Owen extended it towards her, and Elise immediately craned her neck to the side. He had thought she was trying to get a better look at it, but Owen blinked when he realized the crimson gaze was intently focused on the soft soil. He took a step towards her, and Elise immediately flattened herself to the ground as she continued to avoid eye contact.

All the signs of a submissive raptor waiting for the threat or punishment to go away.

Echo had done this after Blue had finally established that she was the Beta of the pack.

Owen was baffled by this; the massive Indominus rex was terrified of blood sample tubes.

Owen felt his voice go soft as he gently said, "Elise, the tube isn't going to hurt you. I would never let something like that hurt you."

Elise slowly shifted her crimson eyes towards him, and Owen took another step. She immediately averted her gaze before giving out a low, pained moan and her powerful muscles trembled.

Elise looked like an abused animal cowering in the corner as she braced for another kick.

"Elise, I need you to look at me."

The Indominus didn't do that. She instead turned her head closer to herself before her scales shivered to match the brush around her. Owen would have easily missed her if he hadn't seen her camouflage, and he pressed his lips together. He walked over to her, and he stared at the fake leaves shivering from fear.

Owen gently placed a warm hand on the trembling dinosaur, and he softly said, "Elise, we aren't going to make you do anything you don't want to do, okay? Look at me, Baby."

A leafy eyelid cracked open, and Elise seemed to hold her breath at seeing the tube so close to her. Owen felt like he was torturing her by doing this, and he tossed the tube back over to Jackie. She immediately put the tube back into her car, and Elise let out a shaky breath.

Owen stroked the scales to comfort her, and he softly said, "We weren't trying to hurt or scare you, Elise. We needed a little blood because we need to make sure you're healthy. We were afraid you might have picked something up when Rexy had cleaned the slash."

Elise did not give a damn. If she was going to die, then so be it, but she would not tolerate having anything injected or pulled out of her body. Those were the bad memories, the very, very bad ones she didn't like to think about.

Before she had been put into her paddock; when her home had been the bright, cold room, and she lived in a shiny cage.

The ones in white coats had always roughly stabbed her with the sharp, silver needles. She had watched the liquid being forced into her muscle, veins, or even right under her skin. It was worse when they tried to take blood from her. They would mess up, and miss the vein. She hated being poked several times over until the needle grew dull.

She tried to tell them it hurt, but all she would get were harsh words and rough hands to pin her. They were only meaner when she tried to fight back, and she had learned to simply sit still until it was over.

Nothing scared Elise more than the tubes with the needles on them. That meant something was going in her, or blood was being taken out. Elise hadn't cared when Barry used a needle to stitch her up. He had explained it to her, and he wasn't in a white coat. She had never had stitches before, and it had hardly hurt at all. The needles with strings attached to them were not bad needles.

Needles became very bad when the tubes were connected to them.

Elise startled when she heard a small child's voice say, "Hey, Uncle Owen."

She turned her crimson gaze towards the entrance of her home, and she saw the two hatchling humans walking over. She liked Zach and Gray. They were good and small. She had felt very bad for trying to eat them, and apologized as sincerely as she could after they had helped Dr. Gerry make her feel better.

She watched the two walk over before stopping next to Jackie, and Zach raised an eyebrow. He glanced at Owen before asking, "Why does Elise look like a giant pile of leaves?"

Owen pressed his lips as he glanced at the dinosaur, and said, "Because she's not very fond of getting her blood drawn apparently."

"Why do you need blood?"

Owen was still running his hand gently on her cheek, trying to coax her from her camouflaging, as he answered, "We need to run some tests on it to make sure she's healthy. She doesn't want the tube around her though."

Zach raised his eyebrow, but Gray shyly said, "I don't like shots either. They're scary."

Elise perked up; so humans had to endure the stabbing torture too? Why was poor Gray put through that? Elise didn't understand why they would stab a child. Did they hold him down, and use harsh words with him? She didn't like that idea, and gave a soft, sympathetic whimper.

Owen flickered his gaze at her, before asking, "So, do you want to tell Elise it won't hurt?"

Gray lit up as he trotted over to the giant pile of leaves, and he said, "I know how to make it not hurt."

What trickery was this? Elise could not believe such a small hatchling would know the secrets to conquering her greatest fear. She had grown curious enough to allow her scales to become their snow white again, and Gray said, "Just don't look at the needle. It worked for me."

Elise wouldn't believe that lie for a second. She would never take her eyes off a weapon hurting her body. There was no way something like that would work, and she was starting to grow irritated. Elise remembered the sharp bite in her scales when the uniformed men had swarmed her old paddock; she knew a needle had been in that, and something forced into her muscle. She just wanted her leg fixed so she could go back to Rexy's nest.

Gray wouldn't be deterred this time, and he insisted, "No, really, it helps. My mom distracts me while the doctor gives a shot, and I hardly feel it. Watch this."

Jackie walked over, and Elise kept a careful eye on her before Gray had pulled out a small, rectangular box as he said, "I can show you this really cool magic trick with a deck of cards."

Elise watched the child pull out the cards as Owen began to scratch at her neck more roughly than what she was used to. It didn't hurt, but it was different. Elise was curious about the 'magic trick'; she wanted to know what that was.

Gray began to shuffle the cards around as he said, "These all have different pictures on them. None of these cards are the same."

What was the purpose of 'cards'? They didn't look edible or useful for anything. She narrowed her eyes as she focused, looking for any tricks, and Owen's scratching grew a little rougher.

Gray spread the cards apart, and held them up to Zach as he said, "Pick a card, but don't show me what it is. You have to show Elise what it is too."

Zach humored his brother, and plucked a random card out. He showed it to Elise, and she blinked at the odd pattern. It had red markings on the corners, and one big red shape in the center; it looked like a square on one of its points.

Zach made sure he didn't show the picture to his little brother as he handed the card back, and Gray shuffled the cards around randomly as he said, "Now, I will pick that card out again."

Elise knew there was a trick somewhere. She narrowed her eyes as she intently watched the child continued to shuffle. She gave a small warning growl at Owen when he had gotten too rough with his scratching. Her scales didn't appreciate the raw feeling, and Owen lightened up.

Gray suddenly picked a card from his deck, and showed it to Elise as he asked, "Is this the card Zach picked?"

Elise blinked as she came face to face with the very same card Zach had indeed picked. She wanted to know how the child had done that when he had no idea what the card had even looked like. Had he marked it? It didn't appear to be any different, and he hadn't known which card his brother would choose.

This was trickery, and Elise knew it.

Zach smiled when he said, "Yah, that's the card."

Gray beamed at Elise, and said, "See? I told you it would work."

What would work?

Elise didn't understand the process of this 'magic', and she wanted answers right now. Elise snapped her gaze to the side when Jackie had moved away from her, and she caught sight of the crimson-filled tube. Jackie gave a small smile as she said, "That wasn't too bad, was it?"

Elise blinked at the tube with the capped needle in it, and she suddenly felt the dull throbbing in her neck. It didn't feel good, and Elise's stomach was doing things she didn't like. How could she not notice the needle in her skin? She had almost died, and she was too busy being focused on stupid, colored cards.

Elise felt light-headed, and she gave a low moan while sinking lower to the ground in hopes of stopping it from spinning. Owen looked panicked, and he ran gentle hands along her nose as he exclaimed, "Elise! I-easy, Baby. What's wrong?"

Elise wished she could tell Owen how pissed she was at him for allowing her to brush fingers with Death himself, but she couldn't even see straight. The dancing spots in her vision were of no help, and Elise didn't fight the creeping darkness.

Owen wasn't sure what to do when Elise's head lolled to the side, and she went still. He carefully watched her ribcage move with her even breathing, and Zach quietly asked, "Did…did Elise just fall asleep?"

Owen glanced at Jackie for help, and he looked down when the radio on his hip crackled. Somehow, Owen wasn't surprised when Lowery's voice came on, and the tech-geek said, "So…I'm on my lunch break, and I decided to google some stuff while Gray did his magic trick. Guess what I found?"

Lowery didn't wait for anyone to answer him, and he said, "Trypanophobia."

It sounded like a new dinosaur to Owen, and he asked, "That is what?"

Gray carefully poked Elise's nose when Lowery cleared his throat before reading, "The extreme, irrational fear of needles used in a medical setting. Often caused by traumatic experiences during childhood. Symptoms include panic attacks, fainting, increased heart-rate, and frightening thoughts. We have a dinosaur with Trypanophobia…think we should put that in the Indominus Attraction Pamphlet?"

Owen rolled his eyes before snapping, "Elise isn't afraid of needles, Lowery; she does just fine with stitches. Barry stitched her shoulder up easily; she didn't even bat an eye at him."

Lowery seemed to shrug over the radio as he said, "Well, it said traumatic experiences during childhood. Some of these other sites say the fear includes injections. I wonder how gentle our scientists were with Elise in the lab. Only takes one time to ruin the experience, and Elise doesn't look like she forgets anything bad that happens to her."

Owen flickered his gaze over to Elise, and Lowery sighed as he added, "Maybe it was the vet who was supposed to take care of them. He obviously wasn't St. Francis since Elise's sister died. If that happened on his watch, I doubt he would be gentle with shots."

Owen sagged slightly as he glanced at the blood-filled tube being put away, and Lowery had a point. It wouldn't be the needles Elise was afraid of, it would be the syringes used with them. Elise had been conditioned to associate feelings of impending doom with needles on syringes or tubes; things used for testing or injections. He sighed and shook his head quietly before saying, "I suppose you better get that leg stitched up before she wakes up."

Jackie nodded quietly as she filled the clean syringe with morphine, and replied, "Hopefully we can slowly work on that fear. Poor baby, I didn't want her to faint."

Owen sat down next to Elise's head before Barry sat near her neck, and gently began to run his hand over the scales.

"Me neither, Jackie, me neither…"


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N**

 **Hey guys! Thank you so much for your reviews, but I am having problems with seeing any reviews you've posted in the past 18 hours or so. I'm not sure why it won't let me view your reviews, but I hope the problem gets sorted out. I'm not sure if the PM is being glitchy either, but regardless I just wanted you to know so no one thinks I'm ignoring your comments.**

 **Anyways, please enjoy!**

* * *

"You Are My Sunshine."

Elise hadn't been too happy when she had finally woken up. She had bared her teeth angrily before disappearing back into the thick jungle as she ignored Owen calling out her name. She wasn't in the mood for any more shots or magic tricks.

It should have been her clue when Gray had said trick.

Elise had gone out of her way to throw mud on every camera she found, and she had accidentally hit a few live birds. She felt kind of bad for that, but it was satisfying to hear Lowery's confused, indignant whining every time a camera went down.

She avoided Owen, and even Barry, for the next few days as she stuck close to Rexy for the most part. She wasn't in the mood to even be around Tim. She didn't want to see any humans. She didn't like how it made her feel when she realized she had passed out because of the little tube.

* * *

Owen sighed as he stood at the entrance of the empty jungle. He had really wanted to focus on Elise's sign language, but the Indominus wasn't in a cooperative mood. He knew she'd come around eventually. She would miss him way too much.

It was complete insanity at Jurassic World for the past few days. Owen felt like Claire really should have pushed the re-opening date to another week, but she had to prove to the board that she was a capable, no-nonsense leader.

Her workers were already planning her assassination.

They were working round the clock to repair all the damage, the labs were scrambling to recover lost data, and ACU was combing over the island for prion infected scavengers.

The Triceratops had been infected with prions. She was the first one the labs had tested. ACU had backtracked on her trail that led all the way to the northern beaches; they had found her footprints in the sand. They had also found dead Compsognathus, compys, on the beach. ACU wasn't sure how the first one had gotten the prions, but the half eaten corpses clued in to how the others had caught it.

Claire had ordered ACU to gather all corpses found on the island for proper disposal. Owen had a feeling a lot of scavenger species on the island were going to suffer, but Claire wasn't willing to risk the park. She was hoping the disease would wipe out all the infected ones.

They still hadn't discovered the source of the prions, but Owen knew it wasn't his girls. There was no way it was them.

But the little, dark thoughts in the back of his head just wouldn't shut up about it.

Tim had been losing sleep over Rexy as well, but he was sure she didn't have it. She would have died already, and the old lady was still feisty.

But no one could find Elise, and Owen had convinced himself that she was just super pissed at him and not a rotting corpse with torn grass around her.

The park was scheduled to open tomorrow, and no one seemed ready for it. No one had the cheery mood Jurassic World was known for. The fear of closing for good seemed to be hanging low in a suffocating way. Even some of the animals seemed depressed. Owen's girls sensed their caretakers' stress, and they didn't like it.

Owen felt bad for Rick, the Triceratops handler. He had already lost three members of his herd, and he was forced to split up the herd for their own safety. Prions were spread through bodily fluids; blood, saliva, and infected tissue.

The first Triceratops from Rick's herd had caught it from the mystery Triceratops after she had tried to clean the wounds. Rick hadn't noticed her weaving around the plains, panting hard, and drooling over the grass until it was too late. The other Triceratops had grazed over that grass, and caught it before doing the same thing.

Now Rick was waiting for Dr. Gerry to come put four more Triceratops down after they had begun to exhibit the same signs. Bakhita was one of them, and Gerry didn't know if she had caught the prions before or after fighting Rexy.

Claire agreed with Gerry on keeping the Gyrosphere ride closed until they could spray some kind of disinfectant along the plains, or wait for the prions to die. She had also set the barriers up so that all Triceratops would be separated from the other herds as it seemed to be staying close to that general area.

The inspectors deemed it safe to open the park so long as the guests remained out of the tainted fields north of Isla Nublar. Claire was relieved to know there were no problems in the Gallimimus Valley; that was one of the more popular attractions in Jurassic World.

But they still hadn't received the test results for the Raptor Squad, Elise, or Rexy.

Owen would admit he hadn't slept very well for the past few days, and the vets were overwhelmed with taking blood samples. The labs were under the most pressure, Owen did not want to be in the new Chief Geneticist's shoes. He had to get the results out quickly, but he couldn't mess anything up.

Owen pressed his tongue against his teeth before giving a shrill whistle, and waiting. Jackie wanted him to keep an eye on Elise's stitches. Those threads were carrying a lot of weight, and he needed to make sure they wouldn't get infected. But Owen had a feeling Rexy would tell Tim if something was wrong. She hadn't been eating her kills, but gently scooping them up before disappearing back into the jungle. All the signs of a good mother going back to her hatchling.

Owen continued to wait for the telltale of the loud thuds, and sighed when the forest continued to remain ever silent. He really hoped Elise was fine; it wasn't a good feeling having the cameras down. The fence separating the two hadn't been repaired since they seemed to get along, and Claire planned to make a door of some sort so Elise would be able to visit Rexy when she pleased.

Assuming they hadn't caught anything.

Owen wasn't even sure if he would be sitting in the corner of that dusty log tomorrow. If Elise had prions then she really would have to be put down. Owen didn't know how to explain that to her.

Owen dully looked down at his hip when the radio gave some static, and Lowery said, "Hey, Owen… Uh, listen, Claire wants you to go over to the false log to oversee how things are going. She had a cleanup crew there doing the final touches on it."

Owen raised an eyebrow, and Lowery added, "Okay, she knows they can dust the log off, but the crew is too afraid to clean the outside of the window without you there. They're afraid of Elise."

Owen swept his gaze around the silent trees before leaving through the small door as he said, "I don't think Elise is too keen on seeing any people at the moment."

Owen made sure the door was locked behind him, and Lowery asked, "Still hasn't shown up then?"

Owen gave a sigh as he said, "Yep. How are things elsewhere?"

It was quiet on the road Owen walked on, but Lowery sounded a little depressed when he said, "Eh. It doesn't feel like, you know, hooray we're opening. It's more like…I don't know. I guess the mood of the park will depend on Rexy's results…I don't think the park will do very well without her…"

Owen had to admit, even though he had hardly paid attention to Rexy before, he had paid some attention to her. She was a comfort on the island to everyone. Several workers were livid when they found out Rexy could be infected with prions. No one wanted to see the big boss put down, and there were a lot of workers who were angry with Owen and Elise.

They wanted someone to blame. If Owen had been there, then maybe Rexy wouldn't have felt the need to fight for Elise. If Elise hadn't even been there in the first place, then it wouldn't have mattered if Bakhita had roamed around an empty paddock.

Owen never really cared what others thought of him, but something about being in the Break Room with other handlers just made him feel unwelcome. He didn't feel like the 'badass' who had rode his motorcycle with his pack of raptors before stopping the rampaging Indominus with a wave of his hand.

He felt like the guy who had gotten Rexy killed, and she wasn't even dead yet. He was also the idiot who riled up the old lady for no good reason, and needed to keep his animal in her own pen.

Owen was sure he would blame himself if Rexy died. Something seemed so wrong about continuing Jurassic World without Rexy.

Owen sighed again as he walked over to the top of the log; he could see the men looking around warily, and he said, "Yah, I get what you mean."

Owen knew things had to look bad when Lowery was quiet before offering, "You know it's not your fault, right? I'm the one who pushed the button…"

"But I didn't go with Elise to inspect her paddock."

"…Ya, I know…I don't know what you would have done against and angry Triceratops though…"

Owen wasn't sure either, but he didn't think it would lessen any of the angry glares he was receiving. Even the petting zoo people were pissed at him, and he had no idea why.

Owen had briefly wondered if it was because he had fought so hard to keep Elise alive. She had caused a lot of destruction and death on her rampage. Owen wasn't sure if she had intentionally broke into the Aviation Paddock, but several people were still hurt over Simon's death.

Even Claire was saddened to find out her assistant had unintentionally eaten by Lilly.

Owen leaned on the rails on top of the log, and he said to the workers, "I don't think she's nearby, but I doubt she'll come over if she sees you guys."

Absolutely none of those workers looked convinced, but Owen motioned for them to get moving. They didn't try to make conversation with him, and Owen was already missing the quiet, isolated comforts of his raptor paddock. No one bugged him there, it was just him, Barry, and the girls.

People didn't bug him here either, but they silently threw him dirty looks.

As Owen had said, Elise didn't show up, and the workers soon cleaned up before leaving. The Head Manager briefly paused to let Owen know the inside was decorated, and ready to go for tomorrow.

Owen had no idea how the hell they 'decorated' the inside of the viewing log, but he doubted it would have colorful pictures that would boost his mood. However, he was the handler so he probably needed to give it a look over just in case something needed to be picked at.

Plus he had nothing else to do. The girls were fed, and they had gone through their daily exercise routine.

Owen found it kind of odd to hear his own footsteps echoing in the concrete tunnel. It sounded so loud, and he wondered how loud it would be tomorrow.

Owen was surprised to see things actually didn't look too bad considering. There were even some dim lights that didn't reflect in the clear, clear glass. It was cool in here, and a relief from the muggy weather outside. He slowly walked by the framed posters that held diagrams of Elise. They showed size comparison, the species used in her mixture, and some random facts about age or growth rate.

But nothing personal.

He didn't even see her name.

There were a few benches pressed against the wall, and Owen glanced at the warning posters next to the glass. Warnings to be quiet, to not tap the glass, or even use flash cameras. He looked down at the floor to see a line not to cross, about a foot away from the glass.

It made Owen sad for some reason.

He continued to stare at the line for a few minutes before jumping when a voice said, "You know, I'm told handlers and their animals kind of act like each other. I'm starting to believe it with you."

Owen blinked at the tired looking, but gently smiling, Tim standing at the entrance of the tunnel. Owen glanced back at the line before asking, "How so?"

Tim snorted as if it were obvious, but he answered, "Well, Elise has gone MIA before show day, and it seems you like to avoid people just as much. She scares people, you scare people…"

Owen couldn't help dryly adding, "Workers don't like her for no reason, workers don't like me for no reason. It's not like we enjoy being alone, Tim. Sometimes it's just easier."

Tim gave a quiet whistle that echoed in the room before he said, "Deep, man."

Owen snorted, but Tim elbowed him playfully as he said, "Ah, come on. I think everything will turn out fine. If Rexy is acting like her normal self, then I know Elise is fine too. You should be excited, man. You and Elise are going to be the stars tomorrow."

"More like the targets…"

They stared out the window for a few minutes before Tim suddenly chuckled. Owen glanced at him questioningly, and he said, "You and Elise are funny. Don't pay attention to the other handlers. Rick has every right to be upset, but we didn't cause that. I know people are concerned about Rexy, but Mama would have let me know if she wasn't feeling well."

"You do know if Rexy dies, then I might as well write my own will."

Tim gave a short laugh, but Owen said, "With my luck, her heart will give out or something, and people will go after me for riling her up."

"I think she's in pretty good shape for forty."

Owen snorted as he rubbed his neck, and said, "No kidding. I never ran so fast in my life. Elise had to fake my death before Rexy left to go get her food."

Tim suddenly grinned widely before saying, "I saw that little bitty crumble that you broke off."

"It broke right in front of her, Tim. Jesus Christ, I thought I was going to burst into flames. I have no idea how you sneak into the paddock."

Tim gave a sideways glance at Owen with a small smile, and he quietly said, "Just about everyone else says the same thing about you. I still have no idea what made you think you could stop Elise from attacking."

Owen stared at the leafy, emerald leaves coloring the thick jungle, and he answered, "I never thought that. I was just protecting Blue as best as I could, and Elise happened to snap out of her rampage."

Tim blinked at the silent man before shaking his head in amusement. Time finally nudged Owen again as he said, "C'mon, you'll be in here all day tomorrow. There's fresh doughnuts in the Break Room."

Owen snorted as he followed Tim out, but said, "I'm not touching any food in there. I just know they're going to lace something before giving it to me."

"I think you're exaggerating, Owen."

* * *

Owen really did try to make up an excuse to avoid the Break Room, but Tim insisted he just brush the glares off. Owen was pretty sure Tim had never had people angry at him before. He could actually feel himself growing defensive when the innocent, blue door was opened, and he mentally cringed at seeing the petting zoo keepers were talking amongst themselves. They greeted Tim enthusiastically, but gave Owen angry looks.

Owen rolled his eyes loudly as he leaned against the counter of the nice room.

It was almost like a house in itself with a kitchen, and living room to relax in. There was a nice TV on the wall, and the furniture was well taken care of.

It was nicer than Owen's own bungalow, but nowhere near as comfortable to him.

Tim looked right at home though, and he offered a cup of coffee to Owen, but he declined it. Owen flickered his gaze to a woman with dark, curly hair when she asked, "Too good for our coffee, Mr. Dinosaur Tamer?"

Owen gave a dry look as he retorted, "Nope, I just don't feel like drinking whatever you might have slipped in it."

Owen glanced at Tim as he added, "I hope you don't get the shits tonight."

Tim chuckled as he sipped his drink, and Owen crossed his arms; refusing to make any conversation with anyone. A heavy silence filled the room, and Tim broke it by asking, "So, how did you come up with the name Elise?"

Owen didn't want to talk about Elise in front of others, he felt like they would ruin it for him, but he answered, "She likes the song, Fur Elise. Barry wouldn't let me name her Foxtrot, so we picked Elise. Lowery wanted to name her America."

The curly haired woman snorted from her table, and Owen knew better than to acknowledge her, but he couldn't help himself from asking, "Something funny?"

She leaned back in her chair as she looked him up and down once, before snapping, "Actually, yes. I love irony, and it is really ironic that you gave that freaky monster such a pretty name."

" _Monster?"_

Owen kept a calm demeanor, but he frowned at her. She seemed genuinely surprised, and she asked, "Have you looked at the Indominus? She doesn't look normal; she's freaky. Especially with those crooked teeth, and red eyes. Those scientists were not nice when they blended all that DNA together."

Owen was momentarily startled by the sudden rage in his gut, and he would swear before God Almighty, that he did not have the ability to stop himself from saying, "Well, it seems to be a similar case with your looks, doesn't it?"

Owen had a habit of knocking things over when he was mad, and he pushed the pile of white napkins off the counters. They spilled in a sprawled mess on the floor, and Owen added, "Don't ever insult my girls. You just stick to your petting zoo, and I'll stick to my girls."

Tim pressed his lips when Owen walked out, and he winced slightly when the door was shut hard. He sighed at the mess on the ground, and another zoo keeper growled, "What's his problem?"

Tim rolled his eyes as he bent over to scoop up the napkins, and said, "You guys are."

* * *

Owen grumbled to himself as he walked back to Elise's paddock. He would try to find her one more time before going back to his home. He really didn't want to be around other people now, and he wasn't looking forward to tomorrow.

Owen gave a quiet curse as he slid the keycard through the door before looking up when a man in a safari outfit yelled, "I hope you get that crooked mouthed freak's diseases!"

Owen lowered his brows, and silently declared war on the petting zoo as he retorted, "I hope one of those saddled midgets head-butts you square in the balls!"

He slammed the door behind him, and gave another curse before yelping at the mass of white scales. Owen clutched his chest as Elise tilted her head at him. Her crimson eyes briefly flickered to the door, and Owen really hoped she hadn't heard any of that.

"Hey, Baby… You still pissed at me?"

Owen really hoped not, and he even gave his best pouty face to help sway Elise. She seemed more confused by the expression, but she signed, _'No.'_

Owen let out a sigh of relief as his day got a little better, and he said, "That makes me so happy, Baby. I was really worried about you. Are you okay? Is your leg hurting? I can go get some pills from Dr. Gerry if the leg is hurting a little too much."

Owen knew he was babbling, but he just now realized how much he had really missed seeing his girl. He missed seeing that face, and those expressive, crimson eyes. It felt so weird to not talk to her for the past couple days, and Owen couldn't help tackling her hanging hand.

Elise crooned at him as she scooped him up, and Owen grinned at her.

"I missed seeing my sunshine. So, don't ever disappear on me like that again."

The fondness warmed Elise's eyes, and Owen simply relaxed in her hand. He didn't find her to be an ugly creature. She was definitely attention grabbing, but Owen was by no means repulsed by her.

And her jaw didn't seem that crooked to him.

"Is Rexy doing a good job of taking care of you?"

Elise gave a single nod. She had been bonding with the Tyrannosaurus quite well. As impatient as the old dinosaur was, Rexy didn't mind Elise constantly pressing against her when they weren't walking. Elise loved their grooming sessions, and she liked patrolling the territory with Rexy. They had even explored her own paddock before returning for lunch. They curled close to each other when they slept, and Elise felt like she was staring to fit in somewhere.

Rexy had been concerned when Elise limped back to her nest after the needle incident. Elise didn't feel like leaving the nest, and Rexy decided she wouldn't push the Indominus on it. She had only comforted.

Rexy was taking a nap right now, and Elise had missed seeing Owen. She knew he never intended to frighten her, and he had a good reason for it needing her blood, but she simply wasn't ready to deal with that trauma at the moment.

Owen gave a warm smile at her as he said, "I'm glad she adopted you. I feel better knowing Rexy is there to take care of you. She's a good mama, even if she wants me dead."

Elise snorted at him as her lip curled into a small smile. She brought her hands a little closer to her chest before rumbling at him. Owen batted her talons playfully as he said, "Ready for tomorrow?"

Elise blinked at him before giving a single nod. Owen was happy for that, and he said, "I'll have Lowery tell you when to come by the log, and I'll be right where you can see me, okay?"

Elise crooned at him; she still wanted him outside with her, but she was sure there was reason for him needing to be inside. She really didn't care, it didn't sound like anything interesting would happen.

Owen stretched loudly in her palm, and Elise tilted her head at him. He gave a sheepish grin before excitedly asking, "Want to learn more sign language?"

Elise's thrilled croon made Owen happy, and he slyly said, "I'll start with the profanity, Baby. Everyone learns the curse words of a new language before anything else…it's a human thing."

Owen was secretly hoping she would flip off a petting zoo keeper. He wondered if he could get his girls to recognize the scents of those employees. They were smart enough for that. Maybe he could train them to flip them off whenever they saw a petting zoo employee.

"Let's start with the simple, but always classy art of flipping the bird."

* * *

Elise was in a good mood as she strolled past Rexy's nest. She liked learning the curse words, and Owen had started to teach her how to scribble the odd pictures in the dirt. He called it the alphabet. She still wasn't quite sure of the concept, but it was fun to learn something new; her mind was being put to use.

It was easy to follow Rexy's scent, and Elise figured it was time for the final feeding before they would go to bed. Owen had spent most of the day teaching her, and she was hungry. She didn't want to wait for Rexy to come back with food.

She found the Tyrannosaurus crunching her jaws around a black cow, and the golden eyes glanced at her. Elise remained respectful as she dipped her head submissively. Rexy gave a pleased rumbled, and she allowed half the cow to hang out of her mouth before pressing it to Elise's to share.

Elise liked how cows tasted. Goats had an odd after taste to them that left her wanting to wash her mouth out with water.

The white dinosaur swallowed her half before snuggling her nose underneath the powerful, warm jaws of her new mother. Elise liked cuddling close to Rexy, and the elder seemed to like it as well.

Rexy pulled away to begin cleaning Elise's jaws, and the Indominus relaxed under the loving affection. Aside from the hiccups with the the needles, Elise really couldn't be happier with her life.

Elise cracked open a crimson eye when she heard a kind chuckle, and she saw Tim standing on a platform high above them. She liked Tim, and he warmly said, "Well, hey, Elise. We were starting to get worried about you; I hope you talked to Owen for a bit. It was driving him crazy not seeing you for so long."

Elise knew that much; Owen had been extra clingy, but she liked that. He liked sitting in her hand while playing with her long fingers, and she liked being close to him.

Elise gave a low rumble before hearing a soft scoff. She blinked at the woman standing next to Tim, and tilted her head at the curly hair. Elise had never seen curly hair before; humans were certainly diverse in their hair.

"I still think it should have been put down."

Elise didn't understand what the woman had meant, but she recognized the tone. It was hard, and mean. Elise didn't like that, and she narrowed her eyes. Elise was happy when Tim immediately exclaimed, "She can understand us, Debra!"

Debra didn't seem to care, and she snapped, "Good, then it'll understand this."

Elise stiffened when the woman pointed her finger, and coldly said, "You should have been killed for all the trouble you caused. You aren't a real dinosaur; you're a crooked mouthed freak who is going to scare all the little kids tomorrow. Claire is going to realize you're a waste of time and money, and she'll think the same thing about you."

Rexy paused from her grooming, and gave a dangerous growl when she heard her tall son snarl, _"Debra! That is enough!"_

Debra only rolled her eyes, and Elise snapped her jaws to grab her attention. Elise knew exactly what to do in this situation thanks to Owen.

* * *

Owen hummed cheerfully to himself as he gave the Observatory Room a final look over. It didn't seem so bad now that he had made up with Elise. Maybe she really was his sunshine in a way.

Owen planned to change a few things around in the room when he had the time. Maybe he would add Elise's name somewhere, and a few things so people could actually get to know her.

No one was going to care if she could grow over fifty feet. But maybe they'd be more likely to remember she liked classical music.

Owen crossed his arms as he stared into the jungle before the sound of clicking heels caught his attention. Only one woman wore ridiculous shoes like that, and Owen turned to see Claire pause at the doorway.

He immediately saw the large, yellow envelope, and he knew those were the lab results. Gerry had ordered those results come in before the park opened. The seal was broken, and he slid his gaze up to her blue eyes; silently asking for an answer.

Owen didn't like it when those blue eyes welled with tears, and Claire sniffed as she hurried over to Owen. He startled when she suddenly wrapped her arms around his neck tightly, and he felt the warm tears on his shoulder.

Owen swallowed as he tried not to panic, and quietly asked, "Claire…? Are…are those the lab results?"

She nodded quietly, and gave another sniff as she tightened her grip around him. She said in a thick voice, "I-I got the results for Rexy, Elise, and your girls."

She didn't say any more than that, and Owen felt the heavy ball of fear in his stomach when he whispered, "Well? What are the results?"

Claire pulled back, and she carefully wiped her eyes to avoid smearing the makeup. Owen shifted nervously on his feet, and bit his lip. Claire suddenly let out a watery laugh as she said, "They're all clean, Owen. They don't have prions; they're okay."

"R-Really?!"

Claire nodded happily, and Owen finally realized she was crying from sheer relief. Owen let out a huge sigh, and a heavy weight was lifted from his shoulders. He couldn't stop himself from throwing his arms around Claire, and the two simply hugged each other happily as they gave relieved laughs.

Claire quietly sniffled again, and she quietly said, "I know things are going to be okay now. We got Rexy with us."

Owen was beginning to realize just how much of a rock Rexy was to Claire. He only hugged her more tightly as he said, "She's got our backs, and she's taking care of Elise; really good care. Her leg looks a lot better today."

"You finally found her?"

Owen chuckled as he said, "She knows where the door is, and I taught her some new sign language today. She says she's ready for tomorrow."

Claire nodded happily as she said, "I am so happy she's feeling better. I can't wait for her to learn how to talk to us. I want to hold actual conversations with her, I can only imagine how witty, and smart she is."

"I'm teaching her how to write too."

Claire smiled as she said, "That's even better. Did you teach her anything else?"

Owen froze when his radio crackled; there was no way fate would damn him like that. Claire pulled away, and stared at the radio when Tim said in a stunned voice, "Hey, um, Owen? So, Elise decided to share dinner with Rexy, and…well, Debra, the lady with curly hair you met, said some pretty mean things to her. I took care of it; everything is fine, but I was just wondering where Elise learned to flip people off because… _damn_ she did a good job at it."

Claire disapprovingly glared at Owen as she put her hands on her hips. Owen pressed his lips when she asked, "Did you teach Elise how to flip people off?"

Owen did, and he was very proud of his girl for telling Debra to fuck off.

"Ehm…"

"Owen!"

Owen shrugged as he sheepishly said, "What? The petting zoo people are weird, and they started it! I'm teaching Elise to stick up for herself."

"Through vulgarity?!"

"Hey. People loved it when Rexy got pissed, and smeared the glass window with bloody goat chunks. They'll go crazy over a dinosaur who can flip people off."

Owen beamed when Claire gave an exasperated sigh as she began to walk out.

"Goodnight, Claire! I'll see you tomorrow, Beautiful!"

Owen burst out laughing when Claire only flipped him off. Tomorrow would be a good day. He had won today's battle against the petting zoo.

Owen would be sleeping like a winner tonight.


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N**

 **I can see your reviews again, and it makes me very happy! Thank you for your reviewing, and I'm happy to say the park is now re-open! I've been so excited about writing this chapter, and I hope you all enjoy it!**

* * *

"Hammond's Secret to Success."

Owen felt amazing after actually having a good night of sleep. He was ready for the day, and anything it decided to throw at him. Claire was absolutely pissed at him for teaching Elise how to swear, and he loved it. Things were returning back to normal. He was irritating Claire because she knew he was funny, and there was nothing she could do about it.

And now he had Debra to irritate. Owen already loved the relationship blooming between them. He had made an enemy before the park had even opened. She was really going to keep him on his toes.

It was going to be fun.

Owen smiled as he parked his bike out of the way, and smiled when Tim said, "Well, if it isn't the teacher of the year."

"The one and only. Please tell me what Debra's face looked like."

Tim snorted as they walked through the park. The bright energy was back, and the venders were back to their cheery selves again. Owen couldn't believe Elise had hunted through the plaza only a week ago.

Tim scratched at his clean shaven jaw before answering, "What would you do if a dinosaur flipped you off? She didn't even have a response for it, and Elise walked away. Classy little spitfire she is."

Owen laughed loudly at the truth of it. He felt so proud of his girl.

"So when is Rexy's first feeding?"

Tim stretched his arms out before answering, "Park opens at eight, we give an hour for the guests to get settled, and ready to go. First feeding is at nine. I think Claire timed it so guests wouldn't be torn between Elise or Rexy. Rexy is on the hour, and Elise is a half hour later."

For once, Owen had actually studied his schedule, and Elise's first viewing was at nine thirty.

Owen blinked when Tim playfully elbowed him, and asked, "You gonna watch, Neighbor? See how the professionals entertain the crowd?"

"What part of Rexy is supposed to think I'm dead are you not understanding? That old lady cannot see me because I have no idea if Elise will get into trouble for lying."

Tim burst out laughing before the two parted ways. Owen wanted to see if Elise was nearby, and Tim had very unfortunate goats to tend to.

Owen felt like today would be good.

* * *

Elise quietly sat in her territory. She hadn't really slept, and Rexy had finally kicked her out of the nest after shuffling too many times. Elise wasn't mad at her, and it felt nice to walk around.

Until she came to the pond.

Elise had peered into it to see her reflection, and she wasn't sure she liked what she saw. The human woman had hurt her with the harsh words.

But were they true?

Elise had spent a lot of time observing her own reflection, and she was starting to believe them. She didn't know what a freak was, but Elise did know what a crooked jaw looked like.

It looked like her jaw.

Rexy's jaws weren't crooked; they were powerful with a straight line of uniform daggers.

Elise opened her mouth to observe the crooked, crowded teeth all growing at different lengths. She wasn't sure if she liked that. She didn't care before, but she had never had anything to compare it to. Rexy was a perfect predator; the Alpha of this island.

Elise wanted to look like her.

Elise had liked her snow scales, but they weren't the forest color like Rexy's. Her eyes were a scary crimson while Rexy's were a dangerous gold.

Elise liked the gold more.

The large creature made a soft sound as her eyes fell to the large hands she called her own. They looked odd to her now. Her thumb looked like it wasn't supposed to be there, and her middle finger was dramatically longer than her other fingers.

Elise peered back into the pond before wrinkling her nose at the reflection. She had thought it was funny to scare people, but the human had said it like a bad thing. Elise had realized all people had always reacted fearfully the first time they saw her.

Even Owen had run away from her.

Was it because of how she looked?

Elise had seen other dinosaurs, and how their bodies seemed to be normal for them. Rexy was the closest one Elise felt she resembled, and she really didn't look like her. Rexy walked tall with her head held high like the Alpha she was.

Elise was hunched over to the point where she had to curl her hands up to stop them from dragging on the ground.

Even their roars were different, and Elise didn't like hers anymore.

Rexy trembled the ground with her thunderous voice. It was deep, loud, and commanding.

Elise felt like hers was a shrill scream.

Elise knew what a kid was, Owen had called the human hatchlings kids. They were baby humans. Was Elise not supposed to scare the little ones? Would they be afraid of her even if she was trying to be friendly?

Elise probably wouldn't have cared as much if the woman hadn't mentioned Claire's name. If Elise was too scary then people wouldn't want to bring their dirty paper here anymore. Would Claire get in trouble for that, and it would be Elise's fault?

Elise didn't want people to see her now. She would hide in the thick brush, and only let them see little bits of her. She wasn't sure if she even wanted to do that.

Did Owen think she was a freak?

Elise didn't like this feeling weighing heavy in her chest. She had never felt anything like it, but it was worse than being lonely in a paddock where no one talked to her.

Rexy's thunderous roar broke Elise from her depressing thoughts, and she blinked at the direction of the nest. It was a roar to come home right now, and Elise certainly didn't want to anger Rexy first thing in the morning.

At least Rexy didn't seem to care about what she looked like.

* * *

Elise found the old Tyrannosaurus patiently waiting on the worn trail that led to where Tim liked to throw flares to the food. Rexy greeted her with a warm tongue over the cheek, and Elise felt better. Rexy didn't pretend to like others, and Elise was happy for that.

Elise tucked her head under the jaws, and Rexy gave a soft rumble before leading the way down the trail.

The Indominus had been content to follow her mother until she noticed the loud sounds the closer they drew to the park. Were people here already? Elise didn't like that, and the unsure feeling crept back into her chest.

Tim smiled as he watched Rexy finally part from the trees, and he could hear the kids giving excited yells at seeing her. He could see into the false log, and it was absolutely packed like always.

He adjusted the small mic attached to his ear, and he could faintly hear the echo from the log as he said, "Well, good morning guests of Jurassic World. I'm glad you're just as excited to see Rexy as I am. She is a forty year old Tyrannosaurus Rex; one of the largest predators from the Cretaceous Era."

Tim was always amazed by how Rexy seemed to tune out the echoing in the log, and he said, "Now, it was thought her vision was based on movement, but that isn't true. While she does have poor eyesight, her sense of smell is very keen."

Tim twisted the cap of the flare, and Rexy immediately focused on the red light. He tossed it down to the goat, and the kids jumped excitedly when the shaking footsteps drew closer. Tim snorted, but turned when a flash of white scales caught his attention.

He hadn't expected to see Elise here, and she looked unsure of what to do with the people. He didn't think she was that shy, but she had flattened herself as close as possible to the ground. His jaw dropped at seeing the scales shiver before almost perfectly blending into the brush around her. Tim would have easily missed her if he hadn't seen her camouflage.

Still, he didn't like seeing her so shy, and he momentarily forgot about the mic as he said, "Hey, Elise. What're you hiding from?"

The fake leaves didn't even acknowledge him, and Tim glanced at Rexy when she paused from going after the goat. She lifted her large head to look behind her, and she gave a low rumble. The guests looked confused, and Tim cleared his throat before saying, "Sorry about that, folks. Rexy actually has a new member in her family. While we originally thought the T-Rex hunted alone, it turns out they hunt in packs; most likely family groups. Rexy has recently adopted the newest edition to Jurassic World. Elise the Indominus Rex."

Tim carefully watched for their reactions, and it seemed everyone was pressed up against the glass as they tried to get a look at her. Rexy gave an irritated snort before walking away from the goat, and Tim said, "Elise is six years old, so she's still a youngling, but she's almost as big as Rexy. She's a little shy today, and camouflaged. She actually has her own attraction scheduled at nine thirty, but she likes to be close to her mother."

Tim was impressed that Rexy easily found the Indominus, and he wondered if Elise had ever tried to hide from her. That probably hadn't ended well, and he smiled when Rexy gave a soft nip at the leafy scales. Elise jumped slightly, and her camouflage shivered slightly before becoming flawless again. People excitedly pointed, and Rexy gave a firmer nip.

Elise finally moved, but she hid herself in the trees, and people seemed disappointed. Tim leaned on the railing as he called out, "Elise! Why don't you come out? I know you gotta be hungry. It's okay, these people aren't going to hurt you."

Elise blinked crimson eyes at him, and she didn't seem to believe him. Tim pressed his lips, and Rexy carefully watched Elise. Tim could see her contemplating on whether or not to force her butt out of the thick brush, but Elise gave a small, pitiful croon as she ducked a little lower. Elise averted her gaze, and Rexy finally went back over to the goat before snapping her jaws around the bleating animal.

As always, the kids and adults cheered loudly, but Rexy paid them no mind. Tim smiled as Rexy brought the kill over to Elise before sharing half of it with her. Tim could see Elise perfectly fine, but people were craning to get even a glimpse of the elusive white scales.

The crowd made a disappointed sound when Rexy and Elise disappeared back into the brush, and Tim said, "That's alright folks, I actually met Elise only a couple days ago so she's not very comfortable around me yet. This is her first day around a lot of people, so try to be patient with her. I'm sure her caretaker, Owen, will be able to coax her from the brush. The Indominus attraction will begin at nine thirty, so don't be late."

Owen yawned as he gave the Observatory Room a final look over. He hadn't seen Elise today, but he knew she would show up on time. He cracked his neck before hearing Claire walk in. He smiled at her, and said, "Good morning, Beautiful."

While Claire appreciated the sincerity of the polite compliment, Owen could see the disapproval at the informal greeting, and he added, "I mean, Boss."

He winked at her, and Claire finally shook her head in amusement. Owen was amazed she hadn't picked at his attire since he only wore clean clothes; there was no way in hell he was going to wear a uniform. Instead, she walked over to him, and glanced out the window as she asked, "Are you ready?"

"Yes, Ma'am."

Claire couldn't stop a light smile, and she said, "Good, because there are a lot of cameras waiting for this."

"What?"

Owen didn't know that. He thought they would just usher in little kids, and tired parents. Claire raised an eyebrow at him before saying, "I put off all those interviews on the promise that they could film during the first attraction. We have reporters, news channels, and some journalists."

Owen pressed his lips before quietly saying, "I hope none of them are Jackal News."

Claire gave a quiet laugh, and shook her head as she said, "No, I picked the ones who were allowed here, and I requested calm people. You and Elise are going to have a very busy day today."

Owen blinked, but looked at his hip when Lowery said, "Hey, Owen! Elise totally crashed Rexy's first feeding, it was awesome. Now everyone is all excited about seeing Rexy's newest kid."

Claire snatched the radio off Owen's hip before he could say anything, and Lowery stopped her by saying, "And, no, Claire, no one actually saw her. She's being really shy today. People only saw a little bit of her, but it was enough to get them going."

Owen frowned before asking, "Shy? Elise isn't shy. Why would she be shy?"

Owen could actually hear Lowery shrug, but he could see the concern in Claire's eyes. People were expecting to see Elise full on, not her hiding in the bushes. He pressed his lips, and glanced at his watch. It was nine fifteen, and he said, "I want to tag team this with you. I go get Elise, and you do all the announcing until I can get up there."

Claire grabbed his arm when he walked by, and she said, "You have to be the one talking, Owen. It is you and Elise, not CEO, Owen, and Elise. I can stall until you get here, but you have to do the interviews."

Owen pursed his lips in thought before saying, "I can do that."

Claire smiled at him, and said as he walked out, "I had the workers change this window, it can slide back so you can get in."

Owen paused as he stared at the window of the log. He blinked at it before asking, "Is that why there's a short rail there?"

"Just in case."

Owen chuckled as he trotted out, and Claire let out a small sigh as she glanced back out the window.

* * *

Elise was already walking through the thick forest. She didn't want to be in front of people, but she had told Claire she would be there. Elise didn't have to do anything with Rexy, but this was for their pack. Elise wanted to help Claire take care of the pack.

She wondered what kind of reaction she would get out of people, but she didn't think it would be like Rexy.

Elise couldn't believe the adoring, excited energy the humans gave when Rexy made her appearance. They pressed against the glass instead of shying away from it. They were sad when she had left, and Elise wondered if people would like her.

Would she scare the little ones?

She scared full grown adults, and even massive dinosaurs. Elise didn't want to scare people like that.

Elise remembered Claire said this park was built to make people feel little, and she was sure she made people feel small. She just didn't understand why people liked that.

Would they think she should be put down too?

Was she too scary?

Elise wasn't sure, but she would power through it because she was going to help her pack bring in dirty money. She didn't care about the dirty money, but she wanted to help Claire, and Owen would be there.

He was supposed to protect her from humans, and she protected him from dinosaurs.

Elise felt better at remembering that silent agreement between them. Owen was her human, and he protected her. She trusted him, and he trusted her. Elise was his sunshiny, tough baby, and Owen was her little, precious treasure.

Elise perked up at hearing the motorbike, and she gave a shrill roar to call Owen over. She felt good when he gave his own 'I'm here' cry in the shrill whistle. Owen was funny because he was a human leading a dinosaur pack. He couldn't even make the same calls, but he made it work with his pack.

Elise didn't feel like a 'freak' around Owen because he was different too.

"My sunshine!"

Elise smiled, and gave a soft croon as she pressed her snout against Owen affectionately. He hugged her tightly before grinning as he said, "You got all the people excited by showing up with Rexy. Claire is happy about that. Tim said you were being a little shy, are you okay?"

Elise didn't want to talk about the bad feeling, but she wanted reassurance. She wished she had the words to describe it; they had only worked on greetings and goodbyes yesterday.

Owen leaned on the handlebars of his motorcycle as he patiently waited, and Elise finally took a claw before carefully tracing her crooked jaw with it. Owen frowned, and grew concerned, as he asked, "Is your jaw hurting, Baby? I can go get Dr. Gerry and he can help that. He said your jaw would probably be hurting with those teeth crowding each other."

Elise shook her head once, and she tried to gesture to herself. Owen wasn't understanding that, and he blinked at her. Elise gave a frustrated huff, and she gestured towards Rexy's paddock. Owen wasn't understanding that either, and he said, "Are you in pain?"

' _No.'_

"Are you afraid of seeing the people?"

Elise shook her head, but Owen was close. She loved how he seemed to know that, and he asked, "Are you afraid of how they'll react to you?"

' _Yes.'_

Owen raised his eyebrows as he tried to figure out where all this self-consciousness came from. He frowned as he thought about it before slowly asking, "Did that lady with Tim say something about how you looked? Did she say you would scare those people?"

Elise nodded, and she gestured to her crooked jaw once more. Owen stared at it for a second before sad realization donned on him.

Elise thought she looked like a 'crooked jawed freak'.

"Oh, Baby…Sweetheart, you come here."

Owen dismounted his bike as he gave the rough snout a fierce hug. Elise curled around him tightly as he said, "I know you don't look like Rexy, but that lady is being stupid. She's with the Petting Zoo, and they're being dumbasses."

Elise crooned quietly, and Owen pulled back as he said, "Eyes on me."

Owen gently patted the snowy cheek as he sternly said, "Sometimes people say hurtful things just to be hurtful. You are not a freak, you are my baby, alright? There are always going to be hurtful people, but you just need to ignore them, and focus on the people who care about you. I care about you, and so does Barry, Claire, Gerry, Jackie, Tim, Zach, Gray, and Rexy."

They glanced down when Owen's radio crackled, and Lowery dryly said, "So does everyone here at Control. _We care too, Owen!"_

Owen smiled when he heard some quiet cheers over the radio, and Lowery said, "And show time starts in five minutes, so knock them dead, Elise! But…um…not literally, okay?"

Elise smiled, and Owen winked at her as he said, "How about we do things our way? They want something to remember, and I know just the way for you to make your entrance. You and me, Baby. What do you say?"

Elise didn't want it any other way, and she gave a single nod.

* * *

Claire reminded herself to stand straight as she remained quiet in the Observation Room. It was absolutely packed with several guests, and the interviewers. She had to designate half the large room for the interviewers so the guests wouldn't feel put out.

A few children were bouncing around eagerly, and Claire looked up when a small girl asked, "Does she eat doughnuts?"

Claire blinked in confusion, and the girl pointed at a pile of four boxes in the corner of the room. She knew those were supposed to be in the break room, and she tilted her head when she read, 'Petting Zoo' on all of them. She tried not to press her lips as she answered, "No, I just have an immature handler."

Claire looked up when the interviewers suddenly exploded with several questions as said immature handler walked in confidently. Claire would ask about the doughnuts later, but Owen smiled as he quietly whispered to her, "We got it under control, okay?"

Claire hated handing control over to others, but she reluctantly nodded as she handed him the ear mic. Owen blinked at it momentarily before slipping it on, and he pressed the button. He gave it a few taps before saying over the questions, "Easy now, let's not scare my girl away. She's not all that fond of loud noises, and this is her first time around guests. She's going to be a few minutes late, she's powdering her face, but until then I will answer any questions you guys have."

Owen had already gone over what he was not allowed to do in the interviews, and Claire sincerely hoped he would be able to remember all that. She stepped aside, and refused to roll her eyes when the first question was, "Was the Indominus created with human DNA?"

Owen didn't miss a beat as he immediately answered, "Jurassic World can't confirm that. We don't have the files on her, at the moment, to officially answer that."

Claire relaxed, and smiled as she walked over to the back of the crowd where Owen could see her if he needed cues. Owen remained calm as a journalist asked, "Do you personally feel she has human DNA in her?"

Owen waited for Claire's permission, and she nodded before he answered, "In my own opinion, I do feel like she has human DNA in her. She is smart enough to learn advance sign language, which we are working on right now."

Owen pointed to a blonde reporter who asked, "So is it immoral for Jurassic World to be using the Indominus as an attraction?"

"Not in this case because our CEO, Miss Claire, has taken the time to personally explain everything to our Indominus. Our Indominus is more than aware that she will not be forced to do anything, and we have made it very clear that she does not have to appear. Jurassic World is doing all it can to right everything wrong."

Claire smiled approvingly, and Owen startled when a small, blonde child raised her hand politely. She didn't wait for Owen to call on her though, and she demanded, "Can we see her?! Rexy was being a good mama, and didn't let us see her."

Owen had no idea why such a little kid was watching the decimation of goats, but he liked her bravery. He couldn't help chuckling as he said, "Well, she'll show up when she want."

Claire frowned when Owen pulled the small, square cover of the wall back before pushing the button. The guests flickered their eyes nervously towards the glass window when it began to slide back. Owen had to do his best not to laugh at them, and he asked, "Any other questions while we wait?"

The blonde child raised her hand again, and asked, "Does she like doughnuts?"

Owen opened his mouth to answer before the guests suddenly froze when a long scraping sound slowly trickled down the back of the log. A hushed, insidious growl whispered from outside, and the guests all shuffled back.

Except for the blonde child, until her mother pulled her back. Owen could see the nervousness on them, but he kept his cool.

Claire raised an eyebrow, but Owen said, "Sounds like she's here."

Owen paused when a parent quietly asked, "Is…is she dangerous?"

Owen never understood that question. All animals had the potential to be incredibly dangerous. Even at normal zoos, the animals were considered dangerous, but he had removed the glass between them.

Owen nodded as he said, "She's incredibly dangerous, but all she needs is respect."

"…Are you sure you can control her?"

Owen resisted the urge to roll his eyes as he picked up a box of doughnuts, and said, "I don't control any of my animals. Not my raptors, and not this girl. What I have is a strong relationship based on trust and respect."

Owen turned a little gentler as he said to the blonde, "Now you wanted to know if she liked doughnuts, right?"

The girl nodded eagerly, and Owen dropped the box on the ground as he warned, "Brace yourselves, and no panicking, okay?"

They silently watched Owen push the box towards the ledge, and it was silent for a few seconds. He could actually hear them holding their breaths before a massive, clawed hand suddenly darted into the room. People gave startled yelps when the large middle talon speared the box, and a fierce snarl was heard as it slowly clawed back.

Owen admired the clean, white marks on the cement floor from the talons. No one made a sound, and Owen raised an eyebrow when a loud cough was made, followed by a confused garble.

The guests let out quiet gasps when Elise suddenly raised her snowy head, and Owen burst out laughing at her expression. She was supposed to toss the box violently at a tree or something, and he would snag a burger from the crowd before she made her entrance.

But Elise had decided to try the doughnuts apparently. It seemed like she didn't like them.

Her snout was crinkled in disgust as a jelly filled doughnut coated an ivory dagger with its purple filling. Her tongue would touch it to push it out, and she would make another sound of disgust. Elise turned her head to glare at Owen, before crooning for a little help. The white box was stuck to the top row of her teeth.

"Come here, Baby."

Owen walked over to the ledge, and Elise opened her jaws wide. Owen could actually feel the guests fearing for him as he yanked the box off. He tossed the box to the side before doing a double take at a silvery sheen stuck between large fangs. He raised his eyebrow as he tugged on it before asking, "What did you eat that had a collar?"

He grunted as he yanked on it, and the children made long sounds of disgust when the dribble of saliva dripped onto the floor. Claire cleared her throat quietly before she said, "That would be the goat in Rexy's paddock."

Owen shrugged as he tossed it onto the box of doughnuts, and Elise tried to clear the gross jelly from her mouth. Her teeth made sharp sounds as they smacked together, and Owen grinned as he said, "She doesn't like doughnuts."

Elise remained incredibly still as she slowly surveyed the crowd. She was surprised by the amount of people, but she was happy to see Claire. The redhead gave a small wave at her, and Elise let out a low croon. She could tell these people were wary of her, and she wasn't sure what to do.

Elise gently nuzzled Owen, wanting some kind of physical comfort because she wasn't sure if she liked what she felt in the room. He gently ran his hands along the scaled cheek as he resumed with the questions. Owen found most of them boring as he focused on the reporters wanting controversial information until he finally grew tired of them. Even Elise had taken to resting her jaw on the cement floor as she lightly dozed. Owen blinked when the blonde girl, who had decided to sit on the ground, raised her hand. The interviewers were nowhere near done, but Owen was, and he called on her.

"What's her name?"

Owen smiled; now he was getting to the questions he wanted to answer. The personal ones. He gently patted the snowy cheek, and Elise blinked when he said, "Her name is Elise; after the song Fur Elise. She likes classical music."

Another kid sat next to the girl, and he asked, "Is she cold? The Petting Zoo dinosaurs aren't."

Owen knew he wasn't connecting with the crowd like he wanted to; there was something missing. The kids were starting to warm up, but the adults continued to remain wary. He gave Elise a quick glance before saying, "Well, come over here, and find out."

Elise didn't want her nose to be touched by a bunch of strangers, and she gave Owen a dirty look. He gently tapped his own hand, and Elise understood. She didn't mind if they touched her hand; humans seemed to like that, and she was getting bored here.

Owen took a step back to allow the massive hand to gently rest on the cement with talons arched over the ground. The kid's eyes grew wide, and Owen playfully asked, "You coming or what? Elise won't mind."

Owen was still impressed when the boy stood, and made an arch around the hand before half hiding behind Owen. He led the boy over before pressing the small hand over the large index finger. Elise was carefully watching the boy, and his brown eyes became large dinner plates before exclaiming, "She's really warm!"

The boy put his other hand over her finger, and quietly said, "Your hand is really big…"

Elise knew that much, and she gently puffed air on the child. She watched him give a delighted laugh as he skittered back to his mother, and Owen asked, "Anyone else? Kid broke the ice."

Elise felt better when the little ones gently tackled her hand. She liked the soft pats, and exclamations of how huge she was. Elise still wasn't sure if she was doing what she was supposed to. She was supposed to make people feel little, but the children didn't seem to notice that they were little.

As the children slowly trickled back to their parents, Owen carefully scanned the crowd of people. The cameras were focused intently, and Owen blinked when he caught sight of a heavily tattooed, muscular man. It was only irony that his shirt was a plain white but the colorful tattoos decorated the arms, legs, and neck.

Time for another wow factor.

"Excuse me, Sir."

The tattooed man blinked when Owen beckoned him over, but he strolled over confidently. Elise carefully watched him, and she was amazed to see another human with the markings on his skin. There were a lot more than what Jackie had, but they were just as colorful. She liked looking at them, and she heard Owen ask her, "See any you like, Baby Girl?"

She could see the human tense under her scrutinizing gaze, and she crooned when she caught sight of the boldly colored arm. Owen chuckled before asking, "Which one?"

Claire felt her jaw drop when the white scales shivered before blossoming in brilliant greens. Purples, blues, and yellows patched over it until Elise looked like someone had attacked her mercilessly with a paintball gun. The human suddenly burst out laughing as he pointed to his arm, and saying, "I love that one; it was my first watercolor tattoo!"

Elise gave a low rumble, and the guy paused before quietly asking, "Can I get a picture of this?"

Elise didn't know what a picture was, but Owen didn't seemed concerned by the question. She puffed air at him, and Owen nodded. He smiled at Claire while the phones clicked like crazy, and Owen was proud of Elise for doing so well.

She cocked her head at the tattooed human when he chuckled, "I feel so little right now…it's crazy."

Elise beamed; she was doing her job. She was making them feel little. She allowed the human to gently touch her clawed index before he gave a small thank you. She carefully surveyed the crowd, and wondered if the others felt little.

It felt odd; she wasn't given the excited energy that Rexy received. This was quieter, and they seemed…in awe of her?

Elise carefully looked at Claire as she pondered this.

She was startled from her thoughts when the bold, blond child teetered up to her before thrusting a white paper at her. Elise tilted her head at the pink blob in the middle, and the girl explained, "I drew you!"

Elise was fully aware of what she looked like, and this pink blob did not look like her. She tilted her head, and squinted at it before seeing the familiar shape take place. She could make out her arms and tail. She assumed the two red dots were her eyes.

It wasn't a very good picture, but the child seemed so proud of it. It reminded Elise of the first time Small One had brought down her own kill. She was proud of herself, and Elise had been as well; she just didn't have the heart to tell Small One that the kill was already half dead from old age.

Elise didn't have the heart to hurt this little one either, and her scales shivered before turning the cheery pink similar to the paper. The girl gave an excited squeal before exclaiming, "A pink dinosaur! AHH!"

Elise tensed at the excited scream, and froze when the girl placed her hands on her cheek. Elise wanted to growl at the girl, to remind her of personal space, but it didn't seem like the right thing to do.

Instead, Elise gave a low rumble, and the girl said, "You can have the picture, Elise."

Elise had absolutely no use for the paper, but the gift somehow touched her. Elise carefully pulled back before she raised her left hand to her snout, and made a motion similar to blowing a kiss. Owen smiled, and kneeled down as he said, "She's says thank you."

The child beamed before saying, "You're welcome."

Elise tilted her head when the tension completely dissipated, and she rested her chin on the cement ground. She curled her arms to her chest before her finger began to quietly tap against her chest as she pondered.

She knew she was doing something right, but was she making them feel little?

Elise still found it odd that a man had decided to bring back dead creatures to make people feel small. How was it the secret to success for this park? Elise glanced at the warm faces of amazed people. It was so odd to see so many people be so calm and quiet.

Surely Rexy was doing her job correctly. She made those people happy too. Was it because Rexy was big too?

Elise blinked when she heard a woman quietly say to another, "I can't believe how gentle, and smart she is. She's so pretty with those white scales."

Elise heard the male respond, "She could eat that guy no problem, but she's so quiet around him…"

Elise wasn't sure why that clicked for her, but it suddenly seemed so clear to her. She wasn't supposed to make people feel physically small to scare them.

She was to humble them.

They weren't in awe of her size.

They were in awe of the sheer power she possessed. Humans liked powerful things, and something touched them to see discipline in exercising power tenderly.

She was a massive dinosaur who could have easily wiped out everything on this island, but now she knew better. People had run before because she wasn't restraining her power. Now they liked her because she was gentle and calm.

Elise had already figured out that humans were creatures used to being Alphas over all of the other creatures they shared this earth with.

But dinosaurs had roamed the world before them. Maybe dinosaurs were the Alphas before humans.

Maybe the humans liked seeing other Alphas. Claire did seem very fond of Rexy, and trusted her to solve problems with other dinosaurs. Elise glanced at her human, and he seemed happy where he was. He seemed to like talking to the people about her.

Elise knew Owen was rare because she had met so many humans who hadn't shown respect. Humans were arrogant creatures, and Elise continued to think about what Claire had told her during the rainy night.

Maybe this Hammond had brought back the dinosaurs to remind humans that they weren't as powerful and in control as they thought. Elise felt big when she felt powerful, and humans probably felt the same. They felt little when they were humbled.

Elise remembered how she had been in awe of Rexy the first time she saw her, and she wondered if people felt the same in her presence. Humans had used their intelligence to make themselves the most powerful, but they would never be born with raw power like Elise or Rexy had.

They were forced to realize that they were not the powerful creatures they had thought themselves to be when they came to Jurassic World.

That was John Hammond's plainly simple secret to success to making people feel small.

Humble them.

Elise crooned happily at herself before suddenly wrapping her fingers around Owen. He started when a large, pink tongue gave a slobbery kiss, causing his hair to cowlick, and he exclaimed, "Elise! Eww! No!"

Elise didn't lighten up as she continued to love on her human, and Claire burst out laughing at Owen futilely attempting escape.

Elise had found her purpose in life, and she was happy.


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N**

 **Hey guys! Today's chapter is going to be pretty short because, as a stereotypical American, I have a lot of fireworks to blow up today!**

 **Tomorrow's chapter will be much longer, but I hope you all have a happy Fourth! If you're not blowing things up, well, happy Saturday!**

 **As always, I am very grateful for your reviews. So, please enjoy!**

* * *

"Red, White, and... _Damn it, Blue!_ "

"You were amazing today!"

Elise crooned lovingly as she savored the gentle pats from Owen. He chuckled at the empty room around them, but his gaze fell onto the wall where the information posters had been posted. Now it was half decorated with drawings from several enthused children who adored the floor Elise walked on.

Some had happy suns with Elise and the child smiling under it. Others held pictures of Owen and Elise, while others were just blobs of colors.

Elise loved all of them, and Owen liked them better than the information posters.

Today had been crazy, but Owen felt like it had gone exceptionally well. Elise had impressed, and guests loved her. Even a few other handlers came by, and were won over by a cute croon or a show of bright colors.

Elise had enjoyed taking breaks to go hunt with Rexy, and Tim laughed until he cried when the Indominus had hidden herself in the brush before scaring Rexy when she went after the goat.

Rexy hadn't found that very funny, and Elise had skittered back to Owen with a sore tail. She thought it was worth it.

Elise suddenly turned her head before giving a loving croon at the rich laugh.

"There is my beautiful girl! I am so proud of how well you did today!"

Elise melted into a puddle when the kind hands found her jaw, and Barry continued to coo at her. Owen chuckled at it before asking, "Enjoy the show?"

"I did not hear a Crocodile Hunter accent."

Owen snorted as he picked up the mushy boxes of crushed doughnuts, and said, "Claire would have killed me for that one. She almost did after Elise pretended to eat me."

"I heard it was a nice touch, smearing the strawberry jam all over the floor while you 'screamed' in terror."

Owen grinned widely at his girl before saying, "It was worth it, those kids totally shit their pants."

Elise gave her sucked in laugh, and Barry couldn't help joining her. He sighed before saying, "The girls were not happy when you skipped out on their pig run."

Owen grimaced; he hadn't been able to go over there today. He would have to go there tomorrow for sure. He just wasn't sure if he would be able to find an opening. People only seemed to get more excited with every show him and Elise did.

Elise liked to change things around, and Owen was simply going along with it. He hadn't planned to fake his death. Elise had stolen a strawberry filled doughnut, and smeared it on his hand before the next group came in. Owen had seen the mischievous glint in her crimson eyes, and he just couldn't resist the temptation of scaring the life out of all the crowding, aggressive interviewers.

He loved it.

Owen had dropped the last box of the Petting Zoo doughnuts on the ground, and Elise had snatched him instead. Claire's face had been priceless, and Elise was irritated when Owen couldn't keep the act up because he was laughing so hard.

"I heard Claire had to give coupons to the parents as an apology."

"It was a coupon for a free cheeseburger, big whoop. I wasn't the only one laughing."

Elise turned her head when she heard Rexy's loud roar to come home, and she gave Barry a gentle nudge with her snout. Elise pinned Owen with her hand before repeatedly running her tongue over him in slobbery kisses. Owen grimaced, but feared opening his mouth to tell her off.

Elise finally released him, and Owen said, "Eww, Elise! No more kisses like that!"

Elise snorted, and responded by giving an extra slobbery kiss. Owen spat, and gave a half-hearty dirty look. He melted under the adoring gaze, and shooed her off with a growl that had no bite to it.

"Get your butt home before Rexy comes looking for you."

He allowed a small smiled to pull at his lips when she flicked her tail at him before disappearing into the thick forest. Barry nudged him playfully as he said, "I can guarantee Blue will not be that affectionate when she sees you. They're itching for another run."

Owen believed that, and he picked up the smashed boxes before they walked out. The park was quiet, but Owen could see the lights in the hotel from night owl guests.

"I wonder if I can get Claire to allow letting them loose in Elise's paddock. The Repair Team only has a couple more hours of work on the fence. Elise will have a door she can swing open if she wants."

"I think our Repair Team is full of miracle workers. Seriously, I can't even finish a puzzle that fast."

Owen burst out laughing as he tossed the ruined doughnuts in the garbage, and he wasn't sure what he would be able to use for tomorrow. Maybe the Petting Zoo would have pizza instead; Elise would like pizza. Owen sighed as he worked the loose muscles in he shoulders; it had been too long since he had so much fun. He couldn't remember the last time he laughed that hard, and Elise's laugh was so contagious.

Owen playfully punched Barry's arm as he said, "Hey, I'll see the girls first thing in the morning, and I'll talk to Claire about giving them a run. Maybe we can fit cameras on them or something, and let the people watch."

"Have them chase the pig."

Owen grinned widely before saying, "Or Elise. She's great at hiding, I bet it would give the girls a run for their money."

Barry nodded excitedly before disappearing around the corner. Owen felt good as he rolled his bike out, but snapped his head up at an angry, "Hey!"

Surprise, surprise. It was his most favorite woman in the world.

"How are you, Debra?"

Owen loved how she looked incredibly pissed as she marched over in her safari attire. He didn't give any ground, and raised an eyebrow when she jabbed a finger into his chest before snapping, "You stole the Petting Zoo's doughnuts! What the hell is your problem?!"

Owen pressed his lips as he pretended to think hard, before dryly saying, "Well…it just might be the asshole who decided to make my girl so self-conscious about herself that she didn't want to make an appearance."

Owen smacked the hand away from him, and growled, "What's your problem anyways? I haven't done shit to you. You're the goddamn _Petting Zoo_ keeper. You're supposed to be…jolly or whatever."

Debra darkened before she snapped, "Do you know how many animals I lost because of that thing? I lost seven of my kids because of it!"

Owen didn't want to be insensitive, and he patiently said, "Look, I'm sorry you lost your kids. I couldn't even handle losing one of my own girls. I don't know how you function with losing seven, but Elise didn't know the Aviation assets would come here. She was trying to avoid getting shot."

"I don't give a damn what she was doing! Whether or not she meant to, she got a lot of people killed. Our CEO went down in flames! Our best ACU soldiers were killed, and most of our Apatosaurus herd was carved up for no good reason."

Owen frowned, and leaned forward as he snapped, "She was born into a world where no one understands what the hell she is. Her sister was born sick, and Elise watched her die because no one was willing to help her. Every single night, for almost six years, Elise has slept next to her sister's skeleton because she had no one else. What the hell do you think that did to her? Elise is almost a human, what would it do to a human who grew up in complete isolation?"

Owen stepped back as he swung his leg over his bike, and he added, "I don't think they would function very well. Elise did mess up, but now she knows better. Leave her alone, and I'll leave your gross doughnuts alone."

But pizza was fair game.

He didn't wait for a response as he fired up his bike before riding off. He could feel Debra's livid gaze the entire time.

Owen didn't care.

* * *

"Blue, do _not_ give me that shit!"

Owen knew he was going to receive hellfire for skipping a day, but Blue was acting way out of line. She had completely ignored his order to stop as she disappeared back into her nest. Delta and Echo shifted around nervously before their Beta came out with the chewed up, black boot.

Blue was pissed Owen had been gone, and she was currently raking her claws through it slowly. She only stared at him, but refused to heed any order. Owen wasn't very happy with that, but the other two obeyed their orders. They got their treats, and he barked, "Delta, Echo, get going!"

Blue narrowed her eyes when Owen took away her opportunity to disobey another order, and she hissed challengingly at him. Owen immediately stiffened before snapping, _"Stand down."_

Owen had hardly used that tone, but Blue had never been so pushy with him before. She was frustrated with him, and Owen wished he could communicate with her like he did Elise.

Blue finally broke eye contact as she took to shredding the boot in a fit of rage. Owen marched down the stairs before opening the cage door. It was early in the morning, and only a few people were here. Barry went wide eyed as he asked, "What are you doing?"

Owen didn't answer him, but gave a sharp, quick whistle before barking, "Blue! Knock that shit off right now!"

The two other raptors jumped at the livid tone, and they crouched quietly in the bushes. Blue snapped her head up, and dropped the boot before giving another hiss as she prowled forward. She wanted to talk to him face to face, and Owen pondered for a second before pushing the button.

Blue intently watched the door slide up, and before Owen could tell her to wait, Blue bolted into the cage. She butted her head into the door that would let her out of the paddock completely, and Owen snapped, "Blue!"

The raptor hissed at him, but claimed the ground she was standing on. She was blocking the door, and she refused to leave.

"What the hell is your problem?"

Blue snapped her jaws as she garbled an insult at him, and Owen narrowed his eyes. They refused to break eye contact with one another, and Blue began to shift around before letting out a needy whine. Owen finally sighed, and relaxed before saying, "Ease up, Blue."

The blue raptor didn't want to fight with her Alpha, and she gave a quiet shiver of her jaws. Owen watched the large, razor talon on her toe tap the ground out of agitation, and Owen finally got the message.

"We're wanting another run…"

Blue understood run, and she gave a shrill shriek before clawing at the cage door eagerly. She wanted to run free, somewhere new. She knew every inch, every leaf of their paddock, and she was finally bored. She had tasted the thrill of running somewhere new, and she wanted to do it again.

Owen had seen the sheer joy of hunting in the jungle. Her gold eyes practically glowed with the excitement. She had even allowed Owen to ride alongside her.

For the first time, there was complete unity amongst the pack as they tore through the jungle in the dark.

Blue wanted that again.

Owen did too, and he sighed, "Alright, alright, I understand."

Blue jumped high before smacking the top of the cage with a swipe of her claws. Despite her temper, Owen knew he was lucky he ended up with a Beta who actually tried to communicate with him.

Owen snorted as he leaned on the bars before pulling out his radio. He knew Claire was awake, but he turned the dial before asking, "Hey, Lowery? You there?"

Blue shoved her snout into Owen's chest as she tried pushing him towards the door. She wanted to encourage him to get his ass moving. They were burning daylight doing nothing in the cage! There was wind to chase! Prey to hunt! An entire world to explore with her sisters and Alpha!

Owen couldn't help his smile at the infectious energy, and he playfully jabbed her ticklish side. Blue yelped, and Owen chuckled as he yanked his hand away from the snapping jaws. Blue paused, and tilted her head when a grumbly, cranky voice drawled, "What? It's like…seven in the morning….why are you up?"

"Echo is up at five every day."

Lowery groaned again before retorting, "She likes to start the day out with disappointment? It ruins my day when I wake up that early."

Owen snorted as he hooked his fingers under the scaly chin of his best girl, and Blue gave a delighted trill at him. Lowery huffed again, and Owen asked, "Any way I can get connected to Claire? I need permission from the big boss."

Lowery yawned before he asked, "About what?"

Owen smiled as he ran his fingers down the long, graceful back. Blue rested her head on his shoulder before snagging her claws onto his clothes. She rubbed her jaws back and forth, and Owen knew what she was doing.

She was making sure he smelled like the pack.

The other two sensed the peace again, and Owen felt at home when they pressed close as well. This was how a good, strong pack looked. He loved being around Elise, but it didn't feel like a pack without his other girls. He had promised Elise they would be a pack.

It was time to make good on that promise.

Owen smiled wider when he caught that blazing, gold fire that made Blue look so dangerous. She was excited because she knew exactly what he was thinking.

"I want to take the girls for a run."


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N**

 **I hope you all had a happy Saturday!**

 **I made a recent discovery. Apparently I made a mistake when I thought the kid who fell into the Raptor Paddock was nameless. I named him Scott because I couldn't find his actual name, but whoa and behold, I found it while lurking around an updated wiki page. His name is actually Leon, but in this story he shall stay Scott because I like the name Scott better.**

 **Anyways, please enjoy this chapter of our favorite Oreo and Cheeto munching raptors!**

* * *

"Mama Knew."

Blue paced about her cage excitedly; she couldn't remember the last time she had felt so giddy. Maybe when she had taken Alpha's black foot cover, but that had been more amusing than exciting.

They were going to go run with Alpha!

Blue had always known they could outrun Alpha, but she had been so happy to see him right next to her when they were hunting the White One. Blue could smell her odd scent clinging strongly to Alpha, and that had made her livid.

What was Alpha thinking? Spending time with non-pack. That was wrong! It had been a long time since Blue had to pull the foot cover out to remind Alpha that he was not _that_ high and mighty. He was not allowed to leave them without good reason.

He was, under no circumstances, allowed to even consider skipping on their pink prey chase.

Alpha is lucky she is a forgiving creature.

Blue let out an impatient screech, and was pleased to see Alpha had looked up from the talking box in his hands. He raised an eyebrow, deciding whether or not to cooperate before saying, "Easy, Blue."

It was his command to be patient, but Blue wasn't in the mood to be patient! She knew he could open the hard bars in the way. They could be running right now! Reigning terror in the thick jungle full of exciting smells, and thrilling chases! There was adventure to be found!

 _But Alpha wasn't cooperating!_

Owen rolled his eyes when Blue gave a loud, dramatic moan. She was definitely the most free spirited of his girls; she was the most in touch with the wildfire blood that made her ancestors so intelligently terrifying.

Echo was his old soul who was a little mellower. She was a composed thinker who had to remind Blue to calm down once in a while. Most of the time Blue wouldn't listen, but Owen always appreciated Echo's attempt.

Owen smiled when Delta gently poked around his pocket for anything interesting; she was his good girl. She hardly gave him shit even when she really wanted to. She was his most patient baby; willing to wait a little longer for the pig to come out of the cage.

Charlie had been his cuddly baby when she was little. She had spent the first week of her life in his pocket because she wouldn't stop wailing when he put her down.

Owen missed that.

He looked up when Blue had flopped onto her side before kicking the dirt childishly. It had been a very long time since she had thrown a tantrum around him, and it was actually funny to see an adult Velociraptor roll in the dirt because she wasn't getting her way soon enough.

"Hey, Scott, what's taking so long? Blue's having a meltdown over here."

Owen grinned when Echo gave a sharp snarl, and Blue yowled at her dramatically. Echo huffed before burying her head further in the bushes to drown out the irritating sounds, and Delta went back to exploring Owen's vest. He ran his hand down her graceful neck when the radio crackled, and Scott said, "Um, sorry, I had to find the hitch, but I'm coming up the road right now."

Owen snorted when Blue decided to pull out her last tactic to get his attention.

Play dead.

The blue Velociraptor was an incredible actor when she began to cough and wheeze to the point of even drooling. She rolled her eyes wildly while thrashing in the dirt before giving a choked cry. She seemed to pause with her head raised as she let out a loud exhale, and then flopped lifelessly onto the ground.

Owen could have killed her the first time she pulled that with him. They had really gotten into a fierce argument to the point where Owen had lost his temper. The blue raptor had used all the colorful curse words in her vocabulary before suddenly flopping over. Owen thought she had been having a seizure; it had been unbearably hot for the past week. He had almost bolted over the platform to get to her, but Echo had bent over to sniff her suddenly still sister. He carefully watched her, and the almost bronze raptor had given Owen a dry look.

Like she had seen it before.

Owen had then seen Blue briefly crack open a perfectly fine, golden eye to watch him. She had set a trap, and Owen had responded by soaking her with the hose as he chastised her for giving him a heart attack.

Blue didn't try that again for a while, but Charlie loved the water.

"Blue, you don't know how much I love you, but you're so damned dramatic sometimes."

The blue raptor kept her act up, and Owen smirked before slyly saying, "I'll squirt you with the hose again."

Blue was calling his bluff, and Owen couldn't help his grin as he lightly rattled the cage door. Owen laughed when a praise Jesus miracle happened, and his Beta was miraculously raised from the dead. She moaned loudly, and flopped back over when she realized she had been caught.

Owen did feel himself go soft at seeing her look crushed, and he gently said, "Blue, be patient. We're going to go run, I promise."

His Beta grumbled before turning her back to him as she sulked. Echo briefly raised her head to glare at her blue sister, and Delta trotted over to give her comfort. Blue was inconsolable though.

Alpha was unbearably _slow!_

Owen chuckled good naturedly, and smiled when he saw the trailer backing up to the cage door. Blue refused to acknowledge anything now, but Echo tilted her head curiously at the bright red, brake lights. Owen guided Scott back as best he could, and gave the signal to stop. He stayed in the car to keep his foot on the brakes just in case, and Barry slid the door to the side.

Owen gave it a look over before giving a sharp whistle.

Blue perked her head up at that. That was Alpha's 'Gather' order. She twisted her head to blink at Owen, and he gave another Gather order before saying, "Alright girls, we going or what?"

Blue gave a delighted screech when Owen swung the door open, and she bolted up. Her sisters followed closely before Blue suddenly skidded to a dead halt right at the trailer entrance.

This was not running.

Blue did not want to be carried around in the bouncy cage. She narrowed her eyes at Alpha for trying to pull a dirty trick, but Owen didn't bat an eye at her.

"Blueberry!"

Blue snapped her head to the front of the trailer where she saw Barry poking his head through another, smaller door in the trailer. He was shaking the shiny, blue paper that held…

OREOS!

Blue dove into the trailer, and Barry dropped the package before slamming his door shut. The package didn't even come close to hitting the ground, and Owen chuckled as his other two jumped into the trailer with more grace.

Owen slid the silver door shut as he shook his head, and tossed in two bags of Cheetos so they didn't feel left out. Delta and Echo crooned their thanks, and Owen smiled as he mounted his bike then said to Scott, "Try not to bounce around so much. Blue's going to be pissed when she finishes those Oreos."

"She takes like, ten minutes for each Oreo, and there's four in that bag."

Barry got into the car, and shut the door as he said, "Three, I wanted one."

"You're a brave man."

Barry only chuckled as he took a bite of the cookie, and they all heard a livid snarl. Delta probably tried to take an Oreo.

But Owen was pretty sure Blue had a feeling the package was short one delectable cookie.

* * *

Blue was pissed. She hated this bouncy cage, and she gave a furious shriek when it bounced again. She didn't like the funny smelling shavings under her feet. She wanted to run! Did Alpha think her legs were not working properly? Maybe she shouldn't have tried to fake him.

Blue shoved her nose out the small window, and she heard Alpha's silver, metal thing give a loud snarl as he moved a little faster. She gave a livid scree to let him know that every foot cover she saw on him would now be hers if he tried to put them in their cage without letting them run.

Owen gave a chuckle as he slowed his bike down to where he could smile at his best girl. He could see all the sharp teeth on her, and he revved his bike. Blue's blazing, gold eye immediately snapped to the window, and he called out, "Easy, Blue! We're almost there!"

Blue snarled at him, and Owen was pretty sure she would be swearing like a sailor if she could talk in his tongue. He could see the other two pressed away from her, and he shook his head in sympathy. He probably should have closed the separator door before putting the other two in.

Blue lurched forward when the cage suddenly came to a stop, and she bumped her nose into the cold metal. She saw red, and let out a furious scream that made her siblings flinch back. Blue was ready for another fight with Alpha; no amount of Oreos would sway her from this decision.

Echo seemed to sigh quietly as she put a reassuring claw on her nervous sister; Blue would get over herself eventually.

Owen opened the paddock doors before guiding Scott in. The park was going to open in about fifteen minutes, but he would have an hour and a half to run Blue ragged. She was definitely pissed, and Scott intended to stay in the car.

The truck stopped, and Owen closed the paddock doors; he didn't want to risk Blue going in the wrong direction. They would leave it here until it was time to take the girls back home.

Assuming Owen could get Blue back inside.

He would probably need Elise to shove her in, and that would not end well.

Owen grimaced at the image, and made sure all was clear before giving a sharp whistle for their attention. He tried not to snort when Blue slid into the door, and her dagger-lined mouth barred aggressively poked through the window.

"You don't scare me, Blue. Stand down."

He rolled his eyes when she puffed air through her nose, and he growled, "Stand. Down."

Blue cocked her livid gaze at him, and Owen crossed his arms. That was his way of saying he would not be swayed from his decision. Blue knew better than to fight him when that happened, and she garbled as she backed up.

"That is damn good, Blue."

Owen chuckled when she snarled quietly, and he undid the locks on the door before sliding it back.

"Whoa!"

Blue slid to a halt, and paced around nervously. She wouldn't disobey an order, but she wanted out of the cage. Owen really hated when she got incredibly excited, and he finally said, "Come."

He stepped to the side, and the trailer bounced loudly as the three bolted off of it. Blue made to run, but froze at the long line of massive trees before her. She had never seen such tall trees, and the smells filled her sensitive nose. She chittered quietly, and her sisters pressed close as they watched for trouble.

Blue could smell lots of prey, and several birds chirping cheerily. She scanned the jungle for danger, and snapped her head to the side when Owen stood next to her. Good. An Alpha needed to stand next to the Beta in new territory. She was glad he was perfectly relaxed, and titled her head when he gave the Gather whistle.

But everyone was here.

Blue risked pressing her nostrils to the ground, and she didn't like when she smelled the White One. Was this her territory? Blue did not want to fight White One without good reason. Was Alpha trying to hunt her again? That didn't end well for anyone last time.

Owen gave another shrill whistle, and he smiled when the loud roar responded. His girls shifted nervously, and he gently said, "Easy."

Blue didn't want to run here; White One was dangerous, and very smart. She didn't like how Alpha was Gather calling when there was no need for it.

Blue pressed closer to Alpha when White One poked her head from the thick brush. Blue was ready to defend the pack with her life, and she paused when White One gave a warm greeting.

Like she was greeting her pack.

Blue tilted her head, and startled when Owen gave a happy chuckle before walking over. Blue had no idea what was going through his head, but she was not going to risk her own life for his stupidity. Everything on White One screamed 'run'.

Stupid Alpha.

Blue remained wary, but became confused when Elise lowered her head as she gave low, adoring croons. Elise gently pressed her snout against Owen, and he said, "Good morning, Sunshine. Is that fence close off so Rexy doesn't come looking for us?"

Elise nodded once, and Owen grinned widely as he said, "Great. Blue was going crazy in the paddock; she really needs a good run. That's okay with you, right?"

Blue cocked her head when she heard her name. She carefully watched Alpha and White One communicate with one another, and it seemed White One understood Alpha's garbled sounds. The Beta marched over until she was standing proudly next to Owen. If they were going to talk about her, then she wanted to know what it was.

Blue gave a firm bark to remind White One that she was the Beta, and the Indominus immediately lowered her head to Blue's eye level. Blue refused to give ground, and startled when White One gave a respectful shiver of her jaws.

White One did not want to challenge her for the title of Beta.

Blue cocked her head as she tried to wrap her head around this, but she took a bold step forward to catch the snowy dinosaur's scent. Blue blinked; White One did not smell bitter anymore. There was a peace about her that Blue did not smell last time they met. She seemed more stable, less angry, and much warmer.

White One smelled strongly of Alpha.

It took Blue a few more seconds before she finally understood, and gave an impressed garble.

Stupid Alpha had convinced White One to join their pack! He somehow kept his title over White One, and now they had a very powerful member in their pack.

Sometimes, Stupid Alpha did smart things, and each time, Blue would be impressed. Maybe she wouldn't take all his boots, and Blue threw her head back as she chirped her question. Blue wanted to know if this was White One's territory.

Owen watched Elise tilt her head briefly before giving a long low growl, and small chitters. Blue paused before jumping high as she gave a delighted shriek, and her sisters grew excited. Blue was over the moon with White One. White One had corrected her. This was not _her_ territory, this was the _pack's_ territory. White One already knew the area, and she wanted the pack to be here to run as much as they want.

Oh, if only Blue had an Oreo to share! She would give both Alpha and White One an Oreo! Stupid Alpha had accomplished a wonderful thing, and White One was already acting like a good pack member. Blue remembered how alone she smelled, but now she smelled like Alpha.

White One needed to smell like the pack.

Owen chuckled as he watched Blue give a giant leap before landing on Elise's neck. The blue raptor looked around before sprawling on the white scales as she rubbed her jaw back and forth. Echo tilted her head, but Delta was all for another family member. Elise glanced down when Delta had begun to rub along the massive leg, and Owen smiled.

He was glad Blue had been so accepting; he had never introduced someone else to the pack, but it seemed all went well. Elise was charismatic with the raptors. Blue continued to roll down the large back, and Echo finally found the bravery to approach Elise. She carefully sniffed around, and Elise lowered her head. They briefly glanced at one another, and Owen raised an eyebrow when Echo suddenly thrust her head into the snowy cheek. Elise gently pressed back, and Owen wondered if Blue would roll off the Indominus.

Blue did almost roll off, but his graceful girl caught herself. She jumped off Elise, and immediately bolted over to Owen as she chittered excitedly. Owen wondered if the blue raptor got ahold of some kind of caffeine because he had never seen her so hyper before.

Blue suddenly thrust her head into Owen's chest as she began to push him over to his bike, and Owen couldn't help laughing loudly. He only laughed harder when Blue gave him a dirty look for laughing, and he finally said, "Alright, alright, we're going."

Finally! Blue could not believe it took so much effort to get here, but it was worth it.

The radio on Owen's hip crackled, and Blue let out a snarl as she tackled it. Owen gave a startled yelp when she snagged it off before viciously tearing it apart. Blue would _not_ allow anymore interruptions! Alpha would always get distracted by his talking box, and Blue was putting her foot down, damn it!

Owen pressed his lips at the massacred radio on the ground before dryly asking, "Really? You're gonna give me that shit?"

Blue gave a stern chirp as she spat out the antenna, and Owen rolled his eyes loudly. He hoped no one important was on the radio, and he jumped when a hidden speaker in Elise's paddock said, " _Sheesh._ What's her problem? She on her period?"

Blue gave a defiant shriek at the invisible intruder, but Elise gave a croon to be calm. There was no danger, and Owen said, "No, Lowery, Blue just wants to run. She's tired of distractions, so make it quick please."

Blue gave a vicious hiss to confirm this, and Lowery paused before saying, "Claire just wanted you to make sure you were back in time for your first show. Someone important is coming apparently; don't know who, but don't be late."

Owen turned on his bike, and gave a thumbs up before revving the engine. Blue bounced around excitedly, and Owen couldn't help his loud laugh as he took off quickly. Blue was right next to him the entire time, and he could feel the thudding steps of Elise behind him.

Blue gave a delighted cry to keep the pack together, and Owen grinned as he kicked the bike into a higher gear. Delta and Echo gave their own cries before being drowned out by Elise's roar.

Blue remained right next to Owen, and the two shared a glance, both thinking the same thing.

The pack was whole again.

* * *

"Oh my God, _Echo_! What are you _doing_?!"

Owen was sprawled on his back as he clutched his chest, but his mellow girl gave a delighted, cheerful chirp as she shook the water off herself. Elise had taken the lead when they broke into the plains, and they came to the large pond she called her own. Blue had finally calmed down, and she was more than willing to take a break in the shade of a cool, luscious tree. Delta wanted to get to know Elise, and Owen had been content to lean against a rock as he allowed his eyes to slowly slide shut.

Everything had been going great until his girls got a little too quiet. Owen had looked around. Blue had been sleeping, Elise was chittering with Delta, but Echo was nowhere to be found.

Then the air bubbles disturbed the water next to Owen, and he had been dumb enough to go investigate. He practically shat himself when Echo burst from the water like she was imitating Lilly the Mosasaur.

Elise gave her sucked in laugh as Owen picked himself off the ground, and Blue gave a wide yawn. She garbled before standing, and shook the sleep from herself. She was ready to start running again. Owen smiled, and checked his watch before grimacing; they had less than a half hour before the first show. He still had to go get a few things ready, but there was no way Blue was done running.

Owen sighed, and looked at Elise as he said, "I need to get back to the Observatory Room to make sure it's ready to go. Can you make sure you get back in time? Lowery will give you a heads up, but I know Blue isn't ready to go back."

Owen turned to his Beta, and sternly said, "Do _not_ go and piss off Rexy."

Blue tilted her head; Alpha gave her an order, but she didn't understand it. Blue glanced to Elise for some help, and the Indominus shivered her jaws before giving a serious of clicks. Blue gave a dirty look at Owen when she realized what he said.

Stupid Alpha had just upgraded to Very Stupid Alpha. Why the hell would she go and trespass in another's territory when she didn't even know her own yet? Blue snorted loudly, and Owen dryly said to Elise, "Yah, I don't need a translation for that one. Just make sure they don't try to escape anywhere. The fences are a no go, but Blue is a shit; she'll try anything. Please drill it into her head that I will be very pissed if they go outside of this territory."

Elise nodded, and pressed her snout against Owen lovingly before he started his bike. He gave Blue a stern look, and growled, "Behave."

Blue knew that word, and she hissed at him; he needed to act smarter. Owen smiled at her, and winked at Elise as he said, "Don't let her push you around just because she's the Beta. You know the territory."

Elise crooned at him, and Owen drove off. Blue tilted her head when he didn't give an order to follow before she jumped excitedly.

 _Alpha left, so she was in charge._

 _In uncharted territory!_

Blue gave a delighted squeal as she bounced around with the freedom, and Echo looked to Elise for a little help. The Indominus snorted, and she rose as she gave a croon to follow. She knew a fun spot to hunt; full of challenging prey that would keep Blue busy.

Echo and Delta were content to follow the calm one, but Blue tilted her head when she realized they were leaving. She gave an indignant snarl, but Elise swayed her with the promise of fun prey to hunt.

Blue was more than willing to follow for that.

* * *

Elise sighed happily as she quietly lied in the shade of a single, large tree in the plains. Delta was currently curled up against her side while Blue and Echo desperately tried to catch the small, incredibly quick, and furry creatures that lived in holes in the ground.

Owen had called them rabbits.

It was funny to watch them try to herd the skittish animal towards one another, and it would bolt down a hole.

Delta looked up when she heard a loud smack, and her sisters were suddenly on the ground. Elise snorted; she had seen that one coming a mile away. A rabbit had poked its head from a hole, and the two sisters dove after it. Neither caught the creature, and Elise could only imagine how sore their heads would be.

Echo stumbled up before giving a furious shriek, and she wobbled over to Elise. She was done hunting the rabbits; Alpha always brought food with him. She would eat when they saw him again.

Blue would not be bested by such a small prey though, and she immediately bolted up. Elise tilted her head when dirt began to fly as Blue furiously tore through the rabbit's hole. Echo grumbled as she curled close to her sister, and Delta began to gently groom her sore head.

Elise crooned softly to her, and Echo garbled as she tried to lick the embarrassing feeling from herself. Elise nuzzled her gently to assure her all was well, and she looked up when Blue gave a victorious scream when a brown rabbit bolted past her.

Blue zeroed in on the fleeing creature as she began to gain ground. She didn't focus on anything else, and pushed her powerful legs off the ground to give a flying leap. Elise blinked at the cloud of dust, and Echo rested her head on the white tail as Blue gave a cry of victory.

The powdery dust cleared away to reveal Blue violently shaking the dead rabbit as punishment for being so damned difficult to catch, and Elise suddenly froze.

Blue glanced to the side of her when she heard the danger call from Echo, and a puff of hot air knocked into her. Blue narrowed her eyes, and whipped around with a vicious snarl that died in her mouth as the shadow covered her.

Sweet Oreos! Blue had never seen _anything_ that huge before! The furious, gold eyes made Blue freeze, and she wondered if she had trespassed. Oh, Oreo fillings! Had she just stolen a kill from this huge carnivore's territory? Blue had never seen so many large teeth in one mouth, and she didn't trust the flimsy looking fence between them to save her.

Rexy let out a long, powerful exhale from her massive chest as she pinned the blue Velociraptor with a furious glare. She was actually impressed the raptor hadn't bolted, but she could see the gears whirling in her head. The blue one didn't know what to do, and she looked younger than the other raptors Rexy had fought long ago.

But she had the same cunning gleam as the Big One. Rexy despised that raptor, and she still got pleasure from remembering how she had thrown the Big One into the skeleton.

Rexy let out a low growl, and she paused when the raptor dropped her kill before taking a step back. It wasn't a step to flee, it was a respectful step back to give her space. Rexy watched Blue pause before pushing the dead rabbit forward hesitatingly, and the old dinosaur snorted.

She was obviously not aware that this fence would hurt when touched. The blue raptor wasn't sure what to do, and her pack mates gave cries for her to run.

But Blue wasn't one to run away.

Rexy glanced up when she caught sight of her youngling trotting forward with the other two raptors close to her. Rexy couldn't help sighing; she had her suspicions on what her youngling exactly was.

Elise dipped her head respectfully as she gave a peaceful croon. Blue finally snapped out of her stunned stupor, and she bolted back to the safety of Elise's shadow. She kept her mouth shut because something about this huge one screamed 'behave'.

Rexy gave a stern growl that made the raptors flinch, but Elise responded in a similar tone though it had less bite. Blue snapped her gaze up at the Indominus above her as she tried to comprehend what was going on. Could White One talk to this one as well? How could White One talk to her, Alpha, and this one? Where did she learn so many different tongues?

Blue hoped White One could sway Stern One; she didn't mean to trespass. Stern One could keep the kill; Blue would even give her an Oreo if it pleased her.

Rexy snapped her gaze down to Blue, who responded by lowering herself slightly. Rexy wasn't sure what to do from here. The blue raptor hadn't trespassed, and it seemed White One was fond of these raptors.

Rexy wasn't stupid. She knew exactly what a Velociraptor sounded like, and her youngling still made those sounds occasionally when they talked. Rexy realized the forelimbs were not like her own, and White One seemed to be just a little bit smarter than the average hatchling.

But she was also like Rexy. She had her size, her terrifying roar, and her natural power.

Rexy wanted to know how White One came to be, but she didn't ponder on it too long because there were three raptors sitting too close to her territory. Yet, they were all respectful of her space; they didn't want to trespass, and Rexy was fine with that.

Because that meant they would heed a line.

Rexy stood a little taller, and was pleased to see the raptors shrink down fearfully. She gave _one_ warning snarl, and they flinched back. Blue blinked, and jumped when Elise chittered at her. All three got the message, and they unanimously took a step back; there would be no trespassing.

Rexy gave a pleased snort before giving a stern growl to Elise. She could be a Velociraptor on _that_ side of the fence, but she had to be a Tyrannosaurus on _her_ side. The raptors stayed over there, but White One needed to act like a proper youngling around her.

In her younger days, Rexy might have abandoned Elise, and deemed her a lost cause. Rexy would have waited around for another hatchling to teach, but she knew she was old. Her bones were starting to ache a little more in the morning, and her temper wasn't what it used to be.

Rexy liked Elise's company, and her warmth helped sooth the aching bones throughout the night. Elise's presence made Rexy want to get up a little earlier in the morning because she needed to be taught how to survive just in case the humans left.

Having Elise around gave Rexy a purpose besides occasionally chasing her tall human out of the paddock.

Rexy knew Elise would probably be the last hatchling she adopted, and she had to make the most of it. Rexy wanted to have at least one _dinosaur_ hatchling to carry on her legacy. Elise wasn't bad, she was just different.

It wasn't bad to be able to communicate with raptors, or even join a pack of them. So long as Elise did that on her side of the fence. If no raptors came to Rexy's side, then she would allow Elise to be her odd mixture.

Content with her decision, Rexy gave a long, low rumble that made Elise brighten incredibly. She crooned happily before the carnivores snapped their heads up when Lowery said, "Elise? Not quite sure where you're at because of your stupid mud pies, but the show is going to start in about ten minutes, so please get going."

Blue gave a loud shriek as she jumped threateningly towards the mud covered bird. There was a pause before Lowery poorly mimicked Owen's voice as he snapped, "Don't give me that _shit,_ Blue."

Blue snarled loudly, and Lowery sighed before going quiet. Rexy cocked her head to stare at the feisty raptor, and she kind of liked her. She wasn't afraid to fight, but she seemed to know what fights were worth the trouble.

It was good if White One was around smart animals.

Elise gave a croon, and Rexy shooed her off. She had already memorized the pattern from yesterday. When the man drawled on the speakers, it was time for White One to leave. Rexy watched her youngling give a farewell roar as the three raptors trotted around her.

It was so odd how she somehow managed to belong to a raptor pack, but easily passed for a Tyrannosaurus. White One was her different hatchling, but different wasn't always bad. She used her different gifts to her advantage, and Rexy appreciated her for that.

The Tyrannosaurus turned to walk back to her own nest; it was time for a nap before going to visit her tall son. The wind shifted, and Rexy could smell all the odd scents clinging to her hatchling. Amusement filled the old dinosaur as she picked out a particular scent.

Rexy had a feeling her youngling hadn't really eaten her human caretaker. Pack members didn't do that to each other. It was something Rexy could relate to because she would never eat her tall son or the redhead who always came an hour before the aggravating speakers shut off.

It was just another day in Rexy's life, but she was content with it.

She had Elise to keep her company, and maybe the youngling could learn to be a better liar.

All her children were terrible liars, and Rexy felt the most amused by that.


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N**

 **As always, I want to thank all of you for giving your reviews, and criticism. So, please enjoy all you wonderful people you! No warnings!**

* * *

"Two Points for Raptor Squad."

Owen hummed happily as he looked over the pictures on the wall. They really did brighten the room, and they made him smile. He had always hated the idea of doing shows for the public, but Elise put her own twist on things. She was a good girl. Smart and funny.

Owen loved her.

He loved all his girls, and he hoped Blue would mellow out a little after their run. He carefully ran his fingers over the first drawing of the pink Elise. It wasn't even the best drawing, but Owen had a feeling it was Elise's favorite.

It was the first one.

Claire had been very happy yesterday despite him faking his death. She was so happy that she had even hugged him before catching herself. Owen only grinned widely; he knew she liked him. Maybe he could get her to go to a second date. He had a feeling that maybe this second one wouldn't end badly.

Because there was a mutual respect now.

Owen respected her as a leader, and a person. She respected his knowledge on his animals, and Elise.

"What're you grinning about like an idiot?"

Owen startled from his thoughts, and turned to see Tim grinning widely at him. Owen chuckled as he said, "Oh, new ways to keep the guests on their toes with Elise."

"Liar. You're thinking about a pretty girl."

Owen grinned as he playfully punched Tim's arm before slyly saying, "You caught me, how's old lady today? She miss me?"

Tim chuckled as he rubbed his arm, and answered, "Still feisty. I didn't see Elise though, that's why I came by. She okay?"

Owen was glad he had Tim for a neighbor. He wasn't afraid to get to know Elise, and he would be there to help if something went wrong. He knew her patterns, and he checked up on her when something else happened. Owen nodded as he pushed his large bottle of water against the wall, and answered, "I'm glad you didn't go looking for her yourself. I let my raptors loose in her paddock, and I asked her to babysit until show time."

Owen checked his watch as he added, "Which is in about five minutes."

Tim raised an eyebrow as the window slowly slid back, and Owen gave a shrill whistle. They waited a few seconds before Elise's far away roar responded. Owen glanced to Tim when he asked, "You let Velociraptors loose in a giant paddock?"

Owen shrugged as he heard people trickling in, and he said, "They needed a good run, Tim. Blue was driving me crazy; she's built to run. I know Elise can keep her in line; the other two are good girls. Blue's the spitfire."

Tim gave a small shiver, and Owen blinked at him before asking, "What? Not fond of raptors?"

Tim nodded as he rubbed the back of his neck, and said, "Kind of hard to appreciate them after they tried to hunt you down. I don't know, it's just…Rexy had always scared me, but…she never looked at me like those raptors did. I'd actually be dead if it weren't for Rexy; she somehow got into the Visitor's Center, and she snagged that raptor right as it jumped at us."

Owen believed that; the Velociraptors had a bad reputation when he had been hired. People were terrified of them escaping, and Jurassic World refused to even start making the eggs until the paddock was inescapable.

Even Barry had been wary of the girls at first.

Owen gently nudged Tim as he said, "I have good girls, Tim. You should come meet them when we get them back in their paddock. I think you'd like Echo."

"How did you even get them here?"

Owen shrugged, and gave polite nods to the early birds before he answered, "Trailer. Just a regular cattle trailer."

He had to laugh at Tim's baffled expression, and Tim asked, "How did you get them in that?"

"Oreos and Cheetos."

Owen only grinned widely, and they looked over when the telltale of ridiculous heels clicked against the cement. Owen would never know how Claire had managed to run in them, and he respected her for that as well.

Claire looked perfect as always, but she also looked slightly stressed. Considering her normally professional look, that meant there was _a lot_ of stress going on. Owen wondered if he could help anywhere, and Claire stood close to him as she quietly said, "No pranks today."

"Because we got important people. No funny business from us today, Ma'am."

Owen winked at Claire, and some relief crossed her face as her red lips pulled into an almost smile. Owen was determined to get a full smile out of her, but she said, "Just don't try to fake your death again."

"Can do; Petting Zoo wasn't willing to provide strawberry-filled doughnuts today."

That technically wasn't true, but Owen couldn't help sprinkling some certain chocolate chips over a few freshly glazed treats. Owen convinced himself that he was doing a good deed; half of the keepers looked old. They probably needed some help on getting their digestion moving.

If not, well, Owen didn't care. He wanted to really piss off Debra. Maybe Blue was rubbing off on him because he just _had_ to push Debra's buttons until she finally gave a firm 'no' he would be willing to heed. There was just something about the way Debra had made Elise so self-conscious about herself that seemed almost unforgivable to Owen.

Maybe Owen was more integrated in the pack mentality then he realized, but he just felt compelled to defend any of his girls. Mess with one, then you mess with all. Owen was one more insult from tossing all the doughnuts to the girls. Even if they didn't like them, they certainly wouldn't give it back. Velociraptors were nightmares over their possessions.

Owen wanted to see Debra try to take the box from Blue.

Claire tilted her head when she smelled something suspicious, but she chose not to ask. Owen was grateful for that, and she handed him a new radio as she said, "Please don't take their food, Owen. Debra is actually a nice woman, okay? She takes good care of those animals."

"I won't take their food."

Owen certainly didn't want those doughnuts anymore, and he told Debra he wouldn't take them. Now that Owen was thinking about it, he really was acting like Blue. He was keeping Debra on her toes with mischievous pranks, and he was getting bolder.

Maybe he shouldn't walk to his bike alone tonight. Debra might be waiting where the lamppost wouldn't shine its light.

Owen was pulled from his thoughts of survival tactics when Claire gratefully said, "Thank you, I have enough to deal with. I don't need wars between my handlers."

Because Claire knew Owen would win. He did feel slightly bad for causing grief, but it was just the Petting Zoo. They only dealt with soft, mellow animals; Owen had his Raptor Squad right behind him.

They were going to raise hell.

Claire smiled warmly, and Owen blinked before realizing she was looking past him. Owen followed her gaze before chuckling as he said, "Sunshine! There you are, and two minutes early; that's my girl."

Elise crooned happily as she gently nuzzled Owen. Her crimson eyes turned to Claire, and Owen wondered how the dinosaur somehow got a wide smile out of the redhead. He would need to ask Elise later, but he watched Claire gently run a hand along the snow scaled cheek as she said, "Good morning, Elise. Did you and Rexy sleep well?"

Elise nodded; she and Rexy had slept very well. It was the best night of sleep Elise had gotten in a long time. She had gone to sleep a very happy creature because she had figured out her purpose. Elise just wished she had the words to tell Claire that she knew the meaning behind Hammond's secret to success.

Maybe someday.

Claire looked happy with that, and she said, "Good. I hope you're ready for another day. We have some important people coming today, so please don't try to fake Owen's death, okay?"

Elise didn't know who would be important, but she nodded; she knew it wouldn't be as funny to fake Owen's death again. They would have to wait a while before they could do that again. Elise glanced to the side of her when Owen asked, "Where are the girls? Did Blue behave?"

Elise thrust her nose in the direction of her paddock doors, and Owen asked, "With Barry and the trailer?"

She wasn't sure what a trailer was, but Elise knew Barry, and she nodded. Owen let out a sigh of relief as he said, "Oh, good. I was afraid we wouldn't be able to get them in it."

Elise tilted her head, but Owen didn't notice as Claire adjusted the earpiece on his mic. He blinked as she straightened out his shirt before dusting it off even though it was perfectly clean. Owen raised his eyebrows when she had even combed his hair back with her soft hand, and he finally asked, "What are you doing?"

"Making sure you look presentable because I can't expect Elise to babysit you all the time."

The white Indominus crooned lovingly, and Claire smiled at her. She took a step back before giving a critical eye, and Owen asked, "Presentable?"

"It will have to do."

Owen snorted, and was about to make a dirty comment until he heard a small child laughing. He had to admit it was endearing to see the three year old smile widely at Elise; there was an immediate appreciation, and Elise turned her gaze towards the little girl. The brown haired girl squealed as she shyly hid behind the safety of her father's leg, and both parents smiled.

Elise liked children. She had, at first, thought that she was there to humble them as well, but she discovered differently yesterday. Children did not need to be humbled because they still regarded the world with a sense of absolute wonder. They had yet to desire power, but they were easily pleased with bright colors, and gentle croons.

And they were funny to Elise. They brought gifts they had put their hearts into, and that meant the world to Elise. There was sincerity and goodness in each drawing regardless of what the image held.

Elise had promised she would never scare a child. No fangs would be bared nor would growls vibrate her chest. Only gentle croons, and soothing, bright colors to give them a greater sense of wonder about the world they lived in.

Elise lowered her head to the cement ground before giving a soft rumble that made the girl giggle as she bravely peeked around the denim shield of her father's leg. Her scales gave a shiver, and a burst of rainbow enticed a delighted laugh out of the girl as she exclaimed, "Look! A wainbow dinosauw! You pwetty!"

Elise also loved the honesty of children. She wondered at what age humans figured out how lying worked, but she loved the honest ones. They were hilarious. Most stated how big she was, how colorful her scales were, but the best one was how Owen smelled bad after Elise had slobbered him in kisses.

And Owen couldn't do anything about it because it was true.

The child squealed when her father hoisted her up, and glanced at Owen questioningly. Claire nudged him to start working his magic, and he couldn't help chuckling as he walked over. The girl blinked at him when he asked, "Like rainbow dinosaurs?"

She screwed her eyes up as she thought hard before declaring, "No!"

Owen didn't understand the puzzled riddles that were children, but the girl extended her hand towards Elise as she added, "Just dis one!"

Owen snorted, but Elise remained perfectly still as the small hand ran across her nose. She liked children's hands; they were kind, and unafraid. If they decided they liked her then they upgraded to a hug with a declaration of some kind of truth. If not then they skittered back to their parents.

The child eagerly ran her hands down the snow white scales before growing wide eyed at the massive ivory teeth that gleamed idly. She turned to Owen as she asked, "You gotta bwush her teeth?"

Owen glanced at Elise; a part of him wanted to since she seemed to be in an extra lovey phase, but he answered, "Nah, she's a rebel like that. She doesn't need her teeth to be brushed."

"But then they fall out!"

Owen wasn't sure what to do with the legitimate concern filling the small, brown eyes, and he carefully said, "She has more that come in."

The sassy child put her hand on her hips before declaring, "She gonna wun out if you don't take care of her teeth. Then you gonna have to chew her food fow her."

Owen wasn't aware he was in the presence of a mini Dr. Gerry, and he wondered if they were related. He glanced at Elise, and could see that warm amusement lighting up the crimson eye as she melted at this tiny human.

"We made a deal with the tooth fairy, she won't run out."

"Tooth faiwy isn't weal."

Claire started to laugh quietly, and Owen resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He was talking to a smart kid apparently, and he hunched down to her level as he said, "Elise loses a lot of teeth. I don't think she's going to run out. Kind of like sharks. She doesn't need to brush her teeth; she just needs hard bones to chew on to break the plaque up."

The child snuck a sideways look at Elise to make sure she was in good care before she finally nodded. Owen liked the kids, but sometimes they asked really hard questions. Adults wanted simple little facts. Kids wanted to know, in great lengthy detail, why Elise didn't look like Rexy, her favorite bedtime story, her favorite food, and many other questions that could be answered with few words.

Owen came prepared today though, he had picked Elise's bedtime story, and she liked the Ugly Duckling because he had yet to mail that gift to his niece. He was too lazy to google any other stories either.

Owen would read the story to Elise later, and hoped she would like the story.

He took a step back, and gently nudged Elise before she slipped her head back out of the window. The little girl craned her neck to see over the edge as best she could, and asked, "Whewe she goin'?"

Owen chuckled as he adjusted his earpiece before answering, "She likes to make a dramatic appearance."

Tim decided to stay, but rested against the wall with a small smile on his face. It would be nice to see how Owen would fare against today's crowd after setting such high expectations today. Owen didn't bat an eye though, if he could stare Blue in the eye every day; crowds were no problem.

"Good morning ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Jurassic World. So, who's ready to see Elise?"

Owen couldn't help his crooked grin when the children bounced excitedly.

Eat your heart out, Debra.

* * *

"It's weird how normal things are after Elise's little…tantrum…"

Vivian glanced at Lowery before nodding in agreement as she went back to furiously typing. Lowery had no idea how she could type so much in so little time, but he adjusted the Apatosaurus figurine on his desk before going back to his own computer.

For once, things seemed to be running smoothly; an hour and a half in, and they didn't have any lost children yet, or heat strokes.

Lowery raised an eyebrow at the large amount of children in line to see Elise, and he dryly said, "We should put a new lost children station at Elise's Observatory Room; they all cluster there."

Vivian gave a small smile as she asked, "Wouldn't you? She changes color, that's pretty amazing if you ask me."

Lowery cracked his back on his chair, and stretched before asking, "Have you met her?"

Vivian nodded as she answered, "I went during my lunch break yesterday. She's a real sweetheart."

Vivian then grew quiet, and Lowery glanced at her when she quietly added, "I just wish Owen had met her sooner…you know?"

The tech-geek sighed as he nodded in agreement. He wasn't sure how he felt about the Indominus quite yet. She took out all his cameras in her paddock, but she moved along when he told her the show was going to start.

"So, are you going to go meet her? You talk to her a lot."

Lowery raised an eyebrow; he liked the comforts of his dark Control Room. He had everything he needed within arm's reach, and the only dinosaurs in here couldn't eat him. He liked the plastic ones just a little more.

"Eh, I don't know."

"Oh, come one; just about everyone else has met her."

Lowery raised both eyebrows as his fellow techies nodded, and began to talk about how big she was. Elise was a good dinosaur, and Lowery finally said, "Alright, alright, I'll go see her during my lunch break. She can put a name to a face. Back to work."

Vivian smiled, and Lowery sighed as he hunched back to his computer. He scrolled through the security cameras. The Gyrospheres were empty, ACU was taking a water break, a tourist was picking his nose before wiping it on his wife's shoulder; she didn't like that, and the Petting Zoo…

Lowery frowned, and scooted closer before asking, "Where's our Petting Zoo personnel?"

Vivian leaned over to blink at the Petting Zoo camera. She couldn't see any safari outfits, and Lowery brought all Petting Zoo cameras to the screens at the front of the room. Lowery could see people petting the animals, but no one was managing it.

Lowery glanced at Vivian with a confused expression before rolling his chair over to his radio. He scanned down the list; Debra was on channel five, and he asked, "Debra? You there? Where is everyone?"

Lowery raised an eyebrow when he heard a groan, and several toilets flushing before Debra furiously snarled, "Lowery! You better tell Owen Grady that I am going to kill him! I am going to enjoy _slowly_ killing him! Do you understand me?!"

Most of the Control Room paused, and turned to stare at a stunned Lowery as he stared at the livid radio. He blinked a few times, trying to figure out what was going on, and he slowly turned to stare at the camera at the bathroom entrance closest to the Petting Zoo. He could see a very long line, and Vivian cleared her throat before asking into her mic, "Security stationed near Petting Zoo, do you come in?"

Lowery was still flabbergasted as he turned one screen to the inside of Elise's Observatory Room. The Indominus was currently changing all the colors of the rainbow as Owen proudly stood next to her. He looked like a nice guy as he pointed to all the sharp teeth on Elise. An attentive audience of children were wide eyed as they eagerly sat before the two, and they burst out laughing when Elise suddenly licked Owen.

Lowery was pulled from his thoughts when he heard a voice on Vivian's radio answer, "I'm here, what's wrong?"

Vivian wasn't quite sure what to do, and she paused before slowly asking, "Can you check the bathrooms for our Petting Zoo personnel? We don't have anyone watching the zoo…"

She heard a sigh, and the security guard said, "They're all in there because I'm watching the zoo. Can I please get someone who actually knows what half these things are? And I'm not talking about the dinos; I don't know what to do with the kids…"

Vivian blinked, and the Security Management in front of her nodded to let her know they would take care of it. She answered, "We'll send someone right away."

Lowery watched the guests in Elise's Observatory Room line up before gently touching her large hand. He saw Owen take a step back, and quickly flipped the channel of his radio before quietly asking, "Hey, Owen? Um…so the whole Petting Zoo staff is currently in the restrooms, and I was wondering why Debra is screaming for your head on a stake. You know anything about that?"

Lowery could see a devious grin pull at Owen's lips as he plucked the new radio from his hip. He turned away from an occupied Claire, and slyly answered, "Courtesy of the Raptor Squad. You mess with one of us, you mess with all of us. Tell Debra to bring it. I want to see what her saddled midgets can do against my girls."

Lowery pressed his lips as he watched Owen put the radio away before going back to his good guy self as he began to educate the kids more about his newest family member. Lowery had no idea there was a gang war going on in Jurassic World.

Petting Zoo vs. Raptor Squad.

Vivian gaped at the screen, and Lowery asked, "Does this mean we have to be careful about what colors we wear? I don't want to get shanked on the way to McDonald's just because I'm wearing the wrong color in the wrong turf."

Vivian gave him a bewildered look, and Lowery pulled out a notebook before writing in it. He didn't look up when Vivian quietly asked, "What are you doing?"

Lowery drew a long line down the center as he answered, "Keeping track of points. If we have to pick sides, then I want the winning side. So, one point for the Raptor Squad; zero for Petting Zoo."

Lowery glanced up when a fellow techie chirped, "Owen stole all the Petting Zoo's doughnuts yesterday. Debra was pissed."

"Another point for Raptor Squad then. Owen don't mess around when he starts a war."

Lowery switched his radio back to Debra's channel, and she snarled into it, "Damn you, Owen! _Damn you!"_

Vivian really didn't want Lowery to encourage anything, but he quietly said, "So, Owen responded, but I'll let you ask him-"

"What did that smarmy bastard say?! I want to know right now, Lowery!"

Vivian shook her head, but he shrugged as he answered, "He said bring it."

" _That sonofabitch!"_

* * *

Barry sighed as he held the trailer door open before firmly saying, "Come one girls, it's time to go home."

Blue narrowed her eyes at him like he was a traitor for throwing the Oreos into the trailer. She knew what was going to happen the moment she went in there; the door would shut. She didn't want to go back in there; this was their new territory.

White One wouldn't be able to follow them if they left. Pack stayed together, _always_. Blue would not leave White One behind, not with Stern One living so close. What if Stern One decided she wanted this territory? Pack had to stay to defend it.

Pack never abandoned anyone. Ever.

Blue puffed the air through her nose, and Barry sagged in defeat. He knew what it meant when Blue puffed; she just about killed Owen before he figured out that sign. Barry couldn't help raising his eyebrow in fond amusement when Blue gave a delighted chirp at her victory.

"Arrogance does not look good on you, my sweet, Blueberry."

Blue did not believe that; they both knew she looked good regardless. She only stood taller at his fond tone; Blue liked Barry. She knew his name because Alpha talked to him so much. Barry was kind, and gentle. He was not pack, but not prey either. Blue would run to his defense if pack was not in danger.

She was happy Barry was brave enough to meet her face to face, without the hard muzzle or strong bars. Maybe he was trying to join the pack. Blue would seriously consider allowing him to join because Barry was good to the pack. He always soothed them with light touches and pleasing words.

Blue truly regretted attacking Barry after White One ordered them to wipe out the prey. She was so caught up in the rush that she hadn't realized it until he sharply barked her name.

Barry never barked at her.

She actually had to check inside the log to make sure it really was Barry.

Blue was happy Barry wasn't angry at her for her mistake, and she cutely trilled for him in attempt to get an Oreo out of him. Barry did his best to remain firm, he knew Owen would kill him for being so easily swayed, but, come on.

Blueberry wanted an Oreo…

"I know you're methods, Blueberry, and they won't work."

Blue hated when Alpha would get stern with Barry; it was always harder to get treats from him, but Blue was persistent. She knew how to work Barry.

The blue scaled Velociraptor bent a little lower as her tail began to waggle, and her jaws gave an adoring croon. She could see Barry press his lips, and she whined at him.

"You've had enough Oreos for today, Blueberry. If you want more, then get in the trailer."

Blue picked enough words out of that to understand what Barry wanted, and it was not going to happen. It was time for phase two.

Barry mentally cursed when the raptor began to give small, short hops as she crooned. He had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep the straight face, and he could actually feel the sweat building on his forehead. He had to remain firm though; he had to establish lines with Blue.

Blue continued to bounce around as she glanced at Barry. He was cracking, but she had to pull out the big claws if she wanted him wrapped around her finger again. Stupid Alpha was good, but _Blueberry_ was better.

Barry internally groaned when Blue bounced over; he knew exactly what she was going to do, and there was nothing he could do about it. She always did this when he would try to get stern with her.

Blue slid onto her side before rolling onto her back as she cutely trilled for him. Barry couldn't stand those gold eyes begging for just one Oreo. She looked so cute as she wiggled on her back at his feet. Normally she would lean against the bars of the cage door, and he would toss the Oreos just to make her stop. He couldn't stand how adorable she looked when she leaned onto his legs, and softly nipped at his pants.

Barry sighed in defeat as he looked at the big eyed raptor practically hugging his leg, and he said, "You're shameless, I am spineless, and we will both be ass-less after Owen finds out about this."

Blue chirped her agreement as she batted his leg gently, and Barry caved.

"Fine. You are terrible, Blueberry."

He had to chuckle when she opened her lethal mouth wide, and he dropped the cookie in. Blue easily caught it in her mouth, and Barry tossed the other two their own cookie so they wouldn't feel left out. Blue continued to lean against his legs with her own legs tucked close to her belly as she savored her treat.

Barry couldn't believe how mushy he was, but he just couldn't help himself. He smiled at Blue purring loudly against his legs; he could feel the strong vibrations, and she was perfectly content with life at the moment.

Until Rexy gave a loud roar just on the other side of the fence. Barry yelped at the sudden, thunderous sound, and Blue shrieked as she jumped high. Before Barry could assure the nervous girls; Blue barked at her sisters to get moving.

"No! Blue-"

Barry didn't get to finish his sentence by the time the raptors had disappeared into the thick jungle as they called out for Owen. Barry knew the danger call, and he froze when Elise's own cries responded.

Owen didn't keep the window closed during his shows. The room was crowded.

And three, terrified Velociraptors were bolting right over there in hopes of finding their Alpha.

Barry dove into the truck, and Scott swallowed nervously as Barry fumbled with the radio before cursing. He forgot that Blue had destroyed Owen's radio. Barry groaned loudly; why couldn't he stay firm with Blue?

Barry chewed his lip as he thought quickly before an idea hit him, and he switched the dial on his radio.

"Lowery?! Lowery, are you there?"

Barry heaved a sigh of relief when he heard, "Yep, what's happening?"

He really hoped he wouldn't cause a panic, but if Owen could shut the window soon enough then everything would be fine.

"I need you to warn Owen. Rexy scared the Velociraptors; they're going to follow his scent. They want the whole pack together to brace for an attack. You have to tell Owen to shut the Observatory Window."

There was a brief pause, and Lowery said, "Oh, shit."

Barry didn't like the sound of that, but he was thinking the same thing.

Oh, shit indeed.


	23. Chapter 23

"Objection!"

"Does she like French fries?"

Owen resisted the urge to roll his eyes; he had already said Elise was a hardcore beef lover, but that didn't stop the children from going down a long list just to be sure.

"No, she only eats meat."

"What about ice cream?"

Owen could see Claire smiling in the back of the room, and he was glad someone found this funny. He was ready to give the signal for Elise to disappear with him in tow, but she suddenly pulled her head back. Owen carefully watched her out of the corner of his eye, and jumped when Elise gave a loud roar.

She knew better than to roar around guests; he had warned her about it. The guests startled, but carefully watched for his reaction. Owen walked over to the ledge of the room, and peered out of it. He followed Elise's attentive gaze before frowning when certain sounds echoed through the forest.

"Baby…is that Blue?"

Elise shifted on her feet, and Owen blinked at the series of frequent barks. Blue was calling for help; she felt like the pack was in danger.

Owen turned back to the crowd, and calmly said, "Sorry about that, I just need a minute to figure some things out."

Claire frowned, but Owen took off his earpiece as he pulled out his radio. He almost pushed the button, but was cut off by Lowery quickly saying, "Owen, the raptors got scared by Rexy, they're headed right for you. Barry couldn't get them in the trailer. You need to shut the window in case they try to get in."

Owen knew there was no way any of those girls could jump into this room; it was Elise's face level, but he agreed completely. He didn't want to risk anything, and he walked over to the button on the wall. He pushed it, and frowned when the window didn't move.

There was no way his luck was like that. Maybe this was karma for the doughnuts, but he pushed it again. Blue's panicked cries drew much closer, and Owen motioned Claire over. He leaned over, and whispered, "The raptors are panicked, and the window won't shut. I need to get down there, and I'll calm them down, okay? Ten minutes tops."

Claire nodded, and Owen walked over to the ledge before Blue suddenly burst from the brush with Echo and Delta right next to her. Blue looked terrified, and she immediately focused on Owen. He saw the golden gaze slide over to Elise standing just close enough, and she immediately bolted for the Indominus.

"Whoa!"

Blue was not going to heed a stop order with Stern One so angrily roaring at them. Alpha was smart enough to find a big log to hide in, and Blue was going for it. Elise gave a startled yelp at the scrambling raptor, and she stepped away from the false log.

Owen knew Blue would be able to make the jump, and he made sure to stand in front of her when the blue raptor leapt from Elise's white nose. Blue easily cleared the ledge, but slipped on the cement. She gave a startled shriek, and the guests flinched back.

Owen didn't touch Blue as she tried to scramble up; he had no idea Blue would be so scared of Rexy, but it didn't surprise him. He risked a glance to the side, and his other two girls had bolted onto Elise's back as they tried to make sense of what was going on. The last time they were this panicked, Owen had simply let them be until they figured it out there was no danger.

He couldn't do that this time; there were too many guests here.

Owen waited until Blue had gotten her footing before he gave a sharp whistle, and she snapped her head towards him. She was breathing heavily, and gave a danger call that made Owen firmly say, "Easy, Blue."

Easy? This was not a time to be calm. Did Alpha not hear Stern One's roar? She had been right behind the thick brush. Barry was probably eaten, and that made Blue give a small whine. She didn't want Barry to be eaten. Why had Alpha and White One been gone? Did they know there was going to be an attack? This was a good spot to hide.

A small sneeze made Blue jump, and she snapped her head towards the several guests. Owen froze as he watched the claws slowly arch, and Blue sank a little lower as she braced to jump.

" _Blue!"_

His Beta jumped at the sharp tone, and Owen was standing in front of her; blocking the crowd from her view. She didn't want this many prey in their hiding spot; it would attract Stern One. She darted to the side, but Owen was two steps ahead of her; claiming the ground he stood on.

"Stand. Down."

Blue snapped her jaws at him; he was being stupid. They were in danger!

"Hey! What did I just say? Stand. Down."

Claire held her breath as she watched the tall Velociraptor pace about like a caged wolf. Blue was clearly agitated about something, but she wouldn't go through Owen to get to the crowd. Claire wanted to send the guests out, but she was afraid of setting Blue off.

Claire glanced outside to see Elise keeping the other two calm as she soothingly chittered at them. It was so odd to see the creatures be vocal, but it seemed to be working. Claire scooched a little closer to the edge, and she quietly called out, "Elise."

The crimson eyes snapped to her, and Claire gestured to the agitated duo dancing around one another. Elise wasn't sure what Claire wanted. This was a fight between Beta and Alpha; Elise was neither. She was part of the pack, but she held no position. Granted, it seemed natural that she would hold power over Echo and Delta, but Blue was the Beta.

Elise couldn't intervene unless she meant to hold some authority in the pack.

"Blue! Stand down!"

The Indominus watched the raptor give a shrill shriek of frustration. Blue didn't want to fight her Alpha on everything, but the two were constantly battling the wall between them. They couldn't communicate properly like Blue wanted to. It was what had made it so easy to take the title from Owen when Elise had first met the raptors.

Blue had been frustrated because she couldn't understand her Alpha.

But Elise didn't want the title anymore; she liked having Owen as the Alpha. He was good and smart with them. Elise tilted her head; she wondered if it was possible to have two Alphas in a pack. The idea didn't seem wrong to her, and she remembered Blue saying something about it.

There were supposed to be pairs. An Alpha Pair and Beta Pair. There wasn't in this pack simply because there wasn't enough raptors for that. But there needed to be two Alphas here; Elise could act as the communicator between them. She had the ability, and Owen would stay the main Alpha.

Elise didn't want to see any of the kids get hurt simply because Blue had made a mistake.

The crimson eyes hardened, and she stood taller before giving a sharp bark at the Velociraptor.

Owen was about to give another order to stand down, when the stern bark caused Blue to suddenly go ridged. Owen actually saw shock in those gold eyes as her tail went stiff, and the gears whirled in her head as she tried to process the unfathomable.

Someone had the _audacity_ to actually bark an order at _her?_

Blue did not think so, and she slowly turned around to pin an icy gaze into Elise. Blue would give only _one_ chance for White One to beg forgiveness. She held absolutely no authority over Blue, and she needed to know that.

A low snarl tore from Blue's throat, and Owen flickered his gaze to Elise when she gave the same, sharp bark. Blue took a step back from the shock, but she quickly recovered before giving a furious shriek. White One would not order her around. Blue would not heed White One's command to obey Alpha's order of standing down.

White One was about to be in a lot of trouble.

Elise narrowed her eyes; she didn't want to fight Blue, but she knew the title wouldn't be handed over to her. The raptor was furious, and ready to remind her of her place. Elise curled her lip as she gave a low growl. One more chance to obey Owen's order to stand down. There was no danger nearby because Rexy was not a threat.

Blue needed to calm down. Now.

Owen knew things were not good when Delta and Echo suddenly jumped into the room before darting next to him. They didn't want to get caught in a fight, and they kept their heads submissively low as they nervously glanced around. This was between Elise and Blue; the other two just wanted a safe spot.

Owen really hoped their mysterious guest had decided to pick a later show to attend because this was not going to end well. Blue never backed down from a physical fight, and Elise was more than capable of snapping her in half. Owen knew they were trying to establish a pecking order, but he had thought Elise didn't want power over Blue.

There was a brief pause before Blue gave a furious shriek as she launched herself at Elise. The white Indominus stumbled back when the sharp teeth and claws raked into her nose, and she gave a quick snap of her head. Blue lost her footing, but it didn't stop her from sinking her razor claws in deeper to catch herself. Elise gave a livid snarl as she grabbed Blue before ripping her off. Elise made to pin the blue raptor, but Blue was smart about giving a sharp bite to the caging hand. Elise hadn't expected that, and she startled into letting the raptor go.

Blue gracefully caught herself on the ground, and true to her nature, she immediately leapt back onto the white scaled neck. Owen didn't know what to do, there was nothing he could do, and the look on Claire's face made him cringe.

There was no way she would ever allow him to let the girls loose in this paddock ever again.

Owen winced when Blue snagged her large, sickle claw into Elise's cheek before raking down. The crimson blood stained the white scales, and Elise gave a furious snarl. Owen held his breath when Elise grabbed Blue hard enough to make the raptor give a pained shriek, and he briefly wondered if Elise would kill Blue.

The Indominus roughly pinned the furious Velociraptor on the grass covered ground, and she refused to allow Blue back up no matter how hard she bit at the massive hand. Some of her old temper flared, and Elise didn't stop herself from snapping her jaws as close as possible to the biting raptor.

Blue yelped loudly when the ivories whooshed too close to her face, and she paused from the biting. She didn't like how close the large, sharp teeth were, and she didn't like the massive hand pinning her. Crimson blood dribbled onto her blue scales, and Blue grew nervous when the saliva mixed in with it. White One had power Alpha didn't, but she didn't want to be Alpha. White One ordered her to listen to Alpha, so was she challenging her for position of Beta?

Blue flinched when the bloodied jaws shivered in an irritated hiss, but she got the message. Listen to Alpha, calm down, and she would remain as Beta.

White One did not want her title?

That didn't make sense to Blue, but she would accept it. If Stern One was after them, then she would have found them with the loud fight. Alpha and White One knew the area better; maybe Stern One was angry with someone else.

Owen felt his jaw drop when Blue yielded to Elise. He had truly thought the only one Blue would ever yield to was Death when he came to her in the form of old age.

Elise accepted the yield, and she allowed Blue to get up before gently nuzzling her. Owen raised his eyebrows high; Blue had not been that sportsmanlike after her last major fight with Echo. She had gone out of her way to bully her bronze sister to the point where Owen considered separating them.

Owen was pulled from his thoughts when Claire quietly cleared her throat. He blinked at her in confusion before she gestured to the stunned crowd with a tilt of her head, and Owen pulled himself together. He kept himself in between his two raptors and the crowd before turning his mic back on. Echo tried to nip at it, and he gently batted her away before saying, "I apologize for that, ladies and gentlemen. Elise is the newest edition to my Velociraptor pack, and she was just establishing her place in it."

Elise poked her head inside the room, and Delta chirped at her. Elise gave a reassuring croon before a small child exclaimed, "Elise has an owie!"

Owen believed that as he carefully looked Elise's face over. Plenty of slashes and bite marks to decorate her face. He momentarily forgot about the mic, and he muttered, "You're going to look like Frankenstein if we keep this up."

She was going to need stitches; again. Owen pressed his lips, and glanced at the crowd when another child pointed to the bronze raptor trying to get at his mic as she asked, "Who is that?"

If Owen could end this on a good note, then Claire wouldn't be too angry. He batted the crooked jaw again, and yanked his fingers from the snapping jaws as he said, "This is Echo; she's the second youngest member of the family. Sometimes we call her Elvis because of her crooked jaw."

The joke went over the children's heads, but a few adults nervously chuckled. Owen gently put his hand on the green-tinged raptor with her head buried in his vest as he said, "This is Delta. She's pretty calm most of the time, and usually acts as the peacekeeper in the pack."

Said calm raptor chirped at hearing her name, and she glanced up at him. When Owen only gave her gentle scratches, she went back to the innards of his vest; she knew he was hiding something good in here, she just knew it.

"Can we pet them?"

Owen almost paled at the innocent question, and he had to stop himself from sounding panicked as he said, "No. Velociraptors are incredibly dangerous."

The most dangerous of the pack decided she no longer wanted to miss out on the action, and scrambled up Elise before sliding on the cement. She eyed the crowd hungrily, and Owen gave a sharp whistle. Her gold eyes snapped to him, and Owen said, "Eyes up, Blue."

Owen was pleased to see she immediately stood taller, and he pulled out the shiny, blue wrapper from his back pocket. He quietly said to Delta, "Switched the pockets up on you, Babe."

She snapped at the treat, but Owen was a bit quicker. He pulled out an Oreo, and immediately had all of Blue's attention. He tossed the cookie at her as he said to the crowd, "No, Velociraptors are not supposed to eat cookies, but that is our little secret. By the way, this is Blue; she's the Beta of the pack. She's the most aggressive, but she's my best girl."

Owen paused when an older gentleman in the back with a gruff voice asked, "Are these Velociraptors going to be part of the Indominus' attraction."

Owen didn't even have to look at Claire to know that answer, and he immediately shook his head as he answered, "No. Elise is part of the pack so, I wanted her to socialize with them. These girls were supposed to be on their way back to their own paddock, but _somebody_ wasn't in the mood to cooperate."

Blue paused mid-lick of her Oreo, and Owen snorted when she suddenly became deaf to him. She turned her back to the crowd and him as she continued to munch on her delectable treats.

"So how many Oreos did you get out of Barry, Blue?"

Blue knew enough from tone and Barry's name that Owen had caught them. Damn, Stupid Alpha had always been good at catching her schemes. Maybe if she pretended not to hear him…

Owen rolled his eyes, and turned back to the crowd as he said, "Sorry about cutting the show a little short, folks, but I have stubborn raptors to get back home, and Elise needs some medical attention. Please don't make eye contact with the raptors on your way out."

Owen wasn't too concerned about Delta or Echo as they seemed more occupied by the fresh wounds on Elise's face. Blue was his trouble maker, but as Scott said, she really did take ten minutes for each cookie.

When the last of the crowd had left, aside from Tim, an older couple, and two men in suits, Owen risked a glance at Claire. He really couldn't read her expression, and he was afraid to ask anything. He remained quiet as she leaned close, and said, "Please get the girls out of the Observatory Room as soon as possible."

Owen immediately nodded, and gave a sharp whistle. The raptors snapped their heads up, and Owen said, "Alright, you've caused enough grief to last me a week. Get going."

Owen made sure to point at Elise, and she gave a firm growl. Owen carefully watched Delta and Echo bounce on Elise's neck before scrambling down her tail. Blue paused for another second as Owen walked over to her. He always made up with her after a fight. He never wanted to leave her on a bad note, and he quietly said, "I know you were just watching out for the pack."

Blue curled the Oreo to her chest possessively, but she gave a gentle shiver of her jaws. She knew this routine as well. Fight with Alpha, agreement is reached, make up with Alpha, and go about her busy life. She thrust her head into his chest, and Owen chuckled as he ran his hand down her neck softly. He was happy to have warm moments like this again, and he quietly said, "We'll go for a good run later, okay?"

Blue garbled her response, and Owen gave a tap on her shoulder before firmly saying, "Get going."

Owen smiled as Blue slid down the white back before going back to her Oreo. Delta and Echo were content to mush up some lush ferns to take a nap in, and Owen sighed as he walked over to Elise.

"My poor baby…thanks for helping me, Sunshine."

Elise gently crooned as Owen carefully inspected her wounds. Most of them wouldn't need anything besides a good cleaning, but the long wound down her cheek would definitely need stitches. Owen shook his head before fondly saying, "You know, I could just bring Dr. Gerry over if you miss seeing him so much. You don't have to create excuses to go see him."

He chuckled when she lightly puffed air through her nose, and he looked up when Claire cleared her throat. She looked slightly stiff, and Owen glanced to the remaining guests. The older woman wore a stern poker face that reminded him of Rexy. She wore a formal suit, but the man next to her looked familiar. Owen couldn't place him though. The two suits just looked like slime balls, and Owen hoped Blue would stick around just in case.

He raised an eyebrow when the older woman stepped forward, and coolly said, "Mr. Grady, that was quite the performance. I must say I am not impressed with how easily those Velociraptors snuck in, but that isn't my business today. I am here to talk to the Indominus."

Owen slowly looked to Claire for some guidance, but he stood protectively close to his tough baby as he asked, "Why?"

The peppered haired woman glanced at Claire, and the redhead said, "I didn't inform Mr. Grady about this because I didn't want to be accused of teaching Elise what to say."

Claire gave the coldest look Owen had ever seen towards the balding suit. He didn't flinch under it, and Owen immediately knew why.

Lawyer.

Owen turned back to the woman when she slowly nodded before saying, "I suppose that was reasonable. Well then, Mr. Grady, I am Judge Marie Knight. I am presiding over this custody case between Jurassic World and InGen."

Owen had almost completely forgotten about that; he thought he had more time. Why hadn't Claire said anything to him? He stood a little closer to Elise, and she didn't like the tension in the room. She was ready to curl her hand around Owen before bolting.

However, Owen kept a steady hand on her snowy cheek as he said, "I see. So, what are you wanting to know?"

Owen kept his tone as polite as possible, and Marie allowed an amused smile to tug at her lips as she answered, "The biggest problem in this case is the amount of human DNA used in the Indominus. There are severely different opinions as to how human she actually is. My greatest concern is disregarding the wishes of a creature with the self-awareness and thinking of a human being. While your videos of speaking with her are quite astounding, I want to know if she communicates with a complete stranger. I want to know if she really understands or if you are simply the best animal trainer I have ever seen."

Elise crinkled her nose; she didn't like the tone or words. She puffed air through her nose to grab Marie's attention before pulling back. The judge followed to the ledge, and Elise gently close her fist by her chest before flicking her index up. Marie watched the right had cup an invisible ball with the left before they pulled it apart.

' _I understand a lot.'_

Owen couldn't help his proud smile. Elise had no problem with sticking up for herself. Marie tilted her head at the dinosaur, but Owen could see mild amusement on her. However, she wasn't easily swayed, and said, "I don't doubt that, but I need to figure out if Mr. Grady has trained you to respond to certain questions in a specific way. I need to know if you are capable of thinking for yourself as opposed to being trained to take cues from Mr. Grady."

Elise snorted at the stupidity she had to put up with sometimes, and she pointed at Owen. He blinked at her when her left hand turned into an open mouth to the side of her jaw. The 'mouth' closed down before pulling away from her face, and Owen frowned.

' _You. Leave.'_

"But-"

' _No. You leave.'_

"Elise-"

' _ **Leave.'**_

Owen huffed, and made to walk out when Marie began to quietly laugh. He glanced at her curiously, and she finally said, "Mr. Grady, you have quite the spitfire."

"Tell me about it, Your Honor. I'll be outside if you need me."

Marie smiled, and she said, "I…actually don't believe there is a need for that. You may stay, but I don't want you interfering with her answers."

"Yes, Ma'am."

Elise gave Owen a warning look, and he pressed his lips at the burning gaze. She was definitely Rexy's child; no DNA test needed. Marie smiled much more warmly as she turned back to Elise. Owen blinked when Marie raised her hand, and began to sign as she said, "I'm sorry for being rude. My name is Judge Marie. It's nice to meet you."

Elise tilted her head, and she saw the respect in this new human. The dinosaur wished her sign language was more advance, but she knew enough to sign, _'I forgive you. My name is Elise. It's nice to meet you.'_

Elise actually wasn't all too fond of this meeting, and her nose was starting to throb. It was proper manners though, to say it was 'nice to meet you'. Marie glanced at the older man next to her, and Owen swore he knew him from somewhere. That red handkerchief tied around the wrinkled, tanned neck was so familiar. Owen was distracted from his thoughts when Marie cleared her throat before saying, "I want to know how much you know, Elise. Do you know the purpose of this park?"

Elise nodded, but grew frustrated when Marie asked, "What is it?"

Elise didn't know that much sign; she could only say a few phrases along with random words, and how to spell her own name. She wasn't going to stand around like an idiot though, she wanted to prove her intelligence, and Owen startled when the large talon hooked into his pocket.

"Elise, what are you doing?"

The Indominus hated how big she was sometimes; it was so hard to snag her talon into the foldable square in Owen's pocket, but she managed to do it.

After Owen had pulled his wallet out for her.

Elise crooned a thank you at him, and roughly opened the wallet before dumping its contents on the ground. Owen pressed his lips at the scattering coins, and gum wrappers before his paper money fluttered to the ground.

All three dollars of it.

Elise pierced an unfortunate Washington before slowly dragging it to the front of Marie's feet. Owen bent over to pick up his wallet, and he heard the judge ask, "So you understand the purpose of this park is to bring in money?"

Elise understood that intelligent creatures capable of bringing back extinct animals allowed themselves to be ruled by dirty paper. She couldn't say that, and only nodded. Marie seemed to believe that, and she turned to Claire as she asked, "Did you explain this to her?"

"I did. I felt like she had the right to know."

Marie nodded, but the balding lawyer said, "Objection, Your Honor, Miss Dearing may have trained the Indominus to respond to those questions. Miss Dearing may have had a good idea of what you wanted to ask the Indominus. I am requesting you disregard those answers."

Marie pressed her lips in thought before she asked, "Elise, are you capable of lying?"

Elise snorted; she had that art mastered. She knew how to lie very well to the point of manipulating others. She had lied to Small One to comfort her, she had lied to Blue and her sisters to wipe out enemies, but she had never lied to Owen.

' _Yes.'_

"Is that a lie?"

Elise wasn't sure why her ability to lie was of concern, and she signed, _'No.'_

"Did Miss Dearing tell you what to say if you were ever asked that question?"

 _'No.'_

Marie turned to the lawyer with a smile as she said, "It seems she is capable of answering for herself. She knows what a lie is, she know how to lie, but she also knows how to tell the truth. Elise has proven she knows the purpose of this park. Request is overruled."

Owen assumed the balding lawyer represented InGen because the other, with a moustache, seemed perfectly fine with how things were going. Marie turned back to Elise as she said, "Now, I want to be very clear, Elise. I want only the truth from you because that is how this system operates. Lies are severely punished. Am I clear?"

Elise nodded, and Marie said, "Very good. You obviously know why the purpose of this park. Do you know why you exist?"

Marie looked down when the ebony talon gave a sharp tap on the crinkly bill, and the judge nodded as she asked, "Did Miss Dearing explain that you are a mix of different creatures? Did she tell you that you are not like the other dinosaurs?"

Elise nodded to both of those questions, and Owen was very glad they had taken the time to explain this to Elise. They were saving themselves a lot of trouble, and he glanced at Claire. She seemed to still be stiff, and he wished he could say something comforting to her.

Owen was pulled from his thoughts when the balding lawyer said, "Your Honor, if the Indominus is capable of speaking for herself, then I request to ask my own questions to establish credibility."

Marie looked tired of the lawyers, and Owen wondered how much arguing had been done before she finally decided to meet Elise herself. However, Marie nodded as she said, "Request sustained. Use your manners, Mr. Hart."

Hart nodded as he stepped forward, and Owen pressed his lips at the hard look in Elise's eye. It was very similar to how Delta would stare at Hoskins.

Like he was an affront to her existence.

And just like Vic, Mr. Hart didn't seem to notice. He looked Elise up and down once before saying, "So you have stated that you're aware of the purpose of this park, and that's good. However, I want to know if you're aware of your specific purpose in this park. Do you know what it is?"

Elise nodded, and she could smell the bad meat on this man. He was a lair, and a very good one. She had to remain wary; good liars knew how to manipulate.

"Great, is there any way you can tell me why Miss Claire wants you here?"

Elise knew Claire wanted her here because she could keep her safe. Elise also knew this man wanted to manipulate her into distrusting Claire. Elise knew the bottom line was to bring in the dirty paper, and she tapped the dirty dollar in front of Marie. She was here to help Claire lure in the paper, and she accomplished that by humbling people.

Elise loved her job, and she had actually forgotten about the paper until these humans came in. She knew the purpose seemed harsh, but the pictures on her wall didn't lie to her. They smelled clean and warm; she felt the sincere love from the children.

Owen crossed his arms, and it seemed Mr. Hart was surprised by how easily Elise answered; she didn't seem angry at all. Owen loved how blunt Elise was sometimes. Even Claire smiled when the lawyer paused before asking, "I see… Are you aware of who InGen is?"

Elise didn't actually know them, but she knew they wanted her away from this island. She didn't want to leave, but she couldn't lie. She didn't like the way this man asked his questions; it was a forced manipulation, and she didn't like it.

' _No.'_

Owen internally groaned; he should have explained that to Elise. Hart nodded as he asked, "Do you know what InGen does?"

The mustached lawyer immediately said, "I'm going to object, Your Honor. The purpose of today's visit was to establish whether or not Elise was capable of answering for herself. She is clearly much more human than InGen is willing to admit. We are not here to figure out what she knows about the world around her as it is clear she has very little experience with the world outside her paddock walls."

Marie seemed to be thinking about it, and Hart said, "That is the point I am trying to prove, Your Honor. If the Ind-Elise is going to answer for herself, then she needs to know InGen before making her decision. Jurassic World is the only positive she's had in her sheltered life. InGen has the right to get to know her as well before the decision is made.

Owen was pretty sure Elise did not want to be stuck on an island of infected carnivores. Despite how violent she could be, Owen didn't think she would want to be a weapon of war either. She acted far too innocent for that.

Marie finally said, in a dry, tired tone, "Mr. Graves, Mr. Hart, for such experienced lawyers, you both seem to forget the manners of court. When an objection is made, I get to make my ruling before you add your two cents. The objection is sustained. Mr. Hart, today's questions will regard Elise's self-awareness. If you have none regarding that subject, then you may rest until we get to the other topics."

"…I rest, Your Honor."

Elise didn't understand these terms, but she knew enough to figure out Judge Marie was somehow the Alpha over these two. Both Hart and Graves smelled like bad meat, but she felt like Graves was on her side. She didn't like either, but she disliked Graves less than Hart.

Marie turned to the silvering mustache as she asked, "I want to keep this case moving along, Mr. Graves. Do you have questions for Elise?"

"None that regard her self-awareness, but I would like to bring my expert to further solidify the personality traits Elise exhibits. InGen insisted she would behave very similar to a Velociraptor, and he knows enough on Velociraptors to distinguish their behaviors from human ones."

Elise blinked. She was aware of herself, she could talk, she ate raw meat, and she cuddled kids. What more did they want from her? She could talk like them, wasn't that enough? Marie glanced at the older man, and she asked, "Do you have questions for Elise?"

Owen tilted his head at the gravelly voice, and the old man said, "I do."

Elise narrowed her eyes challengingly when he stepped forward, and he stopped at the striped line on the floor. He smelled like dirt; Elise wondered if he rolled in it all day. He smelled like dry, powdery dirt. She saw some amusement in the blue eyes, but there was respect in them. He glanced down at the ground to briefly look over the raptors, and Elise smelled his wariness. However he straightened his back out, and seemed to give Owen a sideways glance. Owen knew him from somewhere, and he blinked when he caught sight of what looked like a sickle claw in the tan pants.

"Hello, Elise. My name is Dr. Grant."

* * *

 **A/N**

 **Huzzah! The one and only Dr. Grant hath returned to us, but half of you already figured that out. Oreos for you!**

 **On a more serious note, I am basing these laywers' and judge's personality off of my own experience in jury duty. It was terrible. The lawyers were arguing, ignoring the manners of the court, and the judge fell asleep several times. I know there are good lawyers and judges out there, so please don't feel like I am mocking the good ones.**

 **I feel like Dr. Grant's expertise on Velociraptors would have only grown, so I felt like he would be a suitable person to bring in.**

 **Thank you for the reviews you are willing to provide; they really make my day! I lack to words to describe how grateful I am for your responses.**


	24. Chapter 24

**A/N**

 **I am sorry this chapter is a little shorter, but it was a little harder to write than I thought.**

 **As always, thank you for your wonderful reviews, and helpful criticism!**

 **And guys! We broke 1,000 reviews! Holy moly, I wish I could give you each an Oreo and a bag of Cheetos! I have no words to describe how humbled I am.**

 **Please, _please_ , enjoy the next chapter all you wonderful people!**

* * *

"Show Some Respect."

Owen felt his jaw drop, and he couldn't help quietly asking, _"Dr. Grant?"_

A smile pulled at the lightly bearded face, and Grant slyly said, "I didn't think the six foot turkeys would like Oreos. Good to know you learned a little respect."

Owen could only blink in surprise; he couldn't remember the last time he had actually seen Dr. Grant. Maybe a few times after Grant had scared the life out of him with the fossilized raptor claw, but that had stuck with him his entire life.

Owen couldn't believe Grant still wore the red handkerchief around his neck. Did Dr. Grant still dig up dinosaurs? Owen was pulled from his thoughts when Hart cleared his throat, and said, "Your Honor, I object to using Dr. Grant on the grounds that he is bias-"

"I am just as biased as you are well mannered," Dr. Grant snapped before adding, "I haven't seen Mr. Grady since his parents stopped digging with me. That was a couple months after the Jurassic Park incident."

Owen couldn't help his smile; Dr. Grant was just as crabby as he remembered, maybe even a little more so. Marie seemed amused by him, and she said, "Overruled, Dr. Grant hasn't seen Mr. Grady in over twenty years. You may proceed with your questions, Dr. Grant."

Elise flickered her gaze to Owen; he seemed warm towards this dusty smelling human. He didn't cross the line on the ground, and he was mannered. She relaxed her posture, and Grant seemed to notice that. He shoved cracked, calloused hands in deep pockets, and cleared his throat before saying, "I want to know how you think, Elise. I already know that you are highly intelligent, but I want to know how you go about your thought process."

That went over Elise's head, but Grant was aware that she was smart; that was enough for her. She would answer his questions, and she briefly glanced down to see Blue giving Echo a playful nip on her tail. The bronze raptor gave a warning growl before retreating further into the thick ferns, and Elise turned to Grant when he said, "Now the best way humans measure that is through puzzles. I brought a puzzle, and I just want to see how you figure it out."

Owen watched Dr. Grant move over to a large box he missed in all the excitement, and the older man pulled out a metal ball, about the same size as a large beach ball. It was shiny with several holes in it, and Grant unscrewed the top half from the bottom as Tim held it. Elise was watching him intently, and Grant pulled out a white, rubber bone the size of his arm before squeezing it. He chuckled when Elise tilted her head at the squeaking it made, and he tossed the bone inside before closing the ball again as he said, "I want you to open the ball. You get the toy if you figure out how to open it."

Grant rolled it over, and Elise sank her talon into a hole before dragging it over. She saw him unscrew it, so she would do the same. She would just have to be careful because she didn't want to break Grant's ball, but she wanted the squeaky bone.

It almost sounded like Small One.

Elise turned the ball over as she looked for the line that divided it; it was a little difficult because it was small to her, but she found it eventually. It was harder to sink her talons in to keep the ball still, and she let out a huff of frustration when her large talons kept slipping.

Owen risked a glance at the Dr. Grant, and he was intently watching Elise. He seemed stunned with what she was doing, and Owen startled when Grant suddenly paled. He turned his back to Elise, and she was examining the ball closely.

Elise knew there was a trick to this ball. She had seen Grant simply twist the ball, but surely he wouldn't insult her intelligence like that.

Yet the ball wouldn't give when she twisted.

She didn't want to force it open; that would break it. Elise blinked when she caught sight of markings over the line of the ball. She carefully turned it until a small shape caught her attention. She knew that shape; Owen had taught it to her.

It was an arrow. Where ever the tip pointed, that was the way to go. Elise let out a small sound; she had been turning the ball the wrong way, and she twisted in the opposite direction.

She made a happy sound when it unscrewed and she tossed the bone in the air before snapping her teeth into it. The squeaky made a shrill sound as the teeth assaulted it, and Owen pressed his lips at the delighted trill Elise made.

What was Mama going to think of Elise's new toy?

Owen didn't think she would take too kindly to it after the first five minutes. Grant remained silent while he continued to ignore the repeated squeaking as Elise began to chew the rubber bone quickly.

Grant could not believe what he had just seen. He knew she would be intelligent; he had seen the videos of her signing, but this was something else entirely.

 _She could read._

"Elise."

The Indominus paused from her toy at Grant's voice. He had an odd facial expression that she didn't understand, and she realized she still had the metal ball snagged on her talons. She gave the bone another squeak as she gave the two pieces back, and Dr. Grant quietly said, "Thank you."

Elise only squeaked the bone at him, and Grant turned to Owen as he asked, "Have you ever tried this test on your raptors?"

Owen shook his head. They had never tried that particular test; he had mostly focused on commands. He had avoided intelligence tests just to piss off Vic. He knew his girls would excel at them, but he had never wanted to encourage Vic to use the girls.

"Bring up your smartest raptor."

Owen blinked, and Tim tensed. Grant didn't pay them any mind as he rolled the metal ball back against the wall. He dug through his box again before pulling out a similar looking one, but it was the size of a basketball. Owen stared at the judge to make sure he heard right before going over to the ledge, and giving a sharp whistle.

"Blue! Come."

The raptor glared at him as she poked her head from the soft ferns; she was just about to fall asleep. Old nests didn't have such comfortable plants to sleep in, and now Alpha was barking at her again. White One could help him.

Owen rolled his eyes when the raptor sank back into the plants, and he added, "I guess I'll eat this Oreo myself then."

Owen snorted when the flash of blue scales darted up Elise before making a smooth landing on the cement floor. Tim flinched at her long claws scraping, but Dr. Grant bravely walked over. Blue was looking at Owen expectantly. He said Oreo, so where was it?

Owen gave a gentle smile, and Granted handed him the ball as he said, "I want to see how Blue does with the same test."

Owen was only glad he still had leftover cookies, and Blue gave a delighted purr at seeing _two_ delectable cookies put in the ball. He screwed the top half back on before rolling it over to Blue as he said, "All yours."

Blue also knew that phrase, and she immediately tackled the shiny ball with a delighted shriek. Tim flinched when the ivory teeth snapped onto the ball before Blue used her claws to tear at it. She gave it a few shakes to make sure it was dead before carefully inspecting the ball. She could see the Oreos inside, but the holes weren't large enough to get to them.

Blue gave a single chirp as her mind went to work. She had just seen Alpha close the ball, but she had been focused on the cookies.

Blue decided to smash the ball on the cement, and Owen winced at the sharp sound; the ball didn't even dent. Blue narrowed her eyes as the defiant ball that had the audacity to stand in between her and the more important than life itself cookies. She chewed on it a few more times before pinning it on the ground. Her sickle claw did little to the ball, and she finally huffed.

Blue was stumped.

Smashing didn't work, and neither did biting or clawing. A tricky, tricky contraption indeed.

Hart gave a sigh while Blue continued to smell at the ball, and he muttered, "Stupid animal."

Owen stiffened, and Elise paused from her toy as she tried to make sure she misheard the balding man. Hart was incredibly lucky Blue had not heard him; she knew when she was being insulted, and that had never ended well.

Hart cleared his throat before asking, "What is the point of this test again? This…Velociraptor isn't part of the case."

Grant didn't take his eyes of Blue as he answered, "InGen absolutely insists that Elise thinks like a Velociraptor. The best way to test that thought process is through puzzles. Blue is showing us how a normal Velociraptor thinks. She knows the treat is in the ball. She tries biting through it, then clawing, then smashing. Now that she's realized force doesn't work, she's using that brain of hers to figure it out."

"…The Indominus didn't do that…"

Grant snorted as he finally looked at Hart, and said, "Exactly. Elise doesn't think like a Velociraptor. She thinks like a human. Not once did she try to force that ball open even though she knew she was capable of tearing it apart."

Hart opened his mouth, and Grant held up his finger when he said, "This is the deal breaker for me. I want you to get Blue's ball."

The lawyer blinked before giving a sideways glance at the occupied raptor who was currently glaring at the ball. If she looked scary enough, then it would yield its cookies to her. Hart took a step towards her, and Blue immediately snapped her gaze at him before giving a warning snarl. She pressed the ball possessively to her chest, and curled her lip viciously. Hart immediately stumbled back, and Blue gave a satisfied snort as she went back to her ball. The lawyer gave a shaky breath, and Grant said, "She's not giving up that ball. Raptors never give anything to a complete stranger once they get their claws in it. You either have to give them something better, or prove you're stronger than them."

Grant pointed to the large, metal ball against the wall, and he asked, "Whose ball is that?"

Hart raised an eyebrow before saying, "Yours."

The man nodded, and said, "We knew that because we're people. We generally assume an item in a person's possession is theirs. You knew the ball is mine, and I didn't have to say anything. I can guarantee you, that I will not be getting that ball back from Blue. Not unless I prove I'm higher up than her."

Grant then pointed to a squeaking Elise as he asked, "So how did she know that was my ball when I didn't even ask for it back? She wasn't trained to do that; all I said was her name. She _assumed_ I wanted the ball back because she knew it was mine. That is about as far as it can get from a Velociraptor's thought process."

Hart pressed his lips into a thin line as he glanced back at Blue. Claire gave a small sigh at the constant squeaking, and she leaned over the ledge carefully before softly saying, "Elise?"

The crimson eyes snapped to her immediately as she continued to work the toy between her teeth. Claire had to admit it was adorable to see Elise so thrilled over her first toy, but she had to say, "Sweetie, that squeaking is going to give me a headache. Can you please stop for now? It's rude to make noise when others are talking."

Claire melted when the Indominus immediately tucked the bone in between two, sharp teeth, and she brought her bleeding snout a little closer. Owen turned his gaze to stare at the redhead, and paused when she gave a sincere smile to Elise as she pulled out a small tissue from her pocket. She gently dabbed around the larger slash, and Owen wondered when she suddenly became so beautiful. She had always been gorgeous to Owen, but the way Claire smiled.

Was she even aware of how her face lit up when she smiled? When did her hair become so shiny? Had her eyes always sparkled like that?

"Rexy isn't going to be too happy with you looking at other women."

Owen jumped before giving Tim a sharp look to keep his mouth shut. Tim only waggled his eyebrows teasingly, and Owen narrowed his eyes before gesturing to Blue. Tim snorted, but they turned their attention when Marie said, "Mr. Hart, if you feel Dr. Grant is not credible, then you should have brought in your own expert."

Hart opened his mouth, but Marie held up her hand as she said, "I have seen quite enough. Dr. Grant has made very valid points. Blue is intelligent for a raptor, and Elise did not go through the same process as her. Elise opened her ball like any human, and she would have done so sooner had she had a ball that was easier to grip. She speaks full sentences in sign, and she knows when to intervene to protect people. She feels the need to speak up for herself when humans assume her to simply be an animal. As far as I am concerned, she has the self-awareness of a human; I will allow Elise to speak for herself when the time comes to decide who she shall live with."

Owen refused to let out a huge sigh of relief, and Marie turned to him as she said, "There is no question that Elise looks to you for guidance. I do not doubt she sees you as a parental figure, and I want you to continue her education in sign language. I will not allow you to be separated from her as I can only imagine how traumatic that would be for her."

Marie glanced at Elise, who was currently licking her wounds as best she could, and the judge quietly said, "I can only imagine the severe trauma she already has from being isolated her whole life with only her sister's skeleton to keep her company."

Owen blinked when the judge seemed to suddenly grow disgusted, and she asked, "Who was the Head Geneticist in charge of her creation?"

Hart pressed his lips, but answered, "Dr. Wu."

Marie continued to observe Elise, and she tilted her head when the Indominus began to shiver her jaws. Owen assumed she was talking to Delta or Echo, and Marie finally said, "InGen and Jurassic World can work out their differences at their own pace, but by tomorrow, I will have a list that will be added to the agreement. Elise may not be fully human, but I will not allow her desires to be completely ruled out."

Owen frowned when Hart said, "Your Honor, I really need to persuade you to allow me to bring in my own expert. This is a twenty-six million dollar asset that InGen rightfully owns. I want to be completely sure that this asset is as human as Dr. Grant is assuming."

Elise caught that, and she narrowed her eyes before giving another small shiver of her jaws. Owen noticed Blue paused from her ball to give the group of people a sideways glance. Elise continued to quietly chitter, like she was talking to the raptors on the ground, and Blue moved her gaze around before it stopped on Hart. Owen wasn't sure if Elise was talking to Blue or not, but he didn't like the way his Beta was curling her lip at the balding lawyer.

Marie suddenly cleared her throat before saying, "I give you until tomorrow to bring in your own expert only because InGen has the right to. If I wasn't bound by the law, I would have already granted Jurassic World full rights to being Elise's sole guardian as InGen is responsible for her rampage. InGen has been acting very irresponsibly, and you are on very thin ice with me, Mr. Hart. I want all the records on Elise's creation brought to me so that we can discuss these liabilities Jurassic World was stuck with. Elise wasn't an attraction when she went on her rampage, and InGen was responsible for the security of her paddock. Dr. Wu is your employee, and I shall be speaking with him as well for this obvious abuse of power. InGen may lose much more than just rights to Elise; I do not care for the shadiness I am seeing, Mr. Hart."

Marie then began to walk towards the exit, mindful of Blue's space, as she said, "I want this case done by the end of this week, and, Mr. Grady, please get Elise medical attention before I come back for the noonish show. I do not want to see your raptors interrupting it."

"Yes, Ma'am."

Blue's gaze followed the woman, but she wasn't interested in her. Owen relaxed when she went back to her unyielding ball, and the two lawyers coolly stared at one another. Claire cleared her throat before curtly saying, "We can discuss more of this in my office. I want Elise to get medical attention before the next show."

Claire gave one more, gentle pat on Elise's nose before leading the way out. She glanced at Owen, and he swore he saw a ghost of a smile on her face, but he wasn't sure if the heat was getting to his head. Graves followed easily, and Hart gave a glare at Elise before leaving.

Owen turned back to Dr. Grant before jumping out of his skin when Hart gave a pained shriek followed by Blue's furious snarl. Owen whirled around, expecting to see Blue playing Cat's Cradle with Hart's intestines, and he froze when the lawyer was clutching his face while sprawled on his back. The silver ball was still spinning on the ground next to him, and Blue gave a scolding hiss before swiping her possession back when it rolled over to her.

Owen glanced at Elise, and she seemed extremely pleased with that. Now Owen was convinced she had been talking to Blue.

Dr. Grant was the first to walk over, and he remained wary of Blue as he kneeled next to the moaning lawyer. Claire and Graves looked shocked as they gaped from the tunnel entrance, and Owen pressed his lips at the amount of blood oozing from the clean hands. Owen followed closely, only to stand next to Blue. He gave her a stern look, but she knew it was for show.

Blue knew Owen was silently praising her for such a good throw.

Grant wasn't very gentle as he pulled Hart into a sitting position before the lawyer moaned, "My nose! I-It's broken!"

Dr. Grant gave a sideways glance to an unapologetic Velociraptor standing next to her trainer who was unwilling to reprimand her for that. He snorted, and turned back to Hart before prying the shaking hands off. Hart had gone incredibly pale, and Grant was quick to straighten out the crooked cartilage.

Owen pretended he never saw the very smug look on Blue when Hart gave a pained yelp.

"I want that thing locked up right now! I will sue you!"

Grant rolled his eyes before snagging his rough hand into the pressed, silk clothes, and yanked Hart forward. The lawyer blinked, and Grant growled, "You are incredibly lucky the only thing she did was break your nose. I am amazed she hasn't tried to spill your intestines on the ground, but I'm going to assume it's because she doesn't eat junk food that's not Oreos. Whatever reason she chose to listen to is her business, but I suggest you be extremely grateful for it because raptors don't wait for their prey to die before they start to eat it."

Blue gave a garbled snarl as she began to bite at the silver ball again, and Hart winced. Grant eyed the tapping sickle claw before quietly saying, "I think you've pushed your luck enough with these intelligent animals…and Elise. I suggest you don't come back until you're willing to show some respect, okay?"

Grant suddenly yanked the lawyer up, and pushed him towards the tunnel exit as he said, "I also suggest you be careful about the expert you decide to bring in; Mr. Grady cannot protect all the idiots from his extremely patient Velociraptors."

Owen had to chuckle when the lawyer didn't look back as he scrambled out when Blue gave another snarl. Claire and Graves closely followed him, and Grant turned to Owen as he said, "I think Blue might need a little help."

Owen snorted as he leaned against the wall as he dryly said, "Blue likes to figure things out on her own. She gets insulted when I offer help. She knows she can come to me if she has problems."

Grant nodded as he continued to observe Blue, and Owen quietly asked, "Why'd you choose that puzzle?"

Owen watched Grant peer down the tunnel before he answered, "Raptors are smart enough to open doors on their own. The treat balls we give to our dogs are too easy for them; they learn how to get the treats out fast. I briefly did some studies with InGen's raptors, and the only way to stump them was to have them unscrew the ball. Even then, after they watched me open it a couple times, they figured it out."

Grant paused when Blue latched her claws into the holes of the ball, and she sniffed around to see if she was making progress, before he added, "But the Velociraptors always went through a similar process of using force before they tried to think it through. If Elise thought like a raptor, then she would have forced it open, but she didn't; she thought it through before opening it."

Owen nodded as he glanced at the large, metal ball next to him, before asking, "So where did you get one this size?"

Grant snorted as he answered, "I had a couple kids make it for me. I didn't think Elise would be able to do much with a ball like Blue's. I still think it was too small though, but I couldn't carry anything heavier."

They glanced out the window when the squeaking resumed, and Tim quietly said, "Didn't stop her though."

Grant chuckled at the truth of it, and he leaned on the wall next to Owen before saying, "I think I'll stick around while we wait for the vet. I have a lot of questions about your raptors, Mr. Grady."

Owen finally said, "Owen. I hate being called Mr. Grady."

He gave a sharp whistle, and Blue snapped her head up to glare at him. Owen only snorted as he said, "You don't scare me, Blue. Get going."

Blue glanced at the window before snapping her jaws into the steel firmly. They watched her gently land on Elise's back before sliding to the ground, and Owen was reminded of an old cartoon. The Flintstones, when Fred would slid down the dinosaur's back; Blue almost looked like she was doing the same thing, and it made Owen smile.

"Is that the only way you communicate with them?"

Owen blinked at Dr. Grant before slowly asking, "You mean the commands? They know a few words and they're trained to respond to certain whistles."

"But you don't _communicate_ with them?"

Owen raised an eyebrow, and Grant clarified, "Using their own vocal sounds."

Grant pressed his lips at Owen's confused expression, and he went back over to his box. He pulled up a bag before rummaging through it, and Owen stared at the bone looking object in the dried hands.

"What's that?"

Grant smiled as he turned the smooth object over in his hand, and said, "A 3D printed Velociraptor resonating chamber."

* * *

 **Another A/N**

 **I'm sure some of you will be wondering how in the world Dr. Grant would be willing to study Velociraptors. I don't plan to really get into that in the story, but we all know very well how easy it is to sway Dr. Grant when someone offers to fund any of his digs.**

 **Also, thank you again! :D**


	25. Chapter 25

**A/N**

 **Hey guys!**

 **I may not be able to post a chapter tomorrow as it is going to be really busy for me. I really don't have these chapters pre-written, but if I do manage to post something, it will probably be short.**

 **Anyways, thank you for all your reviews and criticism!**

 ***Edit* After some research, and reading a few comments, the proper name is a resonating chamber instead of a larynx. I came back and corrected this chapter after posting it!**

 **Anyways, please enjoy!**

* * *

"Teaching the Teacher."

"A what?"

Grant snorted as he handed the boney object over to Owen as he said, "The resonating chamber of a Velociraptor. Don't tell me you failed anatomy in college."

Owen didn't remember jack from college. He only recalled one piece of advice that a high school teacher had given him.

If he had the art of bullshit mastered, he would get through college easily, and he had. It wasn't like he had studied to become a vet or anything major. He was smart, but he wasn't exactly book smart; he was good around animals.

He never needed to know the material, he only had to convince his professors that he knew it.

Owen gingerly took it in his hands before turning it over. It actually looked like an odd duck skull to him, but he glanced up when Grant said, "You can make similar sounds to the raptors if you figure it out. I doubt you'll be fluent, but at least you'll be able to communicate a little more to your raptors."

"How do I work it?"

Grant snorted before walking over. He pointed to the largest tube on the bone as he said, "You blow the air through here, but you're gonna have to figure out the fine tuning of the sounds by yourself. Hopefully you have some understanding girls. It's not pretty when you accidentally insult a hot-tempered Velociraptor."

Owen could only imagine, and he wasn't sure he would really use this around Blue until after figuring it out. Still, he was kind of excited to actually talk to his girls in a way that they'd understand.

And he had someone who could help him learn.

"Baby! Come here."

Elise paused from her squeaking toy, she felt so happily nostalgic with the familiar sounds. She almost had Small One's happy chirps replicated, but she squeaked a little more quietly as Owen walked over to the ledge before sitting on the striped line.

Owen smiled at her as he held up the resonating chamber, and he said, "I need you help with something."

Elise shoved the white toy between two teeth, like it was a toothpick, as she brought her gaze closer to inspect the object in Owen's hand. She had no idea what it was, and she glanced down when Owen's hip crackled before Gerry growled, "Owen. Did your girls get in a fight, or is that a rumor I'm hearing?"

Owen cringed slightly; Gerry hated it when his raptors got into fights. Blue and the girls were getting good at dodging his darts, and they had even made a game of it. It drove Gerry up the wall, but Barry had always found it funny.

"Ya, Doc. Blue and Elise got into it. Blue is fine, maybe a little sore, but Elise is going to need stitches…again."

Owen winced at the silence, and he could hear Gerry rolling his eyes in exasperation. The old vet finally sighed as he said, "Any way Elise will let Jackie do the stitches? I really want those two to get on good terms…and I need to…go back to the Triceratops herd again."

Owen felt himself sinking for Rick. He didn't need to know the guy to feel terrible for him. Owen never wanted anyone to ever lose their animals; even Debra. Owen drew his pranking at the animals; he wouldn't even consider painting on them. He would maybe hide the saddles, but he just didn't want the animals to get pulled into this little war.

"Ya, Elise will let Jackie do the stiches. I know Rick needs you a lot more."

"Thanks, Owen. I'll come by when I have time to double check, but Jackie always does a good job."

Owen put the radio away, and looked up when Grant quietly asked, "Something wrong with the Triceratops?"

Owen rubbed the back of his neck; he didn't like to talk about these depressing things, but he said, "We had a Triceratops show up out of nowhere; she had prions. One of Rick's Triceratops caught it, and now it's spreading through the herd."

Grant sagged incredibly, and Owen saw sadness in the blue eyes. The elder was quiet for a few seconds before quietly saying, "I'll never forget the first time I saw a Triceratops here. Those were my favorite dinosaurs as a kid."

Grant shook his head sadly as he softly said, "She was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen in my life."

Elise turned her gaze to Grant when she felt him staring at her. He was thinking hard, and he finally said, "I never liked how Hammond had messed with the animals to make them more appealing to the crowd. Rexy stays pretty true to her ancestors, but your raptors wouldn't be so big and featherless. He always said he needed to make people feel small."

Grant turned his gaze to Owen as he asked, "How old is Elise?"

"Six years old."

Grant deepened his frown before looking back at Elise. His blue gaze scanned her crooked teeth, and he scratched at his beard before wondering aloud, "Why would Hammond allow the research for hybrid dinosaurs? He died almost six years ago. I always thought he would just stick with the ones that actually existed before…"

Elise wasn't sure if she was going to feel offended with that or not, but Grant walked over to the ledge. He frowned at her before saying, "Elise, come here. I need to look at those teeth of yours."

The Indominus paused before complying, and Owen offered, "Dr. Gerry thinks she has five or six different dinosaurs. We know for sure she has Tyrannosaurus and Velociraptor."

Grant wasn't at all shy about leaning closely towards the massive ivories. He ran his fingers along the different sizes before saying, "Carnotaurus. She's got a skull like a Carnotaurus."

Owen watched Grant gently run his hand along the large indents along Elise's face as he said, "These are definitely Carnotaurus traits, and she's even got small horns that resemble them."

Grant pulled back with a sigh as he continued to stare at Elise. She wasn't sure what to make of the gaze, but she respected him enough to maintain eye contact. The Paleontologist finally ran a hand over the wispy hair on his head before asking, "But where is the human?"

Owen raised an eyebrow as Tim walked over, and Grant crossed his arms before saying, "I see absolutely no physical characteristic that would point to human DNA. The thumbs are as close as it gets, but I would have assumed primates."

Elise blinked at him, and he scratched at his beard while softly asking, "Where are you hiding the human in you, Elise?"

Owen smiled when she tilted her head, but Tim chuckled before saying, "The eyes; they're just a color we don't normally see in humans."

Grant snorted, but he didn't disagree with Tim. Owen watched Tim peer over the edge before grimacing at Blue tackling the ball with renewed vigor as Echo joined her. A small shiver went down his spine, and he said, "I think Elise's eyes are definitely human. A Velociraptor's stare is just a little too creepy for me."

Elise wanted to resume with chewing her toy, but Grant suddenly asked, "Can you open your mouth as wide as you can, Elise?"

The Indominus blinked, but she complied, and Owen stared at the gaping maw. Grant wasn't even phased by this, and Owen startled when the elder actually leaned into the mouth to peer into the back. Elise remained perfectly still, though she blinked when Grant accidentally squeaked her newest toy.

"Aha! There's a little more human."

Owen raised his eyebrows when Grant pulled back with a victorious smile on his face. Owen didn't see anything, but Grant triumphantly said, "She's got molars in the back of her mouth. Probably never been used before, but those are definitely molars."

Elise closed her mouth when Grant leaned back, and Owen simply said, "She acts human enough for me. Doc thought she might have another set of teeth in the back."

Grant nodded, and wiped his hands as he said, "But this will help argue her case."

Elise really didn't care, but it was kind of nice to have something physically in common with humans. She resumed with her squeaky toy, and gave a joyous croon when the squeak of her sister's chirp sounded from the rubber toy. Owen smiled at her before he glanced down at the tool in his hands. He glanced up before asking, "Hey, Elise, what does this mean in raptor?"

Owen blew air through the resonating chamber, and a long, deep sound was produced. He wasn't sure what he expected, but he didn't think the rubber bone would drop from Elise's startled mouth. Owen watched it fall to the ground before it smacked snoozing Delta square on the head. The raptor gave an indignant shriek before immediately tackling the first moving creature she saw.

Echo hadn't expected that.

Owen tensed as the raptors rolled over one another while Blue chirped in confusion. She was glancing between her snarling sisters, Elise, and Owen.

The brawling duo collided with Elise's leg, and she snapped out of her shock to give the two a stern bark. Delta and Echo briefly paused, and Elise curled her lip before chittering at them. The two blinked, and Echo angrily turned before giving Delta a fierce nip for making the wrong assumption. The lightly striped raptor snarled back, but Elise let out a long, low growl. The two immediately broke apart, and Blue went back to the silver ball caging her cookies.

She would get them.

Elise turned her crimson gaze back to Owen, and he blinked innocently at her. He waved the white object in front of her as he quietly asked, "So, what did that mean?"

Elise continued to stare at him as she tried to figure out how to explain that to her human. She lacked the words, but she did know one thing.

Owen shouldn't make that call again.

Owen glanced around when Elise continued to simply stare at him with an unreadable expression. He pressed his lips before Grant leaned over, and quietly said, "While I'm not very fluent in raptor, I do know that one."

"What was it?"

"Mating call."

Tim fell over laughing.

Owen looked mortified as Tim howled with laughter. He felt his face turn hot, and he waved his hands as he stuttered to Elise, "I-I didn't know! Oh my God, Elise, I am so sorry! I w-was just blowing-"

Tim began to laugh harder, and Owen snarled, "Shut up, Tim! It's not funny!"

"You were blowing the bone!"

Owen wanted to sink into the ground when Elise looked at him questioningly; she wanted him to explain the joke. There was no way in hell he was going to do that. Grant rolled his eyes at the howling handler before dryly saying, "Good to see you've kept your sense of humor, Tim."

Tim didn't care, and Owen didn't want to try using the printed communication tool anymore. Elise tilted her head when she smelled the embarrassment, and she crooned comfortingly at him. Owen finally chuckled at her, and said, "I guess that explains why you looked so shocked…"

Elise snorted at him, but she was now very curious about the tool in Owen's hands. It sounded very much like a Velociraptor. If the raptor had a raspy voice, but she could understand it. This was actually very exciting to her; now Owen could talk to Blue and her sisters. They could communicate with each other.

Elise turned to the raptors before giving a series of chitters and barks.

Blue immediately snapped her head up before tilting her head. She swore she had misheard White One, and she chittered to clarify. White One glanced around to make sure she had the other two's attention, and she repeated herself. Blue actually forgot about her cookies.

Stupid Alpha could talk like them now?

Blue had to hear this for herself, and she was the first to scramble up the large, white scales. Delta and Echo were right behind her, and all three eagerly slid on the cement before bolting in front of Owen. He pressed his lips at them, and nervously glanced at Elise for a little help.

Blue turned her gaze to White One when she began to chitter at them. Alpha could talk like them, but he didn't know how? Blue wasn't sure if she understood that. Maybe Alpha only needed to learn what the sounds meant?

Blue just wanted to hear Alpha make a sound like her, then she would move on.

Owen paused, and Blue gave a chirp to get his butt moving; she had two cookies that needed her full attention. Owen glanced at Elise, and he supposed he just wouldn't make the same sound. He really hoped he wouldn't do another mating call. He would die of embarrassment. Owen paused to remember the sounds Blue made when she would talk to her sisters, and he blew air into the chamber before clicking his tongue against it. The sound was higher pitched this time before bark-like sounds were made, and Owen glanced at his girls for their reaction.

Owen didn't think he did any better this time when Blue looked absolutely stunned, and not in a good way. She slowly turned her gaze to White One. For the first time in her life, Blue had nothing to say.

Alpha could make sounds like them.

But he was very foul mouthed. Maybe Alpha should just stick to Alpha sounds. White One crooned at her to talk to Alpha; to help teach him, and Blue paused.

Owen pressed his lips when Blue turned back to him. She opened her mouth like she was going to reply, but closed her mouth as she seemed to think, then she opened it again. It was clear she was at a loss for words. Owen caught Echo and Delta sharing a brief glance before quietly staring at him.

The silence was deafening to Owen.

Dr. Grant finally let out a snorted laugh as he quietly said, "You have stunned your raptors into pure silence. I am truly amazed."

"What did I say that time?"

Grant shrugged as he sat down on the bench, and answered, "I have no idea. I just know how to call for help, and a mate. I haven't gotten very good responses with either call."

Tim began to laugh again, and Owen rolled his eyes before turning to Elise. He waved the tool in his hands as he asked, "Can you show me a call, and then I'll try to mimic it so I don't sound like an ass?"

Elise gave a sucked in laugh that startled Grant, and she nodded her head. Owen was about to ask her a question, but Dr. Grant quietly asked, "Did she just laugh?"

Owen nodded as he replied, "Yep. She's pretty funny actually. She likes to scare things, but she won't scare children."

Grant blinked in shock, and Owen turned back to Elise as he asked, "How do you greet someone? Like, how would I greet Blue?"

Elise was happy Owen finally realized his guessing system wasn't working out. She was sure Blue would fall over from the shock, and she gave a small, warm trill. Owen pressed his lips in thought as he re-examined the printed chamber. There were several other holes, and he wondered what would happen if he covered some of them. He blew air again, pretending not to notice how Blue cringed, and the sound didn't sound like Elise's.

And it made Echo and Delta look the other way. Blue looked downright shocked, and Elise blinked at him. Tim sat next to Grant before jokingly saying, "They look like you insulted them, and all their ancestors."

Blue tilted her head at the garbling the not-pack-but-not-prey made. Alpha seemed to grow more frustrated even if he didn't look it. Alpha was supposed to make a greeting, but he had made a threatening challenge instead.

Alpha wasn't a very good speaker of her tongue, but Blue didn't want him to give up. She wanted to talk to him, and he never gave up on her when he taught her new commands.

Grant paused when he watched Blue trot over to Owen before plopping herself down in front of him. She sat tall, but curled her forelimbs on the ground in front of her as she seemed to be thinking hard. She scooted a little closer to Owen before giving a warm trill. Owen pressed his lips before trying again, and Blue winced at the defiant hiss. She gave a small growl, and Owen corrected himself. The next sound was a little friendlier, but it wasn't a greeting; Blue repeated her warm trill.

Owen moved his fingers along the different holes; he was getting closer, and he tried again. Blue perked up when she recognized the trill, but it could be better. She made her greeting again, and Grant watched Delta and Echo scooch forward intently; even Elise seemed to move her head more closely into the room.

Owen moved his index slightly off a hole hidden underneath a curve before blowing more gently.

And the warm trill was made.

Grant wasn't sure what he expected, but he and Tim startled when the raptors suddenly jumped around as they gave delighted shrieks of joy. Even Elise made loud, jubilant croons. Owen let out a startled yelp when Blue suddenly tackled him before her sisters piled onto him as well. Owen would have fallen flat on the ground, but Elise had smooshed her face close behind him.

Owen had to let out a laugh. He couldn't remember the last time his girls had piled onto him; definitely before they had been moved from the nursery. Blue had sprawled on his chest with her nose tucked under his chin while Delta and Echo pressed close to his side as they playfully nipped at his vest. Elise's delighted purrs vibrated all of them, and Owen couldn't stop himself from wrapping his arms around his girls in a tight hug.

Grant glanced at Tim when he had pulled out his phone, and he quietly said, "Make sure you save that. I want Judge Marie to see this."

Tim only nodded in agreement, and Owen smiled when Blue buried her nose in his neck. His face fur still prickled like when she was little, and she would reluctantly admit she missed this closeness. It even felt right to have White One to be part of the pack.

The pack was one more step to becoming completely whole, and Blue loved it.

* * *

"Huh, well, that took a different turn than expected."

Vivian nodded in agreement as the Control Room quietly watched Owen cuddle with his pack. It was warming to watch, and Lowery quietly added, "It's hard to believe he's in the middle of a gang war with the Petting Zoo. He babies his pack so much."

Vivian gave a small laugh as she went back to her computer, but she said, "I think it's sweet. Owen has something special with his girls. I'm glad he's learned to work with them."

Lowery shrugged as he took a slurp from his soda; he was sure those raptors were going to eat Owen, but they were full of surprises it seemed. He went back to his own computer before calling out, "Did someone send out some help to the security guy at the Petting Zoo?"

"We sent some help, but another staff member showed up for her shift; she's fine."

Lowery gave a small sigh of relief as he muttered, "Thank Jesus. I did not want to tell Claire her Petting Zoo was down because Owen decided to bring out the big guns in the fight."

"I wonder what Debra is going to do to Owen…"

Lowery shrugged again as he flicked through the security footage, and replied, "Maybe she'll throw itching powder on him or something."

"I don't think she has itching powder on her…"

Lowery raised an eyebrow before following Vivian's gaze towards the screens, and he blinked at seeing a very sweaty Debra storming in the direction of Elise's paddock. She looked legitimately murderous, and Lowery grabbed his radio before asking, "Um, Debra? Where are you going?"

Debra didn't slow down as she snatched the radio from her hip, and Lowery changed the screens to keep her on camera as she snarled, "I am going to beat the living shit out of Owen! He put laxatives on our doughnuts after he said he would leave our stuff alone."

Lowery flickered his gaze to the cuddle session still going on in the bottom screen, and he was pretty sure Owen had said something different. He probably wasn't very specific in his promise, and Lowery quietly said, "I'm gonna advise against that at the moment. Owen is currently cuddling with his three, full grown Velociraptors and giant Indominus Rex. I'm not sure what you can do, and I don't want to see you get eaten…"

Lowery wondered if the raptors would get the unrelenting shits if they ate Debra. He didn't want to find out, but it was one of the many random thoughts to skitter through his mind. He watched the curly haired keeper suddenly lurch in her step before fleeing. Her gait made it very obvious that she was clenching her cheeks the entire way as she bolted into a bathroom. Lowery pressed his lips, and said into the radio, "Stay strong, Debra."

He only heard a miserable moan before he quietly asked, "Want me to see if I can find anything on good old Google?"

"….Yes, please…"

Lowery pressed his lips, and Vivian looked sympathetic. He began a fruitless search on the web, and decided to change the channel on his radio before saying, "Owen? Just so you know, Debra is slowly making her way over to you. It might be a good idea to get the raptors away or there might be some blood."

He watched Owen snort as the blue striped Velociraptor glared at the radio. Owen plucked it up before saying, "My girls have better taste then that, thank you very much. I doubt Debra will even come close to here anyways."

"Why?"

Lowery raised his eyebrow when a particularly devilish grin pulled at Owen's mouth, and he answered, "In the words of Hammond, I spared no expense. I got the maximum strength just for sweet Debra. She's gonna be feeling that for the next twelve hours at least. Raptor Squad doesn't mess around."

"…Damn, Owen…."

"Nobody messes with my girls, and gets away with it."

Owen tucked his radio before cuddling his face with the bronze raptor leaning on his shoulder. Lowery paused to think before asking, "Should I give another point for using maximum strength?"

The Control Room seemed to think about this for a few seconds before someone said, "Half a point."

Lowery pulled out the notepad when the rest of the room agreed, and he said, "Okay. Raptor Squad has two and a half points, Petting Zoo has zilch."

Lowery tossed the notebook to the side before going back to his computers. Things seemed to be back to normal. They had two lost kids, one heatstroke, and an alcoholic try to raid the bar. Nothing new, but Lowery kind of liked watching the people do funny things when they thought no one was watching. He glanced at the clock to make sure the train was still running on time, and he cringed slightly.

He would have to leave the comforts of his dark cave to meet Elise in a few hours, and now there were Velociraptors there.

"Hey, Vivian, think I'll get shanked if I wear these colors in Raptor Squad turf?"

Lowery didn't appreciate it when she only gave a small laugh.

He was being serious.


	26. Chapter 26

**A/N**

 **I got my first fanart, and I want you all to see it too!**

 **Thank you Top Kicker for this piece of artwork! Go visit my profile if you want the link to it!**

 **As always, thank you very much for the reviews!**

* * *

"DNA Tests and Cheeseburgers."

"Look, InGen will cover the liabilities you paid, and you'll keep the profit the Indominus brought in. You send her to Isla Sorna, along with Mr. Grady."

Claire refused to curl her lip in disgust as she sat tall in her new office. It had been Mr. Masrani's, but she couldn't bring herself to change more than his name on the desk. She had called his surviving kin, and offered to bring them here so they could choose what they wanted from his office.

"I don't think so. Elise stays here. We'll pay her off, in increments, and you hand over all records on her. What makes you think she will stay on that island? Mr. Grady doesn't care for that island, and Elise has adopted my Tyrannosaurus as her mother. She's been integrated into Mr. Grady's Velociraptor pack, and those assets are staying right here."

Hart was beginning to look exasperated, and he sighed, "Look, I get she's smarter than a raptor, it's great she can say her name and open a ball, but she's just an animal."

Claire stiffened before leaning over her desk as she quietly said, "She has enough human in her that she guarded her sister's remains her entire life. She built a cave to protect the skeleton. She tried to get our help. Your veterinarian is very lucky he is not alive to answer for the abuse he cause those two. I will not sign over Elise to a prion infested island, and I know that Triceratops is from Isla Sorna. I have no idea how that animal got on this island, but InGen is going to be in a lot of trouble when I find out."

"Animals swim all the time, Miss Claire. We do our best, but sometimes one slips by."

"I now have a body count of nine of my own Triceratops! We lost our Alpha, and the herd is stressed! My Gyrosphere Plains are closed because of your 'slip up'."

The balding lawyer winced, but quietly said, "We are willing to cover those expenses, and loss if you hand over the Indominus quietly. She'll have her own space, far away from the infected animals, and Mr. Grady will be there."

"Mr. Grady will not leave his Velociraptors behind. Mr. Hart, I will say this one more time. Elise is going to stay here."

"…You know Jurassic World won't last without our geneticists."

Claire narrowed her eyes before snapping, "And InGen will never get business again after this major muck up of yours. It was InGen's call to set the Velociraptors loose, Mr. Grady did not approve of that plan. It was InGen who was responsible for Elise's security when she went on her rampage. Jurassic World kept its assets contained. It won't matter what the geneticists can create if you can't control them. Jurassic World knows how to handle these animals."

Hart couldn't help dryly saying, "Really?"

Claire raised an eyebrow before curtly asking, "Would you like to see the videos of Mr. Grady single handedly putting our Velociraptors back? How about him calming Elise down? Would you like to see opening day where she became the most popular attraction this park has ever seen? Jurassic World lost a week of business because of InGen, but we had all our animals contained by day three. It's been over twenty years, and InGen has only allowed their animals to run rampant over that island. I still have footage from the San Diego incident if you would like to review that."

Hart said nothing, and Claire folded her hands on the mahogany wood desk as she said, "The point is, InGen has absolutely no use for Elise when you can't even manage the health of your own animals. I don't care if we give Elise a choice on where she wants to live, she's not going to leave Owen, Rexy, or her new pack behind. She has family here."

Claire leaned back in her chair, and gave a brief glance at Graves before saying, "I will pay off Elise, and you leave her here. InGen continues to create our dinosaurs, and I won't press charges for the liabilities."

Claire wanted to smirk when Hart didn't have a counter offer, but she paused when Graves quietly asked, "Where's you proof that InGen owns Elise, Mr. Hart?"

The lawyer looked like he felt better at finally having an answer to something, and he pulled out a paper from his briefcase. His white shirt was still stained red, and his nose swollen, but he ignored it. Graves took the paper before scanning his eyes over the document. He frowned before asking, "IR-01?"

"That's her file name when we made this contract."

Graves turned his gaze back to the paper before saying, "There's no form of identification on here except this name. Does Elise have a tag, or a tattoo?"

Hart blinked before saying, "No, why?"

Graves raised his silver eyebrows before looking at Claire, and saying, "Because you have no proof that Elise is IR-01; that could be her sister for all we know."

Hart paled for a second, and Claire smiled, before he hastily said, "Bottom of the page! On the bottom of the page is her DNA signature. We know it's Elise's."

Claire paused when she swore she saw the smallest flash of fear in Hart. He didn't know for sure if Elise was IR-01. Claire smelled blood in the water, and she was going for it.

"I want a DNA test done. This discussion is over until I have the results back. The DNA test will be done in a neutral lab to prevent InGen from interfering."

"But-"

Claire stood, and extended her hand towards the door as she politely said, "Thank you for your time, Mr. Hart. I will have three copies of the results made, and all of them will be sent to Judge Knight before she hands us our own copy. In the time being, please enjoy your visit to Jurassic World."

Claire checked her watch before adding, "In fact, you have enough time to change and clean up before visiting Rexy the Tyrannosaurus. I think you'll like her. She has an appreciated taste for lawyers."

Hart paled at the dark joke, but took his paper back before leaving the room. When the door shut, Claire sank into her chair, and quietly asked, "Can I be sued for that joke?"

Graves shrugged as he read over his notes before answering, "People can sue for spilling coffee on themselves. I'm sure he could, but we could just ask Rexy to clarify to Mr. Hart. I'm told she's a blunt creature."

"You have no idea, Mr. Graves, but I'd think she'd like you."

The silver haired lawyer snorted before saying, "I saw the look on Elise's face; I think I smell like Hart. I don't think I'll push my luck with Rexy."

* * *

"You know what's crazy about Humpty Dumpty? They never said he was an egg."

Vivian paused from her typing to think about that before shrugging. Lowery hadn't found anything useful for Debra, and she had finally made it to the bathroom closest to Elise's paddock. Owen had sent his raptors back into the paddock when Jackie had arrived to do the stitches, and things went smoothly.

Except when a man decided to streak across the plaza. Lowery had to admit he was impressed with how fit the guy was, but the security was a bit better.

Lowery pressed his back against the chair, sighing when the vertebrae cracked, and he checked his watched; five more minutes until his break.

"Are you going to go visit Elise?"

"Her next show isn't for another half hour."

Vivian glanced at him before saying, "I think you should get some one on one time with her. You did save her life; twice."

Lowery scratched his head sheepishly as he said, "I don't know about that. I just told Claire about the video, and all I did was shut down the fence; Rexy scared the Triceratops away."

Vivian gave a warm smile, and turned to him before saying, "We all saw how fast you ran across the plaza to get here so you could tell Claire. You even dumped your Mcflurry on the ground."

Lowery sighed, "And they had actually put a good amount of Oreos in that one…they never put enough Oreos…"

She gave a gentle pat on his shoulder as she said, "I think you've done enough to get to know her personally. I'll cover for you; go meet her."

Lowery grimaced as he stared at the screen. He could see Owen sweeping the floor of the Observation Room. Lowery gestured to himself as he said, "I just don't know how she's going to resist the temptation of wanting a taste of this good looking body."

Vivian started to laugh quietly, and Lowery gave her a dry look. He really wished she didn't have a boyfriend, but he liked her enough to respect it. She nudged him, and Lowery heaved a sigh as he announced, "Alright, alright, I'm going. If I get eaten, Jack, Jerry, and Sierra already have dibs on my plastic dinosaurs. Bury me with my Apatosaurus, okay?"

Vivian smiled, and nodded, as Lowery stepped into the elevator. He raised an eyebrow when someone called out, "Bring her a cheeseburger! Appeal to the American in her!"

Lowery saluted the brown haired man as he said, "Good thinking! I will let you all know what the outside world is like, but I shall return!"

He snorted when the Control Room began to clap for him as the doors slid shut, but he heaved a sigh when the elevator began to move.

He really hoped Elise would be friendly; he didn't have the best luck with women.


	27. Chapter 27

**A/N**

 **Hey guys!**

 **I meant for this chapter to be a little longer, but I decided I just wanted this chapter to focus on Small One. Not sure if a warning is needed, but I suppose you can be warned to brace for the plucking of heart strings, but in a good way!**

 **Please enjoy, and I thank each and every single one of you for your reviews and** **criticism!**

* * *

"A Second Chance for Small One."

Elise crooned happily at the small, wooden box with Small One inside. Elise didn't feel like hunting the goat with Rexy this time, but maybe after her next show. Dr. Grant had left with Tim to see Rexy, but they promised to come back; Dr. Grant wanted to look at Elise's teeth again when Judge Marie came back.

The large talons pushed the squeaky bone a little closer to the box, and Elise began to talk about Dr. Grant. Small One thought it was funny how he smelled like dirt, but she liked him as well. She liked the squeaky bone, and she was happy Owen could make sounds like the raptors.

Elise had decided to create a new shelter for Small One under the false log. Small One liked to hear all the people, and she liked the children too. She was happy Elise had made new friends.

They were both happy their new home wasn't silent like the old one.

Small One had even grown brave enough to sleep here without Elise because she liked hearing the nesting birds in the nearby trees, and the chirping crickets singing under the starry night. She wasn't alone in a tiny paddock; she felt better here.

She didn't even mind sleeping in a box, but Elise had learned how to take the lid off on nice days like today.

Elise turned her gaze away from Small One to glance at the sleeping raptors in the lush ferns. They were content to nap the day away after all the excitement, and Elise was happy they were here; she didn't want them to leave. She liked talking with Blue, and Delta was very friendly; Echo was more serious and quiet.

Elise could hear Owen cleaning the room with what he called a broom. It was a useful tool, and Elise wondered when humans had begun to hate dirt. She had no problem with it, and she didn't understand why it was no longer welcome in the human buildings.

She turned her gaze back to the wooden box, and began to talk about Rexy. Small One was happy she was a good mother, and Elise was learning many things from the elder dinosaur. Her roar was growing more fearsome, and Elise had been mimicking the fiery gaze when no one else was around.

Elise wanted to be like Rexy.

But a part of her was happy to be in a pack. Rexy was a terrifying dinosaur, but she didn't do a lot of talking. Elise wasn't sure if it was because of her personality or age, but Elise was happy to talk to others.

It felt more natural when she talked with the Velociraptors.

The white Indominus gave a quiet sigh; so much had happened in so little time. She couldn't believe how much her life had changed for the better; she truly thought she would die next to her sister's mossy cave one day.

She was sure no one would ever find her massive bones; they would be too afraid to come inside. Elise thought the weeds and grass would eat her away until she became stuck to the earth like Small One.

It had made her very mad because she thought the humans had left her to die alone.

She was ashamed to admit she had reacted out of anger. Owen made her realize she had been wrong. She didn't regret killing any of the humans, but she did regret all the pain she had caused other dinosaurs.

Elise was sorry for attacking the hard shells in the jungle; it was wrong to fight them without reason.

Elise deeply regretted hurting the lumbering longnecks who didn't even put up a fight when she slashed them.

Elise was remorseful that she had used Blue and her sisters; she would never be able to justify Charlie's death.

Her only reason for causing so much pain was the need to spread the misery. Elise had been tired of shouldering the burden of isolation alone. She had left a hard shell alive, and a longneck. She had wanted them to feel alone; it had hurt so much to be singled out for no reason she could see. Why were the hard shells allowed to graze together when she could no longer gather soft ferns with her sister? Why had the longnecks been given vast plains to call their own when she was caged in like something the world didn't want to see? Why had the humans been willing to work with other, dangerous, intelligent creatures, but not her?

Elise knew she could have taken the humans on herself, but she had wanted them to know terror. She wanted them to be hunted down like the prey they were. Their only strength lied in intelligence and numbers when the shiny weapons became useless.

She had wanted them to know how low on the food chain they really were.

Elise briefly glanced up when she heard Owen talking to the voice on his radio. She wondered what would have happened if Owen hadn't tried to make peace with her. Would she have killed all the humans? Would Blue and her sisters been able to overwhelm her? Elise didn't think so, but she wondered what Claire would have done to stop her.

Claire wasn't afraid to ask Rexy for help when dinosaurs got out of control. She wondered if Claire would have asked Rexy to help fight. Elise couldn't picture herself fighting Rexy; it felt wrong.

Elise didn't think she would be alive if Owen hadn't helped her. She actually hadn't had a plan for the aftermath of her rampage. Elise figured she would have gone back to her paddock to tell Small One the world wasn't very nice. Elise would have lied so Small One wouldn't have felt bad for never getting past the walls. Elise would have lied about the world so she herself wouldn't regret soaking the earth with crimson.

And Elise was sure she would have allowed herself to rot next to her small sister until, once again, they would look like one another. Amber bones with moss to blanket them on colder nights.

But Elise wouldn't have had anyone to build a cave over her remains to shelter from harsh storms.

A warm laugh from the false log lifted Elise from her depressing thoughts because now she had someone. Now the world was splashed in a dazzling array of brilliant colors. The wind was a comforting caress rather than a cold chill, the creatures were friends to be made instead of reminders of her loneliness, and the deep jungles a place to explore instead of a place to hunt.

The world was beautiful.

Elise wanted to share the beauty with everyone; especially Owen. He was her human, and every day he deserved to see nothing but the beauty of the world. She may be his sunshine, but he was her entire world.

Owen gave her a second chance; she would make him proud.

Elise slowly rose to peer into the room where Owen continued to quietly sweep. He hadn't noticed her, and he was quietly humming a tune she didn't know. Owen was good at sweeping the dirt into one spot. He was good at a lot of things.

Owen was good, and Elise loved him dearly. She didn't care what this InGen had to offer her; they would never be able to paint the world more beautifully than Owen had for her.

"I come in peace, fellow American!"

Owen snapped his head up before blinking at the hamburger box waving up and down from the tunnel exit, seemingly batting at nothing. He couldn't see the person, but he knew the voice.

"I'm not hungry, Lowery."

Owen heard the man scoff before the burger retracted, and Lowery peeked around the corner as he retorted, "I was talking to Elise. I'm not bringing food for the guy who knocked over my dinos."

Elise tilted her head; she didn't know Lowery could come out of his talking box. Was there anyone in the box on Owen's hip now? She thought she had heard the familiar crackling.

"Why did you stick an American flag in the box? Where did you even get that?"

Lowery stared at the toothpick with the red, white, and blue paper flag on top of the McDonald's box before he shrugged as he replied, "Nobody questions it when the Mexicans do the same thing with their burritos. Why can't I put an American flag on the cheeseburger?"

Owen blinked at it before asking, "Why are you here? I thought you were too afraid to come out of your little cave."

Elise tilted her head even further. How did Lowery get out of his box? Was it always dark in his little box? That made Elise sad for him. What was a cheeseburger anyways? It sounded odd. Lowery was nice for bringing food for her, but she wasn't very hungry right now. She would share with him to be polite.

Lowery didn't come any further from the corner as he said, "Control wouldn't let me do my job unless I would come meet Elise, and I thought you should know that Debra is in the bathroom across the street…I'm also on my lunch break."

Owen raised an eyebrow; he had to admit he respected Debra for actually making it this far. Too bad he had three, adult Velociraptors sleeping on the ground, and a protective Indominus Rex on his side. He didn't think Debra would be able to do much. He glanced at Elise, and she seemed confused.

Owen didn't blame her; Lowery could be weird.

"Well, Elise can't exactly come to you. So, why don't you come out of hiding if you want to give her the burger?"

Elise watched Lowery press his lips as he eyeballed her warily; she wasn't sure why he was so afraid to come forward. He was never afraid of her from the box, and all the other humans had gotten over their fear after Owen had assured them. Elise blinked when Lowery pointed at her before sternly saying, "Okay, I understand that I am probably really delicious looking, but try to resist the temptation. I promise I won't taste as good as I look."

Elise had no intent of eating humans; Owen had said that was wrong. It was wrong to eat other dinosaurs here, and it was very wrong to eat humans. She liked Lowery when he was in his box; she didn't think differently of him now.

He didn't look very appetizing either, but Elise didn't want to be rude to him.

She gave a quiet croon, and Lowery raised an eyebrow before muttering, "That's too quiet a sound for your size."

Elise only made that sound around unsure humans; it made them feel better, and it worked every time. She resisted the urge to smile when Lowery came out of hiding as he held the burger with one hand, and Owen frowned at the other object.

"…Is that a jar of dirt?"

Lowery paused mid-step as he looked legitimately offended before curtly saying, "Of course not, I'm not Jack Sparrow, Owen."

He held up the mason jar of dark, rich earth as he corrected, " _This_ is the finest _American soil_ I could get my hands on. I said I would bring our American dinosaur some soil from her homeland."

Elise tilted her head at how Lowery puffed his chest out as he confidently walked over. He unscrewed the lid before offering it to her as he whispered, _"Can you smell the freedom?"_

Elise blinked, but Owen only rolled his eyes. Elise didn't want to be rude, and she flared her nostrils before catching the aroma from the rich soil.

Freedom smelled like dirt.

Granted the soil did smell different than the earth she knew. It was muskier, sharper; it wasn't a bad smell at all, but Elise didn't understand the big deal about _American soil._ She liked the gift though; it was intriguing to have soil from another land she would probably never visit.

Owen tilted his head when Lowery grew quieter, and sincere, as he added, "It's from my cousin in Louisiana. He said he put an acorn in it; I don't know if you can get it to grow, but it'll be something else for you to do when you're not rainbowing out for the kids."

Elise became interested. She could help grow an acorn? What was an acorn? Was it a flower, fruit, or a tree? Did plants from America look different? She wondered what this acorn would grow to be.

Owen smiled as he walked over before taking the jar. He gently dug through the dirt, and said, "Look at that, it's already starting to grow."

Owen tilted the jar so Elise could peer inside, and she saw the small, white vine breaking free from a round, hard shell. This plant was very young indeed, and it was now her responsibility to make sure it reached maturity. Elise would protect this acorn like she had protected Small One.

"What kind of oak is it?"

Lowery scrunched his face as he tried to remember before saying, "I think he said it was a Swamp Chestnut Oak. He works in a nursery; he said it would be fine if we planted somewhere where the soil drained pretty well, but it needs lots of water."

Owen raised an eyebrow as he covered the acorn back up before asking, "Why an oak?"

Lowery scoffed again before dryly saying, "Have a little pride in your American roots. Oak is our national tree."

Owen rolled his eyes, but he was touched by the sincere gift. He wasn't sure if an oak would survive here, but Elise looked happy with it. She turned her crimson gaze to him, and he smiled as he said, "Oaks are really big, strong trees, Baby. There aren't any on this island, but they're beautiful trees. It will live a long time too, if we take care of it when it's little."

Elise crooned happily; she loved trees. She had never seen baby trees hatch before. This one was so little, but she had been little too. She wanted to see how big this tree would grow.

Elise was reminded of a small animal that had died in her old paddock. She had left it alone because it smelled bad to her, and on her patrols, she had recalled watching the plants grow over the body before a single, green plant had caught her eye. As the years passed, the fragile plant became a proud tree. From what Elise understood, the dead animal had become the tree in a sense.

Elise suddenly perked up. This could be Small One's tree! Instead of green moss growing over the wooden box, Elise would allow this tree to grow over Small One.

They were both little and fragile when they were born, but this oak could grow for both of them! Small One should have grown big like Elise, but fate had decided against it. Now Small One had a second chance! Elise could nurture this tree with the same tender love she had given to Small One, and it would grow as big as her! Small One could become something large and strong like she was supposed to; she would only have a different body, but it would be Small One!

Lowery was wonderful for giving Elise and Small One this gift!

Lowery yelped when Elise suddenly snagged him, and Owen watched her give the tech-geek multiple, slobbery kisses. Owen didn't think a jar of dirt would make her so happy, but then again, the scribbles on the wall never failed to brighten her day.

Owen grimaced when Elise showed no signs of slowing down, and he said, "Don't open your mouth, Lowery."

Lowery did his best to scramble away, but Elise was unrelenting in her affection. Owen leaned on the broom when Elise managed to herd Lowery into her palm, and she tenderly held him close to her chest as she gave delighted croons. Lowery looked very confused, and out of his element as he was pressed against the white scales.

He forgot about his panic when he heard the loud heartbeat against his ear. It was steady, slow, and incredibly powerful, like a drum. He could actually feel the beat against him, and he wondered how big her heart was.

Figuratively and literally; he was being cuddled by a massive dinosaur. Even in the worst moments, Lowery could find irony in anything. He was being hugged by an Indominus Rex; an Untamable King.

Because he gave her some foreign soil with an acorn in it.

Owen was about to tell Elise to take it easy; he was happy she appreciated all gifts sincerely, but it was dirt.

 _American soil._

But Owen didn't think that meant much to her. He doubted she was even aware of how large the world was. He opened his mouth, but paused when she gave a soft, almost choked sound. Owen froze when she slowly turned her crimson gaze to him, and the small, crystal drops trickled down her snowy scales.

Elise was crying.

Owen had no idea what to do, and she pulled her lip up in a soft smile. He blinked at the warm, tender gaze, and he tilted his head at the sheer gratification lighting up her watery eyes.

She was crying tears of joy.

"B-Baby….are you okay?"

Elise only wished she had the words to explain the wonderful bliss she was feeling right now. The hurt in her chest had dissipated almost entirely; the pain of her sister's death could now be put at ease. No longer would Small One be an unmoving, fragile skeleton. She would not be stuck in a box for the rest of days.

Now, Small One would become big, proud, and strong. Now _she_ would be able to cast shadows over small creatures. She would hold her own against the winds and rains; she would make others feel little like Elise did. She would be the only of her kind on this island just like Elise.

Now, Small One had her second chance at life, and Elise gently pressed the kind human closer to her beating heart as more of the elating crystals slowly dropped from her cheeks.

Now, Elise felt peace because Small One had a place in this world again.


	28. Chapter 28

**A/N**

 **Hey guys!**

 **I'm really glad yesterday's chapter touched you, I thought it was time for Small One to be given some closure.**

 **As always, thank you for your reviews! And** **criticism! Please enjoy because the action picks up!**

* * *

"The Shot Heard Around the Park."

"Elise! I give you a kissie to make you feel better!"

Owen chuckled, and leaned against the wall as the millionth child decided to kiss Elise better. The stitches did look like they hurt, but Elise seemed perfectly happy. There was a sparkle in those clear eyes Owen had never seen before. She seemed much happier, and lighter after she had let Lowery go. The tech-geek had scrambled back to the safety of his Control room at the first chance he got, but Elise didn't seem put off by it.

Owen still wasn't sure why the jar of dirt was so important to her, but he would ask her later. The only thing that mattered was how happy she was.

And she gave him the cheeseburger; she didn't care for the sharp smell of ketchup.

It was endearing to see the large dinosaur being loved on by so many, little children, and Judge Knight seemed to be warmed by the sight. He didn't see Mr. Hart, but Mr. Graves had briefly stopped by. Owen didn't think he was a bad guy, he was a lawyer, but he wasn't bad.

This show had gone very smooth, the raptors were content to sleep the day away, and children were eager to kiss Elise better. The wall was filling up with vast amounts of different artwork, and people enjoyed sharing colorful tattoos for Elise to mimic.

Debra was still stuck in the bathroom as far as Owen knew, and he felt great.

Barry had dropped by, looking ashamed of himself, but Owen didn't give him too much grief over it. He knew there was probably nothing Barry could have done to stop the raptors from panicking after Rexy let out a loud roar. Tim had said it was getting close to her next dental appointment, so her teeth were starting to hurt her.

After the last child had given his kiss on Elise's nose, Owen glanced at the clock on the wall before saying, "Alright, ladies and gentlemen, thank you for your time. It's been a pleasure, and I hoped you all enjoyed yourselves."

Elise gave a soft croon as the children waved goodbye, and Owen smiled warmly. He watched the last of the group leave before Marie walked over, and she said, "Mr. Grady, I am very pleased with how you and Elise work with one another. It is good to know you have a hold on your raptors."

Owen wasn't going to tell the judge that his raptors were just too tired to cause more trouble at the moment. What she didn't know wouldn't hurt her, and he nodded. Marie smiled as she turned to the white dinosaur, and added, "I am happy you have adjusted to this life, Elise. You truly are a one of a kind in personality."

Elise made a soft sound to her, and the judge said to Owen, "I'm sure Miss Dearing will tell you, but the case has been momentarily put on hold for a few days."

Owen blinked before raising an eyebrow as he asked, "Why?"

Marie shrugged as she gave a gentle pat on Elise's snowy cheek, and answered, "Miss Dearing wants a DNA test performed on Elise. InGen actually has no concrete proof that the Indominus they own is actually Elise. They only have a DNA signature; it'll take a few days before we see if it's a match."

Owen glanced at Elise, and she didn't seem to really care. He let out a quiet sigh before asking, "Can InGen really take Elise off this island?"

"Not without her consent. I'm not sure if she's human enough to make it wrong to own her, but she is human enough to say where she wishes to live, if that makes sense."

Owen let out a sigh of relief as he smiled at his tough baby. She caught his gaze, and he swore those crimson eyes had lightened enough to allow some warmer shades to color it. If Owen was a man who cared about the fancier names of colors, he would have thought almost cinnamon colors had appeared to give the intelligent eyes more depth. But he wasn't that type of man, he just knew Elise looked happy.

They both knew she would stay here.

"I will be keeping in touch with the both of you. Dr. Grant is currently in the Triceratops field; he intends to compare Elise's teeth with some of his fossils. InGen will give me their records, but I want to be sure they aren't trying to pull a fast one on me."

Owen raised his eyebrows; impressed with Marie, and she slyly said, "This is not my first custody case, Mr. Grady. First one with a dinosaur, but it's not the first custody. This one has actually been quite civil considering."

Owen was sure that would change pretty soon, but it was nice to have the judge on their side. Marie gave another pat on the snowy cheek before saying, "I shall be off then. Mr. Graves intends to come by later to collect some teeth from Elise, but it's time for me to leave the island."

"So soon, Your Honor?"

Marie snorted in amusement, but said, "My job does not involve making merry in the bar, or placing bets in the Pachy Arena. As magical as this place is, I am here on business."

She gave a fond look at Elise before adding, "But I think I will bring my grandson here on my next vacation. I am glad the wonder of this place did not die with Mr. Hammond or Mr. Masrani. I think Miss Dearing will be good for this place."

Owen nodded in agreement, and Marie waved a farewell as she walked out of the tunnel. Owen gave a small sigh when they were alone, and he asked, "You're not going anywhere, right?"

Elise immediately crooned as she gave him a loving look that melted Owen. He chuckled at her before asking, "Why did the jar of dirt make you so happy? Just happy to get a present?"

Elise shook her head before gesturing to her chest. She wasn't sure how to tell Owen about a pain he never knew about. She wanted to tell him how he made her feel better, and how she was happy Small One would become big like her.

Owen pressed his lips at the broad chest, but he asked, "Did the present make you feel better?"

Elise nodded; her heart was healing. She knew Owen was smart enough to get the picture if she showed him what she meant. Elise made to bring the jar and box up, but paused when she heard quiet footsteps coming down the hallway; they didn't sound right.

They walked like trespassers.

Owen raised an eyebrow, but he figured it was just some stragglers wanting a quick look. He shrugged it off, and turned around to get a drink of water. He hated talking so much; it made his throat dry.

Elise didn't turn her gaze from the tunnel, and she startled when four people suddenly darted in.

 _With the shiny weapons._

She couldn't see any detail under the dark masks, and the largest male raised his gun before snarling, "Take this you little prick!"

Elise reacted before anyone else. She quickly shoved her face in front of Owen, and yelped when the sharp pain stung her cheek. She gave a furious snarl when the others began to fire, trying to hit Owen, but only succeeding in striking her.

Elise saw red; she knew these weak weapons could do little to her, but Owen was in danger. She bared her fangs dangerously before suddenly lunging at them. She snapped her jaws at the closest intruder, grabbing the tip of his gun, and she yanked back. The shorter male gave a startled yell before bolting away after losing his weapon. Elise gave it a fierce crunch before freezing when Owen gave a sharp whistle.

She made the mistake of turning her head, and the largest male took his shot. Owen had made to dart in front of Elise, and gave a pained yell when his chest splattered a deep red. Owen stumbled back before another splash of red caught his cheek, and Elise felt the ice cold fear deep in her stomach. She forgot about the attackers as she yanked Owen out of the log before giving danger calls to the pack.

The Velociraptors were immediately on their feet, and Elise dropped Owen onto the soft ferns as he groaned. Blue was immediately over him when she saw the red, and Elise shoved her snout back into the Observatory Room as she let loose a furious roar.

If she wasn't so panicked; she would be proud of herself for sounding almost exactly like Rexy, but only louder.

* * *

"You know what's not right? Left."

Vivian let out a rare snort as she glanced at Lowery. He had changed into a different set of clothes after escaping Elise, but he wasn't too traumatized; he made it out alive. Granted he practically shat himself when the large, pink tongue ran over him. He really thought she had been tasting him.

Then she started crying. Lowery had no idea what to do with human women, let alone emotional dinosaur women. He had bolted after dropping his cheeseburger. It probably wasn't the best move, and he would apologize later. Through the radio.

Elise seemed pretty happy during her show, so Lowery wondered if he had done anything wrong. The Control Room had given him the oddest looks.

He was the only man who could make a dinosaur cry.

Lowery glanced up when Security Control said, "You know what's not right? Making Elise cry."

He sighed before retorting, "You know what? She was so moved to have soil from her homeland _with_ our national tree growing in it, that she cried. That was not a dinosaur crying, okay? That was a homesick American being comforted by a piece of home."

Lowery really did feel bad for making her cry.

The employees only chuckled before going back to work. Lowery rolled his eyes, and Vivian quietly said, "I don't think she would be hugging you if you had made her sad. I think she was just really happy."

"Over some dirt? I mean, I know it's _American soil_ , but still…it was just a little gag gift…"

Vivian shrugged as she said, "I don't think Elise sees the world like we do. Maybe she saw something in that gift that we didn't. But I know you didn't make her sad."

Lowery glanced at her before asking, "How do you know?"

"Girls don't hug the boys who make them cry; not unless it's the neck they're hugging…with their hands."

Lowery blinked at the dark joke before a loud roar made the room jump.

"There's guns in Observatory Room Eleven!"

Lowery felt his jaw drop when the four people bolted in before opening fire on the duo. Vivian yelped before snapping her fingers to her mic, and Lowery frowned when the guns caught his eye. He put his hand over Vivian's before loudly saying, "Wait! Security, get some guards over there right now! Tell them to keep guests out!"

A few people let out some quiet screams when Owen suddenly fell over, and the deep crimson stained his shirt before Elise dragged him out of the room. Security was starting to panic, and Lowery yelled, "Stop panicking! Look at the guns, people!"

There was a brief silence in the room as they stared before Elise shook the camera with a furious roar. The masked men bolted, and Lowery snapped, "Someone get those pricks before Elise sets the Velociraptors on them."

Lowery had meant that sarcastically, but realization dawned on him the moment the words left his mouth.

"Oh, shit!"

Vivian paled when Elise turned her vibrant crimson, and Lowery practically dove onto his desk as he slid over to the phone. He was so happy he had managed to memorize the number for the speakers to Elise's room. Lowery risked a glance at the shaking screen before quickly saying, "Elise! Elise, easy! It's your fellow American! I already have guys going after those men!"

Lowery would admit he jumped when the fiery, blooded gaze snapped right at the camera, but he added, "Just keep an eye on Owen, okay? I'll take care of the bad guys, and you keep the pack right there. You cannot allow the Velociraptors to leave the paddock. Just make sure Owen is fine."

The room watched all the color leave Elise until she looked like a gaunt, unhealthy white. It wasn't her snow white, it was a deathly pale, bone white. Lowery gave a sigh when she whipped around, and he snapped, "Someone better get those pricks! We almost had a massacre on our hands."

* * *

Owen gave a hiss of pain as he clutched his chest.

"God damn it…."

His jaw was throbbing, and Owen winced when he felt a rough snout desperately nudging his side. Owen could hear his raptors giving panicked shrieks while Elise gave a furious snarl that left his ears ringing.

Owen slowly sat up before looking at his hand. He startled at seeing the red, and Blue was giving concerned whines as she rubbed her face against his. Echo was pressed against his back as she bared her teeth threateningly, and Owen looked up in time to see Delta giving cries for bloodshed from Elise's back.

Owen blinked before Elise suddenly turned around, and her large hands were near him. She looked stunned to see him sitting up, and he put two and two together.

He was going to kill somebody later.

Owen gave a cough before saying, "Elise, I'm fine."

Elise was not believing that load of lies. She would not tolerate Owen lying to keep her from panicking. She saw the red, and she remained very gentle as she curled around him tightly. The raptors dove into the small circle she had made around Owen, and Blue was immediately appointed the doctor of the group.

Owen winced when she pressed her snout against his sore chest, but he said, "Easy, Blue, it's not blood. It's paint. See?"

Owen smeared the thick paint on his fingers before holding his hand in front of Blue's sensitive nostrils. She blinked at it for a few seconds before growing confused, and Owen sighed as he lifted his shirt.

"I'm not bleeding. Easy girls, easy."

Blue immediately shoved her snout against the pale skin as she gave a thorough inspection for any wounds. Owen could actually feel the others holding their breaths before the Beta took a step back, and gave the confirming chirp.

Stupid Alpha wasn't going to die.

Elise sank into the ground with a loud exhale, and the raptors piled onto Owen. He winced when the sharp claws dug into his skin, but he didn't have the heart to tell them off. He only made comforting sounds as gentle, calloused hands ran over the different colored scales.

"Shh, it's okay, I'm okay, we're okay…"

Owen wrapped his arm around Blue when she tucked her nose under his chin, and he glanced up at Elise. He could feel himself growing angry at seeing the splotches of paint on her. It was just his luck that he would get hit by the only red paint. Elise had yellow, blue, green, and red splattered against her white scales.

He was going to raise hell for this.

"Elise…?"

Owen hurt at seeing the fear in those crimson eyes; the sparkle wasn't there at the moment, and he hated how the color had dulled back to the crimson. He pressed his lips before gently saying, "We're okay. It was just paint. Those were paintball guns. You can't kill with those."

But Owen was sure he would find a way next time he saw those people.

He gave his girls a tight squeeze before standing up. Blue snagged her claws into his pant leg, and walked close to him, as he went over to the large face. He sighed at the yellow splatters, and gently scooped up some of the paint before showing it to her.

"See? It's paint."

Elise blinked at the vivid color, and she became confused. She didn't know shiny weapons could fire bright colors. Why would anyone do that? It hurt being hit by the color, and she didn't understand why they had attacked.

Paint was painful.

Owen sighed when Elise only curled up more tightly, and he yanked his radio off his hip. He could feel his temper rising when he growled, "Lowery."

The radio didn't even crackle this time, and Blue glared at the radio when Lowery said, "I'm on it, I'm on it! Security is headed there right now, we'll get them. Just keep the raptors calm, okay?"

"I'll send the girls after those bastards if you lose their trail, and this time I'll have Elise to help me."

Blue gave a fierce snap of her jaws to confirm this, and Owen could hear Lowery shiver before hastily saying, "Hey now, can we at least try to keep the park open for maybe more than a week before having dino wars? Let Security handle this, okay?"

Owen gave a dangerous look at the radio, and Lowery added, "Just focus on your pack, okay?"

His gaze slid over to an upset Elise, and he sighed quietly before putting the radio away.

"Come here, Baby."

Elise flicked her gaze up to him, and it broke his heart to see the hurt look. Like a child who figured out the magic of the world was mere illusions. He kneeled next to her before putting both hands on her as he softly said, "Hey, it's going to be okay. We still got the pack together, nobody got hurt, and Lowery is taking care of those guys."

Elise still didn't look convinced, and Owen added, "We'll figure it out, okay, Baby? Let's get you cleaned up, and then we can get ready to see more kids. That'll be fun, right?"

Owen patted the scales, and Elise looked up at him. He winked before saying, "We have an army of munchkins to do our bidding. If Lowery can't find those guys, then the munchkins will."

Elise finally pulled her lips into a smile as she gently nudged her snout against him. Owen smiled as his girls wrapped around each other more tightly, and they relished the quiet silence. They comforted each other, and Owen didn't want it any other way.

* * *

"You have got to be kidding me…"

Lowery sank back into his chair after making the fifth circle with the security footage. They couldn't find the guys.

"Are you kidding me?! No one saw anything?!"

Lowery was dumbfounded, and he glanced around to see the mirrored frustration on his fellow techies' faces. Security Control was furious, and everyone froze when the elevator door slid open.

"What. Happened?"

Vivian winced at Claire's quiet voice, and Lowery swallowed before saying, "Hit and run."

Claire wasn't sure if that was meant to be a joke or not, but she took a deep breath before asking, "How many?"

"Four; two guys for sure. Security found the paintball guns tossed in the bushes nearby."

"How did four paintball guns get past Security in the first place? All guests are checked for those kinds of items."

No one said anything, and Claire said, "Show me the tapes."

Lowery pressed his lips as he rewound the video, and Claire glared into the screen. He really hoped they would be able to find the creeps.

Lowery wouldn't put it past Claire to let the raptors find them.

* * *

"Well, well, well…"

Owen scooped up the cracked gun before turning it over in his hands. These idiots had just made a terrible mistake indeed. Elise tilted her head at him, and Owen brought the gun over before saying, "See if you can memorize that scent, Sunshine. I don't want to put all my faith in Security."

Elise curled her lip at the weapon, but she pressed a sensitive nostril close before inhaling deeply. There were different scents on here, but she could smell the sharp scent belonging to the shorter male. She would remember this smell for as long as needed; she would recognize it anywhere now.

The Velociraptor in her would not tolerate this attacker to go unpunished. No mercy would be shown.

Owen pondered as he watched Elise narrow her eyes in concentration. Those guys obviously knew him; they were aiming right at him, but they didn't care about hitting Elise. They sounded pissed, like they wanted revenge. Owen always kept track of the people he pissed off; he was smart like that. He liked to make enemies in increments in order to keep track of them.

He had pissed off only one group of people right now.

Owen chewed the inside of his cheek before turning when he heard footsteps; he was ready for another fight, but relaxed at the sight of Tim. Owen gave a half-hearty wave, but Tim asked, "Are you guys okay?"

Tim blinked at the sight of Elise before quietly adding, "Rexy heard Elise roar. She left the goat, and went back into the jungle; she was furious. She knocked over a tree..."

Owen did not want a furious Rexy to show up, and he said, "I need to clean the paint off Elise so she can make sure Rexy doesn't come over here. I won't put it past the old lady to break down the fence."

Tim nodded, and went over to Elise before softly saying, "Poor baby…I'm so sorry you got hurt. Paintballs hurt like a bitch."

Elise gave a soft croon, and Owen quietly said, "You wait here, Sunshine. I'm going to go get some soap and water to clean you off."

He glanced around before adding, "And something to compare that scent to."

Elise nodded, and Owen sighed as he leaned the broken gun against the wall. He walked over to the button on the wall before pushing it, and left with Tim.

Elise waited for the two to be gone before she snagged her talon into the broken weapon. She was glad the window was slow to shut, and she lowered herself before giving chittering barks at the three raptors. Blue listened intently, giving her own chirps to clarify, and Elise handed the gun over. She gave a stern snort, and the three raptors immediately bolted into the brush.

Elise glanced back into the Observatory Room. She would wait for Owen to come back, but she wouldn't depend on him alone to keep this pack safe. She was an Alpha as well; it was her responsibility to keep the entire pack safe, and informed.

Just because she had realized her rampage was wrong, didn't mean she wouldn't get violent; it meant she would find justifiable reasons for her violence. She was content with her job of being a calm, gentle giant around children, but she wouldn't hesitate to remind the world of the power she was born with.

Even though Elise was fully aware she didn't understand the world or how it worked, she did know how to survive in it.

Elise never intended to lure humans into her paddock, but she was an opportunist. She saw an opportunity to escape, and she took it. Now, she was presented with an opportunity to craft a plan to assure her family would remain safe, and she was going to take it. She would allow Owen go about his plan; his plan was the primary plan, but hers would be a backup.

It didn't matter to her if the paint hadn't hurt anyone. Elise knew how to test boundaries, and those tests started out in small, harmless increments. She now understood this attack was meant to scare, and test her pack's reaction.

A real attack would soon come.

Elise gave a small sigh as she lowered herself to Small One's box. The world was odd. There were brilliant colors, but also mean shadows. The world was a bit duller at the moment, but she would protect what she had. So long as she had her family, there was a reason to fight.

And Elise was a fighter.


	29. Chapter 29

"A Debt to Rexy."

Stupid attackers.

Blue made a sharp whip around the large trunk as her sisters dodged their own obstacles. Delta made a large leap over a tall bounder, and Echo skittered over the trunk of a long dead tree. Blue was happy to be running again, but she had to focus on the mission.

White One was acting as a second Alpha. Blue accepted her as such; she cared about the pack now. Alpha was in touch with White One; they understood one another.

Blue had agreed with White One; this harmless attack was an attack regardless. No one messed with this pack and lived to brag about it. Blue was not that forgiving.

The three broke into the clearing, and Blue stuck close to the tall fence as she began to make her loud 'I'm here' barks. Her sisters stuck close to her as they began to do the same, and they waited before a loud roar shook the earth. Blue clutched the dark weapon against herself before giving a sharp snort as they bolted over.

Rexy broke free from the trees before letting loose another furious roar. She had heard the roar from White One. On one hand, Rexy was absolutely proud of how terrifying that roar had been. It shook the trees, echoed through the jungle, and demanded Death's very presence.

Regardless of how wonderful the roar had been, White One was still just a youngling; she was Rexy's responsibility. Rexy would be there to protect her even if it killed her.

Rexy turned her head towards the fence when she heard the sharp barks from the raptors. She didn't like how White One wasn't with them; she didn't like how they were trying to get her attention. Was White One in danger? Rexy wondered if she was overwhelmed by another attack, but that didn't make sense to her.

As much as she hated raptors, she would never deny they were brave creatures. Sometimes brave to the point of being dumb, but they were brave.

And noisy, raptors were so noisy; always chittering or barking. It drove Rexy up a wall just thinking about it. She liked the silence of her territory. She would only tolerate noise near the false log, and she had learned to ignore it.

Rexy almost gave a sigh at the overly excited raptors; she didn't know their tongue. She recognized few calls. A call to hunt, to run, and to attack. She lowered her massive head to their level before blinking at the blue raptor.

Rexy knew what that was in the raptor's claws. She had seen several humans use it before, and they had even used it on her twice. The first time to get her in this walled territory, and the second to help her when she had grown ill so long ago.

Did the blue raptor intend to use this on her? She didn't think they were that smart, and she didn't seem to be holding it correctly. Rexy wasn't exactly sure of the correct way, but it didn't look like that.

Rexy startled when the blue raptor began to shove the weapon towards the fence. Was this raptor not aware of what this fence did?

Clearly not when the shiny tip drew nearer to the buzzing fence, and Rexy gave a stern snort. She was more startled when Blue paused, and looked at her questioningly.

Velociraptors could actually listen to others?

Rexy could have fallen over dead at all of this, but instead she gave another snort to not touch the fence. The confusion clouded the raptors' eyes, and Rexy was frustrated; the language barrier was a bitch.

Blue gave a frustrated huff. Why wasn't she allowed to push the weapon through? She wanted Stern One to catch the attacker's scent. She didn't think Stern One would be so territorial. Blue wished White One was here to translate, but she had to stay there so Alpha didn't know about this plan. It had to be a backup.

Stupid Alpha could be naïve about his own kind sometimes. Blue was glad the arrogant human had been eaten by Delta. He was bad.

A flash of movement caught Blue's eye, and she stared at the long eared creature bouncing towards the fence. It was one of those quick runners that she had hunted! She still wasn't sure if they even tasted good, and the other raptors followed her gaze.

Blue wanted to hunt the creature, but she had to focus on White One's order. She had to get the scent to Stern One before Alpha came back. Blue watched Stern One turn to stare at the furry animal, and Blue wondered if she would go after it. She didn't think she would.

The rabbit seemed oblivious to the stares as it slowly bounded over to the cable fence. It was in no hurry, and Blue snorted when it stood on its back legs before touching the strong cable. A loud crack was made as the smoking carcass was flung back, and all three raptors let out startled shrieks. They watched the burnt remains give a couple bounces on the ground before rolling to a stop, and the rabbit didn't get up again.

The pack slowly turned their gaze back to the fence, and Blue took a large step back. That's what the fence did? It exploded what touched it? Blue had almost touched the fence! She almost exploded! Stern One was the only reason why she was still alive at the moment, and Blue gave a quiet, grateful chirp.

She was in Stern One's debt.

But now she had to figure out how to get the stupid weapon to her. She needed Stern One's help. Blue found it odd how White One seemed to behave so differently. She acted like one of the pack, but then she'd act all mushy for the creatures like Owen.

And she was apparently part of Stern One's very tiny pack.

Blue briefly wondered if they could make Stern One part of the pack. They already had an odd, almost dysfunctional group for a pack. Why not add the old lady? They would certainly be able to keep a much larger territory with her. If they could work with Alpha's garbles and stupid clicking, then they would learn to work with Stern One.

Content with her decision, Blue puffed the air through her nostrils. Stern One was now part of their pack until she said otherwise or until Blue could wipe out the debt.

Rexy tilted her massive head when the blue raptor gave a chirp before she began to walk along the fence. Her sisters paused, but followed quietly, and Blue paused to give a look at Rexy. The old Tyrannosaurus was curious enough to follow, and maybe she could get to the other side of the fence to check up on her youngling.

* * *

"Where are we going?"

Owen winced as he wiped his jaw clean of the staining paint before saying, "Just a quick stop."

Tim raised an eyebrow at the building before asking, "At the Break Room?"

"I want to compare some notes with Elise a little later."

Owen opened the door, and was met by the welcoming whoosh of air conditioner before smiling at the empty room. Tim followed easily, and asked, "No really, why are we here? I know you don't keep your stuff here."

Owen walked into a room connecting to the living room before giving a crooked grin.

"But everyone else does."

Tim blinked as Owen began to comb over the lockers, and it wasn't hard to figure out which ones belonged to who. A slight grin tugged at Owen's lips when luck smiled up him.

Miss Debra forgot to properly shut her lock this morning.

"Owen, we are going to get in trouble…"

Owen pulled his head from the open locker with a raised eyebrow before asking, "You come face to face with that old lady how many times a day? And you're afraid of Debra?"

Tim huffed when Owen pulled out an interesting journal, and he retorted, "Rexy is different. I'm not stealing. Honestly, Owen, you do act like a Velociraptor sometimes."

"Kind of hard not to when I am the Alpha."

Owen let out a small chuckle before suddenly going to one knee. Tim raised an eyebrow at the odd sight before he asked, "Um, Owen? What are you doing?"

"Pulling a Tim Tebow, and thanking the Good Lord for this gift."

"….What?"

Owen only grinned as he scanned down the paper. It seemed, as the Head Zookeeper, Debra had written down all her fellow keepers' combinations.

She had even gone out of her way to write them alphabetically. What a good woman Debra was. Tim almost grew wide-eyed as Owen began to open the lockers before rummaging through them.

" _What are you doing?"_

Owen ignored the panicking hiss as he began to take small things from each of the lockers before carefully wrapping them in their own little paper towel. Each item went into a plastic bag, and Owen could not believe how easy this was. How nice of… _Jim_ to supply the towels and bag.

Just like most of the dinosaurs of Jurassic World, their handlers did not know what to do when a cunning Velociraptor stalked amongst them.

"Owen! Quit stealing, seriously man!"

Owen paused at the last locker before coolly saying, "I do not allow anyone to mess with my girls. Elise has to know that I will not tolerate anyone trying to hurt her. I have been pissing off the Petting Zoo lately, okay? I put laxatives in their doughnuts this morning; maximum strength."

"Why would you do that?!"

Owen gave a crooked grin as he shut the last locker before saying, "The real question is why you didn't help me."

"Because that's mean, Owen! Jesus, you were asking to get paintballed."

"But not Elise. They fired at her, Tim. I won't tolerate that. I would never involve the animals, but now they stepped it up."

Tim looked absolutely flabbergasted as he quickly followed out of the Locker Room before anyone else could see them. He knew there had to be security cameras around, and he had a really bad feeling about this.

"The Petting Zoo couldn't have done it if they were all in the bathrooms!"

Owen didn't slow down as he walked out of the building with Tim nervously following. It was almost funny, and Owen wondered what Rexy would think of this sight.

The trespassing, destructive leader of the Velociraptor pack was being a bad influence on her good son. If Owen wasn't asking to get munched by Rexy before, then he sure as hell was now. Besides, he wasn't technically stealing, he had every intent of returning the stuff after Elise had pointed the finger.

Owen was pulled from his thoughts when Tim trotted next to him, and Owen said, "There's a lot of people for that petting zoo, I know I didn't get all of them. What are the odds that everyone got a doughnut? From what it sounds like, Debra ate more than one."

Tim paled before hoarsely saying, "Jesus Christ, Owen. Are you trying to kill her? There is such a thing as an overdose of laxatives!"

"Eh, she's so full of it, I doubt they'll even make a dent in her."

"That's not funny! I'm being serious!"

Owen gave a grin as he trotted back to Elise's paddock, and said, "It's pretty funny."

* * *

Claire let out a small sigh as the clip ended again. She had no idea who those people were. She didn't think they would be animal rights activists; they had purposely hit Elise several times. They did sound angry with Owen, and she quietly asked, "Has Owen caused any more trouble with the Petting Zoo lately?"

Lowery pressed his lips as he made a split second decision. He really didn't want to be the one to go squealing to Claire. He really didn't want to rat out Owen, and Lowery said, "I don't think so."

Vivian glanced at him from the corner of her eye, and Lowery knew he had just sealed his fate. Raptor Squad better be the winning team, because he had just picked his side.

Lowery was now part of the Raptor Squad; McDonald's and Ben & Jerry's better be part of their turf.

The rest of the room remained silent as they waited to see how good of a lie detector Claire was. Lowery refused to even move as he pretended to stare at the screen in front of him; he could feel the sweat gathering on his forehead. He almost jumped when Claire's phone suddenly rang, and she turned away to answer it before he let out a shaky breath.

Lowery was too afraid to even glance at Claire for fear of giving himself away, and she sounded startled. He didn't catch much from her conversation, but she hung up before quietly saying, "I want Security to thoroughly comb this island for those men. I'll be back as soon as I can; I need to find my nephew."

Lowery blinked before gesturing to the cameras as he offered, "I can just make a quick sweep…"

Claire shook her head as she tucked her phone away, and said, "I have an idea on where he went."

* * *

Elise gave a grumble as she tried to wipe the itchy paint from her scales. She was not in a good mood, but she had heard Rexy give a loud roar. She trusted Blue to be smart enough to get the weapon to her; she had told Blue how to unlock the gate.

But she wasn't sure if Blue was smart enough to learn like that. Elise knew the Velociraptors were very intelligent, but it seemed like they had to learn through visual example. If Elise showed Blue how to open the silver ball, then Blue would be able to mimic that. Elise wasn't sure if Blue was smart enough to open a gate by being told how to.

Sometimes it was frustrating being stuck like this. Elise could think like a human, but she wanted to be around other dinosaurs. It didn't exactly appease her when the conversations were stuck to basics. The raptors were getting better though; they were learning.

Elise really needed to get Owen's butt in gear with the sign language. She needed to talk to people, not just make small sounds around them. She wanted people to know who she was. Sometimes she felt like Owen forgot that she could talk, but then he'd make her into mush.

Elise gave a huff, and turned her head when movement in the room caught her eye. People were not supposed to be in here, but she tilted her head at the small boy.

It was Gray.

Elise missed seeing Gray; she had seen him yesterday, and he had mentioned that he would have to leave soon. He was funny to her, and so very innocent about the world. He reminded her very much of Small One. He was a precious, little creature with a very big heart. He was very kind to so easily forgive her for her unprovoked attack.

Elise gave a happy croon, but paused when he wiped his eyes of water. She allowed her vision to distort, and Elise grew upset at seeing the heat clustering around his chest. Gray was in pain.

He gave a small hiccup, and Elise snagged her claw into the ledge of the window. Owen hadn't seen her do it, but she had managed to chip enough of the false bark away to reveal the corner of the clear pane. It was easy to slide the window back, the first time she had done it she had accidentally jammed the window. She didn't need to tell Owen that was why it never slid back when he wanted it to.

Gray gave a loud sniff as he tried to hide his face, and Elise gently puffed air on him before making a soft sound. The boy quickly wiped his face on his shirt before turning around as he quietly said, "Hey, Elise…"

Elise didn't like the redness of his normally bright eyes. His nose was running, and his normally soft hands had been balled into hard fists. He was breathing more quickly than what was normal, and he seemed to be shaking slightly.

Gray was very upset, and Elise didn't like that.

She gave a concerned croon before pushing her hand in. Gray only sniffed when she gently brushed his side, and he finally said, "I'm not crying…"

Elise had no idea why Gray felt the need to lie to her. She didn't understand humans sometimes. Was there shame in crying? Elise didn't think there was; it was a way of communicating to others when words failed. It was a relief from built up frustration.

Crying wasn't bad.

Elise made another soft sound as she gently brought Gray closer. He gave a hiccup, and Elise could see the red pain building up in the chest. It was another wave, and she didn't want him to repress the tears.

Gray was so focused on keeping his tears under control that he hardly noticed Elise scooping him into her palm. He blinked when sunlight hit him, and Elise sat on her haunches as she kept her cupped hands in front of her. Gray's lip trembled, and Elise made a soft whine as she pressed him to her chest.

She was here to comfort him. She would not judge him for crying; it would be their secret if that was what he desired.

That was all the silent communication Gray needed, and he buried his face in the scales before letting out a pained, quiet cry. Elise curled around him protectively, and she made soft sounds that had always comforted Small One when she had been upset. Elise only wished she was a little smaller; she would have tried to rub Gray's back. That had always made Small One feel better.

Elise felt Gray finally pull back, and she glance down at him. It hurt her heart to see the pale, chubby face covered in shiny tears and snot, but it was good that he was crying. The pain wasn't being cooped up. Elise made another garble at him, and Gray wiped his face as he hiccupped, "My p-parents are…"

Gray's face contorted, and Elise wondered if his parents were in danger. Was there anything she could do? Elise made a small whine, and Gray said, "They're getting a divorce…."

The simple sentence brought about a fresh wave of tears, and Elise had no idea what to do. What was a divorce? Elise wasn't sure, but she did know that Gray had come to her for comfort.

She gave a soft croon to let him know she would not leave him. She was right here, and he was safe.

Gray sniffed as he wiped his face again before tearfully asking, "D-Do you k-know what a d-divorce is?"

Elise shook her head, and Gray sniffed again. He pouted his lip unintentionally as he tried to find the words to explain it, and Elise waited patiently. She would not push him for answers. She was simply here to offer a warm, safe environment for him to feel comforted. Gray finally said, "I don't want to talk about it…"

Elise gave a single nod; that was perfectly fine. She would respect that. She cuddled him close to her heart, and Gray gave a shaky sigh. He jumped when he heard his older brother say, "Are you hugging a dinosaur?"

Gray was very quick to wipe his face of the evidence, and Elise wondered why crying was such a private thing amongst humans. She waited for Gray to get his bearings about him, and he said, "Maybe…"

Elise glanced at the elder, and he didn't seem to be judging Gray. He looked upset as well, but he seemed to be holding it together a little better. Elise scooted closer to him before extending her hand. Zach blinked at the massive palm before shrugging as he stepped on.

Elise was happy to see Zach immediately wrap his arms around Gray in a tight embrace. Zach was a good sibling; he watched out for his brother. He did not fail in his responsibility to Gray, and Elise remembered how the elder had made sure Gray was right next to him as they had run from her in the thick jungle.

Zach didn't abandon his little brother. Elise loved Zach for doing that.

She tilted her head quietly as Zach seemed to be struggling on how to comfort his brother. There was obviously an embarrassment on Gray's part if he was caught crying, and Elise was confused. Zach glanced up at her as he squinted his eyes in thought before growing confused.

"Did you get shot by paintballs?"

Gray blinked, and became distracted by his depressing thoughts. The two brothers stared at Elise, and she huffed before giving a single nod. She had been shot multiple times by the stupid paintballs.

"You know the point of the game is to dodge them, right? Were you having a painball fight with Owen?"

Elise blinked; that had not been a fun game at all if that's what it was. Paintballs hurt, and she did not appreciate the ambushing. She shook her head, and Zach raised an eyebrow before saying, "I think it'd be fun to have a paintball fight here actually. We could totally send people in here, and you and Uncle Owen would get them. I'd pay to do that."

Elise tilted her head; she did not want to encourage anyone to shoot at her or Owen. She had had enough of weapons, thank you very much. Maybe if they shot soft things, but no paintballs.

Elise just wanted the cute 'munchkins' to pet her nose, give her scales sincere kisses filled with love, and she'd reward them with dazzling colors. They would give her colorful pictures, and then she'd got eat with Rexy.

Another sniff from Gray caused Zach to look at his little brother. Elise could see the internal struggle of not knowing what to do, but Zach glanced at Elise before saying, "Hey, Gray. You never told me why Elise was able to bite through the hamster ball."

Gray shifted around on the hand before mumbling, "Tyrannosaurus Rex has the most powerful bite force."

Elise had no idea what a hamster was, but it had distracted Gray from his parents getting a divorce. Zach was smart for this, and he asked, "So…what else do you think is in Elise?"

She gave a soft croon to encourage Gray to talk, and the small boy looked up at her before shyly asking, "Do you know what the labs used to make you?"

The Indominus only knew the Velociraptor and Tyrannosaurus for sure, but she wanted Gray to talk. She shook her head, and Zach nudged Gray before the boy said, "I think you have some Giganotosaurus in you…I think it makes sense, and I thought I saw the name in the labs before Uncle Owen's Velociraptor…"

Gray shivered, but Elise was trying to unjumble the big word he had just spouted. Sometimes, human words came out as garbles to her, and this was one of those words. Elise glanced at Zach, and she was relieved to see a similar look on his face.

He wrapped an arm around his brother before saying, "Well, I'm sure Elise wants to know about her ancestors. What's special about the giantnatosaurus?"

Elise snorted at the new word, and Gray gave a small smile before shyly correcting, jig-a-not-o-sor-us. It means 'giant southern lizard'. It was supposed to be the largest carnivore, right behind the Spinosaurus, but I don't think Elise has Spinosaurus in her. It lived in the Cretaceous Period, and it might have hunted in packs…"

Elise was glad she wasn't the only one with glazed over eyes. She really was interested in what Gray had to say, but her attention span simply wasn't ready to deal with words that sounded like garbles to her. Zach's eyes would glaze over momentarily, but he would do his best to try and keep up with the conversation.

Elise applauded Zach for knowing how to distract Gray from his sad thoughts. He was a smart, good brother for doing that. Elise would sleep better knowing Zach was there to take care of his brother.

She relaxed against a large tree, and allowed Gray to continue to babble about all the different dinosaurs that could possibly share their blood with Elise. She wondered how one so small could be so intelligent about the world. She glanced down at Gray, and smiled at the sparkle in his blue eyes. She knew the answer.

Dinosaurs held a magic that made Gray view the world with a sense of wonder. He loved the magic, and intended to relish it for as long as he could. Zach seemed to have lost the sense of wonder, but he was getting a little better.

Both children were content to sit in Elise's hands, and the trio never noticed the redhead giving a gentle smile from the tunnel exit. Claire leaned against the tunnel wall as she watched Elise babysit her nephews, and she was fine with that.

There was no safer place in the world than in Elise's protective hands.

* * *

 **A/N**

 **Hey guys!**

 **Sheesh, this chapter bounced around a lot, sorry about that. Anyways, a little announcement, I will not be posting another chapter until this Wednesday the 15th. I need a little break. I hope you understand that because you guys are awesome like that!**

 **I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and I sincerely thank you all for your reviews! Really I do!**


	30. Chapter 30

**A/N**

 **Guess who is back? Me.**

 **Thanks for the understanding guys! I really needed the break, work is crazy.**

 **Anyways, two announcements from me.**

 **One, today is my editor's birthday! She turns fifteen on the fifteenth of 2015. Anyways, I wanted to wish her a happy birthday for being a comma fanatic, making sure my story sounds good, and just being awesome! Many thanks to you, Nazo123! Happy birthday!**

 **Second announcement! I got another piece of artwork, this time from blackdragon21! The link is at my profile, and I really encourage you guys to go check it out! It's awesome!**

 **As always, thank you for your reviews! I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

"Twenty-Five Points to Raptor Squad."

Claire smiled as she watched Gray slowly grow more animated about his theories on what Elise was made of. She was touched to see the dinosaur doing her best to be an avid listener, and it was obvious that Gray rarely had someone who was willing to listen about what he knew on dinosaurs.

Now he was sitting in the hand of one as he began to talk about the Carnotaurus. It was clear Elise knew that word, and she perked up a little as Gray began to point out her features to Zach. Now that the teen had some visual help, he was willing to pay more attention as his gaze was directed to the shape of Elise's skull.

Claire wondered if either of her nephews would want to come work here. She could see Gray becoming a responsible geneticist, and Zach would be an avid handler. Claire pictured her older nephew being the handler for their Suchomimus; she wasn't their most aggressive carnivore, and she looked quite beautiful with her navy blue scales and golden patterns.

Quiet footsteps pulled Claire from her thoughts, and she internally grimaced at seeing her sister's tear-stained face. The blonde hair wasn't as combed as it normally was, and Claire wondered if Karen and her husband, Scott, had gotten into another argument.

The arguments had been growing pretty frequent in the past couple years. Claire was ashamed to admit her work wasn't the only reason for avoiding family gatherings. It would get so awkward sitting in the silent room as she tried to make conversation with anyone.

It was like Karen and Scott were afraid of saying the wrong thing.

Karen hugged herself tightly before quietly asking, "Did you find them?"

Claire nodded as she hugged her older sister tightly. She wasn't sure what to say to comfort her sister, but she held her tightly as she quietly said, "Gray is teaching Zach about our Indominus. He sure knows his stuff."

Karen only gave a small nod as she sniffed quietly. Claire wasn't sure what to do, but she pulled back as she asked, "Do you want to meet Elise?"

Her sister wiped her eyes as her lips trembled before she tearfully said, "I don't want to ruin that for them too…"

Claire pressed her lips; it was pretty hard to ruin anything with Elise. The two could hear Gray suddenly laugh before Elise's garble sounded over it. Claire peeked around the corner again before smiling at how Zach had perched himself majestically on Elise's muscled neck. The teen had puffed his chest out while placing a hand on his hip before holding a large stick like a sword.

Gray only laughed harder when Elise gave a large yawn.

Claire pulled back to see her sister biting her lip as she tried to hold back the tears. Claire really had no idea what to do in this situation, but she quietly asked, "What happened?"

Karen let out a short, sad laugh before bitterly saying, "Scott and I got into another fight. He didn't want the boys to miss more school, but Zach and Gray are having so much fun here. I've never seen them be so close to each other before. Gray can't get enough of the dinosaurs, and Zach really looks up to Owen."

She paused to give a shaky sigh, and continued, "Gray came in, and he just outright asked if we were getting a divorce…"

Karen shrugged as she gave another sniff before her voice cracked as she said, "I just…I couldn't lie, but I didn't want to say it right then. Scott and I wanted to finalize the divorce before telling them. It's why we sent them here in the first place."

Claire pressed her lips as she gently brushed her sister's arm before saying, "I don't think there would have been an easy way to tell them."

"…Gray was so excited to go see the Indominus again; he really missed Owen. Zach was mad he didn't get to see the Velociraptors crash the show…"

Claire grimaced at that. She was still irritated that Owen hadn't made sure the girls were back in their trailer. Things had turned out well, and Claire supposed she could use this to her advantage of pushing for Raptor Races.

Another sniff from her sister pulled Claire from her thoughts, and she quietly suggested, "Well, we can go see Elise right now. She's pretty funny, I think you'll like her. She's really sweet."

Karen looked unsure, but Claire pulled out a handkerchief before wiping her face off. Her sister couldn't stop the watery laugh as she asked, "Getting motherly on me? I must look really bad…"

If it wasn't true, Claire might have gone along with the joke. However she quietly said, "Zach and Gray don't need to see you all teary eyed, okay? Where is Scott?"

Karen shrugged as she took a deep breath to calm herself, and she wiped her nose one more time before following Claire around the corner.

Elise smiled warmly when Zach slid back down her neck before making a smooth landing next to Gray. The younger sibling laughed, and Zach said, "Your turn."

Elise loved how his blue eyes grew comically wide, and she was reminded of how Small One would clamber over her. Elise remembered carrying her around the old paddock when Small One still had the strength to hold on.

Elise heard heels clicking, and she looked up before giving a delighted croon. She was happy to see Claire, but she didn't recognize the blonde human next to her. Elise tilted her head, and looked down when the two brothers followed her gaze.

They both went very quiet, and Elise didn't like how the happiness seemed to be sucked out of Gray. Zach acted indifferent, but the two pressed against the white scales when Elise lowered her head to their level. Elise glanced up when she heard a very soft sniff, and she wondered why the blonde was crying. Her nostrils flared, and Elise could smell the brothers' scent mingling strongly with the blonde.

She was their mother.

Elise tilted her head in confusion, and Claire quietly beckoned her over with a motion of her hands. Elise didn't want to do that; Zach and Gray didn't act like they wished to talk with their mother, but Claire was the Alpha. Elise was also an Alpha, but she was only part of the pair with Owen. Claire was in the Alpha pair with Rexy. Elise didn't hold authority over her.

Elise could feel Zach tensing when she walked over, and she stopped short. The blonde wouldn't be able to climb into her hand, and the boys were not allowed to leave. Claire pressed her lips before saying, "Elise, this is my sister, Karen. She's Zach and Gray's mother."

Elise tilted her head before suddenly thrusting her head near Karen, and she gave a small yelp when the hot air blew on her. Elise narrowed her eyes as the bitter scents flowed into her sensitive nostrils. Karen didn't smell happy, she smelled very sad. Elise knew emotions had to be constant before they became part of the scent.

Karen had been sad for a while, and Elise didn't understand that. Why was she unhappy?

Elise pulled back as she gave a confused croon, and looked to Claire for help. She was the Alpha, and Karen's sister. It was her job to make sure everyone in her pack was happy. Elise was responsible for Owen and her pack.

Why wasn't Claire doing anything?

Elise glanced down when Gray scooted closer to the ledge of the window. She allowed him to step off her hands, and Zach reluctantly followed. There was a very awkward, heavy silence between the family, and Elise tilted her head. Why wasn't anyone trying to communicate the problem to solve it? Communication was everything in a strong pack.

Claire glanced at Elise when she heard a stern snort. The crimson eyes were obviously waiting for something, and Claire blinked when Elise gestured to the boys with a tilt of her head. Claire really didn't want to get involved, but she didn't want to see Karen cry again. Claire paused before she grabbed Karen's attention. It was obvious that she wasn't ready to say anything, and Claire finally said, "Gray, Zach, why don't you come with me? We can go find Owen so we can help clean up Elise before her next show, okay?"

Karen frowned in confusion, but her boys had already skittered out of the tunnel in their haste to get away from the bad air. Elise wanted to roll her eyes like Owen; Claire didn't do a very good job of helping.

Karen actually looked hurt when neither of her sons looked back, and Claire gently touched her arm. Karen gave another sniff, and Claire gently said, "You can take a few minutes to get yourself together, okay? You need to have something to tell them when we get back. Just…it'll be worse if you start crying."

Karen gave a quiet nod as she wiped her face, and Claire gave a pleading look to Elise before she followed her nephews out of the tunnel.

Elise was left with a crying human she didn't know, and she wasn't very happy about that. This woman wasn't part of her pack. Why was it her job to comfort her, and solve her problems that she didn't even understand?

A long breath exhaled from her large lungs, and Karen glanced at her when her hair was ruffled by it. Elise was now stuck in the awkward silence, and she startled when Karen finally said, "Gray thinks the world of you…"

Elise glanced at Karen, but she lacked the words to say how she adored Gray. She gave a small rumble to acknowledge she was listening, and she allowed Karen to run a shaking hand down her paint-stained scales.

"He really likes Owen too…"

Elise was very aware of that as well. It seemed each time Gray saw Owen, he had to hug the older one. It was obvious how the two boys looked up to him. Their eyes lit up with excitement, and Elise was happy Owen was good around children of all ages.

Owen was good.

Elise startled from her thoughts when Karen's face suddenly contorted, and she slid onto the ground before burying her face into her knees. She was very quiet for a second before suddenly letting out a pained cry.

It sounded a lot like Gray.

The Indominus paused, contemplating on her next move, before gently brushing a finger on Karen. She startled at the touch, but didn't shy away. Elise pressed her face close because she didn't know what else to do.

"My family is f-falling apart…"

Elise blinked as she turned her gaze to the crying human. She tilted her head in confusion, and Karen quietly sobbed, "My c-children don't even want to be around me anymore…my sister hardly knows them, and my h-husband…"

Karen buried her face into her knees again, and Elise blinked. She knew a family was a pack, so was Karen's pack breaking apart? Did the children leave when they reached a certain age? She was sure they did, but that didn't seem right in this case; Zach and Gray were still young.

The bitter scent was growing stronger on Karen, and Elise supposed her pack really was falling apart.

But that didn't mean crying would solve it.

Elise gave a stern snort, and Karen glanced up at her. Elise took a step back before raising both hands, and she patted the air.

' _Calm down.'_

Karen wrinkled her forehead, and Elise mentally cursed. She had been doing a lot more cursing after Owen had taught her the words; she wondered if Karen would even understand her.

"How can I be calm? My family is falling apart…"

Elise huffed; Karen needed to stop crying. Her family would never be gone unless she allowed it to slip away. She gave a stern shake of her head, and she wondered if she was starting to act like Rexy. Now she was an Alpha; it was time to start acting like one.

Karen was not an Alpha, and she needed one.

Elise stared at the blond human, and Karen finally asked, "How do you know? My boys just took off like I was the plague. They don't…they don't love me anymore…"

Elise puffed air through her nose before shaking her head once more. She knew the boys were just upset, and she knew the words for this one. Owen had taught it to her, and she used it frequently with him.

Elise loved Owen.

Karen watched Elise's hand made a small sweep with her fingers before crossing her hands over her massive heart. Then she pointed at Karen firmly.

' _They love you.'_

They were just upset at the moment; they weren't sure what was going on. Elise herself wasn't sure of the exact details, but she knew there was a lacking in communication. They needed to talk with one another.

Love and communication are what keeps a pack together.

Elise suddenly crinkled her snout; she wondered where her pack was. They should have been back by now.

* * *

The four carnivores glared at the large door separating them. Rexy wasn't in the mood to get shocked, and Blue had no idea how to open the door. She hadn't caught that part with White One; she had been distracted briefly by a bug rolling off a nearby rock.

The sun was hot, Blue was tired from all the excitement, and she hadn't been able to get her Oreos out of the silver ball. Rexy jumped when Blue suddenly let out a frustrated shriek before bashing her skull into the solid door. Blue bounced off before snarling, as she charged the door again.

Rexy watched the raptor continue to smack into the door before giving a snort. She didn't want to do it, but she gingerly scooched her nose close to the metal. She didn't detect any of the familiar buzzing, and she let out another snort.

This door wasn't like the rest of the fence.

The door gave a small shake when Blue bounced off it once more before she fell over. Rexy had to rumble in amusement; she was seeing a lot of her younger self in this blue raptor. Mostly in temper, but the raptor was smart in her own way.

Rexy gently pressed her nose against the metal door as she tested it; it didn't feel all the strong surprisingly. One good bash from her, and it would go down. Rexy took a few steps back; she didn't care for this fence separating her from her youngling. It didn't matter if White One had raptors to help look after her.

Rexy wouldn't be satisfied until she had seen White One herself.

The old dinosaur gave a stern growl, and the three raptors chirped as they scrambled out of the way. The ground shook with each large step, and the door didn't put up much of a fight against the solid skull. Rexy gave a please rumbled.

She still had it.

* * *

Lowery jumped out of his chair when the blaring red box popped up on his screen, and the camera immediately came onto the big screen. He felt his own jaw drop at seeing the dried mud break off the fake bird to reveal Rexy looking very proud of herself.

As three Velociraptors seemed to be chittering excitedly at her massive feet.

"What the?! What?! What are they doing?!"

The Control Room went silent as Blue gave a high jump to catch the old dinosaur's attention, and Rexy lowered her head. Lowery blinked a few times before stuttering, "I-Is that a paintball gun?!"

Lowery could not believe he was seeing Blue drop the gun in front of the massive carnivore before she began to chitter quietly at the old rex.

"Guys? No, really, what are they doing? Rexy should have eaten them…"

Lowery knew how easy it was to irritate Rexy, and he had heard how she had saved people from Velociraptors. He could easily see the white scars raking down her neck from that fight. He couldn't understand how the same Tyrannosaurus was currently cocking her head at the Beta raptor as she seemed to be listening.

Rexy suddenly lowered her head to the weapon before carefully inhaling. Lowery could see the attentive focus before she raised her head to smell the air, and he went pale. One of the Control members quietly asked, "What's happening…?"

* * *

Rexy could smell many things on the wind. She could smell the ones who looked like her tall son, and she could smell her youngling in the jungle. She knew the raptors wanted the scent she wouldn't know.

She knew Blue's scent, White One, and White One's handler. She didn't know the sharp scent, and she couldn't smell it on the wind. This one was not nearby, but it didn't surprise Rexy; she knew these humans liked to cluster together.

Rexy gave a snort as she lowered herself back down. She didn't need to communicate to Blue One that she couldn't pick up the scent; she didn't think that was the reason why she and her sisters came here. They wanted her to know the scent.

They wanted her help in hunting this one.

Rexy had never hunted with a Velociraptor before, but she did know they were ruthless and persistent. They had probably figured out she had adopted White One; they knew she would help protect her youngling.

Rexy didn't mind lending a hand; it had been too long since she had some excitement like this. It had been too long since she had actually hunted something. She glanced down to see the three raptors looking at her expectantly, and she snorted.

If she squinted hard enough, and if they would shut up, they kind of looked like hatchlings. She was growing a little fond of Blue One.

And it wasn't like they were in her territory. Rexy puffed air through her nose before making a low rumble. The raptors looked at each other mischievously, and they made delighted barks when the old dinosaur began to follow White One's scent.

Rexy didn't seem to mind when Blue took the lead, and her sisters chased one another through the brush. Rexy tilted her head when Echo surprised Delta in a jump ambush, and the two went tumbling off the trial. Blue immediately whipped around before giving a sharp bark and Rexy felt amused when Echo tackled her.

Velociraptors were very much like hatchlings.

* * *

Lowery slowly sank into his chair when the carnivores were out of sight. No one said anything for a few minutes, and Lowery finally asked, "Did Rexy just join the Raptor Squad?"

He looked around, hoping someone would tell him that was just plain silly, and he sagged when he was met with equally confused stares. Vivian had her hand ready to alert someone, but she didn't know who to alert, or what the alert even was.

There wasn't anything bad going on technically, a family group just added a new family member.

Lowery glanced to the front of the room when someone asked, "Are they trying to hunt down the paintball guy?"

"What? No, that's crazy," Lowery immediately said, but his eyes flickered back to the mud crusted screen. Blue had dropped that gun right in front of Rexy for her to smell. He knew Rexy had a very keen sense of smell.

And Elise was fluent enough in dino to concoct this whole plot. But these were just dinosaurs! They shouldn't have been smart enough to make alliances.

But Rexy had followed the Beta as calm as could be when she should have attacked them on sight for being so close to her territory.

Lowery pressed his lips; the dinosaurs were conspiring, and that made him very uncomfortable. Maybe he was being a little prejudiced; he probably wouldn't have cared so much if it was the herbivores.

Anything but their three most dangerous species of carnivores. God help them, the Indominus, Velociraptors, and Tyrannosaurus had just formed a pack with one another.

And Owen was part of it.

Lowery pinched his nose as he leaned back into his chair, and the room remained silent. Vivian still wasn't sure what to say, and someone finally asked, "So how many points does the Raptor Squad get for recruiting Big Boss?"

Lowery thought about that; he figured the Petting Zoo better just wave the white flag. He didn't even know why Owen was pissed at them. Lowery wiped his face before asking, "Ten points?"

A Security Control scoffed as she said, "They just got _Rexy_ on their side. I'd say thirty points."

She turned when her companion said, "Nah, they haven't done anything with her, Big Boss is just following. For all we know, Big Boss is just wanting to check up on Elise. Twenty points."

Lowery pulled out his notebook before firmly saying, "Twenty-five points. It's a team effort here, and apparently Blue has a way with Big Boss."

"What the hell is Owen going to do with her? Rexy still thinks he's dead."

Lowery shrugged as he tossed the notebook back, and sighed, "Elise is going to have to explain a few things."

"Should we warn someone?"

"…Nah, let's see how this plays out. Besides, I have done enough for Owen today. Any update on the paintballers?"

"No."

Lowery heaved a sigh, and he went back to his screen. There was nothing else he could do, and he trusted Elise to make sure Rexy was gone by the time her next show came on.

* * *

"Do you have a problem with stealing things, Owen?"

"Nope, I think I'm pretty good at it actually."

Tim gave an exasperated sigh as Owen ate the last of his chocolate cupcake; he would admit it was a bit much to eat chocolate cupcake with chocolate frosting and filling all topped off with chocolate sprinkles.

Tasted pretty good though.

He glanced to the side of him when Tim exclaimed, "From a birthday party? Come on, Owen, that's pretty low…"

Owen shrugged before he licked his fingers off, and retorted, "Eh, I don't think Lorie is going to mind one cupcake. Fifteen year olds don't care about cupcakes, they care about their phones or whatever."

Tim gave a dry look before shaking his head. He would have stopped Owen if he hadn't been so startled by Owen suddenly veering off the street. He had easily mingled through the happy crowd singing happy birthday to a content, sincerely grateful Lorie, before he snagged an appetizing cupcake off the table. Owen was in and out before the song was over, and he had even given a small cheer when the candles were blown out.

Owen remained oblivious to the indignant looks from his friend.

"Hey, Velociraptor does mean swift thief."

Tim sighed loudly, and both startled when someone suddenly exclaimed, "Uncle Owen!"

Owen immediately caught sight of Gray bolting over, and he tensed at seeing Claire behind him. Owen quickly shoved the bag of goods at Tim as he hissed, "Don't let Claire see this!"

Tim didn't want to hold any stolen merchandise, but Owen gave a look before adding, "You're already in this! Just put it somewhere safe until I can get it later, okay? We'll put it back later."

Tim finally rolled his eyes at the man before disappearing into the crowd. Owen turned around just in time for Gray to tackle him in a tight hug, and Owen chuckled.

"Hey, Gray! What's happening?"

Owen paused when the hug seemed to last a little bit longer than normal, and he gave a reassuring hug. He wasn't sure what was wrong, but Gray pulled back as he said, "Aunt Claire wanted us to help you clean up Elise before her next show. Hey, do you think she has Giganotosaurus in her?"

Owen blinked before slowly saying, "She might…we don't have her records yet, but she probably does if you think so. You're really smart about your dinos."

Gray finally beamed, and gave another tight hug before letting go. Owen felt his mouth pull into a smile when Claire and Zach finally caught up. She looked stressed, and even Zach seemed a little quieter than normal. Owen raised an eyebrow at the sullen teen, but Claire gave a quick shake of her head; Owen got the message.

Don't ask.

Owen finally greeted, "How's it going, Zach?"

The teen gave a small smile as he quietly said, "It's better now. Why did Elise get shot with paintballs?"

Zach then stared at the red paint on Owen, and Owen answered, "Because we're not very good at dodging apparently, but you guys ready to go help? Blue and the girls are still there, you might get to see them."

Zach frowned, he didn't remember seeing any of the raptors, but Gray bounced excitedly. Anything to be around more dinosaurs! They always made him feel better, they were his comfort zone.

Owen gave a small chuckle as he put an arm around Gray, and began to lead them back to a supply shed. He was glad Claire didn't ask him why he didn't have the bucket already, and he turned his attention back to the bouncing child next to him.

Owen liked Gray's enthusiasm.

* * *

"So…I should just make sure they know I love them?"

Elise gave another nod; she hated comforting strangers. She understood that Karen was very stressed about losing her pack, but Elise's attention span wasn't that great yet. Karen blinked at her wringing hands before giving a shaky sigh. She supposed that made sense, and it was all she could do for her sons.

Karen gave a final sniff before standing. She wiped her face off with Claire's handkerchief, and wiped her shirt of any dirt. She cleared her throat, and Elise rumbled in approval; now Karen was acting like someone who was going to keep the family from falling apart.

Karen had explained all the details of her painful divorce. Elise pretended she was explaining anyways, Karen had actually broken down in tears as she babbled, but Elise now understood what a divorce was.

Two mates no longer wishing to be one another's mates. Apparently humans mated for life, or they generally did, Elise would ask Owen later, when he taught her more words.

The important thing Elise had been trying to drill into Karen's head was how the family had not fallen apart. The mates had split, but the love was still there. Mates could still be friends if they wished, right? Elise saw no reason for Karen and her 'ex-husband' to not get along after this. They had simply grown apart; they just didn't get along as mates.

"I can do this…I just need to make sure they know Scott and I love them very much. …It wasn't their fault…and things will be fine…"

Elise gave a happy croon; Karen finally figured it out. It was all she could do as far as Elise could see, and she gently puffed air onto the blonde human. Karen finally gave a shaky chuckle, but the bitter smell was lessening.

"Thank you, Elise….you're a good soul. I know you were being really patient with me…"

Elise garbled at her; now she felt slightly bad that it had been obvious to Karen, but the human only smiled at her. She wiped her face dry, and gave a sigh. Elise could see the pain dissipating from her small chest, and Karen quietly said, "I should have Scott there when we explain it…huh?"

Elise nodded; anything to get Karen moving. Her head was hurting from all the crying, and she needed to go find Blue. The gun had to be back before Owen came back. Karen nodded in agreement before taking a step back as she said, "I'll talk to the kids later…I know they missed seeing you…and we have to leave tomorrow night."

Karen gave a small sigh, but she added, "We'll come see you though. Scott and I will behave tomorrow…for the kids…we will leave here on a happy note."

Elise didn't know what else the two could do, and she rumbled at her. Karen smiled before walking out of the tunnel as she said, "Bye, Elise. Thank you for listening."

Elise waited for the footsteps to stop echoing before she gave a large sigh. She now knew her purpose in life would _not_ be comforting severely distressed adults. She would cuddle children until the sadness went away, but she did not have the energy to comfort sad adults.

A rustle in the thick brush pulled Elise from her thoughts, and she was relieved to see Blue carrying the gun. Elise gave a few chitters at Blue for taking her sweet time, and Blue retorted that her instructions had been completely useless. Elise snorted at her, but was distracted by footsteps echoing again. Elise was quick to snatch the gun up from Blue before leaning it as best she could against the wall. She sat down like she had been there the whole time before snapping her claws up to quickly shut the window.

There was no need for Owen to be suspicious.

* * *

"And it explains why Elise would be so big! The Giganotosaurus was bigger than a Tyrannosaurus!"

Owen was legitimately interested in that, and he opened his mouth to ask another question, but Gray startled when he heard his mother calling his name. Zach stiffened, but Karen wrapped her arms around both her boys tightly. She kissed both of them before quietly saying, "It's going to be okay, and we'll talk about it later, okay? Everything is going to be fine, and your father and I love you both very much."

Karen gave them another kiss, and added, "You two just have fun, and behave for Aunt Claire."

The two boys only gave quiet nods, and Karen squeezed them tightly before waving a farewell to her sister. Owen raised an eyebrow at her, but Claire handed the bucket over to Zach as she said, "We're right behind you two, okay? Owen needs to know a couple things about Elise before we go in."

The two grinned at each other, eager to get alone time with the white dinosaur, and they bolted down the tunnel. Claire waited for them to be out of earshot before she quietly said, "Their parents are divorcing…they found out a little while ago."

"…Oh…"

That certainly explained why the two seemed slightly off to Owen. He rubbed the back of his neck, and sighed in sympathy. His own parents hadn't had the happiest of marriages. It had actually been a relief when they had finally called it quits. His mother became much friendlier towards Owen's father, and there was a peace in the house. Gatherings were more fun, and Owen didn't hide in his room so much.

He hoped it would be similar for Gray and Zach; he hoped a peace would be found in the house after it was over.

Owen was pulled from his thoughts when Claire leaned on him tiredly. He certainly wasn't going to complain about the contact, but he was concerned when no-touchy Claire was actually touching him.

He hoped she wasn't getting sick.

"You okay?"

Claire nodded before quietly saying, "Just need a moment of quiet. It's been really busy."

Owen believed that, and he gently pressed a little closer to her. She gave a small sigh, and Owen swallowed before suddenly asking, "Wanna go get dinner tonight?"

He cursed himself mentally when Claire frowned in confusion. She tilted her gaze at him before asking, "Like a date?"

Owen knew it wouldn't be good if he hesitated, and he immediately said, "Like a second date."

He pressed his lips at the silence, and he didn't want to get shot down. He probably should have timed this better; he had planned on being super smooth with her, like last time.

But last time hadn't ended so well. It had been a disaster actually. It was the event no one talked about, but everyone knew about. Owen had made it a point to avoid Claire as best he could after that. It was a good sign that she hadn't stopped leaning on him, right?

"Are you going to give me grief about the tequila?"

Owen finally laughed as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, and he shook his head.

"No, you can stick with your water if you want. No grief from me."

Owen gestured to the pointed, white heels as he added, "You ran all over kingdom come in those ridiculous shoes, _and_ you fired that gun like a boss; you earned your right to drink what you want."

Claire finally gave a playful smile that sent the warmest shivers down his spine, and Owen mentally cheered. He got Claire to smile for him! Today was a good day even if none of the scents matched up with the gun's.

"Does seven work for you?"

Owen nodded as he led the way to the tunnel, and said, "Sure does. We can pick where we want to eat later if you want."

Claire agreed with that, but she paused at the entrance. Owen glanced at her questioningly, and she quietly asked, "If Zach and Gray want to get some quiet time…?"

Owen shrugged as he said, "By all means, I like those two. We can eat somewhere quiet; we'll make sure this date ends on a good note this time."

Owen mentally cheered when he got another smile out of Claire, but she did walk ahead of him in the tunnel. Owen didn't mind though, he was fine with moving slow. He found Zach and Gray getting ready to splash each other with the water, but they grinned sheepishly when they saw him.

Owen only chuckled as he pressed the button, and the window slid back. Elise brought her head up as she blinked innocently at him. He peered over the edge to see his girls sitting in the ferns, and he smiled. The gun was still in its place, and Owen asked, "Cause any mischief while I was gone, Baby?"

Elise garbled at him for thinking such a silly thing, and she shook her head. Owen smiled warmly, and winked at her as he said, "I didn't think so. I'm glad the girls didn't give you grief while I was gone."

Elise risked a small glance at Blue below her, and the raptor's golden eyes twinkled devilishly.

If only Owen knew he had a new pack member.


	31. Chapter 31

**A/N**

 **Hey guys! How's it going?**

 **We have another piece of artwork! Many thanks to AngelOfTheMad for sharing with us, and the link is on my profile, so go check it out!**

 **We have a warning today of a poor goat's demise because I ended up getting sidetracked in this chapter with our favorite old lady! Seriously though, the goat dies, and I tried to reign myself in on the description.**

 **Anyways, please enjoy this chapter, and I thank you all for your reviews and criticism!**

* * *

"Remember When?"

"There we go, Baby. Feel better?"

Elise gave a warm croon as the last of the itchy pain was gently wiped from her snowy scales. She felt much better without the vibrant colors sticking to her. She had tried to lick Owen clean, but he didn't want to risk her getting sick from ingesting the paint.

Elise felt like Owen was just trying to avoid more kisses from her, but she didn't push him.

Dr. Grant had snuck in about halfway through before collecting teeth from Elise. He truly was amazed by how easily some of the teeth had been pulled free. It wasn't like Elise had rotting teeth; they just weren't in her jaw very good.

Owen dropped the colored wet rag into the bucket before glancing at his watch, and he said, "Rexy's next show starts in about ten minutes, Baby. I know you probably miss her, and I need to go change."

Owen peered down at the sleeping raptors, and he quietly added, "Just be sure to lock the gate behind you so Blue doesn't try to follow. She's a nosey little shit, and I don't want Rexy to get mad."

Elise wanted to tell Owen that the gate had been smashed down apparently, and Rexy was currently in the thick trees only mere feet away. Rexy was amazing at sitting perfectly still, and Elise wanted to see Owen's face if the old dinosaur suddenly sneezed or something.

But Elise only crooned at Owen quietly before gently nuzzling him. Owen chuckled at her, and walked over to the button on the wall as he said, "I'll see you in a little bit, Baby. Try not to get into trouble."

Elise snorted at him; she was good at avoiding the trouble she caused, but Owen didn't need to know she was aware of that. The window slowly slid shut, and Elise garbled a farewell to the humans before they left. Elise gave a wide yawn; she actually wanted a nap after today's excitement.

She glanced down at her snoozing pack for a few minutes, and it seemed they were thinking the same thing. It was warming to see the three sisters sleeping tightly next to one another in a pile. They were too lazy to craft individual nests, so they had made one big one.

It worked out better than expected, and it was endearing to see the sisters sleeping so peacefully.

Elise was pulled from her thoughts when she heard a knocking on the glass window. She blinked at seeing Dr. Grant, and she could make out the muffled words.

"Elise, I need another tooth, please. I missed one."

The Indominus blinked, but she easily slid the window back before cocking her head at him. She liked Dr. Grant, he was funny, but respectful. She didn't mind giving him her teeth because he wanted to help keep her here.

"Thanks, Girly, I'm getting old; my memory isn't what it used to be."

Elise only garbled at him as the dusty hands carefully poked her teeth. Dr. Grant wasn't willing to even tug on a tooth that wouldn't wiggle. Elise appreciated that he didn't want to cause her any pain.

Elise felt a slight tug on her gums before Dr. Grant held a long ivory in his hand. To Elise, it looked very much like one of Rexy's teeth. She watched Grant carefully inspect it, seemingly lost in memories, before suddenly asking, "How's old Rexy doing? Is she still fiery?"

Elise tilted her head; she wasn't aware the Grant had known Rexy. He continued to turn the tooth over as he said, "I never met a creature who was so…powerful. I think she truly resembles her ancestors…I hear she still likes goats. It drives Gerry up a wall that she's just eating soft goats."

Grant suddenly cleared his throat as he put the tooth away, and asked, "So is Rexy doing well? I won't be able to make it to any of her shows, and I'll have to leave tonight."

It made Elise sad that Grant wouldn't be able to see her again. He seemed genuinely interested in how Rexy was doing, and she turned her head to the thick brush before making a deep rumble. Grant raised an eyebrow before paling when the trees shuddered as they were pushed aside.

The ground shivered quietly as the massive feet sank into the rich earth, and the old Tyrannosaurus gave a slow exhale from her massive chest. Her golden eyes flickered to Elise when she made low growls mixed in with rumbles.

Grant watched Rexy wrinkle her snout before suddenly lowering her head. He froze when the massive head was cocked until the piercing, golden fire was focused on him, and Grant couldn't stop his chuckle as he quietly said, "My god…I think you actually got more beautiful since the last time I saw you. I think…I think you aged very well, Rexy."

Rexy didn't take her gaze off the human when Elise made her translating rumbles. Rexy swore she knew this human from somewhere; the handkerchief was dully familiar. She gave a stern snort before flaring her nostrils at the human.

The scents flowed into her sensitive nostrils, but one smell brought back an old memory. She remembered the dirt. It was a dusty dirt that smelled dry even in the heavy rainfall. She hadn't realized she had been smelling a human until after she had pushed the metal vehicle over the ledge on that dark night.

He had been the first to use the red fire to guide her where he wanted. This human was there when she had attacked the Velociraptors in the man-made cave. She never thought she would see this human again, but Rexy was pleased to see he was still alive.

It brought back memories that made her feel young again. If this human was still alive, then maybe she wasn't as old as she thought she was.

Dr. Grant suddenly gave a small chuckle, and Rexy tilted her gaze back onto him. He seemed neither afraid nor in awe. He just seemed happy.

Like he was seeing an old friend again.

Rexy gave a low rumble; she liked the energy coming from this human. He had aged like her, he had mellowed as well, but he was still the same. A kindred spirit in a sense, and she could smell her tall son's scent clinging to this one. She wondered if this dusty human acted as a parent to her son, and it made her fonder of this human.

Rexy clearly remembered seeing this human protecting the small children from Big One and her pack. He had known he wouldn't stand a chance, but he refused to abandon them; Rexy had respected him for it.

So, she had leant a helping hand because Big One liked to kill for sport. It was good to know he was still kicking, and Rexy was warmed by the fact that he never forgot about her. Rexy was glad White One knew how to make sense of these humans' garbling sounds.

Grant slowly extended his cracked hand towards her, but he didn't touch Rexy; she would come if she wanted. He could see that mellowed, golden fire eyeing his hand curiously before a sense of nostalgia seemed to wash over her. Rexy remained gentle as she pressed against the hand, and Grant smiled at the forest scales that still held their vibrant colors. He could see a few silvering scales, but she had certainly retained her color better than he had. His hand looked so small underneath her warm, gold eye, and he couldn't help softly saying, "Look at us, two old dinosaurs crossing paths again. I always thought Malcolm was high when he said we'd meet again. He was always so full of himself with his stupid Chaos Theory…I'll eat my words this one time…"

Rexy didn't understand the words, but she knew the tone. It was a calm, bittersweet reunion of two creatures who should have never crossed paths had not a single man decided to bring back the dead. A human who should have only known the bones of her ancestors, and a Tyrannosaurus who should have never known what a human was.

But the span of time naturally separating their species did nothing to the mutual respect that had been forged between them over two decades ago. This dinosaur respected the human's bravery and dedication to little ones. This human's respect for the dinosaur had only been solidified in seeing the buried skeleton's power come to life; lethal muscles coated by the colors of the forest with a wild, golden fire to burn any unfortunate soul.

Both seemed lost in their own memories brought on by the other. Rexy's golden eye half focused on the red handkerchief, and Grant was memorizing the patterns of the smooth scales. He had always thought of Hammond's creations as theme park monsters who had ruined the image of a proud world that died off long ago. But Rexy was different. Grant had gone over the details several times. She was the same size, the correct amount of teeth, and the temperament was there.

To Grant, Rexy was a Tyrannosaurus Rex. She was not a theme park monster; she was a dinosaur roaming the Earth once again. Hammond could take all the credit of bringing her back, he could brag about how experts picked the colors of her scales to resemble her ancestors, or even credit the scientists for her longer lifespan.

But Hammond did not create the very presence that had been so naturally bestowed to Rexy. No scientist would ever be able to duplicate that commanding respect demanded by this dinosaur.

Nature had made that. Nature was the only one who could take credit for creating such a magnificent ruler of an era filled with spectacular, giant creatures whose footsteps shook the very ground. Grant truly believed Rexy would not have been so imposing if she didn't bear such close resemblance to her fearsome ancestors.

It was why Rexy had always remained so popular in Jurassic World. Rexy was a _real_ dinosaur.

A shrill, faraway whistle broke the two from their trance, and Grant cleared his throat as he gave a gentle pat on the scales before pulling back. Rexy blinked her golden eyes a few times before she lifted her massive head to turn to the direction of the sound. It was her tall son calling her; letting her know it was almost time to go eat the goat.

Rexy gave a sideways glance at Grant as she took a few steps into the thick trees. Grant chewed the inside of his cheek, and the two refused to break eye contact with one another before the dinosaur melted into the trees. Elise gently nuzzled the old man before sliding the window shut. He watched her trot after her adopted mother, and Grant sighed in the empty room. He scratched at his beard before huffing, "Ah, sonofabitch…"

Grant growled at himself as he tucked the tooth in his pocket, and began to hobble out of the tunnel. He could still make it if he moved his ass.

It didn't feel right leaving on that note. Rexy shouldn't have looked back like that; it was too damned cliché for his taste. She was a proud dinosaur damn it, and she left like a tame, little old lady. Elise was a sweet girl, Grant truly liked her, but she was giving the wrong impression of what a real dinosaur was. Real dinosaurs did _not_ cuddle little kids.

Rexy needed the spotlight again, this was a park for dinosaurs.

* * *

"Did Dr. Grant just pet Rexy?"

Lowery pressed his lips before rewinding the tape again. It didn't lessen the shock felt in the Control Room as the old man gently pressed his hand against the massive carnivore. Grant was easily dwarfed by Rexy, and he didn't even seem to notice. The two had remained still for a few minutes, and Lowery was still shocked to see the old lady simply leave. He glanced at the clock before shaking his head.

"Rexy's show is getting ready to start. I think this will be the first time she'll be late."

Someone scoffed before exclaiming, "Someone just touched a fully awake, not sedated _Rexy!_ And you're focusing on how she's going to be late?"

"I like to focus on what I understand."

Vivian quietly sighed before Lowery rolled over to his radio. He turned the dial before asking, "Hey, Tim? You there?"

Lowery rubbed his forehead tiredly while he waited. He flipped through a few cameras before blinking at seeing a grey Debra huffing as she marched from the bathroom. Lowery was so focused on how she looked like a dead grey, that he jumped when Tim answered, "I'm here, what's happening?"

Debra went off camera, and Lowery cleared his throat before saying, "Um, Rexy might be a few minutes late; she just left Elise's false log. I guess she didn't feel like leaving Elise alone after the paintball attack."

Vivian glanced at him briefly before Tim sounded confused when he said, "But…Owen's Velociraptors are there, aren't they? There's no way Mama would even tolerate looking at them."

Lowery was half tempted to tell Tim that his 'Mama' had just joined a gang, and she helped cunning Blue in some kind of conspiracy. But Lowery didn't have the heart to complicate Tim's life; no person should ever have to witness the two carnivores concocting some sort of scheme. He also didn't want to tell Tim about Dr. Grant cuddling the old lady just now.

Lowery missed when the dinosaurs acted normal; he was going to throw a fit if Lilly the Mosasaur started doing tricks like Shamu. This wasn't normal; Lowery liked it when the dinosaurs weren't conspiring with one another.

Maybe there was a reason why the Velociraptors were left in the restricted area of the park.

Lowery gave a small sigh before saying, "Well, maybe the raptors were somewhere else. I just know Rexy is going to be a few minutes late, Tim."

Vivian paused to stretch her fingers when Lowery put the radio down, and someone asked, "Does Dr. Grant get points for petting Rexy?"

Lowery snorted as he answered, "If Dr. Grant was part of this little war, then he would have just won. I wouldn't mess with the guy who can actually pet Rexy; we all saw how she went right over to him."

Vivian shrugged as she quietly said, "Maybe Rexy remembered him from last time…"

Lowery raised his eyebrow before dryly saying, "Viv, I can't even remember what I had for dinner yesterday. Rexy is really old, I doubt she remembered Dr. Grant from over twenty years ago; especially since they only saw each other twice."

Vivian smiled as she went back to her work, but she said, "Only takes one important event to remember someone for the rest of your life. I don't think she would go over to him if he didn't mean something to her."

"…I think you're giving Rexy a little too much credit, Viv."

* * *

Owen hummed quietly as he made his way over to where Tim had hidden the items from the petting zoo. He certainly wasn't about to let the old dinosaur see him, but Owen needed to get the stuff before someone raised the alarm.

Jurassic World security was good. Really good. Maybe Owen would have to pay Lowery to mess with the footage or something; he didn't think the tech-geek could be swayed, but it was worth a shot.

" _Grady!"_

Owen yelped at the screech before whirling around. His head snapped back when a clenched fist smashed into his already sore jaw, and he stumbled back. Owen was so shocked that it took him a few seconds before he realized he was looking at a furious Debra. She was a pale gray, and seemed to be shaking slightly.

Owen wasn't sure if it was because she was so livid, or because she had probably just shit her intestines out. He was going to assume it was because of both.

He blinked at her as he clutched his jaw, and Debra snarled, _"You! What the fuck is wrong with you?!"_

Granted the smartass in him was strong, and he dryly said, "I don't think you have time for that long list. How often does the shit train drop by for you? Every ten minutes or so? Five?"

" _Is this a fucking joke?!"_

Owen only shrugged as he rubbed his jaw; he would admit he respected Debra for throwing such a solid hit. She seemed to grow mare gaunt with anger, and Owen quietly said, "Careful, don't wanna put too much stress on the intestines. I take it you ate more than one doughnut? Or did you eat the one where the lid accidently fell off, and the sprinkles scattered all over it?"

" _Go to hell!"_

"After you, Sweetheart; it'd be nice to follow someone who already knows the way there."

Owen couldn't stop his smirk when Debra darkened immensely. He was in danger of being murdered right now, and he was loving it. Since Blue and the girls had fully accepted him into the pack; he didn't have anyone to thumb his nose at. He missed thumbing his nose at Death.

Debra looked like Death right now.

Owen refused to give ground when the curly haired woman stomped into his space. Debra actually smelled a little sick, and Owen didn't want her to get too dehydrated. There was no way the unrelenting shits combined with this muggy weather were good in any way. He doubted the woman had been drinking anything all day.

Owen narrowed his eyes when Debra snarled, "What did I ever do to you?! What is your problem, Grady?!"

Owen curled his own lip before snapping, "I am going to warn you one time, Debra. Don't you ever think about fucking with any of my girls. I gave you hell because of the way you insulted Elise."

"You're fucking dramatic, Grady! I can't believe the shit you pulled on us because of that thing!"

Owen would admit he probably took it a little too far sometimes, but he didn't regret anything he had done to the Petting Zoo. He sniffed at Debra before calmly saying, "I'll stop."

Debra narrowed her eyes at him, and Owen added, "After you apologize to Elise for being cruel to her."

The woman blinked in shock before bursting out laughing. Owen crossed his arms as he patiently waited, and Debra finally said, "Grady, don't make me laugh; I won't forgive you if I shit myself in public."

Owen prayed to any god who would make that happen. He was praying right now for that gift from above, and he was slightly disappointed when Debra dryly said, "I'll apologize to _Elise_ when my animals won't flee in terror from her."

He raised an eyebrow at her smug look before saying, "Fine. When do you want me to bring her over?"

Debra actually looked shocked, and she immediately said, "You're insane. I had a feeling you were crazy for wanting to work with those things, but now I know you're insane. Why the hell would I allow that Indominus to come anywhere near my babies?!"

"So I can prove you wrong. When that's done, you can apologize to her."

The woman was stunned into silence when she realized he was serious, and Owen gave a crooked grin as he asked, "So, when's a good time for you?"

* * *

Tim drummed his fingers on his leg as he walked onto the platform. He was glad it was something that lifted up, and he didn't have to always climb something. That would have been exhausting. He was actually kind of glad Rexy was a little late today; he had been extra careful about where he had hidden the stolen goods. Tim couldn't help the sick feeling in his stomach. What would his mother think of him for doing this? She'd be pissed.

What would Rexy think? Tim paused for a second; Rexy probably wouldn't care. She just wanted her set schedule as far as he knew. She seemed to like her set routine.

"Hey, Tim!"

Time was pulled from his thoughts when he heard the gravelly voice of Dr. Grant. He blinked at the hobbling man, and he was surprised to see him. Tim thought Dr. Grant would have left by now; they had found a new skeleton.

Tim waited for the Paleontologist to hobble over before Grant took a deep breath. He wasn't what he used to be; it was hard to imagine he had actually ran from dinosaurs in his younger days. Grant pressed his lips before asking, "Mind if I tag along?"

Tim blinked in surprise, but he couldn't stop his enthused grin as he nodded excitedly. Grant chuckled as he walked on, but he grimaced when the platform began to raise. He wasn't very fond of heights, but he needed to do this.

Grant was actually surprised to see such a view below them, and he grimaced at seeing the people in the viewing log. He had no idea how that came to be a good idea, but he certainly wouldn't go in there. He didn't care if Rexy had allowed him to pet her; she was still an animal. What happened in Elise's false log was what Grant would credit to Malcolm's stupid Chaos Theory.

He didn't think it would ever happen again, and he was sure this had happened purely by chance. But, there was still a chance he could help out Rexy.

Grant was pulled from his thoughts when he heard a goat bleating. He raised an eyebrow as he peered down, and blinked at the Boer goat munching on the grass.

"Rexy upgraded from the skinny goats to the top meat goats?"

Tim nodded as he stared at the goat. The goats actually had been getting meatier over the years. Rexy wasn't as interested when it was a skinny toothpick. She liked her goats nice and fat. It wasn't exactly good for her, and Tim would dread every dental appointment where Gerry would chew him out in front of a stoned out of her mind Rexy.

"Do you ever let her chase the goat?"

Tim raised an eyebrow at the borderline, obese goat before saying, "I don't think it'll be much of a chase…"

Grant shook his head at the pudgy animal as he replied, "She needs to hunt, Tim. She's acting old; you gotta make her feel young. She's going to age if she feels old."

The two stared at the animal before the telltale of shaking thuds reached their ears, and Tim grinned widely. He adjusted the earpiece before speaking into the mic, "Good afternoon, folks. Sorry about being a little tardy, as most of you know, Rexy has adopted Elise the Indominus Rex. Rexy was just over in Elise's paddock checking up on her like the good mother she is."

Grant pressed his lips; Tim was making Rexy seem soft. She wasn't soft, damn it. He had no doubt that she would be a protective mother, but he was slightly put off by how accepting the old dinosaur was. By all rights, Rexy should have tried to get rid of Elise. As cruel as it sounded, it was simply nature. It was obvious that Elise wasn't the same as Rexy, and that bleach white color would have never allowed her to live in the wild. She would have been killed before taking a step out of the nest.

But this was Jurassic World, not the Cretaceous Era. White dinosaurs like Elise were awed over, and the king was fed fat goats who would probably suffer a heart attack if they tried to even trot.

Grant pinched the bridge of his nose before Rexy parted from the tree with a wide yawn. Grant sagged at seeing how mellow she was acting; she was acting old. She didn't even try to scare him in the false log. He still wasn't sure what had happened back there, and his attention was grabbed by a small control panel next to Tim. He frowned before asking, "What's that for?"

Tim glanced to the side of him, and covered the mic as he answered, "Lights in the log, volume, release on the goat's collar, and AC in the log. Pretty cool, huh?"

Grant pressed his lips as he stared at the goat. He had a plan now.

Rexy gave a dull snort as she glanced at the goat in the same place as it always was. She did like her routine, but seeing the dusty human again had reminded her of how things used to be. When she roamed where she pleased, hunted for herself, and actually had something to do.

When she didn't have such a set routine.

A small croon grabbed Rexy's attention, and she felt a little better. White One was a change in pace, and so were the Velociraptors. Their presence meant her patrols actually had a purpose. She had someone to teach, to carry on her legacy, and the raptors would keep her on her toes.

Especially Blue One.

She heard her tall son garbling the same nonsense, but Rexy ran a reassuring tongue over the white scales. It was very important to always assure her youngling. White One was clingy, probably afraid of being alone. Rexy had rarely seen her alone.

Even her handler seemed to be clingy to her.

Rexy still didn't like the trespasser, but she would not deny he was good to his pack. She had no idea how he had proved himself a leader to the raptors, but Rexy would respect him for actually accomplishing that.

Rexy heard the red fire giving its hiss, but she startled at hearing a gravelly, "Hey!"

The old dinosaur blinked for being barked at, and she turned her sharp gaze to see the dusty human holding the red flare.

Like the first time.

And like the first time, Rexy gave a loud roar. She couldn't help herself; it made her feel young again, to be reminded of that rainy night. Her first taste of freedom outside the fences. She could see the dusty human give a friendly grin, and the two understood one another.

Rexy remembered how the dusty human had waved the flare around to keep her attention, and he did it again. It wasn't like she was intrigued by the fire this time, but it was what had happened last time.

She could feel that rush in her veins again. The challenge of seeing something new. What would this dusty human lead her to this time? She had been led to the human hiding in the flimsy structure before killing him.

She remembered how the human had smelled like bad meat.

Rexy gave a sharp snap of her teeth as she flexed her claws excitedly, and the human suddenly hit something next to her tall son. He looked startled, but the dusty human held her attention.

Rexy snapped her head in the direction of the goat when the chain rattled as it hit the floor. The animal, despite its weight, did its best to bolt away.

A chase!

A loud roar tore from her throat, and Rexy whipped her tail back and forth as she allowed the goat to dart past her. The humans in the log could still see her, and Rexy let out a snarl when the red fire was tossed in the goat's path.

Just like last time. The dusty human had thrown the flare, and prey was nearby.

Grant smiled when the old dinosaur finally lunged at the fleeing prey, and he nodded in approval. There was the king of the Cretaceous. Elise looked a little startled, but interested. Grant knew she had human in her, but someone had to teach her how to hunt. Elise needed to act like a dinosaur too.

Tim jumped when the ivories violently snapped into the goat, and Rexy began to shake her head as she made guttural growls. The Tyrannosaurus seemed to be caught up in the act, and the two yelped when Rexy suddenly swung her head. Grant blinked when Rexy let go, and the goat carcass went flying over the walls.

Tim gaped as they waited before a loud splat sounded on the sidewalk followed by startled shrieks. Grant couldn't stop his wide grin, and he even gave a small bounce as he cheered, "Alright, Rexy! I knew you still had it!"

Rexy felt young again, and the swell of pride was too much to keep in her chest. She took a deep breath of the sweet forest air before allowing a terrifying roar to spill from her massive jaws. It was a deep command to flee at her very presence, and she was pleased to see the humans jump as the birds scattered from the trees. Rexy glanced at the dusty human, and he even seemed to be younger as he cheered her on.

She regarded him for a moment, memorizing this moment, before she puffed air through her nose. Rexy was grateful for this human; he made her feel young again. She had almost forgot she could instill such fear.

Grant grinned at seeing the Tyrannosaurs stand a little taller as that blazing fire glowed in the golden eyes. He felt good, he felt young, and he wanted to see how big of a mess the goat had made.

They shared one more glance before silently bidding each other farewell. Rexy wasn't sure if she would see this human again, but she would not forget him. She had a feeling he wouldn't either, and Rexy swung her tail elegantly behind her as she melted back into the jungle. Elise seemed confused, but she was eager to follow Rexy.

Grant grinned as he slapped Tim on the back before exclaiming, "Now _that_ is a real dinosaur, Timmy! You gotta keep her young with good hunts! I think we took ten years off her appearance!"

Tim only swallowed as the panicked yells from over the walls grew louder. How was he supposed to explain this to Claire?

* * *

"Hell will freeze over before I do that."

Owen shrugged as he began to walk away; he didn't expect anything else from Debra, but he tried. He raised an eyebrow at hearing Rexy give a loud roar, but turned around when Debra said, "Hey! Don't you walk away from me! I won't let you leave until you promise to leave my food alone!"

Owen rolled his eyes loudly before snapping, "I won't do that until you apologize to Elise!"

Debra darkened at his raised voice, but Owen refused to back down. They were one step away from a full out brawl, and Owen knew he would get fired for that. Equality was a lie! He would be burned at the stake for getting into a fist fight with a woman.

Owen braced when Debra raised her fist, but the sound of snarls startled them, and Owen looked up in time to see the red fly over the walls.

Owen yelled, and Debra shrieked when the pile of meat gave a wet splat on the pavement. The chunks of meat splattered onto their shoes, and Debra paled when red droplets struck her cheek. Owen had no idea what to do, and Debra gagged a few times before screaming as the red rivers streamed out.

Owen didn't blame her, and he gave a startled yelp when the thunderous roar shook Jurassic World. More people startled into screaming, and Owen really wanted to get out of here.

He didn't want to get eaten.

* * *

"Did you guys see that?! That was _awesome_!"

Lowery was grinning widely as Owen and Debra seemed thoroughly grossed out by the dead goat. Rexy looked young on screen, and a couple people burst out laughing as they replayed the video tape. Lowery threw his arms up as he exclaimed, "Rexy wins! It was clear! Superbowl has nothing on her!"

The Control burst into applause, and someone happily said, "Big Boss is back in action!"

Lowery had only wished he had been there to personally see the look on Owen's face.

But the camera had caught a pretty good shot of it, and it was _priceless._


	32. Chapter 32

**A/N**

 **Hey guys! I'm glad you all enjoyed our little old lady getting a visit from Dr. Grant! It would have been wrong to not give them some spotlight!**

 **Anyways, announcement time!**

 **I shall be going on vacation for the next four days. I will sincerely try my hardest to post chapters, but I have no idea what will happen with taking the wifi from hotels! So, please be patient!**

 **I feel like I'm forgetting to say something else, but I'll figure it out later.**

 **My sincerest thank yous to all your reviews and criticism! Seriously, I do read all of them, and I do go back to correct mistakes if you point them out!**

 **Anyways, please enjoy!**

* * *

"Angel's Trumpet, Dumbass."

"You were really something today, Baby Girl."

Elise gave a proud croon as she relished the compliment. Owen only grinned at her before adding, "Brilliant idea having the girls do a run past here. How'd you catch that rabbit anyways?"

The Indominus only waggled her fingers as an answer. It had actually been incredibly difficult catching the elusive, quick creatures. She had accidently squished one before catching the other. It had been almost time for their last show, and Elise wanted the raptors to get some attention as well.

She told the girls to catch the rabbit; winner got the Oreo.

Elise had actually thought the rabbit would escape, but an opportunity to get Oreos was never passed up by Blue. It was only because the rabbit had briefly stumbled that Blue was able to tackle the squealing creature.

It was a little gruesome for some of the younger kids, but there weren't very many at the late show; most had gone back to bed. It was the older children who enjoyed the show; Zach especially. The two brothers were without their parents, but Elise didn't smell anything off with them. They were in a good mood, and Zach was carrying a large, silver square.

Owen glanced at his watch before giving a slight smile; it was six, he had enough time to go home and shower before the second date. He looked up when Elise gave a curious croon, and Owen sheepishly said, "I'll explain later, Baby. I might come back a little later to check up on you. You got the girls tonight?"

Elise glanced down at the sleepy Delta leaning against her large leg while Echo and Blue were one more dirty look away from brawling. She glanced back at Owen before giving a single nod; she would wear Blue out at the rabbit holes again. She could always go get Rexy if they didn't want to behave.

Rexy had one more show, but Elise didn't have as many; Claire had given her less shows for the first week so she wouldn't feel overwhelmed.

Claire was a very good Alpha.

Owen smiled at her before giving her nose a soft pat before she gently puffed air onto him. He chuckled as he returned the affection then leaned over the ledge as he sternly said, "Blue, Echo, Delta… _behave."_

Echo and Delta gave a small chirp; they knew who the growl was really directed towards; Blue almost looked indignant for being singled out, and she snapped her jaws at Owen. He gave her a stern look, and Blue huffed as she turned her back to him so she could chew her silver ball in peace.

Elise had finally showed her the magic to opening the ball, but Blue wasn't about to let Alpha know that. She needed to be a smart, capable Beta who could figure things out for herself.

Owen snorted at her before glancing at the two boys still waiting in the room, and he asked, "You guys tagging along to dinner tonight?"

Zach raised an eyebrow, but Gray shyly asked, "Aren't you and Aunt Claire going on a date?"

Owen couldn't help his sheepish grin; he was actually excited for this date. He was getting the warm fuzzies down his spine just thinking about it, but he tried to tone it down as he said, "Well, we are, but we already said it would be fine if you guys wanted to come."

Elise tilted her head; she wanted to know what a date was. It sounded odd to her. Were Owen and Claire going to ride something? She began to tap her claw on her chest as she tried to reason the meaning of this event. Her vision distorted as her nostrils flared, and Elise blinked at seeing Owen's body practically radiating warmth. It was a warm gold.

Elise didn't understand that. Was Owen sick? He didn't smell or act sick, he looked really happy actually.

Zach caught Elise's confused expression, and he grinned widely as he slyly asked, "Does Elise know what a date it?"

Elise shook her head, and Owen turned slightly red in the face when Zach immediately pounced as he said, "Uncle Owen, for shame! Elise has the right to know; if you marry Aunt Claire then she'll be our cousin."

Owen panicked at the 'M' word, and he quickly stuttered, "E-Easy, Zach! It's just the second date!"

Elise puffed air on Owen, and he jumped before saying, "I really do need to go, Baby. I don't want to be late, I'll explain later."

Owen began to walk away, and Elise narrowed her eyes; she knew damn well he would pretend to forget about telling her. The two brothers laughed when Elise snagged her talon into Owen's shirt before gently dragging him back. Owen looked exasperated, but Elise gave a stern snort to make it very clear that he could make this easy or hard.

Owen licked his lips nervously, and Gray suddenly said, "Uncle Owen has a crush on Aunt Claire!"

Elise did not understand that either; she knew what crushing was. She crushed the bunny in the field, she had crushed those men in uniforms at the river. Owen was not crushing Claire. Or was he planning to? Elise made a disappointed garble at Owen for thinking violent thoughts about the Alpha.

Owen pressed his lips before quietly saying, "A date is…basically two people who really like each other…I guess spending more time with one another."

Elise tilted her head at that as she tried to understand that. Did Owen go on dates with others? Elise wondered if Owen took Barry on dates; Barry was nice, and the two seemed to like each other a lot. Maybe Owen took Tim on dates too; she knew they liked each other a lot, they were very good friends.

Elise thrust her snout in the direction of Rexy's paddock, and Owen grew confused. He followed her gaze before asking, "Are you talking about Tim?"

Elise nodded, and Owen blinked before immediately saying, "I do not take Tim on dates, that's…not how it works."

Zach and Gray burst out laughing, and Elise huffed. What the hell was a date then? Owen paused as he tried to explain it in the right way, and Zach walked forward as he read off his phone, "Dating is the courting process of the human species."

Zach put his phone in his pocket, and clarified, "It's just how people figure out if they want to be mates or not."

Elise blinked before turning her sharp gaze to Owen. He startled at the fiery gaze, and wondered if Elise didn't like that. He was under the impression that Elise liked Claire, but her irritated glare suggested otherwise. He swallowed nervously before Elise suddenly pointed at him before making a fist with her thumb on the outside. He gaped when she lightly touched her forehead, like she could've had a V8, before pointing at her rump.

The two brothers blinked as Owen was stunned into silence before exclaiming, "Me?! I am not! Just for wanting to go on a date with Claire?!"

Elise snorted before shaking her head; she didn't care if Owen was trying to find a mate; that wasn't her business. She made the sign again. Owen only growled at her, but Zach asked, "What'd she say?"

Owen huffed when Elise garbled at him, and he snapped, "She's calling me a dumbass."

There was a brief second of silence before the two boys began to howl with laughter, and Elise puffed air through her nose. Owen glared at her, and crossed his arms before asking, "So, why am I a dumbass?"

Elise only wished she knew how to spell 'dramatic' to Owen. He was a dumbass for blowing this way out of proportion, and acting dramatic. But he was her dumbass.

She nuzzled him to let him know it was all in good fun, and Owen rolled his eyes before grumbling, "Seriously, I need to go take a shower, and change. I really don't want this date to go to hell like the last one."

Zach paused to catch his breath before asking, "What happened last time?"

Owen pressed his lips; the first date had been a disaster waiting to happen. Owen had just seen a pretty girl, and Claire had seen a good looking, smooth talker. Both had vastly different ideas on what a date should have been. Owen wanted casual because he didn't care for investing himself on the first date. Claire had dressed quite formal as she had always set high expectations for herself and others.

Then they discovered how hard it was to not have the last say when they got snippy with one another. Both were hot-headed leaders who had to lead with a stern hand. Neither were comfortable with giving ground because they didn't want to look weak.

Bottom line was the first date had been between two strangers who only liked what they saw.

Owen cleared his throat; he was sure it would be different this time because he was trying to put some effort into it this time, but it was a little hard when the damned Indominus wouldn't let him go!

"I wanted Mexican food and she wanted Italian; it just went downhill from there…"

Zach blinked, and Elise tilted her head. Owen had already messed this up? She gave a quiet sigh; Owen obviously needed help if he wanted Claire's affection. Claire was a wonderful person to Elise, and it didn't take a genius to figure out Claire probably had a lot of males to pick from.

She was about to let go of Owen; he probably did need to go clean up if he wished to present himself as a suitable mate. However, Gray shyly asked, "Well, did you bring her flowers?"

Owen shook his head; he wasn't a flowers kind of guy. It wasn't his style, but Elise snorted at him. Elise was inexperienced with the world, what she didn't know she would fill in with instincts. Despite never being around a male Indominus, she did know there was supposed to be a courting process.

The male needed to present a gift.

Obviously human males presented flowers, and Owen was dumb for not doing that the first time. She gave another sigh before scooping Owen into her palm, and he exclaimed, "Elise! I need to get going! Seriously, I don't want to be late!"

Elise wished she could tell Owen that he needed a gift to prove he really was interested in Claire. He needed to make that extra effort, otherwise he might as well treat this like he was with Tim or Barry.

She kept a firm hold on Owen before making a gentle croon to the two boys. They grinned widely as they waved goodbye, and Elise slid the window shut. Owen blinked at that, but decided to focus on where they were going. He jabbed the strong hand before snapping, "Elise! Where are we going?"

Blue poked her head up in irritation before giving a sharp bark to shut up. Owen glowered at her, and Elise chittered with the raptor. Owen saw all the sleep leave Blue's eyes before indignation filled them.

He was in trouble.

Blue immediately skittered up the white scales before giving a reprimanding snarl from Elise's muscular shoulder. She was aware that Owen was exempt from some rules of the pack, but not this one. His future mate would have a huge impact on this pack. Blue would not approve until she had personally met this potential mate.

Stupid Alpha.

Elise gave her sucked in laugh as Blue narrowed her eyes while they melted into the jungle. Owen wiped a hand down his face, and accepted his fate.

He was going to be late to the second date.

* * *

"Should we send help?"

Lowery raised an eyebrow as Elise left with Owen and Blue. He actually wasn't sure what to do, but it was pretty clear that Owen was really trying to put effort into the second date.

The Control was already making bets on how it would end this time. The favorite was Claire tattling to Rexy that Owen wasn't as dead as she originally thought.

He pressed his lips in thought before saying, "Nah. I say we just enjoy the show."

"You know we're kind of creepy for doing all this spying, right?"

Lowery snorted as he retorted, "We're paid to do this, remember? It's our job to prevent chaos, and God knows these two dating is going to cause chaos. We all know what happened last time."

Vivian shook her head at the memory; it had been very awkward watching that scene unfold, but no one had switched the cameras. It was like a soap opera, but without the bad actors. Vivian contemplated giving Claire a warning, but she wasn't sure if Owen would make it back in time. She stretched as she decided that if Owen looked like he would be late then she would give Claire a heads up.

Lowery relaxed back into his chair as he switched the screens to Rexy's paddock, and grinned. He could see Tim putting the chain in a limber looking goat's collar. He pulled out the notebook before saying, "Alright, Anna won last time. Let's see if she can do it again, peoples. Where's the goat gonna go splat this time?"

Lowery grinned as he wrote down the predictions. Grant had really lit a fire in Rexy, and she refused to do anything until Tim let the goat go. Rexy didn't want to be fed; she wanted to hunt like the terrifying predator she was. It was fun to see the Tyrannosaurus chase after the goat before making an enthused kill. Elise would sit under the false log so the goat didn't try to bolt under it, and she let Rexy have her fun.

It was more fun for Control when Rexy began to consistently take a bite out of the goat before flinging the other half in a random direction. Lowery had no idea why the Tyrannosaurus liked to do that, but it was fun to try and predict where it would land.

One splattered into the Observatory window. Another landed next to Tim in a mess of intestines, and the next had smacked into Elise's nose.

But the most memorable was the meaty mess that crash landed on the traveling snow cone cart. Lowery almost pissed himself at seeing the bratty, demanding kid shriek in terror. The tired mother went white, and the vender had passed out. Lowery loved his job sometimes.

Lowery was betting this one would fly over the wall again; Rexy seemed to be delighted when she heard the people give startled shrieks. It was demented, but Lowery never tried to argue that he wasn't a little messed up in the head.

He didn't care, Lowery just wanted to see where the goat would land next.

* * *

"Elise where are you _taking me?!_ I am really not happy with how late I am going to be!"

Owen was getting stressed, and Elise wasn't being helpful. He had no idea how long they had been walking, and he didn't know where they were. Blue had burned a hole through his soul three times already, and he was getting sick of her evil eye.

Blue had spent the first ten minutes of their trip learning everything she could about Claire, and she was pleased to know that Elise was already good friends with her. It intrigued Blue that this Alpha, who was in the pair with Stern One, was considering Stupid Alpha for a mate.

Blue wondered if human males were in short supply around here.

Owen rolled his eyes when Blue seemingly snorted at her own joke, and he went limp in the massive hand caging him. There was no escaping Elise when she was on a mission.

Blue tilted her head when Owen gave a loud sigh, but Elise only rumbled in amusement before pushing her way through thick brush. Owen spat out a leaf before blinking at the sight before him.

Never had he seen so many colors in one sitting. Tropical flowers flourished here, sheltered by tall trees, and watered by a small stream giving quiet chuckles as it flowed by. Owen didn't even know these kinds of flowers grew here, and he glanced up at Elise.

The warm, crimson eye regarded him with fond amusement before she gently set him down. Owen breathed in the sweet perfumes that somehow worked in perfect harmony rather than overwhelmed the senses. He supposed it wouldn't be bad to bring a bouquet of flowers; not when there were so many to choose from.

He would be quick about it, and maybe Elise would haul ass back home. He could make it by the skin of his teeth. Owen quickly checked his watch before grimacing.

He had fifteen minutes.

"Okay girls, I need a little help here."

Elise only snorted at the painful truth; Blue didn't even need a translation for that one, and she picked the first flower. Owen had no idea what would look good, but he hoped Claire would like the bouquet.

He didn't want to rush picking the flowers, but he needed to get his ass moving. He would briefly glance at the flowers his two girls picked out, and he had only rejected one from Blue.

She had responded by flinging it as his face. Elise had found that funny.

Owen figured he had enough flowers when he could barely fit the stems in one hand, and the rainbow of petals looked pretty good to him. He nodded in approval, before realizing he had seven minutes left. Owen glanced up at Elise desperately, and she snorted in amusement before scooping him up. She allowed him to sit on her neck, and Blue chirped before making an impressive leap. Owen winced slightly when Blue's sharp claws dug into his shoulders, but he remained mindful of Elise's sharp spikes as he said, "Alright, Baby, I really need you to hurry there. Nothing irritates Claire more than someone being late."

Owen startled when Elise moved, and he squeezed his calves tightly against her. He couldn't remember the last time he had ridden a horse, but he did remember how to ride bareback.

He just hoped the rules would apply to riding a dinosaur.

Blue pressed lower as she rested her jaw on his shoulders before Elise gave a sharp chirp. Blue immediately perked up before leaping to the ground as she danced around the massive feet excitedly. Owen raised an eyebrow until he saw that competitive gleam blazing in Blue's eyes, and he couldn't help his chuckle.

There was going to be a race.

Owen only held on as best he could when the two suddenly darted forward. Elise's gait was surprisingly smooth though it took some getting used to. It was amazing to see the world from Elise's perspective; everything looked so small.

Owen wasn't surprised when Blue took the lead in the open plains; it was her domain, and she ruled it in a fearsome manner. Elise wasn't deterred though, she kept her steady gait despite Blue rocketing ahead of her. It wasn't until they quickly reached the thick jungle that Elise surprisingly began to catch up.

Elise had figured out how to weave between the trees in a nimble way, while Blue had to waste more energy getting around the obstacles. Owen couldn't help his grin when he realized how inexperienced Blue was when it came to worthy competitors.

Blue had used up all her energy in the open fields, but Elise had paced herself. He caught sight of the false log, and glanced down to see Elise had pulled ahead of his best girl. Owen couldn't believe Blue would actually lose, and he could see the raptor push herself to go faster.

Elise suddenly slowed down to avoid crashing into anything, and Blue had taken advantage of that. The blue raptor skidded into the clearing first, and she wheezed out a victory cry. Her tongue lolled to the side as she panted hard, and Owen only snorted at her before praising, "Good job, girls. That was a clean match."

Elise also kept her mouth open as she tried to catch her breath, and she easily slid open the window before allowing Owen to slide off. He landed with grace, and smiled at Elise as he said, "Thanks for rushing, Baby Girl."

The Indominus only gave a croon as she lowered herself to the ground. Blue had already flopped onto the cooling ferns, but Elise pushed her snout close as she chittered a congratulations. Blue gently batted the large nose in acknowledgment before rolling in the soft plants.

Owen chuckled, and Gray suddenly said, "Those are pretty…"

Owen thought so too; he was happy Elise had helped him, but he grimaced when he looked at his watch.

Three minutes left. He didn't think he would be able to make it back to his house in time. He would have to wing it today, and explain his kidnapping as best he could to Claire. Gray and Zach would back him up hopefully, and Owen had a present this time. So things would be fine, right?

Owen could only hope so, and he jumped when he heard Claire suddenly say, "There you are, I was looking for you."

He mentally braced himself as he turned around before blinking. Claire was dressed in her normal clothes; granted she had touched up on her already flawless makeup, but Owen felt himself relax as a crooked grin tugged at his lips.

"I…Elise and Blue apparently thought I needed some help…"

Owen gently offered the thick bouquet to Claire, and he mentally cheered when she gave a warm smile. He couldn't help his grin growing wider when she made to take the bouquet, but she suddenly paused. Owen didn't take that as a good sign, and Claire pressed her lips before quietly asking, "Is that an Angel's Trumpet?"

Owen had no idea what any of these flowers were. He was an expert on animals, not plants; it was why he never bothered with bouquets before. He blinked at the white, trumpet shaped flower before slowly saying, "Um…maybe?"

Claire raised an eyebrow, as she looked at him, and Owen didn't like that. He brought a gift, she needed to accept the gift because he was getting sweaty. Owen finally shuffled before asking, "What?"

"Those are poisonous flowers, Owen."

Owen paled a few shades before suddenly letting go of the bouquet. He whirled around, and Claire easily caught the flowers with a playful smile on her face as Owen leaned over the ledge to chastise Blue. He just knew there was a reason why the raptor kept shoving him towards that bunch of flowers!

Claire couldn't help her small smile.

She would tell Owen Angel's Trumpets were poisonous through ingestion later. It was funny to see Owen arguing with Blue. The raptor easily held her own in an argument with a sharp tongue. Elise raised he head to peer into the room, and Claire gave a small smile as she waved at her. Elise crooned lovingly, and Claire was happy the Indominus wasn't afraid to help Owen be a little old fashioned in romance.

Besides, the flowers were beautiful, and Claire loved them.

* * *

 **A/N**

 **Don't eat Angel's Trumpets! Seriously, all parts of them are very poisonous! There are stories of teens boiling them to make tea, and it does not end well!**


	33. Chapter 33

**A/N**

 **I'm baaaaaaack!**

 **And I had a great time, seriously though the vacation ended on a great note; Portuguese know how to throw parties!**

 **Sorry I was never able to post in Cali, those hotels are possessive of their wifi; they'd give it for business reasons only.**

 **But I appreciate your patience, so one announcement.**

 **blackdragon21 has created another piece of artwork, and I really encourage you guys to go visit it; link is in my profile! It's titled 'Conspiracy'**

* * *

"Second Date."

"I say we watch Batman."

"No way! We should watch Walking with Dinosaurs!"

Zach rolled his eyes at his younger brother before retorting, "Dude, we are literally on an island full of dinosaurs; you can go walk with Elise after the movie."

Elise rested her head on the cement ground as the two continued to bicker in the Observatory Room. Owen and Claire had already left to go get dinner, and they promised to come back with some food. Zach had brought what he called a laptop, and a projector. They wanted to watch movies, and Elise was curious as to what they were.

Zach and Gray had worked together quite smoothly until it was time to actually start the movie. Elise had given up on trying to help reach peace with the two; they argued worse than Echo and Blue. Elise gave a small sigh, but flickered her gaze over when Gray finally said, "Elise can be the tiebreaker."

Elise did not want to be the tiebreaker when she didn't even know what a movie was. However, she was the Alpha of this pack, and Owen had left her in charge. Alpha Claire had entrusted hatchlings from her own pack to Elise's care, and that meant she had to do more than simply make sure they didn't die.

She had to keep the peace here.

Elise puffed air through her nose as she focused on the two boys glaring at each other competitively. She could see both getting ready to sell their movie in a more appealing way. Elise began to carefully tap her index on her chest when Zach grinned as he said, "Alright, I say Batman. It's awesome! It's about a rich badass who protects the city of Gotham from evil after his parents were murdered when he was little. He fights all kind of evil, especially the Joker. Batman has this awesome cape that looks like a bat's wings, and his mask looks like a bat head too. The effects are amazing."

Elise blinked as she tried to make sense of that scenario. It sounded like a child with identity crisis. Why had no other adults tried to tell this child he was not a bat? Elise wasn't sure if she would be able to follow that story, but Gray suddenly said, "Batman is an action movie, but Walking with Dinosaurs is a documentary. It's a movie that teaches you about dinosaurs. It shows what we think the world looked like when dinosaurs ruled the earth."

Elise was interested in that; she wanted to learn about others of her kind. Gray had been very helpful in his theories with what she was made of. Granted, several of the words went over her head, but it was fun to learn. Elise almost went with that, but Zach added, "Batman has explosions, and the Joker is the best villain; he totally messes with your head."

…Elise kind of like action. She wanted to see an amazing villain. Now she was torn. Damn it, Zach and Gray were both excellent salesmen. They grinned at her excitedly, and Elise puffed air through her nose before pointing to the both of them.

They would watch both movies; she wanted to see both.

Zach and Gray blinked at her before grinning widely. Elise was satisfied to smell the peace growing again, and Zach asked, "Is your movie shorter? We'll watch it first if it is."

Gray smiled as he pulled out the DVD, and said, "Okay. Sounds good."

Elise glanced down to see Echo and Delta sleeping peacefully in the ferns. Blue had left to go patrol, and to possibly hunt. She promised not to trespass into Rexy's territory.

Elise was fine with that, and she relaxed her head between the boys as they buried themselves in the pile of blankets they had brought. Zach had somehow snagged puffy, white treats he called popcorn.

Elise only liked hers super salty; she liked the really yellow pieces of popcorn.

She felt herself go soft when the two boys leaned against her large cheeks. It was hard to imagine she had once taken pleasure in instilling fear into these hatchlings.

Elise would never do that again.

* * *

"You know Blue is going to chew my ass out now that I know about those flowers."

Claire couldn't stop her laugh as she relaxed into her chair. They had agreed to eat at a homely restaurant at the request of the boys. Both Claire and Owen were comfortable with it as neither had really changed from their work clothes. The only odd thing that stuck out was the large bouquet of flowers in a pitcher of water.

It still looked pretty, and Claire was touched by the gift.

What truly mattered was the feeling in the air, and Owen was very content with it. It was calm, warm, and had the comfortable potential to be left where it was or build this relationship. Owen rested his arms on the table before quietly asking, "How are things going on your end? Elise and I pulling our weight?"

Claire actually snorted as she shook her head in amusement, and Owen grinned widely at her. Claire answered, "The videos are exploding on the internet; parents are mush with Elise, and we are booking tickets _months_ out. The board is really happy with that."

Owen smiled at her pleased look, and he winked as he said, "Good job, Boss."

Claire rolled her eyes playfully before she softly said, "I think I'll pat you on the back for refusing to give up on Elise. I really don't think Jurassic World would have bounced back like it did without you two."

Owen was warmed by that, but he couldn't help saying, "I think you would have pulled through for us. I have faith in you; you know your stuff."

He meant that sincerely, and said it without the intent of trying to kiss her ass. Owen did respect Claire as a leader. Maybe not before, but she had proven herself. Claire was running the park differently than before.

She somehow seemed to be more aware that she was dealing with live animals. They were finally alive to her, not just Rexy. Claire was starting to even call some of the animals by name; she knew all his girls, and Owen was sure that was what had really won him over.

Owen wasn't aware that he had a smile on his face until Claire laughed, "What are you smiling about?"

He gave a sheepish chuckle as he admired the quietness of the restaurant. It was full, but it was quiet with employees, and guests. Owen glanced at Claire as he finally said, "I never thought you would be willing to call on any dinosaur, let alone _Rexy,_ for help."

Owen paused to think before saying, "It takes a lot of faith…and trust in an animal to ask for that kind of help. Especially one like Rexy."

"…What do you mean like Rexy?"

Owen startled at the careful question; he was on fine ice. Claire was incredibly protective of Rexy, and he grinned as he said, "I've been with my girls almost every single day of their life. I was there when they were born, we shared the same bed for the first week, Charlie slept in my pocket because she didn't want to be on the ground, but they still got too aggressive for me to give them _that_ kind of trust. You couldn't even see Rexy, but you trusted her enough to save Elise from that Triceratops. Do you guys…I just…I'm curious about your relationship with her; that's something special."

Claire blinked at him before pressing her lips. She briefly stared at the flowers on the table before a small smile tugged at her mouth, and she softly said, "Rexy…has always kind of been a role model to me, you know? I look up to her."

"I look up to her too, did it a couple days ago; she was very good at looking down on me."

Claire playfully punched his arm, and Owen chuckled when Claire said, "Butt-head."

Owen rubbed his shoulder as he smiled at her, and he softly asked, "How is she a role model?"

Claire gave him a wary eye, looking for any signs of teasing, but she didn't find any. Claire relaxed into her chair as she said, "After all the animals had been put back into their paddocks, I met Mr. Hammond, and he gave me a tour of the park. Rexy was the first one we met, and she scared me so bad…but Mr. Hammond just said to respect her."

Claire paused, and suddenly asked, "Do you know why Mr. Hammond fought so hard to keep Rexy alive after the incident? Lawyers wanted her put down because she was so dangerous."

Owen wanted to point out that Rexy was still plenty dangerous, but he answered, "I assume she cost a lot to make, and Hammond had faith in her bringing in a crowd."

Claire smiled as she shook her head, and answered, "Because it's her job to keep the other animals in line. Who do you think is the dinosaurs' boss? It's not Blue."

Owen snorted at the truth of it; one roar had sent Blue into full panic mode. Granted he had also high tailed it when he saw Rexy, but he couldn't see Blue trying to fight Rexy without a very good reason. Claire suddenly reached out, and began to trace the scars on his hand; courtesy of Blue making it very clear she was a no touchy creature.

"It's why I look up to her; she's a fair boss who keeps everyone in line. Animals who have never even seen her, respect her roar. If I could run the park like she does; fairly and being respected at the same time, then I'm doing a good job. Mr. Hammond had said if I took care of Rexy, she would always be willing to lend me a hand when the animals got out of hand. If I ever have a problem, I just need to show her where it's at; she'll take care of it. She's a comfort to me, and my rock; she's...solid, you know? Rexy has always been here."

Owen frowned at that, but Claire was sincere about giving this amount of trust to Rexy. It made sense though, Rexy was at the top of the food chain here, but Owen couldn't help but to wonder where Elise fit in.

This was the problem with creating an entirely new species; it unbalanced the food chain.

"How do you lead her around?"

Claire smiled as she began to rummage through her purse, and she said, "Thankfully, we've never had a major problem with our animals. We can usually solve the problem with ACU, or a recording of Rexy's roar, but we keep Rexy trained."

Owen felt his jaw drop, and he leaned forward before eagerly asking, _"You know how to train a Tyrannosaurus?"_

Claire gave a small laugh, and she answered, "I doubt she'll listen to a command for an Oreo, but it works for us. We use this."

Owen raised an eyebrow when Claire handed him a flare, and he glanced at her questioningly. She only smiled as she said, "Why do you think we always toss a flare at the goat? She can see it just fine, and we could have used other ways besides road flares. Rexy knows to follow the flare though, and we don't want her to forget about it. It's the only training we've used but-"

"That is damn brilliant, Claire."

Claire blinked at him, but Owen added, "I would have never thought you could do anything with a Tyrannosaurus, especially one who was already an adult by the time you met her."

Owen turned the flare over in his hand; it spoke volumes to Owen that Claire had kept one in her bag just in case. He handed it back as he softly said, "I'm sorry I assumed you only saw these animals as numbers on paper. I didn't know you were tight with the Head Honcho of dinos."

Claire smiled as she tucked the flare away; it was old, but she didn't feel right walking without it. There was absolutely no need to keep flares in all the emergency kits, but Claire had always insisted.

Just in case.

"I accept your apology, and Control calls her Big Boss."

Owen snorted, but he said, "I'll remember that."

* * *

Tim whistled cheerfully as he waited for Rexy to show up for their final show. She was always a little tired of goats by the end of the day, but she was on a roll today. Tim glanced to the side of him, and he could still see the faint, red stains on his platform. That one had been a little too close for comfort, but the guests were going absolutely crazy over it. Tim couldn't remember that last time it had been so crowded. Rexy had always drawn a crowd, but it was so packed now.

It made Tim happy, and so he had found more nimble goats to challenge Rexy. Dr. Grant was right, Rexy did look younger, there was a bounce in her step, and she didn't yawn when she parted from the trees. She didn't look bored.

The trees began to shudder, and the guests gave excited cheers. Tim gave one more whistle before tapping his mic, and saying, "Good evening, folks, I hope you've had a good day here at Jurassic World. I'm glad you're excited to see Rexy because she is feeling young today."

Tim smiled when the carnivore poked her head from the trees, and he added, "Now the Tyrannosaurus was thought to have been… _Blue?!"_

Tim felt his jaw drop at seeing the raptor quietly perched on the massive shoulder, like a little parrot, and Blue gave a chirp to acknowledge she heard her name. Her gold eyes focused on him with mild interest, and the guests paused in confusion. Tim had no idea what to do, he was completely caught off guard, but Rexy didn't even seem to care. She snapped her jaws to get his ass moving, but Tim asked, "Blue, what are you doing here…?"

Tim was thoroughly confused; Rexy should have hated all Velociraptors, but Blue looked perfectly comfortable perched on Rexy. The old Tyrannosaurus was eager to hunt again, and she gave a loud roar for Tim to mind his own business.

"But…where's Elise?"

Tim cringed at the dangerous look in Rexy's eyes; she was going to tell him one more time to cooperate, or she was going to lose her temper. He swallowed nervously; Mama had given her final warning.

Tim really wasn't sure what to do, but he knew it would be very bad; Claire had even given him specific orders to do absolutely anything to avoid that hellfire temper. He reached over, and pressed the button as he heard Rexy give a stern snort. The chain made a rattling sound, and he looked up.

Blue was gone.

Tim paled; he didn't want a loose Velociraptor in his paddock. He swallowed as his eyes darted around, and his radio crackled before Lowery quickly said, "She's still in there, don't worry."

All Tim could do was worry, but he blinked when things became unusually silent. Rexy had blended back into the trees, and the goat was looking around nervously. Tim was still looking for the elusive raptor, before yelping into the mic when Blue suddenly leapt from the bushes under the log, and gave a bloodcurdling shriek.

The goat nearly tripped over itself in its haste to get away from the murderous raptor, and Blue gave vicious snarls from behind. Tim blinked when Blue suddenly skidded into a halt, and he jumped when a tree knocked over as Rexy gave roar. The goat never saw the massive jaws snap around it, and Rexy gave a guttural growl as she shook the carcass.

Tim was pulled from his thoughts when he heard the loud cheers, and he cleared his throat before slowly saying, "What you just witnessed was a pack hunting together. I have no idea when Blue decided to hunt with a Tyrannosaurus when she has a pack in Elise's paddock, but…"

Tim suddenly burst out laughing; he couldn't help himself. It would just happen when something startled him terribly. It was hilarious to him that bold, Oreo loving Blue had decided to hunt with Rexy when her own pack obviously wasn't in the mood to hunt.

What a fierce, independent raptor Blue was.

Rexy didn't toss the goat this time, but instead offered some of it to the raptor respectfully waiting for her turn. Blue gave a delighted trill as she snapped her jaws into a thick leg, and she darted back under the log to enjoy her share.

Tim couldn't stop his laughing as he hung over the ledge of the railing, and Rexy glanced at him with mild interest.

Blue looked up from her kill; she knew that sound coming from the human on the platform, but she didn't understand why he was making it. She didn't give it much thought; she was simply happy to have hunted with Stern One. She had caught Stern One by the fallen gate after unsuccessfully hunting the quick, furry creatures. Stern One had watched for a few minutes before grabbing her attention. Blue hadn't understood at first, but Stern One could be very clear when she wanted to be.

She wanted to hunt with Blue.

And Blue was over the moon; she was eager to see Stern One's territory, and she was amazed at how well guarded it was. There were no threats Blue could smell, and it was clear Stern One patrolled faithfully.

Stern One would be a good edition to this pack; she was glad White One had befriended her.

Blue ignored the loud prey in the log; White One had made it very clear that Blue, and her sisters, weren't allowed to threaten or hunt them. They were not prey.

Besides, Blue had a perfectly good kill right in front of her; the meat smelled different than the pink prey. It smelled more tender, softer, and Blue was happy there was a chunk of meat as compared to simply fur on the tiny creatures in the large plain.

She lowered her jaws to take the first bite before a scent wafted into her sensitive jaws. She froze before snapping her head up to glare into the prey filled log, and gave a single bark at Rexy.

Tim didn't feel very good when Rexy immediately ignored her kill to glare into the log. Blue was right next to her, and he didn't like the dangerous feeling in the air.

* * *

Owen chuckled for no reason as he gently held Claire's hand. They had finished their dinner, and were simply waiting for the take out order for the boys. He couldn't remember the last time he had such a mellow, inexpensive date. They had simply talked about whatever, and Owen had really enjoyed himself. He was happy.

Claire had been all smiles tonight; he loved it. The way her nose crinkled cutely, that sparkle in those blue eyes, and that warm, quiet laugh that sent the happiest a feelings right down to his toes.

He only wished this was how the first date had gone, but maybe the first date made him appreciate this one all the more.

Claire gave a small squeeze on his hand as she graced him with another smile. He grinned at her, and quietly said, "I wonder how Elise is liking the movies."

The redhead waved her phone at him as she answered, "She really liked the dinosaur documentary; Gray said she loved the creatures of the ocean. They had even gone on YouTube to show her colorful, tropical fish."

Owen gave a warm chuckle as he imagined Elise gently batting the walls as she tried to touch the fish. He quietly said, "Maybe we'll show her a video of Lilly, if she thinks Rexy is big, then I can only imagine her face when she sees Lilly."

Owen glanced around the emptying restaurant, and he didn't notice Claire's pondering face. She gently squeezed his hand to grab his attention, and she quietly said, "How about…when the park closes, and all the guests go home…we can show Elise the aquarium? Zach and Gray really haven't seen it before, and I know Lilly likes to hang around this section of the lagoon, where the lights are still on. I bet Elise can get a glimpse of her."

Owen looked very surprise, and Claire added, "But, you have to absolutely make sure the Velociraptors do not get out, I cannot justify a loose raptor."

Owen immediately broke into a huge grin as he said, "Yes, Ma'am. You're just doing everything you can to get into my heart, aren't you?"

"I thought the way to a man's heart is through his stomach."

Owen smiled as he shook a soggy, cold, French fry at her, and quietly said, " _Not_ when he has four, wonderful girls that are his babies."

Claire blinked before a soft smile seemed to tug at her lips as she turned her blue gaze back to the rainbow of flowers in the pitcher of water. Owen was content to simply hold her hand, and she suddenly asked, "Did Elise and Blue really help you pick the flowers?"

Owen snorted at the painful truth that his girls, both different species, had agreed he needed help with romance, but he wouldn't deny that it had helped tremendously. It had set a very nice tone for the evening. He smiled at the flowers; he could tell who had picked what. Blue's flowers had a clean cut from her razor claw, Elise's had been squished from being pinched off, and his own had simply been tugged until the stem gave.

"Blue mostly gave me a dirty look for not telling her; she wasn't too happy with 'Alpha possibly courting'."

Owen sighed before chuckling, and he added, "I have never seen Blue talk so much with Elise before, I bet my last dollar that she was asking about you…I'll probably need to introduce you to the girls."

Claire raised an eyebrow, but Owen shrugged his shoulders as he said, "Hey, a pack is a very tight-knit family; if I date, then I better introduce or the girls won't be very happy."

"How many other girls have you introduced to them?"

Owen allowed a small smile to tug at his lips when he softly said, "None, because I never went past the second date here…but I'm wondering if you'll go on a third date with me."

Claire gave a quiet, warm laugh, and her blue eyes sparkled with delight as she asked, "A third? We aren't even done with the second."

Owen winked before saying, "We can have it at the paddock. I'll introduce you to the raptors; you'll stand right next to me, and you'll be holding their favorite treats. It'll be fine, I know Blue will like you."

"…How do you know?"

Owen snorted, and he said, "Because Blue likes anyone who isn't afraid to give me shit, or questions my decisions. Blue likes strong women."

Claire smiled, and tightened her soft hold on the large hand. Owen didn't want this date to end any other way, and he sighed when his radio crackled. He had thought Elise would have things under control, but Lowery was also watching. Just in case.

"Um, Owen!? Blue is right in Rexy's paddock! She decided to walk the old lady there or something, but now they're really focused on the false log! You need to call Blue off or something!"

Owen paled into a gaunt grey. Blue was with Rexy, Blue had hunted the goat with Rexy, _and now Blue was hunting the people in the log._

 _With Rexy..._

Owen startled when Claire was out the door first, her heels clicking on the floor, and he was right behind her. He forgot about the food, and was tempted to call Elise for help; he couldn't risk the other two raptors getting over there to cause even more trouble.

Deep down though, Owen would honestly admit.

He wasn't surprised bold Blue had managed to entice the old carnivore to go on a hunt with her.

Did this mean Rexy was part of the pack now? Owen really hoped not, but Blue was brave enough to extend the invitation. Blue learned a lot from watching him. How to kill cleanly, hunt, open doors, swear...

And apparently how to convince massive, forty foot long carnivores to join their pack. Blue was definitely his baby.


	34. Chapter 34

**A/N**

 **Hey guys!**

 **Thank you for the reviews, and criticism!**

 **I hear you guys, and I apologize for getting a little carried away with making the raptors and Rexy a little too human! I know it can get irritating, especially since it's Elise that is made with the human DNA! Anyways, I tried to make Blue more Velociraptorish, and I want honest opinions on whether or not I'm headed in the right direction.**

 **It really is fine to give a critique, and I'm sure the two people consistently giving their criticism in the reviews would like a little help' share the burden!**

 **Thank you much and mighty, please enjoy!**

 **And guys! We broke 1,000 follows! Sweet, double-stuffed Oreos! You guys are awesome! Not to sound mushy, but I love you all. _All of you!_ ^.^**

* * *

"No Swimming!"

Owen swore under his breath as he darted into the false log; he was glad no one was panicking yet. It would set Blue off into hunting mode, and he didn't even want to think what would happen if Rexy decided to bash her skull against the glass.

How the hell did Blue even get to Rexy's side of the fence? He thought it had been closed off; Elise was supposed to be watching her, but she was watching the other two raptors.

Owen froze at the back of the crowd when he saw Blue glaring into the glass.

From the top of Rexy's head.

She immediately saw him, and gave a deep snarl followed by a bark. The people flinched back, but Owen knew that command. It was an order to join the hunt.

She was acting as a distraction, and he was supposed to make the kill; no one knew he was there, and he was closer. It was the first hunting formation he had learned from Blue; when she was still little, and needed help in hunting the pig down.

When she had made her first kill, and Owen had nearly exploded with pride when her excited, gold eyes had fallen on him as she silently exclaimed, 'Look what I did! I did it!'

Owen grabbed Claire's arm when she trotted in, and he was glad no one had really glanced at them; they were focused on the dangerous predators. She blinked at Blue, but Owen leaned close as he whispered, "They're hunting."

Claire swallowed nervously, but Owen added, "It's the distract and attack. Blue and Rexy are distracting, and Blue wants me to attack. I need you to go to the front, and distract the crowd with Rexy. Blue is zeroed in on someone, and she's going to tell me who. I'll yank them out of here, okay?"

Claire nodded, and Owen glanced at the blue raptor before saying, "Whatever you do, do _not_ give ground to Blue. The ground you stand on is yours, and she is not allowed to step on it; you're an Alpha; she's a Beta. She will respect you."

Owen smiled when Claire squared her shoulders before walking over to the glass confidently. She didn't flinched under the golden fires, and Owen was impressed with how she stood unwaveringly next to the corner of the glass, like she was making a presentation. Owen pressed his lips when Blue focused on her before giving a vicious shriek.

A bluff to see what Claire would do.

Claire didn't flinch, but she gave a sharp glare at the raptor before sternly saying, "Don't get fresh with me."

Owen gave a wide grin when Blue blinked at her. Claire's tone and body language were absolute, and the Beta turned to Owen. Back to the hunt.

Owen gave a single nod to both his girls, and Claire folded her hands in front of her as she warmly presented, "Good evening ladies and gentlemen; welcome to Jurassic World. I'm Claire Dearing, and the two, beautiful girls behind me are Rexy and Blue. Since it seems these two are in the mood to sit here, I thought it would be a good opportunity to talk about our oldest edition to this park, and our bravest…"

Owen smiled as he began to move around the crowd. Rexy was carefully glancing at Claire before flickering her gaze at the crowd, but Blue was zeroed in on the target. He slowly walked over to where she was staring, the group close to the glass, but farthest from Claire. Owen scanned his eyes over the small group; Blue had given him that much, but now it was up to him.

He knew what to look for, and he smirked in victory when a shorter man gave the slightest shiver. Very few could stand up against Blue's hunting glare. Owen stood right behind the short man; he was skinny, and dark hair, but Blue gave a loud shriek.

The order to kill.

The man jumped back, and into Owen, before whirling around. Owen had made to calm the man, to get him out of there, but recognition flashed across the dark eyes. Owen briefly froze, but that was more than enough for the man to yell, "You won't catch me!"

Owen was so stunned that the man bolted past him, and Blue gave a scolding shriek for letting the prey get away. Claire jumped when Owen darted after the man as he yelled, "You sonofabitch!"

Blue gave a furious shriek before Rexy raised her head high. Blue didn't wait for the growl to get moving, and Tim paled when the raptor gave a high jump. She sank her talons deep into the soft wood before scrambling up the side. Blue bolted towards the thick brush, and landed on the hard cement. She ignored the people who gave startled yells next to her, and she gave a series of barks.

Owen glanced over his shoulder before giving a frustrated huff; Blue had gotten out. He wasn't surprised, but he might as well make the most of it. He made the split second decision of letting her join, and gave a sharp whistle before pushing himself to chase after the fleeing man. Owen heard Blue give a furious shriek before she easily caught up with him.

The man risked a glance behind him before paling, Blue darted ahead with a cry for Death's presence. The fleeing man made a sharp turn when Blue made a flying leap, and he overturned the contents of a passing snow cone cart. Blue crashed into it, and Owen darted around the mess as he pushed himself to go faster.

"Stop right now!"

Owen didn't think that would work, and he huffed when the man only ran faster. Blue was back on her feet in an instant, and they both ignored the people darting out of the way. Owen gave a glance at his best girl before ordering, "Catch!"

It was a newer command that didn't always work, but Blue was getting better. It was a command that Vic had strongly pushed for, and Owen decided to teach because he was curious.

The Velociraptor would tackle the target, but wouldn't kill it.

They had a 43% success rate on a good day. They went through a lot of pigs.

This guy running was a pig, and Owen wouldn't mind playing the Cat's Cradle with Blue. He could show her how to make a tea cup out of the intestines as Blue snacked on the other end.

Blue seemed to give a wide grin before giving a furious shriek as she darted forward. The man tried to make a zig zag motion, but Blue was ready for him this time. The man made a loud scream when the heavy Velociraptor barreled into his back, and Owen praised, "Damn good, Blue! Damn good!"

The man slid on his face for a couple feet as Blue remained on his back before she stood up to glance back at Owen. Blue gave a delighted, slightly sadistic trill as she kept a firm foot planted on the struggling man's back. Her sickle claw was lightly pressed against the exposed, soft neck, and she gave a dangerous hiss when the man tried to push himself up. Owen gave a dark chuckle as he walked over, and said, "Well, well, well. You have officially messed with the wrong Squad. You can start with an apology, and then an explanation."

"I'm not talking! You're fucking crazy!"

Owen chuckled as he reached down, and Blue stepped off. The man gave a yelp when Owen suddenly yanked him up, and Owen snarled, "Then I suggest you start talking. It won't end well when you piss off a fucking crazy."

Blue snapped her jaws dangerously, and Owen added, "And a full grown, spitfire Velociraptor. So, you want to talk to me, this girl, the Indominus, or all of us at once? I'm sure Elise has a few words to say to you; she wasn't too happy with the paintballs."

The man licked his lips nervously, but Owen internally groaned when he heard Claire sharply say, "Mr. Grady."

Owen glanced over his shoulder, and sighed at seeing the security guards walking next to her. Blue narrowed her eyes, but Claire looked her in the eye as she said, "Blue. Very good."

Owen blinked when Claire pulled out an Oreo from its package and tossed it to the raptor. Blue easily caught it, and gave a delighted trill as she enjoyed her treat. Owen nodded approvingly at Claire, and she cleared her throat before saying, "Mr. Grady, thank you for seizing a suspect in the paintball incident, you and Blue may leave. We will take it from here."

Owen really wanted to take the guy to Elise's paddock, but he knew to be grateful to Claire for not getting mad at a loose raptor. He gave the man one more dirty look before shoving him over to the security. The man squealed with the rough handling, but Claire didn't reprimand Owen for it. She gave a stern look while indicating at the preoccupied raptor with a tilt of her head. Owen nodded, and smiled at Blue. He took the package of Oreos from Claire, and crossed his arms as the man limply followed the guards.

Claire stayed behind, waiting for the men to be out of hearing, before she asked, "How did Blue know to get him?"

Owen raised an eyebrow at his best girl, but she yielded no secrets to him. He shook his head before saying, "I'm wondering if she picked up the scent from the Observatory Room. I did leave the paintball gun in the room…I bet that's where she got it…"

Claire stared at the Velociraptor, and Blue paused when she felt the sharp gaze. She met Claire's eyes easily, and Owen smiled as he took Claire's hand as he quietly said, "I'm just letting Blue know that you're with me, like, you're important to me."

Claire smiled, and she asked, "So, how do I greet Blue?"

"You gave her an Oreo, I doubt she'll need more than that."

Blue flickered her gaze between the two as she tasted the air. White Alpha seemed to truly like Stupid Alpha, and she was brave. Blue liked how confident she was; she refused to give ground, and didn't tolerate any disrespect.

White Alpha was like Stern One. White Alpha and Stern One made a very good Alpha pair.

But White Alpha had a thick glass between them last time. Blue wondered if that bravery still held strong; White Alpha had been quick to reward her for the catch.

Owen raised an eyebrow when Blue curled the licked Oreo to her chest, and took quiet steps towards Claire. He carefully watched; ready to intervene, but Blue was only curious this time. It wasn't like with Echo and Vic. Claire had always been respectful in Blue's presence.

Owe was impressed when Claire didn't flinch at the raptor getting into her personal space. Claire remained calm and relaxed when Blue stretched her neck out to get a better whiff of her scent. Owen smiled when Blue startled at Claire gently blowing air at the raptor's sensitive nose, and Blue moved closer to where her snout was but a few inches from Claire's face. The red hair blew back with the raptor's rattling smelling, but Claire only took deep breaths through her nose.

Blue gave a final puff of air before taking a step back. She turned her back to Owen as she resumed with her Oreo, and Owen gave Claire an impressed look.

"How'd you know to do that?"

Claire smiled, and shrugged as she answered, "I used to jump horses. I always did that with a new horse; it's how they greet each other."

Owen glanced at Blue, to see how she resembled the four legged creature, and Claire laughed as she said, "Just the way Blue blew the air reminded me of a horse. How'd you introduce anyone to your raptors?"

"Not like that. If you didn't have a special place in my heart then, you certainly do now. When'd you want that third date?"

Blue suddenly coughed and made a small gag sound; probably from swallowing a bit of Oreo wrong, but Claire burst out laughing at her perfect timing. She was already fond of Blue. Claire glanced at the Velociraptor before slyly asking, "What are the chances of making you and Blue a security team here?"

Claire raised an eyebrow when Owen paled, and he quickly said, "No, absolutely not. Blue cooperated this time because she had beef with that guy. He attacked our pack, and she expected _me_ to wring his neck. I have absolutely no idea what she would do to a complete stranger."

Owen paused when Claire touched his shoulder before quietly saying, "Owen, I'm not Vic; I was kidding."

Claire glanced at the raptor, and added, "Now please get Blue back to the paddock before she realizes exactly what is around her."

Owen swallowed nervously at seeing all the people staring curiously. If Blue decided she was hungry for more than just Oreos, then things were about to get very bad. He paled slightly at seeing children pointing excitedly, and he didn't have Elise here to translate for him.

Owen pressed his lips as he tried to think of the best route to go; he didn't want to encounter strangers. Blue would attack them on sight. The blessing above came in the form of a crackling radio, and Lowery said, "I sent Barry over towards you with the trailer. Just keep Blue occupied, and hopefully we won't have to use ACU. They're on their way…just in case."

Owen nodded in agreement; he didn't want to risk it. He just had to keep Blue occupied, and considering how easily she distracted, it wouldn't be that hard. It was hard to snap her out of the hunt, but it wasn't hard to keep her from it.

And Blue took ten minutes with each Oreo.

Fate was not on Owen's side, and Blue startled into dropping her cookie when one of the security guards suddenly yelled, "Stop right now!"

Owen froze at seeing the paintball man bolting at full speed, and Blue immediately zeroed in on him. The man had trespassed, and attacked the pack. She had already chased him before, Owen had told her to chase him two minutes ago, and he had used a command that was used on pigs. As far as Blue was concerned, the fleeing man was prey.

"Blue! No!"

Owen bolted after the suddenly deaf raptor; she was already in hunting mode, and a security man yelped when the raptor knocked him over. Owen wanted to tell him how lucky he was that Blue was focused on the fleeing idiot.

This was Blue's Vic Hoskins, and she intended to send a message to never mess with her pack.

Owen grimaced when Blue smashed into the man before snapping her jaws around the kicking leg. The jeans shredded as muscle was torn into, and Owen snapped, "Blue! Knock it off!"

Blue hardly heard Owen over the pained screaming, but the leg managed to pull free from her serrated teeth. The gushing blood only encouraged the focused raptor. Blue made to lunge at the prey, but a sharp jab, accompanied by a shrill whistle, grabbed her attention. She snapped her jaws at the attacker before a firm voice snapped, _"Blue! Whoa!"_

Blue startled at hearing Alpha bark at her, and she momentarily blinked at him. The adrenaline in her muscles made her step about nervously as she waited for the next command to hunt, but her gaze briefly caught sight of the dribbling red on Alpha's calloused fingers.

Did she do that?

Blue gave a small whine; pack didn't attack pack without good cause. Alpha was pack, and she snapped at him…

Owen let out a breath as he firmly, but calmly, said, "Easy, Blue. That's a good girl. Easy."

His fingers hurt like a bitch, but that meant he still had all of them. If not…then he wasn't getting them back. What mattered was getting Blue to calm down. She was focused on him, and that was good. He could see ACU soldiers readying weapons, and he gave them the signal to back up as he called out, "Hold your fire! Do not shoot! It'll just be a bigger mess if you hit her."

Owen stretched out the uninjured hand as he gently said, "It's okay, I know you didn't mean it. Easy, Blue. Easy. Stand down."

Blue's golden gaze would begin to move over to the gasping man, but Owen would make a clicking sound with his mouth to grab her attention. He firmly stepped in between her, and the man, as he continued to say, "Stand down, Blue."

Owen didn't like how Blue was still stepping about nervously, but she wasn't challenging him over this. She really wanted to maim the guy, but Owen had claimed the ground. She wasn't allowed to go past him; he wouldn't let her.

" _Stand down."_

Owen smiled when Blue finally took a step back, and lowered her head submissively.

"Damn good, Blue."

He kept his arm stretched out as he continued to gently push the raptor back without touching her. He didn't need to look behind him to know the guy was going to need stitches, and no one would go near the bleeding man when Blue was so close.

"Keep moving, Blue, that's it. That's my best girl."

Owen mentally cheered when he caught sight of the back to the silver trailer peeking from behind a building, and Barry immediately opened the silver door. He held up a blue package, and Owen wondered when Blue would grow sick of the Oreos. Hopefully she would let them know when she was in a paddock.

Owen didn't think she'd be that convenient for him though, it wasn't in her nature.

Blue risked at glance behind her, and Barry waggled the Oreos at her as he called out, "Come here, Blueberry! There's my beautiful Blue!"

Blue shifted about, and Owen firmly said, "Come."

Owen led the way as he kept a careful eye on Blue. He didn't turn his back to her, but made sure he could intervene just in case Blue was set off again. Her gaze would begin to wander off, but Owen would make the clicking sounds again. He could smack himself for leaving the clicker in his other pants.

"Don't go in there, you're crazy!"

Blue and Owen jumped when the security guard fearfully shrieked, and Owen paled when he followed the trail of blood leading towards the cement guard. The crazy sonofabitch had managed to squeeze himself in between the top of the cement guard, and the bottom most cable of the steel fence.

Owen could see the lights shining on the calm, flat, and ebony surface to the large lagoon waters.

There was a brief second of pure silence before a loud splash caused everyone to go wide eyed. Owen forgot about the Velociraptor next to him, and he was the first to run over while yelling, "Get out! Get out! _Get out of the water! You. Are. Bleeding!"_

Granted, so was he, but Owen had forgotten about that. Owen slid into the cement guard as he peered between the cables at the man trying to swim away; his injured leg was slowing him down tremendously. Owen gaped before shouting, "Have you lost your mind?! Christ! Get back here before you get killed! The Velociraptor is contained!"

"No!"

Owen wasn't aware he was dealing with a mentally unstable man. He couldn't let the guy get killed. Owen swore he saw Lilly calmly breaching for air on the other side of the lagoon, and he squeezed between the cables. The guy wasn't very far, and he could still get to him before the blood attracted the Mosasaur.

Owen didn't glance back when he heard Claire shriek, _"Owen!"_

Owen let out a small gasp at how cold the inky black water was. He wouldn't be able to see Lilly coming, and he pushed himself to swim as smoothly as possible towards the paddling man. He quietly called out, "Stop struggling, we're getting out of here. We're going to get that leg checked, and you'll be fine."

The man let out a piercingly loud shriek that seemed to echo over the still waters when Owen wrapped an arm around his chest, and Owen tried to calm him by saying, "Easy, we'll be fine."

"No! No! No! I won't go!"

Owen huffed as he tightened his grip while swimming back. He didn't like how far away the shore suddenly was, and a small, nervous giggle bubbled from his throat when he imagined Lowery playing the Jaws theme in the Control Room. Owen thought he saw Claire running away, but he was distracted by a sharp pain on his arm, and he startled into yelling much louder than needed.

He stupidly thought Lilly had caught his arm when the man bit him.

The water was far too still, and the only ones making ripples were the two of them. Lilly was giving absolutely no hint of where she was. It was scaring Owen; he didn't want to die like this. He didn't want to be swallowed whole. Would he die from the stomach acids? Would he suffocate? Owen gave a shiver as he pushed himself to go faster; it was so hard to not waste all his energy, not when he had to actually swim with extra weight.

Owen wasn't understanding why the man continued to struggle, bite, and claw at him. It took all his might to not scream; he didn't want to attract Lilly, but he hissed, "Fucking knock it off! I'm not going to beat the shit out of you for paintballing us, okay? Stop!"

Owen felt the fear creeping in his stomach when the man began to outright thrash in the water as he screamed, "No! Let go! I'll swim to the other side! I can't get caught!"

"Christ! All you did was paintball! No harm done! It was prank, I get it! We'll call this stupid prank war off, man! I'll stop messing with the Petting Zoo, okay?!"

Owen winced when the man tore himself away by giving a fierce kick to Owen's ribs. The man pushed himself back to the open waters before a look of confusion briefly crossed his face, and Owen blinked before asking, "Wasn't that revenge for putting laxatives on the doughnuts…?"

The man didn't answer, but fear flickered across the face, and Owen froze when he heard Blue give the danger calls mixed in barks for help. She was desperately trying to warn him, and Owen risked a glance back to the fence to see Blue running back and forth along the fence fearfully as Barry screamed for him to get moving.

"Not alone."

Owen turned back to the man with an unusually calm expression as he slowly floated away from him. Owen could only blink before asking, "Wha-AHH!"

The mountain of sea scales suddenly shooting up caused Owen to shamelessly shriek before a large gasp caused him to go silent with fear. Lilly looked ginormous from the stands; she was easily twice Elise's size. Owen couldn't believe how high she had shot up before the thundering, sharp, clap echoed across the silent lagoon; confirming that a life had just ended with another snap of her jaws.

Owen could only pray when gravity reclaimed the massive lizard, and Lilly leaned to the side of him. The roaring in his ears was nothing compared to the massive wave that smashed into him, and tossed him around. He could only get a small gulp of air before the wave swallowed him. Owen lost track of what was up or down; he couldn't see where the surface was, but all the air in Owen's mouth burst from his mouth in several white bubbles when the Mosasaur whipped past him far too quickly for a creature her size. The current turned Owen in all directions before he saw the massive flipper swinging at him. The tip had just barely grazed him, but the impact was enough to send Owen into the dark.

Owen vaguely wondered if Claire would have gone on that third date with him as the last thing he saw was one, crumpled flower gently floating into the dark abyss.

Claire had given that one to him; she had felt bad for not bringing him a gift, so she plucked one from a passing bush along the way to the restaurant.

She had promised it wasn't poisonous.

* * *

 **A/N**

 **Fun fact, the Mosasaur is not a dinosaur!**

 **And just so you know, _this_ is a cliffhanger ;)**

 **Again, if I'm going in the right direction with making Blue more raptorish then please say so. I want to know before next chapt so I can start applying it better with the others. I will post tomorrow regardless, but it will influence how I write the animals because I think it's funny how I go about it!**

 **Thank you again! Have a good day/night!**


	35. Chapter 35

**A/N**

 **Thanks for the opinions guys! I'll do what I need to do with them!**

 **Anyways, I'll try to keep myself in check, but that doesn't mean I am going to go backwards with the personalities I created with these girls.**

 **Also, I have no idea how large the Mosasaur is. I know the Jurassic World website has named her at 60ft, but I have also seen the video claiming the movie made a 600ft mistake. What we will agree on is the Mosasaur is larger than Elise because that's all I need to know. I liked the video because he made good points about measuring with the shark, but I really don't care how long Lilly is. She's big enough to eat the Indominus.**

 **I made lots of referencing to the Dark Knight movie in this, so I don't own that movie or its characters.**

 **Sorry for the tardiness, had a surprise of extra work!**

 **Thanks for the reviews! Please enjoy!**

 ***Made in edit at the bottom of the page! Because I decided I used some insensitive language! For those who read it, and were offended; I sincerely apologize from the bottom of my heart. For those reading this for the first time, don't you worry your pretty little heads. No one asked me to change it, but I decided it wasn't very** **appropriate!***

* * *

"Chaos is Fair."

The flames quickly climbed higher as the dogs' barking grew louder and louder. The white faced criminal with a crimson smile painted on his face gave a small sniff as he dug around his dirtied coat before pulling out a small, silver phone. He seemed to sigh to himself before muttering, "It's not about the _money_ , it's about _sending a message_ …"

"Everything burns."

Elise blinked at the movie. She was torn between liking it and getting annoyed with it. Batman annoyed her; she would freely admit that the rich detective annoyed her. His goals and moral were something to look up to, but he had lost Elise's interest when he put on the mask or drooled over the woman whose name Elise didn't bother to remember.

His change in voice aggravated her, and he was dumb. He let emotions control him. Why would he think this 'Joker' would willingly give up the locations of his hostages without a catch?

Batman needed to deal with Velociraptors; he wasn't very good with dealing with a cunning criminal.

Elise was actually very intrigued by this movie, _The Dark Knight,_ and Zach had explained to her how this had actually never happened. Gotham was not real, nor was Batman; this movie was made from humans acting out the story.

They were good, Elise liked the Joker. He was funny, and kept the movie interesting. Elise wasn't able to stop her sucked in laugh when the sadistic criminal had made the pencil disappear. She liked his magic trick. The two boys had glanced at her nervously, disturbed by her humor, but it had been funny. It was refreshing to see a human, though very dark, who was not motivated by the dirty paper.

Elise found Joker sensible though insane. Was he insane? He was by all means cruel to others, but with good reason even if it was not a _good_ reason. Elise found it easier to relate to the criminal than to the hero. Joker knew he was a freak, he embraced it, and Elise would do the same. She was a freak too, and she had done very bad things like the Joker. He had obviously been wronged by the world somehow, and so had she. He went on a rampage that killed many, and Elise had done the same.

The difference was Elise got a second chance.

Elise was put off by the hero. Batman kept his hands clean, and it made Elise feel bad for the blood on her claws. She just couldn't get over how Joker had absolutely no desire for money, but he acknowledge its value. He wouldn't work for nothing, but he had no desire to hoard it. Elise felt the same; she didn't care for the dirty paper, but she knew it was valuable to Claire.

Joker only wanted to point out how flawed the idea of control truly was, and Elise loved the man for that.

Elise gave a yawn; she liked this movie, but she was getting tired; and her mind tended to wander when she grew tired. She shifted on her feet before glancing at the two boys pressed against her. She was glad they wanted to share this with her, and she was sad they would be leaving.

Elise liked the Internet, and Zach had shown her many things on a 'website' called something-tube. She liked seeing all the colorful fish on the wall, and Gray had pulled up a video of her sneezing on the reporter. He had said it was very popular.

She and Owen were _famous._ Elise didn't exactly understand the concept of famous, but she wasn't really concerned about it. She had a safe home, she had a steady, stable, and loving pack. Her emotional and physical needs were being met.

She liked the Joker because he was simple in his goals though elaborate in achieving them. Joker wasn't afraid to switch his plans around, but he kept his goals clear. Cunning, ruthless, sadistic; he easily saw the darker parts of the world, and he embraced it. Batman was smart too, but he struggled with his morals, allowing emotions to cloud his thoughts, and Elise didn't like that. She didn't like how he was so elusive of the people he saved. If he was the city's protector, then why not let them know him? There was comfort in knowing the protector.

Elise had briefly wondered if Batman truly cared for the _city_ , or a few precious people _in_ the city. He hadn't hesitated to go after the girl to save her, but what of the other man? Why was his life less important if Batman was truly a protector of the city? Why did Batman pick the girl instead of the man? Would Batman save a criminal just as quickly as a citizen? Elise knew Batman severely handicapped himself by refusing to kill Joker, and while it was admirable, she wanted to know _why._

Was it because Batman felt Joker's life was just as precious as any other's or because Batman refused to allow Joker to be right?

Batman looked shady to Elise; she learned that word from Zach. Elise didn't like how Batman was so flighty; it looked like he was hiding something bad.

Joker seemed to disregard everyone equally, and he was perfectly upfront with everyone. Elise liked his honesty, and very well placed puns.

Puns were funny.

Elise sighed when the poorly growled, attempting to disguise the real voice of Bruce Wayne reached her ears. Honestly, Elise was now rooting for the Joker simply because he didn't aggravate her with his voice. How did Batman's throat not hurt after all that poor growling?

The boys jumped when the sound systems suddenly crackled, and Elise startled when the sounds of panicking people reached her ears. Lowery drowned them out as he yelled, "Elise! Elise, please get to the large doors! We need your help! You can't let the raptors out! Go! Now! Owen is in trouble!"

That last sentence was all Elise needed to hear, and she immediately pulled from the window. She looked down at the sleepy raptors before giving a stern bark to stay put, to guard the nests unless she said otherwise. The two seemed startled by the rough tone, but Elise had already darted into the thick jungle.

Zach and Gray looked at each other before the older took off into the tunnel. Gray made to do the same, but quickly bounced over to the wall, and hit the button.

There was no need to risk the two raptors disobeying orders.

* * *

Elise maneuvered through the trees with ease, all those years of being in a too small paddock had given her one good skill. She knew how to move through a thick jungle quickly. The branches still slapped against her scales, but what mattered was avoiding the sturdy trunks.

The faraway sounds of Blue's desperate cries for the pack's help reach Elise's ears, and she knew that was very bad. If Blue couldn't help, then Owen was in very big trouble.

The white Indominus almost slid into the silver doors before letting out a fearsome roar. There was a brief second of silence, but that was far too much time for Elise. She remembered the big explosion from the movie; the lady could have been saved if there had been a few, precious more seconds.

Elise made to bash her skull into the doors, but Lowery quickly said, "Easy! I'm opening the doors! I'll try to get you to Claire, she's running to get you, but don't hurt any people, Elise!"

A shrill roar to get moving was her response, and she despised how slow the doors were to open. Had they always been this slow? What trouble was Owen in? What did he do this time? If Claire couldn't help him, then it had to be a dinosaur problem, but Blue was a dinosaur. Elise didn't like the heavy feeling in her stomach when she realized that meant it was a very big dinosaur indeed.

Why couldn't Owen get in trouble with little dinosaurs?

The door had cracked open enough for Elise to squeeze through, and she was immediately directed towards Claire. She was glad to see very few people in her way; that meant she could go faster, but she had to be careful.

She couldn't stop on a dime, and if a human darted in front of her then it would not end well.

"Elise!"

The Indominus snapped her head towards the desperate cry, and she let out a garble when she saw Claire waving her arms. Elise could hear her own steps shaking the ground as she followed the running redhead through the street.

Elise allowed her gaze to slightly wander along the streets as she quickly followed the clicking heels. This was close to where Owen had snapped her from her rampage; where he had first made a little bit of the hurt in her chest go away.

People pressed close to the buildings as they made room for her, and Blue's cries for help grew louder. Elise could see the raptor darting back and forth along the fence before a massive creature suddenly shot out of the water. Elise startled into stopping; she had never seen something so big.

Easily bigger than her and Rexy put together.

She flinched at the loud snapping jaws before jumping when Claire suddenly shrieked, _"Owen!"_

Elise felt her own scales go bone white. _That's where Owen was? Why in the name of everything was he in there?!_

Elise darted over to the fence as the giant monster dove back into the water, and a brief, flash of her small human grabbed Elise's attention before they were all sprayed with the freezing water. Elise held her breath as she desperately searched the inky waters for any signs of life.

She couldn't find Owen.

Elise refused to panic, she couldn't panic. Owen would have stayed calm, right? But Owen wasn't here to tell her to stay calm. A shrill, fearful whine made Elise tear her gaze from the rippling lagoon, and she glanced down to see Blue and Barry desperately looking to her for help.

For a plan.

Elise glanced to Claire for her plan only to see the redhead getting into a screaming match with the leader of the uniformed men. They were both gesturing to the lake, but no one was doing anything. Claire gave a quick look at Elise, and the Indominus understood. Claire didn't have a plan to save Owen, but it had apparently felt right to bring her here.

Elise had saved Owen from the last massive dinosaur.

Elise could see the strangers looking terrified even if they didn't say anything. No one knew what to do. Panicking emotions were clouding rational planning when humans were faced with the reality that they were not in control. People didn't know what to do in chaos they didn't understand.

In the upset of normalcy.

Joker didn't do that; he made a goal, and achieved said goal in a timely manner…or he intended to. He was a puzzle in a riddle that needed to be solved before getting the passcode. Elise had a good understanding though. The Joker was comfortable around chaos because it was simply a playing field that required a calm mind.

" _You know the thing about chaos? It's fair."_

Chaos was fair because it could be maneuvered by _anyone_ with a simple plan.

Elise needed to get find Owen, get him out, and _not_ get eaten by the large water dweller.

She turned her crimson gaze back to the waters before flaring her nostrils. The waters became a dull blue, but the massive, bright oranges of the watery creature was apparently swimming lower and lower. Elise could see the remains of a human quickly sinking as it bled a cooling orange, but that didn't matter to her.

What mattered was the unmoving human silently floating in the water not far from the surface. The human who was still alive, and Elise knew every second counted.

Elise snapped her gaze back to the people, and knew they weren't going to help. She couldn't explain the plan to them, but she had someone who could.

Blue snapped to attention when Elise gave quick barks mixed with chitters. The raptor listened intently before giving a loud shriek. Barry looked confused, and paled when Elise snagged her massive talons into the massive cement guard. She bared her teeth as the cement made a loud, scraping sound, and Blue chittered encouragement to her. The fence made a loud spark as it was pulled apart and Elise heard Claire yelling at her, but she didn't listen.

Claire didn't have a plan, Elise did, but she didn't have time to explain said plan. She only looked like she didn't have a plan.

Elise unsnagged her talons before making another confirming bark to the attentive raptor. Blue chirped before Elise suddenly darted down the length of the fence. Barry yelped when Blue bolted over to the waters, and he barked, _"Blue! No!"_

It was the only order the raptor would actually heed from her soft-spoken caretaker. Barry would not lose Blue after Owen was gone. Owen would come back from the dead to haunt him, Barry just knew it.

Owen would throw all Barry's furniture around at four in the morning; Owen had promised to do that as a ghost, and Barry knew he would make good on that promise.

Barry had no idea where Elise was going, but Blue was not going into the water. The golden eyes seemed to regard him curiously before turning back to the waters. Barry startled when Elise made a loud splashing with her massive hand. She had briefly paused to bend the fence back before darting further down the fence, and Barry sucked in his breath.

Elise was leading Lilly away, and Blue was supposed to fish for Owen.

Barry immediately kicked off his shoes before darting over to the blue raptor. He briefly glanced at Blue before firmly saying, "Blue, let's go."

Blue garbled at the man before she slipped into the water, and began to smoothly swim. Barry made to do the same, but an ACU soldier grabbed his arm tightly as she hissed, "We don't need any more casualties!"

"Owen is still in there! Elise is actually doing something, and I'm going to help!"

The woman flickered her gaze towards the Indominus when another loud splash was made. She licked her lips nervously as she turned her gaze back to the Velociraptor before finally saying, "You aren't going."

Barry made to simply tear his arm away, but the ACU soldier suddenly began to tie a thick rope around his chest as he added, "Without this. Get that crazy sonofabitch, and I'll haul you back. I can't believe a damned dinosaur made a plan, but we'll work with it."

He gave a grateful smile before quietly slipping into the water as he quickly swam after his Blueberry.

Blue kept her head above the waters as she paddled to where White One had told her to swim. Blue could smell the thick blood, the fear, but she could still smell Very Stupid Alpha. That's all that mattered. Blue hated swimming, but she had to get to Very Stupid Alpha before he drowned. That's all that mattered, Blue trusted White One to lead the water monster away.

Pack trusted one another.

Blue startled from her pace when Barry was suddenly next to her, and he quietly said, "Find that idiot, Blueberry; I'm right here to help."

The raptor chirped softly. She didn't understand the words, but she knew what she was supposed to do. She needed to find Very Stupid Alpha so White One could roar some sense into him. Blue was happy to see Barry next to her, and she understood the soft tones. He used that whenever she got hurt, and he had to help clean her wounds.

He was here to help save Very Stupid Alpha.

* * *

Elise slid into a stop as she began to bend the fence back. She didn't care if she would get in trouble for this damage, and she flickered her heat sensing gaze over towards Blue. Elise paused at seeing a human with her, but it warmed Elise. Humans were followers; if someone had a plan, then others would follow. Someone just had to lead.

Anyone who knew how to deal with chaos. Joker rolled with it, and so had Elise. She went had the simple plan of following the heat signature, and tweaked her own plan as needed along the way. She didn't intend to ambush those uniformed men at the river, but she heard them coming. Elise didn't know the flying ones would attack the metal bird, but it was something fun to do; it worked to her advantage. Elise hadn't even known Blue and her sisters existed until she met them, but she knew how to convince them to work for her.

The ones who panicked so much in chaos were the ones who worked so hard to keep control.

Elise turned her gaze back to the glowing orange of the Mosasaur swimming in an indecisive circle. Elise didn't like that, and she froze when the lizard began to swim towards the others. Elise had to think quickly, and she suddenly remembered the documentary video.

Mosasaurs should have been attracted to blood like sharks. They could smell it, thrashing waters signified a distressed animal.

So what about thrashing waters from a bleeding animal?

Elise immediately took a razor talon before making a deep slice in the palm of her scaly hand. She hissed in pain, but Gerry would fix it later. Elise snapped her gaze back to the waters as she shoved her injured limb into the waters before thrashing around. If she could smell the blood, then so could the Mosasaur.

* * *

Barry startled when Blue suddenly stopped swimming, and he briefly wondered if Lilly was right underneath them. Elise was still thrashing the waters, and Blue tried to dip under the water before immediately coming up. That was all Barry needed, and he dove under the freezing surface.

Barry couldn't see his own hands in the waters, and he humorously wondered why Owen's white ass wasn't glowing in the dark. He loved how they had always been able to joke about anything; Owen was his best friend.

Best friends didn't let their best friends go swimming in the Mosasaur Lagoon… _alone._

Barry desperately looked around before a slight shimmer caught his eyes. He fearfully thought it was the scales of Lilly, but the shiny light only floated. Barry made his way over before the shining light turned into the buckle of Owen's belt.

Barry could feel his own lungs beginning to hurt for air as he grabbed the unconscious man before swimming for the surface. Barry winced when he gasped a little too loudly for air, but he grunted when Owen's extra weight dragged him down.

Barry spat out the water before spluttering, "Blueberry, where are you?"

He really wanted to yell, but it was important that Elise was the only one making the noise. Barry let out a sigh of relief when Blue's chitter sounded, and the raptor quickly swam over.

She didn't like how Stupid Alpha wasn't breathing, but she was supposed to get him, and Barry, back to shore. White One would take care of the rest. Blue made a panicked chirp when Barry sank back under the surface, but he bobbed back up. He made a small cough before gently wrapping an arm over her back. Blue allowed it because Barry was going to sink without her.

Pack didn't leave pack behind. Stupid Alpha was pack, and so was Barry.

Barry spat out more water before giving a sharp tug on the rope. He didn't like how limp and heavy Owen was. He knew the man wasn't breathing, but Owen was tough; there was still a chance to save him.

And then Barry was going to kill Owen for making him swim in the damned lagoon with Lilly.

The rope became taut around his chest, and Barry winced. He was glad though, and Blue helped the speed by swimming along. She was a fast, steady swimmer. He loved her for this, and he didn't care if she ever listened to him again.

Blue would want for naught around him.

* * *

Elise blinked as she continued to thrash the water about. The white foam was making it hard to see anything, but she kept a careful eye on where Blue was. She was pleased to see the raptor quickly swimming back to shore. The uniformed men had stopped arguing, and were now working together.

A simple plan was easy to follow once set into motion.

The water lizard was swimming incredibly fast towards Elise, and that was good. She could keep its attention, and maybe lead it even further away. The Indominus grew more violent with her thrashing, and even shoved her snout into the water before making a shrill roar. It sounded muffled, but it demanded the Mosasaur's attention.

Elise paused when she heard little Gray's voice screaming at her. She scanned the crowd keeping its distance, but Gray was a few feet in front of them as he yelled, "Elise! It-"

Elise couldn't hear the last of his sentence, and briefly paused for him to scream, _"Can jump!"_

The Indominus blinked before the dreadful realization hit her. She snapped her gaze back to the waters before the gaping jaws suddenly burst from the foamy waters. Elise let out a shrill roar as she darted to the side before the loud smack of the heavy body landed on the cement. Elise lost her footing on the wet pavement, and snarled as the serrated teeth grazed her leg.

The heavy snap of Lilly's powerful jaws only cause Elise to swipe a clawed hand at the scaled nose. She couldn't help but to marvel at how her razor talons seemed to do almost nothing to the thick skin, and Lilly made a deep growl as she suddenly whipped her body. Elise yelped when the heavy skull collided against her, and the jaws made another snap at her. The whoosh of air against her scales was too close for comfort.

At least Elise had the Mosasaur's attention.

Elise made another swipe at the sea colored scales as she tried to keep out of reach of the jaws. She didn't like getting so close to this one; those jaws could easily drag her back into the water. Elise knew she was a top predator on land, but she was easy prey if Lilly got her in the water.

The Mosasaur seemed to pause before she began to whip back and forth. Elise gave a loud roar when she realized the watery creature meant to go back to the inky depths; Elise had to keep her attention for as long as possible.

Just roll with the chaos calmly, and things would be fine.

Elise lunged forward before throwing her weight on the heavy neck. She knew she wasn't supposed to hurt this one. The Mosasaur was part of Jurassic World; she had a name, and her own humans who took care of her. Elise had seen the sea-green eyes; there was no ill-will in them.

Lilly only saw food or not food. Elise wouldn't condemn her for that. Gray had gone on and on about how amazing it was to see Lilly jump out of the water to eat the shark.

Elise wasn't all that thrilled about meeting this Mosasaur, but she didn't hate Lilly.

The Indominus quickly slid her hands around as she tried to pin the struggling animal with her weight. Elise thanked the force that turned the Mosasaur's massive weight against her, but Lilly suddenly stopped moving.

Elise glanced down at the animal. Did she kill Lilly? Elise thought she heard breathing… Elise wasn't going to complain, but she didn't understand this. Elise didn't _trust_ this. She really had no idea what to do, and she turned her head when Gray hissed her name. The boy covered his own eyes before giving a thumbs up.

Elise didn't understand. She knew a thumbs up meant good for whatever reason, but she didn't understand covering the eyes. Gray gently patted the air before covering his eyes. Elise understood the calm down sign, but she was still confused. She turned her gaze back to the still lizard, and blinked.

Elise was covering Lilly's eyes…

Was this calming the Mosasaur? Elise continued to stare as she tried to figure out her next move. Should she go along with this? Elise felt like the Joker would. How long had Lilly kept still? It felt like forever, but it couldn't have been very long.

Elise was still holding her own breath, and she knew she couldn't do that for very long.

* * *

Blue didn't like how cold she was getting, but the land was getting closer. The prey with weapons seemed to be helping, but she wasn't sure if she would have to defend Stupid Alpha from them. Barry would help, and White Alpha. Blue knew she wasn't alone; they would help keep the pack safe, but she wasn't going to trust prey with weapons.

They were dangerous simply because they weren't pack. If they weren't pack, they were either prey, dangerous prey, or something to kill.

Blue only kept her legs going, she wasn't sure if the prey with weapons would stop helping, and she didn't like not moving in the water. She had to keep moving; it felt dangerous to sit idle in the waters.

The raptor startled from her thoughts when Barry suddenly exclaimed, "Oh, my God! She's crazy, Blue!"

Blue slowed her swimming as she followed Barry's gaze. She blinked at seeing White One pinning the Swimmer. Blue knew the word crazy, Barry used it a lot at the old nest; he called Stupid Alpha crazy a lot. When Stupid Alpha would do something bold, or particularly stupid, Barry would call him crazy.

White One was actually fighting Swimmer with no help. Blue had no idea how White One had enticed the massive carnivore onto land, but Blue agreed with Barry.

White One was crazy.

Blue began to swim faster; she knew an opportunity when she saw one. White One was making sure Swimmer didn't swim at them. She was keeping Swimmer in sight. Blue kept a careful eye on the seemingly paused battle just in case she would suddenly have less time to get to shore.

* * *

What felt like hours to Elise was actually a few, silent seconds Lilly took to briefly rest before she suddenly thrust her head up. Elise let out a shriek when the massive lizard slid back into the water, and she dug her talons into the thick skin. Gray's screaming reached Elise's ears before it became muffled under the freezing waters.

The world grew darker and darker the further Lilly descended, and Elise decided she didn't like water anymore, or fish. She knew she was going to drown, but Lilly couldn't snap at her when Elise was clinging to her skull. She was out of the strong jaw's reach.

The air escaped from Elise's lungs when the Mosasaur suddenly yanked back, and the sharp talons lost their grip. Elise gave a hard bite on the side of the neck before she slid off the massive carnivore. They seemed to briefly share a glance in the water before Lilly suddenly darted.

* * *

Blue stumbled on the cold ground before snapping her jaws into Stupid Alpha's wet skins. She dragged him as far away from the waters, and dropped him when prey got too close. Blue gave a loud shriek as she swiped at the nearest prey, but Barry sharply said, "Blue! No!"

Blue snapped her jaws at him, but Barry didn't flinch this time. He stood in front of her before Claire was by Owen's side. Blue relaxed slightly, but would grow agitated whenever people began to crowd. The ACU soldiers made sure to keep their distance, and Barry was by Claire's side when she exclaimed, "He's still alive!"

Claire tilted the greying face back before opening the mouth; she didn't see anything blocking the way, and she pressed her lips against Owen's. She blew the air, and Barry began to press on Owen's chest as he growled, "Come on, Owen! Breathe!"

Barry snapped his gaze to the side when he heard the crowd screaming, and Elise disappeared into the waters with a loud splash. He paled, but Claire blew air into Owen's lungs again. Barry gritted his teeth as he pushed on the chest again.

"Owen! Elise needs help! You have to breathe!"

Blue began to grow incredibly agitated when she heard White One shriek. She knew it was crazy to try to fight Swimmer! Now it was up to her to protect this pack. White One was underwater, and Stupid Alpha wasn't moving. There was too many strangers in unfamiliar territory that Blue couldn't defend alone.

Where were her sisters?

Blue gave cries for help, but she paused when Barry made reassuring sounds to calm her. She didn't want to disregard Barry, but instinct screamed danger. Both Alphas were down, and the pack was separated. What were they doing to Stupid Alpha? White Alpha was doing something, but was it helping?

Blue gave a particularly loud shriek, and was glad when the prey with weapons backed up. Blue wanted to chase them away, but she was afraid of one of them sneaking to attack Stupid Alpha while she was occupied.

Where was Stern One?

Blue snarled when Stupid Alpha took too long to get up. She had swam in the freezing water, _and_ brought him back. She was furious that he had made such a dumb mistake of swimming after the prey.

Had no one taught Stupid Alpha that there was a point to call quits during a hunt? Blue was fine with Swimmer stealing the kill; Blue wouldn't fight her.

Claire was starting to lose hope, but she startled when Blue suddenly landed hard next to her. The raptor took a deep breath before letting loose the loudest shriek Claire had ever heard. She flinched back as she held her ears, and Barry made to reprimand Blue before Owen suddenly began to cough up water.

Blue gave a satisfied snort as Stupid Alpha finally showed signs of living. The color returned as White Alpha soothed him as best she could, and Blue was fine with that. Stupid Alpha had a phrase, 'Knock it off', and that was his final warning before severe consequences. Blue had learned that one easily, and she had her own knock it off warning.

Stupid Alpha always heeded it.

* * *

Gray chewed his lip as he danced from one foot to the other while Zach stared wide eyed at the quiet waters. No one knew what to do, and Gray could feel the panic rising. He didn't want to lose Elise; she was like family. Gray liked having a dinosaur cousin. His parents were already splitting up, and now he was going to lose his newest friend?

The only one who actually liked learning about dinosaurs, and listened to what he had to say?

Gray gripped Zach's hand tightly, and his brother held him tightly. Too much time had passed, and Gray buried himself into his brother's clothes.

Zach didn't reprimand him for crying this time.

Gray let out a quiet sob, and Zach sniffed quietly as the crowd began to lose all hope.

Elise wasn't coming back up.

Gray didn't like the Mosasaur attraction anymore, and he wished he had warned Elise sooner. He thought Lilly had been calm when Elise covered her eyes, but it didn't work. Gray blamed himself for this. Now Aunt Claire and Uncle Owen wouldn't want to talk to him anymore because he got Elise killed.

There was a deafening silence as even the evening birds refused to sing anything. Gray hated it, and he buried himself into his brother's clothes when he heard the quiet gasps. Zach glanced up, and blinked the water from his eyes at the white, clawed hand sinking into the concrete before the other hand joined it. There was a brief huff before Elise's shocked, very unhappy face suddenly darted up.

She looked terrified, relived, furious, confused, and tired all at once. The Indominus hauled her heavy body onto the concrete before heaving a sigh as she rolled onto her side. Elise stretched out as she caught her breath, but she stared at the waters.

Blue wasn't in them anymore, and that was good. Lilly had disappeared abruptly; figuring Elise wasn't worth the trouble of killing. She had eaten her dinner, and had her excitement for the night.

Elise groaned; she wasn't sure if it had been a good idea to roll with the chaos. How did Joker do it? She now admired his stamina of getting up so quickly after the massive vehicle literally flipped over.

Batman fell over like a rock after crashing once.

Blue's cries for help made Elise huff, but she startled when Gray suddenly screamed her name. She twisted her neck before the child tackled her sore nose. He was crying and garbling words she couldn't make out. There was concerned love in the hug though; Gray had been scared for her.

Elise knew she feared for her own life; she wasn't as ballsy as Joker in the face of death.

"A-Are you okay? You gotta get up…"

Elise blinked at the sobbing child. Was she not entitled to a few seconds of rest? She had made her goals, and achieved them. She found Owen, got him out of the water, and she didn't get eaten. Hooray, now why couldn't she celebrate with a well earned nap?

Blue's cries for help grew more desperate before growing silent, and Elise knew she should be there to comfort the raptor. She had to make sure Blue didn't accidently hurt anyone.

Elise gave a tired groan as she gathered her limbs underneath her. Zach gently pulled his brother off before the Indominus pushed herself up, and she coughed at the painful twinge in her chest. She did not like the water one bit, but Elise paused when a small sound started. It was soon joined by others before the entire crowd was whistling and clapping their hands together. Elise didn't understand, but she understood the energy of the crowd.

It was happy and relieved. These people were happy, and Elise relaxed as she glanced down at the two boys. They smiled at her, and quietly followed as the Indominus limped back towards Owen.

* * *

Claire let out a shaky sigh as she gently held Owen's hand. Blue had calmed enough to allow an EMT to check him over. Owen hadn't said much, but he would squeeze Claire's hand frequently. Owen had asked about the other man; if someone had helped him, but Claire had only shushed him.

Barry stayed close to Blue as he made sure to stand in between her and strangers while the Repair Team was alerted to the long job ahead of them.

Another EMT was permitted to sneak by Blue, and Owen cracked open an eye when a heavy shadow covered them. Owen coughed before a smile tugged at his lip. He sniffed before saying, "Hey, Sunshine, enjoy...the movies?"

Elise could tell Owen wasn't really all there at the moment, but he was awake, alive, and that was enough for her. She would get angry at him later, when he could withstand her fury. Instead she gently lowered herself to puff a small amount of warm air onto him. A slightly confused expression crossed his face before Owen groggily asked, "Why're...you wet, Baby?"

Elise blinked before a deadpan expression set in her face. Patience was a virtue, but Elise didn't take well to stupid questions. She wanted to tell Owen it was because she felt like taking another bath before coming over, but her vocabulary wasn't that large. Claire gave a watery snort as she covered her relieved smile, and Elise sighed. She couldn't stop her left hand from pointing at Owen, then making the loose fist as she tapped her forehead. The crowd then watched her point to the white rump as Elise gave Owen a stern glare.

' _You're a dumbass.'_

Owen burst out laughing, but groaned as his ribs gave a painful twinge. He had a headache from hell, and his lungs were burning. He had a vague idea of what was going on, but his mind was slow to get moving. He knew three things though.

He was alive.

Claire was going to kill him most likely.

And he was a dumbass.


	36. Chapter 36

**A/N**

 **Hey guys!**

 **Sorry this chapter is a little shorter, and a lot less action, but I got to babysit. And no, this kid was not one who is easily occupied. She's a terrorizing toddler.**

 **Anyways, announcement! 'It's not the Raptor DNA' now has a tvtropes page! Commando64 created it, and I think it's super awesome! Many thanks to you Commando64! The link is on my profile, so go check it out!**

 **As always, thank you for your reviews and criticism! Please enjoy!**

* * *

"Job Application."

Elise gave a long, tired sigh when the paddock doors finally shut behind her. Owen had been put in a funny looking car, but Zach explained that he was going to a place where doctors could make sure he was fine. Elise thought that was a good idea, and she was glad when Blue had decided she had enough of the world outside the paddock walls.

Their territory was safer, and Blue was too tired to cause any more chaos.

Barry had walked them here because Claire left with Owen to make sure he was going to be fine.

Blue was currently on her back, ready to fall asleep, but too afraid of rolling off suddenly. Elise wasn't sure where they would make their nests tonight; she needed to keep the pack together, but she didn't want to assume Rexy would open her nest to three new members.

Elise was sure they could make do with the area around Small One's spot.

The Indominus groaned at the impossibly long trip ahead of her; she knew it wasn't a far walk, but she just didn't want to walk. Blue only made an encouraging, half asleep chirp as Elise wove through the forest. Elise had a lot to think about.

She had no idea why Owen had even gone in the water in the first place, but Blue had said they hunted the prey whose scent had been on the weapon. It sounded like things had gotten out of control, and now they were left with no answers; Lilly had eaten the man whole. She had overheard the uniformed men talking, there was no way to gather the remains safely.

Then Zach and Gray's parents had showed up. Elise had no idea what to do with the blubbering messes. Karen seemed absolutely relieved her children were fine, but the father seemed angry with Elise; she had no idea why. It wasn't like the two were in any danger; they were out of the way, and Elise had no intent of bringing them into the fight. Gray and Zach had hugged her nose hard before wishing her a goodnight.

Elise sincerely hoped so after this mess.

The Indominus gave a large yawn as she broke into the quiet clearing. The log was dark and silent, the projector had shut off after being left alone. Elise didn't mind, and she was glad to see the two raptors trotting over to greet them. Blue slowly slid off Elise before her tail began to droop as she pressed close to her siblings. Echo seemed put off by her sister's lack of fiery energy, and Delta was quick to groom the funny smells from Blue's scales.

Echo trotted around Elise as she inhaled the unfamiliar scents of outside the walls, but she could mostly smell the fishy scent of Lilly. Echo chirped quietly, and Elise let her know that the hunt was now off.

The trespasser had been killed, and his pack had probably escaped.

Delta didn't seem to mind; she was focused on grooming her tired sister. Elise glanced around as she wondered if this area was safe. She knew it was supposed to be safe; the walls kept danger out, but instinct was a voice in her head. She needed to make sure it was safe.

Heavy footsteps chased all the fears away, and Elise gave a quiet croon when the forest colored carnivore parted from the trees. Rexy's golden eyes almost glowed in the darkness, but the fierce fire held no anger when she thoroughly inspected the white scales.

Rexy had heard the fight, and she was furious that she hadn't been able to help. She had absolutely lost it when Blue One stopped giving distressed cries, and White One gave terrified shrieks. Tim had run off when Rexy began to knock trees over, and one of them had smashed into the log full of humans. She could no longer see the clear part, but the log didn't fall over.

It had been a long time since Rexy had lost her temper like that, and she had been forced to stop when a sharp pain in her chest became too much. She had to stay still until it went away before she began to make her way here.

It didn't matter now, her youngling was safe, and where Rexy could watch her.

Elise relaxed when her mother began to gently groom her, and Elise pressed her head against the massive chest. The beating heart was soothing, and Elise startled when she accidently nodded off. Rexy rumbled at her before turning back to lead the way back to the safe nest.

Elise knew she was supposed to follow, but she didn't. She glanced at the three raptors, and knew she could not leave them alone. This was completely new territory to them, and Owen wasn't here to act as Alpha. Blue had hung herself over Echo's back, and had looked like she had fallen asleep. The Beta was out for the count.

Rexy poked her head from the thick trees as she made a louder growl to follow. Her bones were hurting more so than usual from all the excitement, and she wanted White One's warmth to soothe them. She didn't want her youngling to sleep alone either. Rexy allowed her gaze to follow White One's, and the two raptors shuffled under her gaze.

Rexy could easily guess why White One wasn't following. She had never seen raptors alone before, aside from seeing Blue One trying to hunt the furry prey. She would admit she was fond of the little raptor, and hardly minded when Blue One had jumped on her shoulder to ride along.

Blue One was actually quiet when she wanted to be; she was a lot like a hyper, nosey hatchling.

Rexy paused before letting out a long exhale; she had sworn to never allow a Velociraptor to live, but three had been permitted to not only breathe in her presence, but actually hunt in her territory.

Maybe they weren't so bad…

Elise perked up when Rexy lowered her head to sniff at the unsure raptors before gently pushing Blue towards the thick jungle. The massive mother gave a stern snort before going into the jungle. Elise made a few chitters, and all three clambered up the white scales. Blue was carefully stretched over the muscular shoulders until Elise walked with her nose touching the tip of the gently swaying tail. Blue suddenly bounced on Elise's sore nose before landing on the forest scaled back.

Rexy had a smooth back that was more comfortable.

* * *

"…Should we leave a note for the night shift? I don't think they're ready for this new pack…"

Vivian sighed as she rubbed her neck, and they all stared at the screens. She wasn't sure what to do, but she asked, "How's Owen doing?"

The room paused as paper was shuffled around, and someone answered, "He's staying overnight; doctors think he'll be able to make the morning show. _If_ Owen is willing to take it easy."

Lowery gave a snort before dryly saying, "Owen just swam in the Mosasaur Lagoon after hunting down a suspect with his Beta Velociraptor, but not before taking our CEO on a date. Does Owen know how to take things easy?"

Vivian gave a short laugh before she said, "Probably not, but Elise is with him."

Lowery thought about that before shrugging as he replied, "You know…I bet if someone tells Elise that Owen has to take it easy, then he should be fine."

Lowery ran a hand through his hair as someone from Security asked, "Isn't Jackie scheduled to check on her in the morning?"

The tech-geek sighed as he went through the programs on the computer before answering, "Yep, first appointment for Jackie at…ew, six forty-five in the morning. Is Elise even up that early?"

"She will be tomorrow."

Lowery only pressed his lips as he thought about warning the Indominus, but he didn't think he wanted to ruin her night. Jackie would have to figure it out for herself.

But Elise would be sleeping in Rexy's nest tonight, along with the Velociraptors. Lowery didn't think he wanted her to risk it. He sighed as he followed the sounds of the heavy footsteps before the carnivores came into view of the fence. Lowery pressed the button, and the raptors jumped at the crackling. Elise just looked done with the day, and Lowery quietly said, "Hey, Elise. Ehm, tomorrow you have an appointment with Jackie for a checkup, but it's going to be really early in the morning."

Elise seemed to sink low to the ground in disappointment, and Lowery quietly added, "Like…a little after, I think Echo wakes up…"

Sympathetic chuckles were made when Elise made a loud groan, and Lowery felt bad when he said, "And Jackie would really appreciate it if you could meet her at the log without Rexy breathing down your shoulder…and the piggybacking raptors need to be somewhere else…please."

Rexy continued along the way, but Elise's tail dragged on the ground as she now walked on all fours behind her mother. Lowery glanced up when Repair quickly asked, "Can she meet the repair crew after the appointment?! We have to clean up the Observatory Clearing in Rexy's paddock."

Lowery pressed his lips at the exhausted, limping figure before he wrote on a sticky note, and said, "I'll ask her tomorrow, when she's feeling a little better. I think Elise deserves her night of rest. God knows she'll be sore in the morning."

Vivian gave a small laugh as she said, "We should make her part of the ACU team; she'd be really helpful."

Lowery thought about that as he glanced at the clock. He had a few minutes before clocking off, and said, "Alright everybody. Who wants to make the resume for Elise? We can whip one up in five minutes."

He grinned wide when he was met with eager faces, and he pulled the Jurassic World website up. It was easy to maneuver, and he chuckled when the white document was pulled up. Lowery cracked his knuckles with a with a smile as he read the first question.

"Alright, so what's Elise's last name?"

"…Grady. She's practically Owen's kid; we'll add it in the records."

Lowery chuckled when another asked, "How about a middle name?"

Vivian raised an eyebrow at the silence in the room as they tried to ponder, and she wasn't surprised when Lowery exclaimed, "America! It's perfect! Elise America Grady."

Lowey only grinned as Vivian burst out laughing. He didn't care if Owen wouldn't approve, he was going to give Elise the middle name. He was practically her adopted uncle. Maybe he could also be the godfather, Lowery always wanted to be a godfather.

The typing clicked in the quiet room, and Lowery asked, "Skills?"

Vivian was first to say, "Trilingual, and...a natural leader; she made that plan up easy it seemed."

The Control began to laugh, and Lowery worked the kinks from his neck. He was glad they were doing this; it was something to do. People were having fun tossing in skills or hobbies; the reference page might have gotten little out of hand, but he sighed when the resume was finished. The Control gave their stamp of approval, and Lowery jokingly waggled the mouse cursor around the Submit button before accidently clicking it.

Vivian's mouth dropped as Lowery went pale. He quietly covered his mouth as the happy faced, cartoon dinosaur sincerely thanked him for his submission. The Control went very quiet before someone hesitatingly asked, "Did you really just submit a resume for a position on ACU on behalf of a dinosaur?"

Claire had one, very clear rule for Control. The one that everyone had to absolutely abide by because people or assets could get killed.

Do not screw around on business hours.

Control was supposed to be serious, focused, and attentive from start to finish. Things could easily go wrong if someone wasn't paying attention, and Claire simply avoided those troubles by being incredibly strict.

The last guy to mess around was never heard from again. Lowery was sure he was fired and sent home, but it was creepy to not even hear the guy's name. It was erased from Control history.

And Lowery had just submitted a full-fledged, very detailed application for the Asset Containment Unit. Those resumes weren't even looked over by the normal managers. This was inspected by the Commander himself, veteran ACU soldiers, and possibly the CEO.

ACU was responsible for the very security of Jurassic World, the silent shadow protecting the assets and guests. All applications were taken very seriously, and it was almost impossible to get in. Jokes were not appreciated, and jokesters were heavily fined for wasting time.

And Lowery had just sent one on behalf of Elise. The Indominus Rex.

"Is Claire going to kill us?"

Lowery swallowed, but couldn't stop himself from shakily saying, "Of course not…Claire's going to tie cinder blocks to our feet before pushing us into the lagoon. Anyone know how deep it is?"

A person from Security nervously said, "We'll find out tomorrow…won't we?"

"…Probably…sorry guys…"

* * *

Elise had walked into three trees by the time they broke into the hidden clearing. She couldn't understand why she was so tired, but the swimming and adrenaline had drained her. She had started to tremble slightly as the reality of what had happened began to set it.

She almost lost Owen, again.

Elise felt a small flicker of unexpected anger in her chest when Rexy sank into her nest. Blue had scooted over to the muscular neck before curling up tightly.

Rexy was old, but she never seemed stressed. Did anything keep her up at night? She didn't have to worry about what the humans were going to do to her. Did she comprehend that someone owned her, and was making dirty paper off her? Elise didn't think so.

Elise gave a quiet sigh as she stepped into the nest before curling up tight. Echo and Delta slid into the little circle she made, and they began to groom one another. Elise felt that anger flare up again; she couldn't groom her sister anymore. She didn't have anyone who looked like her.

No one else to worry with.

She felt that bitter feeling seeping into her bones as Elise realized she was completely and utterly alone. She was the only one of her kind. No one else was sitting on this large bridge between human and dinosaur with her.

Elise suddenly wished she hadn't survived. She didn't like this kind of stress; she had almost lost Owen. What would have happened to her if Owen had died? Why wasn't she allowed to be stress free?

Maybe she was simply cranky because of how tired she was.

Elise paused when the warm body pressed against her back before the reassuring licks comforted her. She leaned against the massive carnivore as the two raptors curled tightly against her. Elise rested her head on the wall of the tall nest as Rexy continued to groom the bad feelings away, and the happier thoughts drifted in.

She couldn't groom her sister, but she had three, new sisters and a mother to groom. Elise had a family to worry over rather than nothing to grow angry about. She could experience love again. Elise twisted her neck to lick the massive jaws in sincere gratitude; Rexy always knew how to make her feel better. Rexy chased away bad feelings like Owen.

The old carnivore gave a quiet rumble that shook Blue, but the raptor only readjusted herself in her sleep. Elise gave a content sigh as she rest her head again as Rexy continued to groom her.

Rexy continued to groom long after the Indominus fell asleep; it seemed like she needed reassuring, but that wasn't the main reason for the long session.

White One stunk, and Rexy didn't feel like smelling that all night.

* * *

A small nudge against Elise's cheek caused her to scrunch her nose before she stilled again. She was on the fine line of still being asleep, but almost awake. A firmer nudge made Elise crack open a glazed, crimson orb. It was still dark, why was she awake?

The smallest chitter brought her gaze to focus on a wide awake, and ready for the day Echo. The raptor was bright eyed, bushytailed, and eager to go catch some breakfast. She gave a happy, but still quiet chirp, and Elise sighed.

She didn't want to wake up; she thought Lowery had been kidding about Echo waking up early. Elise didn't like to get up before the sun, she liked to sleep in. Here in Jurassic World, nests stayed occupied after sunrise because the food wasn't going anywhere. Even Rexy liked to wait a little after dawn, when things had warmed up, before setting out for the day.

What prey was awake at this ungodly time?

Elise closed her eyes when Echo chirped that she didn't know, but she wanted to find out. The raptor was ready to explore the world, but she didn't want to go alone. This wasn't the old nest where she knew everything; there could be danger here.

The Indominus was going to ignore the chittering raptor, but a few thoughts caused Elise to open her eyes. She didn't want to accidently irritate Rexy by Echo's chittering, and Lowery had said something about meeting Jackie a little after Echo woke up.

Why was Jackie even up at this hour? Was anyone else awake? Elise didn't want to leave the warm nest. Rexy was comfortable to lean against.

And Elise wasn't exactly in the mood to face today's chaos. She vaguely wondered if Joker had days where he simply rolled over in his nest as he told chaos to go find someone else.

Echo grew a little sterner in her next chirp before butting her head against Elise's jaw. The Indominus sighed as she lifted her head before flickering her gaze around. Delta was comfortably curled up in a little ball of scales. Elise glanced to the side of her, and Rexy seemed to be sleeping comfortably; sometimes the carnivore would shift about frequently.

Blue was completely dead to the world as she sprawled on the warm neck. Blue had no intent of waking up anytime soon.

Elise remained careful as he slowly shifted away from the warm carnivore before silently stepping over the large nest wall. She winced at the stiffness of her muscles, and a caked feeling on her scales she didn't like.

She wanted another bath.

Echo, feeling very good, wiggled her haunches before easily clearing the jump. She landed gracefully before trotting over to Elise. The Indominus was tempted to ditch the raptor, but Echo wasn't that dumb.

The two carnivores silently walked through the well-worn trail as Echo eagerly explored, and Elise simply tried to avoid crashing into trees.

Rexy probably wouldn't appreciate being woken up by a falling tree.


	37. Chapter 37

**A/N**

 **Hey guys! How's life?**

 **Anyways, no announcements today I think, but I hear they announced the sequel to Jurassic World! Exciting stuff!**

 **Since it feels weird to write a short A/N, I'll give a shoutout to the reviewer signed in as 'Guest' I think the dude zoomed through all the chapters in a few hours. Dang dude!**

 **I don't own the lyrics to P!nk's song _Perfect_ , but I do love it!**

 **Thank you much and mighty for your reviews! Have a good day/night! :D**

* * *

"We Settled."

Owen winced when his ribs gave a painful throb before he reluctantly cracked open his eyes. Everything hurt; even his damned mustache hurt. He didn't recognize the white ceiling, and this did not smell like his bungalow.

It smelled way too clean, and Owen knew for a fact, there was an old cheeseburger in his fridge that had been perfuming that bungalow faithfully for the past month.

Owen lifted his head as he gave a hiss of pain before startling at a soft snore. He was even more startled to see Claire sleeping right next to him. She was sitting in a chair while half laying on the bed. He hadn't even realized she had been holding his hand until he tried to move it.

Now Owen was confused, but he certainly wasn't going to complain. Things shouldn't have gone too terribly if Claire was willing to sit next to him. Owen looked around the small, plain room, and figured he was in the very small hospital. It was another fail safe made just in case people couldn't get off the island. Jurassic World had a full medical staff, but nothing serious hardly ever happened; the staff usually held other jobs on the island until they were needed in the hospital.

He gave another wince as he tried to shift around; he wondered what time it was. There wasn't a window here, and he didn't see a clock. What happened to Blue? Did Elise get her back in the paddock just fine? Was Elise okay? Owen vaguely remembered last night, but he hadn't seen any blood on Elise. Was Lilly okay? Owen didn't have any ill-will towards the Mosasaur; he knew her caretaker adored her. They had never had problems with Lilly.

Until two, bleeding idiots decided to go swimming in her lagoon, but Lilly couldn't be blamed for her reaction.

Owen was pulled from his thoughts by a very soft, "Morning…"

Claire scrunched her nose as she stretched, and Owen couldn't believe how she still managed to look beautiful after the long night. Her hair was a sexy, wild mane, and the ruffled clothes only looked good on her. Owen gave a small chuckle, and Claire glanced at him questioningly. He gave a small, sly grin as he teased, "I knew I could get you to sleep with me."

Confusion filled the blue eyes before Claire glanced at the bed, and she gave a dry snort. Owen only laughed, but quickly groaned as his ribs complained with the movement. Claire gently patted his shoulder as she said, "You're a bit of a mess. Broken ribs, bitten fingers, bruised bones, and the doctors found a serious problem with your head."

Owen froze; he didn't like the sound of that. He did have a headache. Did this mean he would have to stay in the hospital now?

"What's wrong?"

Claire pressed her lips as she gently grabbed his hands. She gave them a sympathetic squeeze as she said, "Now, it'll probably fine, but I am willing to stay by you until we get it figured out."

Owen paled as he licked his lips nervously before hoarsely saying, "Claire, please don't drag it out with me…."

The redhead nodded solemnly, and she squeezed the hands again before saying, "The doctors…they discovered that your head is…lacking a brain."

"...Huh?"

Claire pressed her lips seriously, and added, "Which explains a lot, because you're an absolute idiot for going into that lagoon. Don't worry though, I'm sure we'll find that brain of yours, and maybe extend your lifespan."

Owen blinked at Claire for a few seconds before that ornery smile tugged at her lips, and Owen heaved a sigh.

"Claire, don't do that; you scared me."

Claire started to laugh as she stretched over to give a soft hug. Owen buried his nose into the silky red hair, and he loved the fruity scent. He winced when Claire brushed his ribs as she pulled back, and she asked, "Are you feeling up to today's shows?"

Owen wiped his face as he glanced at Claire's watch. It was six in the morning; he wondered what Echo had been doing for the past hour. He sighed as he nodded, and said, "If Elise is up to it, then so am I. I just need a shower."

A warm shower with lots of soap because Owen swore he smelled like the lagoon.

"Help me up, please. I need to move around."

Owen grimaced as he got a glimpse into his future of being old. It took forever to get out of bed, and everything hurt. He actually had to take a small break by the time they got him to sit up. Claire raised an eyebrow as she said, "The doctors weren't sure if you got hit by Lilly…"

"She just barely grazed me. How'd you guys distract her?"

Claire pressed her lips as she tried to gently pull Owen up, and she answered, "Elise is pretty good a coming up with plans. She ran down the fence as she splashed the waters, and Blue swam after you with Barry."

Owen frowned as he leaned on Claire a little more than he meant to, but he asked, "Where was ACU?"

Claire sighed as they began to walk over to the small bathroom.

"They deemed you dead after Lilly showed up. We couldn't see you, but Elise must have because she went right into action."

Owen smiled; that was his tough baby, his sunshine wouldn't give up on him. His best girl was too stubborn to let him die, and he was glad they came to his rescue. Claire paused at the door before letting go of Owen. He looked confused, and Claire dryly said, "I am not bathing you. I know you act like a kid, but you're not my kid."

Owen snorted before asking, "And if I fall down?"

Claire smiled as she said, "I'll go get Blue."

Owen sighed as he shut the door; he believed Claire would go get Blue to pick him up, and he knew for a fact that his best girl would not take well to being woken up so early.

* * *

Elise was not in a very good mood by the time she limped into her clearing. Echo had actually managed to catch some prey, but Elise kept walking into trees. Echo was a little too hyper in the morning, but she wasn't irritating Elise.

Waking up before dawn was irritating Elise. She knew she didn't have anything life threatening, so why couldn't this wait?

Echo had left to go get Delta since her sister would wake up a little after her; Echo wanted to chase the furry prey, but she needed help. Elise was fine with that; she was supposed to be alone here so Jackie wouldn't be in any danger.

Elise didn't see the blue haired vet in the log, and she supposed she was a little early. Maybe she could get in a small nap, but Elise decided to slide the window back. She stuck her snout into the empty, quiet room as she tasted the air.

She could still smell the popcorn, and the blankets had been left here along with the projector; Elise was sure the brothers would come back for them. The laptop was expensive apparently.

That meant is was worth a lot of dirty paper.

Elise startled from her thoughts when she heard a woman singing. If she wasn't so surprised by actually hearing another awake creature, Elise would have been irritated by the signing.

"Pretty, pretty please! Don't you ever, ever feel like you're less than, less than perfect!"

Elise tilted her head when Jackie slid in as she continued her solo. Her hair was no longer a deep, ocean blue, but light lavender streaks mixed in with sky blues.

"Pretty, pretty please! If you ever, ever feel like you're nothing!"

Jackie wriggled her hips before spinning around on her heel. She briefly paused at seeing a confused Elise, but now she had an audience, and Jackie continued her song as she danced to her own beat. Elise blinked when Jackie pointed at her, and loudly sang, "You are perfect _to me!_ "

Somehow, Elise felt better at hearing that. It made her feel warm, and Jackie gave an energetic smile as she greeted, "Morning, Cutie-pie!"

Elise gave a soft garble before puffing air onto the wide awake vet. Jackie grinned at her before asking, "How you feeling after last night's swim? I knew you were ballsy, but _damn_. Who taught you to be that crazy? Was it Owen?"

Elise paused as she thought if over before her scales gave a shiver. Jackie raised an eyebrow at the block spots around Elise's eyes, and the crimson smear painted a wide grin on her massive jaws. Jackie looked her over for a second, but gave a whistle before saying, "Joker is pretty crazy, huh?"

Crazy wasn't the word Elise would use, but she agreed with Jackie by nodding her head. The vet gave a small chuckle as she started to put on gloves, and said, "I think he's one of the best villains ever."

Jackie glanced at the blankets, and smiled at seeing the DVD case. She walked over before saying, "Now, let's see if you can bounce back like Joker. Did Lilly bite you anywhere?"

Elise turned to the side as she showed her ribs; Lilly hadn't bitten her, but the teeth had grazed her when she swung her massive head. Elise's side hurt, and Jackie made a sympathetic sound before saying, "I know how much it hurts to get bit by Lilly."

Jackie began to laugh when Elise snapped her gaze to stare at her, and the vet added, "Easy, Cutie-pie, Lilly was like the size of my leg the last time I saw her. I think she was a couple days old; she was an adorable gumdrop."

Elise found nothing adorable about the Mosasaur, but Jackie didn't notice the put off energy. Instead she leaned over the railing as she asked, "Is it hard to breathe?"

The Indominus gave a single shake of her head, and Jackie smiled happily before peering further down. Elise tilted her head when Jackie said, "Uh-oh, that's a pretty mean gash on that foot."

Elise glanced down; she hadn't even notice it, but now it hurt because Jackie pointed it out. She sighed quietly, and the vet disappeared into the tunnel. Elise rested her head on the cement before wrinkling her snout when the sound speakers crackled. It was too early to start the day. Elise glanced up when Lowery made a confused sound before yawning; it seemed she wasn't the only creature who didn't take well to waking before the sun.

"Erm…Elsa? I mean Elise…ya…Elise…."

Elise blinked when Lowery trailed off, and a small snore was heard. She heard quiet laughing, and Elise huffed before giving a loud bark. She heard Lowery jump before sounds of several things hitting the ground pitter pattered. Lowery gave a small groan, and whined, "My dinos…"

Elise was not sympathetic, and Lowery groaned again before asking, "Elise, can you please go help the Repair Team after you're done with Jackie? Rexy really made a mess of her clearing yesterday, and those trees need to be cleared before her first show."

Elise wanted to go take a nap, and she let out a small growl to show how she didn't want to do anything. Lowery gave a small sigh, but he said, "Please, Elise? I hate waking up early too, but we really need your help. Claire has enough to worry about."

The Indominus gave an irritated huff, but she reluctantly nodded. Repair Team wasn't part of her pack, but Alpha Claire was important to her pack. Elise had to be there to help Claire when she could. Elise would take her nap later. Lowery gave a sigh of relief, and said, "Thanks."

Elise garbled at the man, but Lowery seemed to pause before quietly adding, "And this might be the last time you hear from me, Elise. Just so we're on the same page, I think of myself as your Uncle, I am your Godfather, Viv is your Godmother, you can have my T-Rex figurine, if no one ever hears from me again then direct them to the bottom of Lilly's lagoon."

Elise blinked; she had only caught half of that. Why was Lowery leaving? She didn't want him to leave, she wanted him to see the acorn become a big tree. What was an uncle? Zach and Gray called Owen their uncle, but she had never heard of a godfather. Why was Lowery going to the lagoon; Elise really wasn't in the mood to go on another rescue mission. She glanced up when Lowery added, "Oh, and your full name is Elise America Grady. We made it for you."

The speakers went silent, and Elise wondered why she only had a section of a full name before. Why hadn't Owen given her a full name? Did he have a full name? Elise thought he did. She gave a wide yawn; it was too early to be messing with this nonsense. She would go find Lowery later.

"Aw, you're adorable, Cutie-pie; I hope you know that."

Elise did now, and she made a soft sound as Jackie pulled a large, silver suitcase behind her. She had a drink in her hand that gave off a sweet scent, but Elise didn't pay it much mind; she wasn't thirsty.

Jackie dusted her hands off before smiling at Elise as she asked, "There's no one else around, right? I love the other girls, but I don't think they'll be friendly to me."

Elise shook her head; everyone else was still asleep aside from Echo, and there was no way the raptor would get there and back so quickly. Jackie beamed happily, and Elise allowed the vet to clamber into her hand before being lowered onto the leafy ground.

Jackie glanced around before her gaze fell to the wooden box carefully placed on the sawed off trunk of a tree. She blinked at before pointing, and asking, "Is that your sister?"

Elise wanted to tell her that was a box, but her sister was inside it. She gave a single nod, and Jackie asked, "Can I meet her?"

Jackie was an odd human to Elise. She was energetic like a hatchling, but serious during work. Elise had never heard anyone talk like her, nor had she ever seen such vivid colors. No one had ever asked to actually meet Small One. They had asked where the box was.

They talked like she was dead, and she was, but Elise still wasn't ready to fully acknowledge that. The acorn would be a new way for Small One to live because the amber bones weren't working out for her.

Jackie set her drink down before she trotted over when Elise nodded, and she wasn't shy about taking the lid off. Elise was actually very curious as to how this little ball of energy would react to the amber bones. Elise blinked when Jackie quietly said, "Hey, Cupcake. My name is Jackie; I'm your sister's doctor."

Elise tilted her head; never had anyone else actually talked to Small One, but Jackie greeted her like she was more than amber bones. Like she was still breathing. Elise shifted on her feet when Jackie beamed before saying, "Your sister is crazy; she went swimming with Lilly, that video is all over the Internet. I don't think you're crazy like her though."

There was truth to that actually; Small One had always been overly cautious about everything. Even when they had been moved to the old paddock; the humans had to force her from the silver box after she refused to leave. If Small One wasn't sure about a decision then she didn't do it.

Elise had made most of the decisions.

Jackie suddenly said, "It was nice meeting you, Cupcake; keep Elise out of trouble, okay? Bye."

Elise carefully watched the vet gently set the lid back on before bouncing back over. Jackie gave a wide smile as she truthfully said, "Your sister is nice; she's a cute gumdrop."

The Indominus wasn't sure what to make of that, but Jackie didn't give her much time to ponder. The vet walked over to the large, injured foot before gently inspecting the wound. Elise had no idea where she got that one, but Jackie was only concerned about cleaning it. Elise allowed her gaze to wander over to the wooden box sitting quietly. Small One had always sat quietly; even when she still moved. The glass jar remained next to the box, but Owen had taken the lid off for Elise so the plant could get some sun. It hadn't poked out of the dirt yet, but Elise would wait.

"Did your sister have a favorite color?"

Elise thought she had misheard the question as she peered at the vet underneath her. Was Jackie asking about the raptors? Jackie glanced up before asking again, "You have to have a favorite color, what was Cupcake's?"

The vet paused when Elise seemed lost in thought. The crimson gaze had clouded over with an unreadable expression as the Indominus was sucked into happy memories from long ago.

When two sisters entertained one another with their ability to become any color they pleased. When the sun gave gentle, warm kisses, and the walls were ignored. When hide and seek by the stream was a pastime, and wrestling only left them breathless.

When the elder sister could solve all the problems in the world with a good hunt, a thorough grooming, and a soft nest.

"Elise?"

The Indominus snapped out of her trance with a sharp move of her head. She blinked at Jackie as she reminded herself that those were memories. Sometimes it was hard to remember that if something triggered a memory.

Small One did have a favorite color.

Elise gestured to her snow white scales, and Jackie gave a warm smile as she said, "Aw, that's so cute. Little sister's favorite color is her big sister's scales."

The Indominus tilted her head, but Jackie suddenly stiffened. Elise became confused when the vet swallowed nervously, and whispered, "Elise, I need you to get me out."

Elise followed the vet's gaze to see Echo pausing by the thick brush. The Velociraptor had curled her lip at the trespasser, but Elise gave a sharp bark. The raptor flickered her gaze at the Indominus, but Elise could see Echo was thinking about questioning that order.

Elise didn't give Echo an opportunity to attack as she simply plucked Jackie off the ground before gently setting her back into the empty room. Jackie heaved a sigh of relief, and Elise chittered at the raptor before getting a response.

Echo got lost, and backtracked.

Elise should have figured on that much, but Jackie grabbed her attention by saying, "I don't think that foot needs anything more than being cleaned. I'll tell Owen to clean it. Was there any other gashes or cuts, Cutie-pie?"

Jackie took a step back when Elise splayed her scaled palm towards her, and Jackie hissed, " _Ow,_ damn, what did that?"

Elise took her talon before gently tracing the throbbing wound. Jackie blinked as she asked, "Did you do that yesterday while trying to get Lilly away from Owen?"

Elise nodded, and Jackie was silent as she looked over the large slash. It was borderline in need of some kind of bind, and considering how much the Indominus used her hands, it would probably be needed to prevent infection. Jackie became serious as she softly asked, "Are you really the same Indominus who went on a rampage a couple weeks ago? Or did you guys switch places before you met Owen?"

Elise knew Jackie meant it as a joke, but she didn't think she had changed all that much. She had simply healed over many wounds that had festered over the lonely years. Owen did a good job of helping fix those.

Owen was good, and Elise loved him.

Jackie suddenly said, "I used to have a sister too, but she died in an accident…"

Elise tilted her head as the human began to fumble with her shirt, but Jackie added, "She was really outgoing; I'm actually really shy."

Elise knew what shy was, and Jackie was not shy. Jackie was a loud, ball of energy that lit up the room, and made everyone's day better.

"She used to be in a band, she was the guitarist, and she was really good at what she did. Her band never made it very far, but she didn't care. She was happy…"

Jackie paused to bite her lip, but she gave a warm smile at Elise when she said, "Mika was funny, but she'd do anything for anyone. She died saving someone else; she made sure they didn't get hit by the car. You remind me of Mika; I think you'd do anything for Owen."

Elise nodded as Jackie began to pull cleaning supplies from her suitcase. The Indominus splayed her palm on the ground as the vet added, "Mika wanted to travel to a lot of places, so I did it for her, and every time I did, I would get a tattoo there just to remind me. It was on Mika's bucket list."

Elise supposed that was a good reason for the large amount of tattoos on Jackie, but they looked pretty. She winced at the biting alcohol, but focused on Jackie's words.

"I got thirty-four tattoos. From Europe, America, and even Africa. Mika loved giraffes; she said they were the optimistic species of the animal world because they always kept their heads up."

Jackie laughed at the joke, but Elise didn't understand it. The vet was as gentle as could be, and she added, "She always dyed her hair blue because she wanted to match her guitar. My hair is actually a light brown, but I like to keep it blue."

Elise liked the blue on Jackie; she couldn't picture this ball of energy with brown hair. Jackie had a fiery energy, and it only seemed appropriate that she look it. Jackie worked quietly as she began to tell funny stories about her sister, and the ornery pranks they played on one another.

Elise liked the one where Jackie had taken her sister's expensive perfume, and replaced half of it with deer urine. Her sister hadn't realized it until after her date was over.

Jackie finished covering Elise's slash as best she could; it looked odd, but it would do the job. She smiled at Elise, but the two paused when an odd chirp caught their attention. Elise glanced down to see Echo had snagged Jackie's sweet smelling cup.

The curious raptor was thoroughly inspecting it, and Elise startled when Jackie made a choked sound before hastily saying, "No! Don't drink that! It's…"

Jackie trailed off when Echo proceeded to snap her jaws into the cup. The light brown, sweet smelling drink spilled over the teeth, but Echo was rewarded with a mouthful of the stuff. Elise had no idea how to react because she didn't know what Echo had just drank.

At least a vet was right next to her.

Jackie pressed her lips into a tight line, and flickered her gaze up when she felt Elise staring at her. Jackie almost spoke like a child about to get in trouble when she quietly said, "That has a lot of caffeine in it…I drink strong coffee with two shots of espresso…"

Elise had no idea what that was; she just wanted to know if Echo was going to die. It didn't seem like it, and the raptor was cleaning herself of the sugary treat. Echo hardly noticed how Elise pierced the cup with a sharp talon before the vet gingerly took it.

Elise waited patiently, and Jackie finally said, "She's going to crash…really hard…"

Jackie began to chew at her lip, and Elise gave a small growl to grab her attention. Jackie let out a deep breath as she said, "She'll be fine…she's going to get really hyper, really tired, then she'll be fine…"

Elise sighed as she glanced down at the oblivious raptor.

The day hadn't even started, and Elise was ready to go back to her nest.

* * *

Claire worked the crick from her neck as she lightly powdered her face. She was very happy that she never needed a lot of makeup, just a little cover and blush to do the trick. The most work was in her eyeshadow.

The redhead would have preferred to stay with Owen at least until the park opened, but she had meetings to attend. One in particular really aggravated her because of its suddenness, but Claire wasn't willing to show any weakness.

Her eyes flickered to the clock, it was seven thirty. Owen had probably checked out of the hospital. Barry had brought fresh clothes, and promised to get Owen where he needed to be on time. Claire was fine with that. She finished touching up her lip gloss before putting her bag away.

New day doing the same old at Jurassic World; making sure it didn't fall apart.

Claire had a few minutes before the first meeting of the day; an online meeting. She left the program up and ready to go before going to another tab. As always, Claire went through her emails first, and there was always plenty to sort through. Zara had done that for her, but Claire had to do that now.

Until she could get a new assistant.

Most of the emails were in regards to investors now that Elise had been revealed. She was a huge hit in the market, and Verizon Wireless was very happy with their investment. Claire was happy it turned out well, but she had other things to focus on.

She was impressed with how many geneticists had applied, but it was good. Claire had already made it very clear that there would be no more genetic hybrids; she would not tolerate any classified bullshit. It seemed there were plenty of geneticists who wanted to focus on the amber mines.

They wanted other dinosaurs brought back, and Claire felt that was the way to go.

Claire paused as she scanned down the list; it had been a while since she had seen an application for the Asset Containment Unit. She wasn't on very good terms with the Commander at the moment, and she was surprised he had taken the time to forward the email to her.

She went to click on it, but sighed when the online call went off. The screen popped up to reveal the bruised nose of a stressed looking Mr. Hart. Claire folded her hands on her desk as she glanced at a smaller window to the side where she could see a slightly irritated Mr. Graves.

No one was happy about this meeting, but Hart had insisted without warning. Claire waited impatiently, and the balding lawyer finally said, "I apologize for how early this meeting is, Mr. Bridges absolutely insisted…"

If Hart hadn't sounded sincere, Claire would have made a snippy response, but they man did look tired. He had been good about giving heads up to online meetings, and he was courteous. Graves didn't seem to care though, and growled, "So where is Mr. Bridges then? If this is so important then he should be here."

Hart shuffled papers around before answering, "He strongly implied he would be joining."

Claire resisted the urge to curl her lip when the devil himself came at the mentioning of his name. The man was handsome by all means, _devilishly_ handsome. Claire didn't like him, but he was the head honcho of InGen.

Simon wasn't here to act as the glue anymore.

The blonde hair had been slicked back by expensive gel as light blue eyes twinkled with dark mischief. Bridges kept his face clean of any facial hair, and the strong jaw was to die for. Even Claire would admit the man was drool worthy when he dressed in his blue suit with a striped tie.

"Well, good morning, Miss Dearing. I hear you had quite the exciting night."

Claire narrowed her eyes suspiciously. Bridges hardly ever tried to be formal with her. He was always focused on her chest rather than words, and he wasn't funny like Owen was when he made passes at her.

Claire knew Owen would never cross lines with her, but she wasn't sure if Bridges knew how to heed the word 'no'.

"I assume you have a good reason for calling this meeting so early?"

Bridges' ice blue eyes seemed to darken slightly; not happy with how Claire avoided the subject. Claire didn't budge though, Rexy was a strong woman, and so was she. Rexy didn't flinch, and neither would Claire.

The blonde man cleared his throat before offering a charming smile as he purred, "Of course, we're all busy business people, no? I want to fix this kink in the relationship between InGen and Jurassic World. There's no need for bad blood over one dinosaur."

Claire did not like this; Bridges was worse than a Velociraptor when it came to possessions. He wouldn't let go for anything, but Claire had to ask, "That's quite the different tune, Mr. Bridges. You know my terms."

The blonde only widened his perfect smile as he soothingly said in a velvety voice, "Of course. You wanted the DNA test for the Indominus, but I have a counter offer for you."

Claire wasn't in the mood for a counter offer, but Bridges leaned on his desk as he said, "I'll cut right to the chase, Miss Dearing. I watched that video of the Indominus rescuing her handler, and I realized that it won't matter who owns her. She's unwaveringly loyal to Mr. Grady."

Claire nodded in agreement, and Bridges continued, "Now, this little fight between us will have to be put aside by the time Masrani Global get itself together. I don't want a bad relationship between our companies; not when we'll have to work together."

As much as Claire hated to admit it; Bridges was right. Her board had been pushing heavily for Claire to settle with InGen rather than letting this case actually go to court.

"I agree, Mr. Bridges. So, what do you propose?"

Claire resisted the urge to roll her eyes when the man gave a dashing smile as he purred, "My dear, I love nothing more than giving a beautiful woman what she wants. Here's my offer; we forget about the DNA test, Jurassic World keeps the Indominus, InGen continues to work in your labs, making your dinosaurs, and InGen will reimburse Jurassic World for half of the liabilities caused in the Indominus' rampage."

The redhead was very suspicious now, and Graves narrowed his eyes when he smelled something off. Claire refused to shift in her chair as she coolly said, "That is a very generous offer, Mr. Bridges…."

The blonde only smiled, excited that Claire was smart enough to catch on, and his smile turned slyly crooked as he added, "Well, I do have one more condition to my offer. I want InGen to train the Indominus."

Claire blinked before asking, "Train?"

Bridges nodded almost too eagerly as he said, "I want InGen to know _your_ Indominus, Miss Dearing. She's a fascinating creature."

Claire internally sighed when Bridges got into one of his speeches. He would go on and on about nothing interesting. There was no way in hell she would allow InGen to even look at Elise, and she flickered her gaze over to Graves. The silvering man was rubbing his temples, and Claire smiled when he quickly shifted in his chair.

It seemed Mr. Graves had seen plenty of online meetings. While his top was the pressed suit, bottoms were fuzzy, Superman pajamas. She couldn't see them anymore after the lawyer adjusted himself, but she didn't think less of him for it.

Bridges had moved onto his next argument, and Claire went back to her emails. She clicked on the ACU application before she began to read it over.

It was actually very good. They needed a natural born leader with experience around dangerous animals. The applicant was trilingual, physically fit, calm, learning Sign Language, and single. Claire really had been looking for someone like this, and she wondered why the Commander had even bothered to send her this. He should have interviewed this person already. Claire scrolled up to the top before lightly frowning at the name.

Elise America Grady.

Claire narrowed her eyes the slightest before she went down to the pay requirements.

Squeaky toys, and Angus beef cows.

The redhead sighed; this had Lowery written all over it, and she was going to kick his ass later. She would probably have to fire him, and she wasn't looking forward to that. Claire snapped her attention back to the blonde when he said, "Think about all the things we could learn from the Indominus. We could actually make some progress with training these animals."

Claire would never use Elise, or allow her to be trained for warfare. Elise was traumatized enough as it was, but Claire really needed to settle this case. Her labs were hurting, and Jurassic World needed to replenish their Apatosaurus herd.

Claire flickered her gaze back to the email tab before making a decision.

"Elise will not be trained like she will be used in wars, Mr. Bridges. I doubt she can emotionally handle that kind of trauma after all she's been through."

Bridges darkened immensely, and Claire narrowed her eyes in warning as she added, "But, I have decided to train Elise to be a part of our Emergency ACU. If you have people who would be beneficial to that cause, then you may assist in her training."

The blonde snapped out of his dark mood immediately, and Claire said, " _But,_ if your men mess up even once, then you will no longer be able to participate in her training. Elise is very important to Jurassic World, and I will not tolerate any stupidity around her. No shenanigans of warfare dinosaurs."

Bridges immediately gave a rich laugh as he asked, "Warfare? My dear, I'm not exactly in the mood to waste all my money on training these creatures. Obviously we are in a bit of a bind after Mr. Hoskins' poor judgment with the Velociraptors. InGen has to behave."

Claire glanced at Graves, and the elder nodded; InGen did not look good after the media found out why the raptors had been turned loose. Claire leaned back in her chair as she said, "We'll work out the finer details of this later. I have meetings to attend to, and Mr. Hoskins had very loose lips before our Velociraptor attacked him. I highly doubt InGen will give up so easily, but it's not my business so long as you leave my animals alone."

"Of course."

Claire didn't trust that, and she made to end this meeting, but Bridges cocked an eyebrow at her before sultrily purring, "But I would like to meet this Indominus before selecting men to assist in her training. I'll swing by this afternoon, Miss Dearing, and we can discuss the finer details over dinner."

Bridges winked at her before going offline, and Claire curled her lip as she rolled her eyes. She internally winced when she realized the other two were still there, but Hart simply looked tired. He sighed quietly before saying, "I will make Judge Knight aware of this, and Mr. Graves and I can get started with the papers."

Claire nodded as the lawyer signed off, and she rested on the desk. It was quiet for a few minutes before Claire said, "I like the Superman pajamas."

"Me too; gift from the grandkids. See if you can get Elise to chaperon your little dinner with Bridges, I don't trust him."

Claire nodded in agreement; maybe she would bring Blue as well. Blue wouldn't take Bridges' shit. She glanced up when Graves added, "And for the love of lawsuits, please don't try to feed him to Rexy."

The redhead raised an eyebrow before coolly saying, "Jurassic World prides itself in feeding top quality food to our animals, Mr. Graves. Rexy has fine taste, and I am sure she would sooner starve than even smell that man."

Graves only began to laugh, and Claire cracked a smile when he signed off. She glanced at the phone next to her as she contemplated her next move. She had an hour and a half before her next meeting.

She could go scare Lowery, and he deserved it. Claire needed to have a little fun too.


	38. Chapter 38

**A/N**

 **Hey guys!**

 **I'm sorry today's chapter is a little short, and I am going to take a day off to catch up on things.**

 **Also, this story is on Wattpad; it's up to date as far as chapters go. LucarioMaster41 is doing a really good job over there, so if you prefer Wattpad then feel free to head on over there. I have a link to the story in my profile.**

 **I also think there's another problem with the reviews again, I know you're posting them, but I haven't been able to see anything posted in the last twelve hours or so.**

 **Thank you always for the reviews though! Have a good night/day!**

* * *

"Crazy."

Lowery nervously tapped his pencil against his desk as he continued to glance at the clock. Claire liked to stop by Control before the day started, and they were ten minutes before opening. He thought someone would have said something by now; the silence was the worst thing in the world, and he already had his box ready to pack up his dinosaur figurines.

Vivian promised to send the T-Rex figurine to Elise. Lowery had already agreed to take the heat from the application. It had been his idea, and it had been sent from his computer; he could convince Claire that he was screwing around while everyone else was working hard.

It wasn't fair to have everyone get fired.

Lowery jumped when the doors slid open, and he refused to glance behind him. The way the room went silent told him all he needed to know.

The bell would toll for him today.

Lowery swallowed nervously as the silence seemed to stretch on forever, and he held his breath when Claire calmly said, "Mr. Lowery, I need you to come with me."

A calm Claire was the worst thing in the world to Lowery; he wished she was yelling at him or waving the paper in his face. Instead he slowly turned around before quietly asking, "Um, to where?"

Claire kept her poker face as she held the damning application folded in her hand. Lowery swallowed, and Claire said, "To discuss a certain email I received today. The park isn't open yet, and you can obviously spare a few minutes."

Lowery looked ready to cry, but he stood before glancing over his figurines neatly aligned on his desk. Lowery shifted the Stegosaurus before picking up his Apatosaurus, and tucking it into his pocket.

He was serious about being buried with this figurine; it was his first one.

The Control remained silent as Lowery followed Claire like a child in trouble. She pushed the button to the elevator before waiting. The tech-geek risked a glance behind him, and had to crack a smile when several people stood up before giving a farewell salute. The elevator door slid back, and Lowery returned the sign before stepping in after Claire.

Lowery would freely admit he was glad he had the opportunity to work here.

When the doors had shut, and the elevator began to move, Lowery began to babble out of nervousness.

"Look, Claire, that wasn't supposed to happen, it was a joke, and I had like three minutes left on the clock."

"We can discuss this in my office."

Lowery pressed his lips before adding, "And no one else knew what I was doing…it was just me."

Claire only glanced at him before she led the way over to her office. Lowery startled when she suddenly stopped in front of the Holoscape in the center of the empty room, and she asked, "You helped make the Apatosaurus hologram, right?"

Lowery did; he was a tech nerd like that. It was his first, big project here, and it landed him his job in the Control Room. He couldn't help touching the pad, and giving a small smile when the massive, blue dinosaur suddenly appeared. The graceful herbivore stretched her neck down to glance at him as she let out her soft, yet loud, cry. It reminded him of a really big cow mooing. She was his favorite dinosaur, and Lowery was glad the old girl had somehow avoided the wrath of Elise when she was on her rampage. They had three Apatosaurus left, and this girl, Cherry, was a bit of a loner in her old age.

But she was friendly, and Lowery adored her.

"Ya, I tweaked a lot of the details, and I gathered the physical data…"

The hardest part was actually getting the details right that the camera wouldn't always pick up. Cherry had been patient with allowing him to take multiple pictures at the oddest hours of the day. By the time the product was finished, Lowery knew Cherry's schedule better than her own handlers.

Lowery glanced down when Claire began to walk away, and he quickly followed. He really didn't know why she hadn't simply fired him right here; it wasn't like there was anyone here. It actually creeped him out how empty everything was, and the panicked thoughts filled Lowery's head.

Was Claire going to feed him to Lilly? Sometimes she acted like a mob boss with her temper. Lowery began to sweat; her henchmen were going to stuff him in her eco-safe car before dumping him in the lagoon.

At least Elise knew where to look if someone searched for him. Lowery paled when he realized his mistake; who was going to ask the dinosaur where a missing tech-geek was?

Claire was going to get away with murder.

* * *

Elise was tired; plain and simple. She felt dirty, and wanted a bath; she didn't know where Owen was though. Vivian had said he was on his way over, but she had to help the Repair Crew first. Elise planned to drop Echo off with the others before she went over.

The Velociraptor seemed fine; she was still acting like Echo, and it seemed the raptor mellowed more the higher the sun rose. Elise watched her from the corner of her eye, but she didn't see anything off. Maybe Jackie had overreacted, or Echo probably reacted differently to the coffee.

Elise was just grateful that the raptor wasn't going to crash. She didn't want to deal with a crashing raptor at the moment.

Echo wriggled her hips as she zeroed in on a boldly colored butterfly before shaking footsteps scared it off. The raptor's gaze trailed after it before she gave an enthused greeting to her sister. Delta seemed happily rested, and Blue was back to her fiery self. Elise glanced at the raptor perched on the Tyrannosaurus' shoulder before Rexy ran a pink tongue down the scaled cheek. Elise missed that, and she wanted to go patrol with Rexy.

But she had to go help the Repair Team so Claire wouldn't worry.

Rexy rumbled at her, but Elise made up a small lie of wanting to hunt in a new spot. The old dinosaur paused, but didn't give it much thought as she another rumble to remain wary of danger before she disappeared into the jungle. Blue gave a chirp, and her two sisters eagerly followed; they wanted to explore the entire territory with Rexy.

Elise stared at the brush as she contemplated going after them. She didn't want to be alone, nor did she want to work with strangers.

She felt alone around strangers; it was fine when she had Owen or Barry with her, but she wouldn't have that this time. Elise didn't want to be around others, but maybe Tim would be there. Elise felt better at that thought, Tim was nice, and he wasn't afraid to stick up for her. She could get the clearing cleaned up in no time, and then she could go see Owen.

Elise wanted to see the children today; they always made her feel better with gentle pats, and declarations of funny truths. Maybe she would get more drawings, and that thought brightened Elise's day.

Children were wonderful.

* * *

"So…am I going to die?"

Claire blinked at Lowery as she sat into her chair. Lowery had never been in the CEO's office before, and it intimidated him. Everything in here combined could probably be worth more than his house. He knew he didn't have carpet this nice, and the mahogany desk was not something he was comfortable with being close to.

He was terrified of putting a scratch in it. How had Simon and Claire avoided putting scratches in it? Lowery couldn't help jumping slightly when Claire suddenly answered, "No. That's…illegal."

It didn't stop the mafia. Illegal didn't stop anyone really. If someone really wanted to do it, then they were going to do it. The laws only forced them to be crafty about how they went about it. Claire slid the printed resume towards him as she asked, "Did you create this?"

Lowery was really tempted to lie, but he hadn't covered his tracks; he hadn't even deleted the sent email from his computer.

"…Yah, I made that, but I didn't mean to send it. I accidentally submitted it."

Claire leaned back in her chair as she glanced at her computer, and Lowery cringed when she asked, "On company hours?"

He bowed his head shamefully, and mumbled, "Yah…"

Lowery really didn't want to get fired; this was his dream job. He loved the people he worked with, the company he worked for, and the history behind this place. He loved dinosaurs, and he loved technology. This job was the perfect mesh of both.

Claire looked him over before contemplating her next move; Lowery really wished she would say the words, and send him on the next boat. He glanced up when Claire said, "Given the fact that your record is spotless, and you did help tremendously when everyone else evacuated, I can pull some strings. This will be a mark, but if you're willing to do a service then I can justify not firing you."

Lowery didn't want to believe it, and he breathlessly said, "Um, yah, I-I'll do whatever…"

He didn't see the mischief lighting up the blue eyes, and Claire didn't miss a beat when she said, "I have two things. Rexy's paddock needs to be cleaned of the goat bones, and then the cameras in Elise's paddock need to be brought back online. Owen can't get the Velociraptors out, so I am taking volunteers."

Lowery paled five shades as his mouth dropped, and his eyes bugged out. Claire heard the whoosh of air leave his lungs, and she could practically see his mind whirling. She chewed her cheek until Lowery tried to respond, but it came out as a squeak. Claire lost it as she leaned back into her chair, and began to laugh hard. Lowery looked utterly confused as he tried to catch up. Was Claire laughing because she couldn't wait to see him run from Rexy? Why couldn't Owen get the raptors out?

Claire leaned on her desk as she wiped her eyes, and finally snorted at the confused, terrified expression.

"You know I can't legally do that, right?"

Lowery pressed his lips; he had no idea what was going on, and Claire dryly said, "Lowery, calm down. You don't have to clean out the paddocks."

"But…I don't want to get fired…"

Claire looked at him; she didn't have as much fun as she thought she would. Lowery was legitimately bummed about the thought of losing his job, and she finally said, "I'm not going to fire you because I have decided to make Elise part of the Emergency ACU."

Lowery's face was absolutely priceless, and Claire had to start laughing again. He had even made a funny 'huh?!' that squeaked at the end. Lowery still wasn't sure if Claire was joking, and he furrowed his brows when he slowly asked, "Wait…are you being serious?"

Claire wiped her eyes again as she nodded. Lowery raised his eyebrows high as his mouth hung open, and she cleared her throat before saying, "I…settled with InGen. They agreed to let me keep Elise."

Lowery blinked rapidly before asking, "Why would InGen agree to let us keep our own dinosaur?"

"Because InGen and Jurassic World owned one Indominus each."

"And we got stuck with Elise's little sister?"

Claire pulled back the resume as she answered, "We were going to do a DNA test to make sure InGen actually owned Elise, but they agreed to settle."

Lowery frowned slightly; that didn't sound right to him for some reason. As far as he knew, InGen had been content to pretty much ignore Elise until after she gained fame. He didn't even recall seeing any InGen security near that paddock.

"No one bothered to check when we thought Elise ate her sister?"

Personally, if Lowery had invested that much money in an animal; he would want to know everything about it. He would have hired security, nutritionists, behaviorists, veterinarians and even damned therapists to make sure it was happy. When Lowery stopped to think about it, Elise had been abused considering how much money she was worth.

Isolated, ignored, caged in a too small paddock, and given incompetent vets. Lowery didn't understand that; if the Indominus Rex was worth so much money, why had she been set aside like an ignored project? Jurassic World didn't even do that with their cheapest animals.

Lowery shifted in his chair as he licked his lips before asking, "Um, who was in charge of…Elise's environment? Who designed her old paddock?"

Claire blinked at the question, but she answered, "I think…Dr. Wu, but I don't have the records…"

The tech-geek chewed on his mustache in thought before suddenly saying, "I think…you should do that DNA test anyways; just to be sure."

Claire raised an eyebrow as she arranged her papers neatly, and she replied, "Elise is staying here, and that's all I am concerned with. Now, I was serious about you doing an extra service for the park since it seems you have enough free time to make a very believable resume."

Lowery couldn't stop his sheepish smile as he scratched his head, and Claire shook her head.

"While it did help me settle this case, I can't let you off the hook."

He nodded in agreement, and Claire smiled as she said, "I want you to help make a new hologram; it's been awhile since we added one, and I think Blue was our last edition."

Lowery perked up; he loved making the holograms even if they required a lot of time. The end product was absolutely worth it. He nodded eagerly; maybe they would finally add a Gallimimus, or even Microceratus."

"I want Elise to be our next hologram."

Claire resisted the urge to smile when Lowery's face fell at the amount of work that would need to be done for that hologram. She had faith in him though, Lowery was good with that stuff; he had done a wonderful job with the Apatosaurus one.

"I'll cut your shift hours so you have time to work on it, but you'll have help. I want this done in a timely manner."

Lowery only nodded his head; Elise was huge. This project was going to give him a headache, but he could already see that end product. It was going to be awesome.

His American dinosaur would get to be a hologram!

* * *

Elise wove through the trees as she drew closer to the clearing; she could hear talking, and some machinery. Rexy probably wouldn't be very happy with all the new scents in her territory, but Elise would say she chased them off.

She slowed her footsteps so she wouldn't scare the workers, but she could already smell the tension. She wondered if Tim was there, and she poked her head through the trees before startling at a scream. Elise glanced down before a heavy object smacked into her jaws; clamping them shut. The Indominus stumbled back as the workers began to shout, but Elise frowned as she inspected this muzzle on her.

She recalled something similar being used when she ambushed those uniformed men at the river. Elise poked her head back through the clearing to give the dirtiest look she could muster. The man holding the literal smoking gun clutched it to his chest as he waited for her reaction.

Elise didn't know she would have to deal with the uniformed men. She didn't like them, and she knew they didn't like her. She had killed several of their pack members. Elise curled her lip as she snagged her talons into the heavy chain before yanking it off. She winced at the scrapping before she dropped it at the man's feet.

Elise would be patient this time because she had startled them, but she would not tolerate any more attacks. She surveyed the damaged clearing, and marveled at Rexy's destructive behavior. Trees had fallen over one another, she couldn't see into the false log, and the earth had been upturned by clawed feet. The little stand where the goat would be tied had been pancaked by a good stomp from the Tyrannosaurus. Elise was pulled from her thoughts when a uniformed man marched over to her; he walked with hard authority, and growled, "You need to leave. We're trying to get things fixed here, and I don't want any of the chaos that seems to follow you around."

Elise blinked at him; he was rude, and apparently uniformed. Why would chaos follow her? She didn't care for this man's tone, but she remembered him. He was there when his pack had been at the old paddock. He was easy to fool, and Elise didn't respect him for that; he was easy to outsmart.

The Indominus thrusted her nose in the direction of the fallen tree, and the man snapped, "Ya, ya, Asset Nine knocked it over last night; we're taking care of it. Now leave before you bring her over here."

Who was Asset Nine? Elise didn't know her, but she huffed at the man's unwillingness to cooperate. She didn't care for him, and the two glanced over when a man with a hardhat trotted to them. He looked jolly, and Elise didn't have a better word to describe him. He looked jolly, acted it, and even talked like it. He wasn't a thin human like Owen; he had a bit of a belly, but Elise liked him better than the uniformed pack leader. The jolly man patted the armored shoulder as he said, "Easy, Blake, Repair asked for Elise's help. She can pull the trees to the side before the park opens. When we get an opening, Tim is going to sedate Rexy, and we can get the trees out of here."

Blake curled his lip, and shrugged the gloved hand off as he snapped, "Then make it quick. I don't feel like getting eaten."

The ACU commander flickered a hard gaze up to Elise before walking away as he muttered, "Freak."

Elise narrowed her eyes, but the jolly man cleared his throat. She found his happiness annoying, but he gave a warm smile as he said, "Thanks for helping, Elise. I'm Josh, head of the Repair Team. I'm glad you're ready to help, we can start with this tree."

Elise was ready to squish Blake, find Owen, and go back to her nest. She was sure she would be warmer towards Josh if she wasn't irritated, but she didn't stop her lip from curling whenever a uniformed person would glare at her.

She didn't take well to people being negative towards her. She would make this job quick.

* * *

Rexy paused to rub against a well-worn tree that had been her for as long as she had been. The bark had been rubbed smooth by years of being marked, and she glanced down when Blue One began to smell around the tree.

The patrol had been going well, things were the same, and everything was in its place. The raptors had been behaving although Crooked Jaw had suddenly darted into the jungle not long ago. Rexy didn't think much of it, but Blue One seemed put off by it.

Raptors stuck together.

Rexy allowed the blue raptor to clamber back onto her shoulders before she began to move again. Rexy hardly felt the raptor, but Blue loved the high view. She felt superior from up here, and she glanced down to see Delta giving a bark. Blue cocked her head as she waited before Echo's faraway bark answered. Blue didn't like how far her sister was, and she gave a loud series of barks to come back.

Blue didn't want to lose another family member.

Rexy continued to walk at her steady pace before they broke into the plains. Blue recognized the tall fence that separated them from White One's territory, and the gate still lied smashed on the ground. Blue made a graceful leap onto the ground before she gave another cry for Echo to come back. Blue didn't like it when she didn't get a response, and even Rexy paused.

There was a brief silence as the three carnivores waited before a shrill, loud shriek caused them to jump. Blue smacked into Rexy's leg, and the old carnivore startled into almost tripping over herself. Delta only froze before Echo suddenly burst from the thick jungle in a hyper ball of energy Blue had never witnessed before.

She had never given ground to her sister before, but the quickly chittering raptor in her space confused Blue terribly. She couldn't make sense of any of the sounds the crooked jawed raptor was making, and Blue stared as her sister began to bounce around Rexy. Echo gave impressive leaps with twists before she would randomly run around Delta a few times, and she hardly paused to take a break from her constant talking.

Blue didn't know what to make of this, and she planted herself right underneath Rexy whenever Echo would come close. The raptor continued to babble before suddenly going silent; Blue was hopeful her sister would go back to being her quiet, mellow self, but Rexy startled when Echo gave a loud shriek before bolting.

The carnivores stared as the raptor began to randomly chase rabbits across the plains. Blue wasn't even sure if her sister was actually trying to hunt, or simply chase. Echo had caught one rabbit before simply tumbling it through the dusty dirt. Then she decided to chase another fleeing target as the other was left dazed, confused, but alive.

Rexy stepped under the shade of a tree before lying down; she had no idea what this raptor was doing, but it was something new to watch. The old carnivore didn't mind the two, much calmer raptors sitting close to her as they watched Echo tumble more unfortunate rabbits. Rexy wasn't sure what to do, but she was reminded of a hyper hatchling.

Blue didn't know what was wrong with her sister, but she knew how to describe it.

Echo was crazy.


	39. Chapter 39

**A/N**

 **Hey guys! I'm back!**

 **We have a warning today, been awhile since we had one of those, huh? Anyways, we have a warning of potentially being grossed out by vomit!**

 **I could have sworn there was something else I was supposed to say, but I forgot.**

 **Anyways, thank you much and mighty for your reviews! I'm grateful for them, and I can see them again! Enjoy!**

* * *

"Time for New Shoes!"

"That's it, a little more…and…perfect!"

Josh smiled widely as he gave a thumbs up to Elise. She would admit this work wasn't difficult, and Josh was a good leader. He was calm, quick to assure, quicker to get the job done, but he didn't rush by any means. As a result, Elise decided she liked the pudgy man who had even shared his white, powdered doughnuts with her. Elise liked the white powder much more than the ones filled with sour jelly.

But she liked the jelly doughnuts more than Blake. Sometimes she was tempted to call Rexy over, or even pretend the raptors were coming. It's wasn't like she was trying to irritate the Commander, but he had a problem with giving ground to her. Elise would normally respect that, but not when she was trying to drag the trees around. She didn't want to hold power over Blake, she wanted him to move his ass so she didn't flatten him.

Because Claire would not appreciate that.

"Watch it!"

Elise gave a final huff as she snapped her crimson gaze to pierce the bristling man when she had stepped a little too close to him. She was a patient creature, but God was not willing today. Blake held his weapon at the ready, and Elise made a motion for him to move. Blake did not comply, and he narrowed his eyes at her challengingly.

Elise didn't have to put up with this. He was in her mother's territory, while _she_ cleaned it up. _She_ was the one the workers looked to when they heard leaves rustle. _She_ was the one they were trusting to protect them from the other dinosaurs. Blake was only creating a tension in the air. Blake was making his men nervous by being so stiff and snappish.

And Blake made the stupid mistake of briefly glancing away after challenging a creature with a little too much Velociraptor in her DNA.

Elise snapped her splayed claws out as she none too gently pinned the startled man onto the ground. She briefly glanced at the weapon that had fallen just out the gloved fingers' reach, and Blake snapped his gaze back to Elise's. She saw no fear in those eyes; only that fiery challenge. He had made a stupid mistake, but he wasn't going to show fear around her.

Elise would respect him for that much, but it didn't mean she was going to like him; or let him up. She didn't glance up when she heard the other ACU officers clicking their weapons, and she was mildly surprised when Blake kept eye contact as he barked, "Hold fire! This is between me and Freak!"

Elise gave a dangerous snap of her teeth, but Blake refused to back down. He didn't try to push the hand up, and both refused to even blink. The Commander curled his lip before taunting, "What's it like to be the only freak like yourself in the whole planet? Huh?"

The Indominus curled her own lip into a cruel smile at the biting words; this was exactly why she didn't want to be around strangers. Owen understood her; he made sure others saw her as he did, but she didn't have that now. When Elise was around strangers, like Blake, they were at liberty to take her at face value.

A freak.

Elise tilted her head when Blake gave the slightest shiver before saying in disgust, "That is the creepiest smile I have ever seen."

Oh, Elise knew how to make it better; she had passed the pond to gaze at her reflection. She had taken the time to play with the smile a little bit.

The scales shivered as the lips were pulled back as far as possible to reveal the red gums holding crooked teeth. The bleeding crimson smeared high into a horrific crooked grin that seemed to offset the entire face, and the Indominus allowed saliva to dribble onto the man as a promised whisper of death fell from her slightly parted jaws.

And Blake kept his hard gaze though the thudding heart betrayed his fear. That was enough of a victory for Elise, and Blake curled his lip at the smug look.

"You gonna eat me, Freak? Been awhile since you munched a human."

Elise had actually never eaten a human; she had chewed them, and spat them out elsewhere. Even the humans she had ambushed near the old, abandoned building where she met the metal bird. Those were spat out into an old bush. It made her sick; they simply didn't settle well with her.

She supposed she did eat the round human, but she threw up the remains not long after her stomach had gone sour. But Blake didn't know that, and Elise realized that she still had a bit of a cruel streak in her when she lowered her massive jaws close to him. She could see the wariness in his eyes when she slowly inhaled, pretending to contemplate on eating him or not, before Elise suddenly brought her head up. The Commander lost his hard gaze when confusion took over as the Indominus gave a loud cough before faking a gag.

Blake was not appetizing.

The Commander recovered his defiant gaze, and instinct gave Elise an idea. If the food was not good to eat.

Bury it.

Blake flinched when the massive talons speared the rich soil mere inches from his head before Elise began to carve through it. Almost like she was creating a grave; it only took a couple swipes before she plopped the startled man into the hole. He gave a startled yelp when Elise swept the dirt back over him, but she did it lightly.

She didn't want to really bury him alive; that would be a terrible way to die. Elise carefully watched the fresh grave until the gloved hand punched through the surface like a corpse coming back to life. Elise then allowed her gaze to survey the cleaned clearing; she didn't think there was any more work to do, but she gave a light bark to grab Josh's attention. The jolly man blinked at her before scratching his head as he stuttered, "U-Um…ya, you're done. I, um, thanks for your help, Elise. We'll be out in a few minutes, if you could distract the others for a little while longer…"

Elise made a soft garble at him before giving a smug look at the dirt covered Commander still crawling from his grave. He gave a death glare at her, and Elise only made a cute, whistling chirp at him before melting back into the forest. Blake began to swear loudly, and Elise perked up as a smile tugged at her lips.

Maybe it was more fun to piss off humans rather than 'munch' on them.

* * *

Echo was still going strong on her mission to tumble every single rabbit she saw. Blue still had no idea what to do; her sister refused to heed any order to knock it off, and even Rexy was ignored.

The bronze raptor had actually given three rabbits heart attacks; they had simply dropped dead after having the literal life scared out of them. Echo had only given them a passing sniff before bolting after the next target.

Four, passing butterflies had also been munched, and a bird flying a little too low had been knocked out of the sky.

Delta had tucked herself close to Rexy's powerful jaws after she had been the victim of a rough tumbling. Echo had given a cry for help in the hunt, and Delta had decided to go for it; Blue thought she was crazy too. Things had gone well at first, until a rabbit darted by Delta. The green raptor didn't deem it a good chase, but Echo was all for it. Delta had been so focused on other things, that she never saw the bronze raptor until she was being rolled down a small hill by the caffeinated creature.

Delta decided she was done hunting after that.

Rexy would start to doze off, but would be startled from her sleep whenever the hyper raptor found a new way to 'play' with the furry creatures who had no idea what to do with their newest neighbors. It wasn't like they didn't try to hide in their holes, but the tunnels were no match for the razor talons carving through them. They had never had to deal with predators aside from the birds of the sky.

The three, mellow carnivores turned their heads at the sound of familiar footsteps, and Blue gave a relieved chirp as she trotted over to the second Alpha. Blue still wasn't sure where Stern One fit in as far as pack rank went; she was definitely up high, but she didn't seem to care much for barking orders she knew wouldn't be understood.

Elise was walking on all fours; her foot was really starting to hurt with all the extra walking, and she wanted to get to Owen. He could make it better. She glanced down when Blue stopped in front of her before chittering, barking, and even giving a distressed whine. Elise blinked, but glanced over to the rabbit fields when she heard an enthused shriek.

Three rabbits were tossed high into the air in succession before gravity none too kindly reclaimed them, and a hard ground caught them.

Elise could hear the hard thumps as two rabbits didn't get back up, and the other had no idea where to run before it was suddenly mowed over by the bronze raptor. Elise didn't like how Echo gave such a vicious shaking before simply tossing the carcass away. That was wasteful; even her predator instincts knew that.

The white Indominus gave a sharp, stern bark that caught Echo's attention. Even Rexy glanced up at the order. Echo didn't appreciate being chastised as she paused to catch her breath. Elise didn't like how fast the raptor was breathing, and she wondered if this was the coffee's doing.

Did Jackie get this hyper? Elise didn't think so.

Echo took a deep breath before letting out a defiant shriek that challenged Elise's order. Blue was quick to reprimand. As Beta, it was her job to make sure the Alphas stayed in line, but she also made sure the others followed the Alphas' orders. Echo was feeling defiant though, and she wanted to chase until there was nothing left to chase. Elise snapped her jaws in warning, but the bronze raptor coiled her muscles before charging the white dinosaur.

Elise was ready to pin Echo; she wouldn't let this fight drag out like it had with Blue. Elise really did not want any more stitches on herself. She had two on her shoulders, her leg, and now her cheek. They itched like crazy. At least her palm had been wrapped in a nice bandage.

The bronze raptor lowered herself as she gained speed before splaying her claws as she braced to jump onto Elise. The Indominus was ready to grab the raptor, but startled when Echo suddenly lost her footing. It happened incredibly fast, but Elise swore she saw a glazed look take over the amber eyes. Delta gave a startled chirp when her bronze sister tumbled over herself before sliding on the grass until she came to rest in front of Elise.

There was a silence in the clearing at the rabbit terrorizer stayed slumped in the dirt; she hadn't fallen over gracefully either. Elise gently poked the raptor before nudging her flat onto her side. Echo was hardly aware of anything as she panted hard while the gaze wandered everywhere. Elise didn't like how warm or overexerted Echo was, and she gave a small sigh.

Echo had crashed _hard_.

The raptor gave a pitiful moan, and Delta was over her in a second. She was gently nuzzling her sister as she tried to figure out what went wrong. Blue trotted over before looking to Elise for an answer. Elise didn't know how to say Echo drank coffee; some words just didn't translate over. The raptors would have to hear Owen say it before they could know the name because Elise didn't know a growl that meant coffee.

Elise just wanted a quiet nap with her pack before the day started, but that wasn't going to happen apparently. She decided to take Echo to Owen just in case she would need help; Elise didn't know what was supposed to happen with a crashed raptor.

Elise gently scooped Echo into her palm before looking up when Rexy gave a rumble. The old dinosaur walked over to softly butt her head against Elise's in tender love, and Elise gave a gentle croon. Rexy had decided she wanted her morning nap before going to chase the goat again. The youngling and hatchlings could go cause trouble elsewhere.

Blue made a confused chirp when Rexy began to walk away, and Elise walked in the other direction. Pack was supposed to stick together. Elise gave a rumble that made Blue tilt her head.

Rexy liked her space.

Blue snorted, but she easily followed Elise as the Indominus limped back to her own territory. Delta trotted alongside her, but Blue decided she liked being carried. Elise didn't mind; it wasn't like the blue raptor weighed all that much.

The carnivores disappeared from the plains, and a brown rabbit poked its head from an undisturbed hole. Whiskers twitched with agitation, but it grew braver when no sign of the new predator came to its attention. The limber rabbit slowly moved more from its hole as it surveyed the torn up ground before a small patch of green enticed it over. There was no sound, and no danger to be present.

The quiet sound of crisp leaves being crunched filled the air as attentive, long ears listened for any predator.

The rabbit never heard the large wings, nor did it see the bird until the sharp talons sank into the pelt before it lifted off the ground. The patch of green was left empty, and the rabbit population had a total loss of a third of its members.

* * *

Owen winced as he limped over to the doors leading to the paddock. He had to check up on the girls before the new day started. The Repair Teams were the true, unsung heroes of Jurassic World. The fence around Lilly's lagoon had been almost fully repaired aside from where the Mosasaur had decided to attack Elise. That section had been closed off until things could be repaired. Owen had yet to see that video, but he was sure it would give him nightmares; he had heard plenty of his girl being dragged into the water by Lilly.

Owen would never forgive himself if Elise died saving him. He needed to be smarter about how he did things; he wasn't free to do as he pleased like in the restricted area of Isla Nublar. Now he was sharing space with other dinosaurs, workers, and guests. He couldn't just invite Blue on a hunt; he should have let the guy get away. At least he would have still been alive and not fish food. Owen was disturbed by how hard the man fought him. What was scarier than Lilly? Owen would have rather run from Rexy; at least the old lady would have made sure he was dead before eating him, and he could actually run from her.

Owen didn't understand the man's last words either. Not alone. That didn't make sense to Owen.

He slid the keycard in the door before pausing; the man had probably seen or felt a current from Lilly. Maybe he somehow saw her coming; Owen was so focused on the guy that he never saw her coming.

"Hey, Grady!"

Owen blinked before looking up to see a sandy haired man trotting over. He looked really familiar, but Owen recognized the attire.

"Um, hey, Rick."

Owen wasn't sure why the Triceratops handler was over here; he hardly saw any herbivore handlers over here. It was weird how the handlers seemed to group off based on their animals. Herbivores, carnivores, and Petting Zoo.

Rick looked tired, and Owen didn't blame the guy; he still didn't know how he even functioned at losing so many Triceratops from his herd. It wasn't like Rick wasn't attached to them, but Owen glanced through the door to make sure there wasn't a surprise waiting for him in the form of blue scales.

Blue had liked to wait by the door when she was still in the nursery; Owen had thought it was so she could escape, but the multiple scars on his ankles suggested she was just angry he left in the first place. Or she didn't appreciate his fashion sense. Owen wasn't sure which; Blue had been more prone to attack his legs if he wore lighter colored pants.

"You look like hell, Grady."

Owen snorted at the truth of it as he winced at his throbbing ribs. Binding his side had helped a little bit, but he said, "Yep, went right through it. It wasn't very fun."

Rick nodded as he looked Owen up and down with a thoughtful expression. Owen raised an eyebrow, but Rick suddenly said, "I believe Lilly beat the shit out of you. Anyways, I wanted to talk to you about a few things."

Owen blinked, but slowly shut the door as he said, "Okay, shoot."

"It's about my wife."

Now Owen was confused, and he asked, "Your wife?"

"Debra."

"…Oh…"

Rick nodded at Owen's tone. Owen had no idea the curly haired woman was married; now he was going to get his ass kicked because he couldn't fight worth a damn. Owen only hoped Rick was willing to spare his ribs a little mercy. Maybe he shouldn't have shut the door, but Rick only crossed his arms as he said, "She said you two don't exactly get along."

"That's putting it lightly…"

Rick snorted at Owen before saying, "Look, I think you've been beaten enough. I just want you to get my wife's perspective on this."

Owen didn't want her perspective; he had heard enough, but he would listen to Rick because he was talking calmly. The Triceratops handler leaned against the wall as he quietly said, "She really is a nice person; a little much at times, but she loves her job. I think she suffered the most losses from…Elise's rampage."

"Elise didn't know the Aviary assets were going to attack her Petting Zoo."

Rick raised an eyebrow before dryly saying, "Grady, you're a smart guy most of the time. Where do you think Debra's animals go when they get too big?"

Owen pressed his lips before confessing, "I thought they stayed like that. The labs didn't mess with their genetics to keep them…miniatures?"

Rick snorted at him as he said, "No, Debra raises the babies, and when they get big enough they go to the herds. It's how we get them used to all the noises so they don't spook around vehicles or the gyrospheres."

"Oh…"

Owen internally cringed before slowly asking, "So those Apatosaurus…?"

"All raised by Debra for a year, but she knew them; they still knew her. That broke her heart."

Owen couldn't even imagine that. Those dinosaurs had been killed for no good reason; Owen was sure of it. He knew Elise was good, but he just couldn't see how she would justify those kills. He sighed as he rubbed his forehead, and Rick asked, "Kind of understand where she's coming from now?"

"Yeah…I didn't know she raised those girls…"

Owen wouldn't forget the one he made sure didn't die alone. She looked like a calm, sweet girl; he wondered what her name was. Rick nodded as he sighed, "Those were the babies of the herd. Look, I know you brought the good out in Elise; she looks like a sweetheart. She risked her own life to save you, and I'm sure she was hurting really bad when she did what she did. But that's not going to bring back those girls, and that's why Debra is so pissed. She feels like Elise got off easy."

Owen could empathize with what Debra was feeling, but he couldn't help saying, "I feel like six years of isolation isn't getting off easy. She still talks to her sister's skeleton, Rick; talks to the bones like she does the raptors. She never slept in her own shade because her sister died on the other side of the paddock. Rain, sun, or wind, Elise slept by her sister's grave."

Rick only nodded quietly as he said, "Yeah, that one had really messed with Dr. Gerry; the man went to his office, and cried. All the handlers know Elise never abandoned her sister."

The Triceratops handler raised his hand as he said, "We're all hurting, Owen. Elise is no doubt traumatized, her sister is dead, you lost a Velociraptor, Debra has lost several animals, and I lost thirteen Triceratops."

Owen chewed his cheek at that before asking, "Did Debra raise those Triceratops?"

"A good chunk of them."

Owen ran a hand through his hair before finally saying, "Alright, I'll leave Debra alone. I'm sure she's still recovering from the laxatives anyways."

Rick actually snorted before saying, "If it makes you feel better, we actually got a good chuckle out of it. It was our wedding anniversary yesterday."

Owen had no idea how those two things combined would be humorous, but Rick shrugged as he said, "We love puns, and it was a _shitty_ anniversary."

Owen chewed his lip because he wasn't sure if he was allowed to laugh at that, but he couldn't stop his snort from escaping him. Rick allowed a small smile to pull at his lips, and he asked, "Promise not to cause that kind of trouble with my wife anymore?"

"Yeah, alright. Just tell her to leave Elise alone; Debra really did hurt her."

Rick nodded in agreement as he said, "She wanted to blame someone for her babies, but I'll make sure she leaves you guys alone. The park needs some peace to heal; everyone needs the peace."

Owen wouldn't argue with that, and the Triceratops handler gave a light pat on his bruised shoulder before walking away. Owen was actually amazed at how mellow the tired man was; he still didn't like Debra, and he still thought she was a bitch.

But if anyone needed peace, it was Rick. He had been calm and cool with Owen in the conversation; Owen respected him for that. Owen turned, and reopened the door; he felt slightly guilty for ruining their wedding anniversary. Maybe he would send some kind of peace offering.

But then again, Rick had said they found it funny.

"Oh and, Grady?"

Owen paused as he peeked out the door to see Rick at the corner. He blinked at him, and the Triceratops handler gave a grin as he called out, "Tim is the worst partner in crime you could have recruited; that guy wouldn't steal even if the stuff was free. He gave Debra the stuff back this morning!"

Owen pressed his lips at the truth of it before wincing at his shrug. He leaned out a little further as he replied, "Good, because I forgot about that stuff! I wasn't going to keep it by the way!"

"Yeah, Tim explained it, shame on you trying to corrupt him!"

"For the love of God, just don't tell his 'Mama'! She hates me enough as it is!"

Rick started laughing, and Owen could tell he really needed to laugh. The man did look severely stressed, and sad. It was probably another reason why Debra was so pissed at him, but that had been a really good punch to his jaw. Owen glanced back when Rick asked, "Is Big Boss the only one who can keep you in line?"

Owen pointed at the man; intent on a witty remark before the truth simply popped out of his mouth.

"…Yeah…"

Rick started laughing again as he waved a farewell, and disappeared around the corner. Owen decided he liked Rick for being such and easygoing, and mellow guy. He really hoped the prions were done with his herd because it would probably ruin the guy to lose everyone.

Owen shut the door behind him before letting out a shrill whistle. He waited a few minutes, and smiled at the familiar barks of his girls before they were drowned out by that shrill roar. Elise really was starting to sound a little like Rexy, and he gave another whistle. He really didn't want to walk.

He didn't have to wait long, and gave a happy smile at the sight of his best girl. The golden eyes he had come to adore rested on him, and he gently said, "Hey, Blue. You feeling good after a good night's sleep?"

The raptor puffed air through her nostrils before trotting over. She eagerly met the calloused hand, and pushed it up so it would run down her back. Owen smiled as he cooperated, and gently scratched at all the right spots. Blue really was his best girl; he had simply connected with her the best. He loved Echo and Delta, but he couldn't read them like he could Blue. Blue and him simply knew each other best; body language, tone, she was his best girl.

She wasn't mush for him all the time, but he smiled when she rested her powerful jaws on his shoulder in a sort of hug. He remembered doing this when she was younger, before she had figured out she had a good chance of beating him in a fight. Owen rested his cheek against her neck as he softly said, "Thanks for fishing my ass out of the lagoon; I know you hate swimming."

Blue garbled at him before backing up. She had obviously run way ahead of the pack, and Owen suddenly remembered something. He dug through his pocket before pulling out the resonating chamber, _and_ he had his clicker with him today. Owen Grady came a prepared man today.

He hoped that would mean absolutely nothing would happen. That was how life seemed to work. Shit hit the fan when he wasn't prepared, and nothing happened when he was prepared. He really couldn't take another beating.

"Hey, Blue."

The raptor glanced at him, and he swore she cringed at the white bone in his hand. He couldn't help giving her a dry look as he retorted, "Don't give me that shit. How am I supposed to learn if I don't practice?"

The Velociraptor chittered at him because that was how a conversation worked. He talked, she talked, and they both hoped the other understood.

Owen snorted at her before pausing to remember where his fingers were supposed to go before gently blowing air through the resonating chamber. Blue cocked her head as she listened attentively, and the warm, soft trill was made.

Owen practiced on the way over; it drove Barry crazy, but Owen wanted to greet his girls. Blue gave an enthused greeting in reply as she bounced back over. Owen smiled, but winced when the hard skull hit him a little too hard.

The time to be fragile was not around a Velociraptor.

Still, Blue was good at giving encouragement when she understood what was going on. Owen gave a warm scratch under her jaws as he smiled, and he glanced over when the trees shuddered. Delta bounced over, and even though Owen couldn't read her as easily as Blue, he could see she was stressed.

"Easy, Delta."

The raptor stepped about nervously, and Owen frowned; he didn't like that. He glanced at Blue, and his best girl gave a small chitter.

"Where's Echo?"

Owen couldn't read Delta quiet like Barry could, but he knew Delta and Echo had bonded with one another. Even if Echo was younger, she kept Blue from picking on the others. She was the one who had seriously, and consistently, challenged Blue for the title of Beta until after the big fight.

But Echo didn't let Blue pick on Charlie or Delta. She was the calm sister. Delta kept the peace as best she could, and Charlie.

Charlie had been the baby.

Elise poked her head through the trees before making a croon. Owen opened his mouth to greet her, but paled at seeing the limp raptor cradled in her hands. Owen forgot about his throbbing body as he rushed over when Elise gently set Echo on the ground. Owen remained as calm as he could while gently running his hands over the warm raptor.

She was too warm. He didn't like how she was slightly panting, and the raptor winced whenever a sound was made. Owen glanced up at a tired looking Elise; he didn't like not being able to read her either. As close as they were, and as much trust they had in one another, they still had yet to figure out each other.

"What happened to Echo?"

Elise didn't know how to sign that the bronze raptor had crashed, and she didn't have anything here to resemble the coffee. Owen pressed his lips; he hated twenty questions.

"Do you know what happened?"

Elise nodded her head, and Owen asked, "Did she eat or drink something?"

Elise nodded her head again, and Owen kept a firm, but gentle grip on the raptor's head as he pinned her. He lowered his head towards her mouth to grab a scent of anything. Owen frowned at the sweetness mixing in with the meat. What the hell had Echo eaten that was sweet?

"Do you know what she ate?"

Elise nodded again as she stared at the crashed raptor; she really needed to work on her sign language, but they had just gotten so busy. Delta was still stepping about nervously, but she trusted Owen to make things better.

Owen reached to his hip before letting out a small curse; he didn't have his radio on him. He would have to leave to find one. It wasn't like he carried a phone either; he couldn't afford the outrageous coverage needed on this damned island. He didn't even want to think about what Claire's phone bill looked like.

Owen glanced up before looking around, and he gave a sigh of relief when he spotted a camera. Lowery should be in there, and Owen waved his hands in hopes that the tech-geek was paying attention today. He sighed in relief when the hidden speaker crackled, and Lowery asked, "Where's your radio?"

Owen's best guess was it was in the lagoon, but he said, "Can you ask one of the vets to make an appointment to come here? Echo is sick, and I have no idea what's wrong with her."

Owen glanced to the side of him when Elise's scales suddenly turned a deep blue with the red rose shaped splotches. He blinked, but said, "Jackie, can you contact Jackie please?"

Elise garbled in approval, Owen sighed as he knelt near the warm raptor. She looked like she needed water, and maybe some food. She looked like she had been hit by a strong sedative, but he was confused. Had Echo eaten something bad? A poisonous plant? That didn't make sense; she wasn't a curious creature like that. Delta was all for new experiences, but Echo liked her meat.

He didn't think she would eat a sick animal, and he glanced up to ask, "They've been getting enough to eat, right?"

Elise nodded; she and Rexy had more than enough to share between the pack. If they didn't, they went for a hunt; there was more prey here than the humans realized. No one went to bed hungry.

Owen sighed in relief, and he stood when the speakers crackled. He waited patiently, and Lowery slowly said, "So, Jackie says she's been trying to contact you for the past hour or so, but she knows what Echo drank."

"Drank?"

Owen paled; had Echo drank bad water? He didn't like that, and he was so focused on his paranoid thoughts that he didn't hear the raptor making gagging sounds until the warm splatter soaked his boots. Owen recoiled immediately as Elise curled her lip in disgust at the smelly brown liquid with chunks of undigested meat swimming in it.

Owen covered his mouth as he refused to look at his boots; he could handle blood, guts, manure, even infected, puss riddled wounds. Anything but vomit; he just couldn't handle it.

He was a sympathetic puker. Echo had just puked all over his boots. The tall boots with laces that he would have to undo before even loosening enough for him to take off the boots.

Covered in chunky vomit.

Owen gagged before moaning, "Oh, no…"

He couldn't stop the next gag either, and Blue gave a concerned chirped when Owen made a rough retching gag. His eyes watered terribly as his nose turned runny, and his stomach churned in the most unpleasant way.

Owen gave a cough as he forced himself to get it together; his girl needed help, and he was acting like a pansy. He took a deep breath before he suddenly caught sight of Delta next to the chunky puddle. There was no way she was going to do what he really hoped she wouldn't do.

The pink tongue flicked out to taste a bit of meat, and Elise backed up when Owen vomited into a bush. She had no idea what to do, but she gave a bark at Delta to knock it off. The raptor blinked, but Blue didn't like the violent sounds coming from Owen. He would moan from his throbbing ribs before the retching sound was made, followed by a wet splat. He sounded miserable, and Lower finally said, "Em, well, can you hear me, Owen?"

The man heaved before giving a shaky thumbs up, and Lowery added, "Echo got ahold of Jackie's coffee I guess. She say to just to make sure Echo doesn't overheat or get dehydrated."

Owen finally wiped his mouth as he took a step back from the bush. Elise didn't like how grey he was, but Owen gave a shaky sigh. Blue was right next to him for comfort, and he took a deep breath to calm himself down. Now he was empty, and the worst that would happen would be dry heaving. Now he could focus on his bronze girl instead of the Egg McMuffin sitting in the bush. Owen glanced up when Lowery whistled before asking, "Are you going to be okay? I can…send Barry over or something…"

Barry was supposed to get the girls' paddock cleaned, inspected, and repaired. Now was the perfect opportunity for that, and Owen didn't want to distract him from that. He shook his head; he could handle this. It was going to be fine.

Until Lowery just had to say, "Man, what did she eat? I can see all the little chunks on your laces from here. Yuck! How bad does it smell?"

Elise gave a dirty look at the camera when Owen found a new bush to apparently vomit his hash browns into. She could hear Lowery squirming in his chair, but he sheepishly said, "Sorry, couldn't help myself. So, is he going to need new shoes? Those totally look ruined."

Elise sighed when Owen was hit with another round of heaving, and she could now hear guests coming in. She supposed that meant the park had just opened. She couldn't help her small groan as she looked around her.

One, sick raptor, a confused, concerned Beta, a curious raptor eyeing the puddle, an ornery smartass sitting in the Control Room, and an Alpha heaving his guts into a bush.

And the day had just started; today was going to be long.


	40. Chapter 40

**A/N**

 **You guys, I am really sorry about how short today's chapter is, but I have a sick animal who simply takes priority over this. I hope you guys understand, and tomorrow's will be longer!**

 **Oreo, your name makes my day, thank you :)**

 **Toastertrees, I'll never take down this story, and if I have to, then I'll post it elsewhere. I'm glad you and your family enjoy this story!**

 **As always, thank you much and mighty for your reviews! I love reading ALL of them; especially today because I had to sit by my boy all day!**

* * *

"Those Who Seek Peace, Find Life."

Echo stretched out in the ferns as she gave a pitiful moan, and Owen quietly comforted, "Shh, Sweetheart, I know it sucks."

Elise had somehow managed to get her nap in before their first show, which was in about twenty minutes, but Owen was ready to doze off as well. It felt so good just to sit under the shady tree with Blue pressed up against him. He was leaning against the massive, white ribcage, and the steady heartbeat only relaxed him.

Delta was curled to the side of her bronze sister, and things were comfortingly quiet. Owen had ditched his shoes elsewhere, and caved into asking Barry to bring another pair. The man had only laughed heartily, but Owen wasn't in a position to snap a response. His stomach was empty, and his mouth had a bad taste to it.

But Elise was a good co-Alpha. Owen hadn't realized she had moved up that high until after she gave orders to the girls, and Blue reinforced it. Owen knew there was supposed to be pairs, and he was glad Elise felt up to the task. She had carried Echo while Owen rode on her back before they made it over to the false log. Lowery was on top of his game, eager to really prove himself to Claire for her second chance, and sent a new radio to him. Jackie sent a large bucket of electrolytes for Echo, and the bronze raptor was making a dent in the pinkish orange water.

Owen had scooped a cup out for himself, and he cringed at the watery, salty taste, but it made him feel better. It was weird, the electrolytes smelled sweet, but it didn't taste it; Owen didn't care. All that mattered was he felt better after heaving his guts out. His girls were calm, sleeping, and the day looked a little better. Echo was going to be fine after her obvious headache went away, and hopefully the kids wouldn't be too loud.

Owen cracked an eye open when Elise gave a deep sigh in her sleep, and he glanced over to her injured foot. It looked like it hurt, and he wondered if she had cut herself on the damaged fence around Lilly's lagoon; Lowery had mentioned the Repair Team seeing some blood there. He promised Elise they would go get her a bath the first chance they got, and Elise relaxed after that. She was content to sleep because Owen could take over now.

But Owen wanted a nap as well. He glanced at his watch before leaning back into the warm scales. Blue stretched onto her side as she pressed her back along Owen's leg; he was glad for that. He had some scars on his ribs from when Blue had slept with her belly facing him. She liked to kick in her sleep. Owen wasn't sure if she had broken that habit, but he didn't want to find out when she was facing him. She let out a sigh when Owen softly placed a warm hand on her side, mindful of that ticklish spot between the fifth and sixth rib, as he glanced around.

It was important to sleep together in a pack; it assured, and strengthened the bond. Even if Echo and Delta were tucked further into the ferns, they were still close by. Owen yawned as he savored the peace; Rick had been right, they did need some peace. Even his girls were in need of it. Their routine had been disrupted by the run, losing Charlie, moving from the paddock, adding Elise, and for whatever reason, adding Rexy.

Owen was just glad Rexy seemed to prefer her territory over Elise's because Owen wouldn't even think of setting foot in here if the old lady was nearby. She scared the life out of him, and he wondered if she had seen him in the false log; he didn't think she did. He would have felt that burning gaze stabbing into his soul.

A smile tugged at Owen's lips as he glanced around. Having Rexy napping here would be the icing on the cake. He knew it would never happen, but it would be a funny image. He just wondered how Elise managed to convince the old dinosaur to share her nest with the other girls. Tim had said Blue liked to perch on Rexy's shoulder, and Owen didn't believe it until he saw the videos.

He still didn't really believe it, but his best girl was bold enough to do it.

Maybe Rexy needed a little peace as well. It was a big change of having four new, hyper, and talkative members suddenly around. Rexy probably wanted a quiet nap as well. Owen stretched out while wincing at his aches as he decided that peace was very good, and he would sincerely try his hardest to behave around Debra.

Because Rick was a really nice guy.

Owen yawned as he shifted slightly before finding that sweet spot. The perfect position for a well-deserved nap. Where his neck wouldn't kink, his legs wouldn't fall asleep, and he wouldn't get too hot or cold. He couldn't fight off the tired aches. He had slept most of the night before, but it was exhausting being injured.

He felt himself doze off, and gave a content sigh.

Peace was good.

* * *

Being woken up was not good. Owen cracked open an eye to glare at the disturbance before realizing there was none. He sighed; it had been a good nap, and he glanced at his watch before freezing.

Elise's show started at nine thirty. It was ten right now. He glanced around to see his girls hadn't moved an inch; Blue had shifted a little closer, but no one had woken up. He jumped when he heard muffled laughter, and glanced up at the false log before blinking.

Claire was standing there with a smile on her face as she waved at him. Owen had no idea what to do except wave back before the others grabbed his attention. Claire was running the show for him apparently, and she seemed to be having a good time with it. He couldn't remember the last time she looked so relaxed around guests, but she easily gestured to him and the girls as she continued. Owen wasn't sure what to do, but Claire caught his attention before patting the air with her hands.

She could handle this, and Owen sank back against his girl as he sighed in relief. Claire wasn't pissed at him.

* * *

Claire smiled as she turned back to the crowd, and said, "I apologize again that this show isn't like the others, but Elise and Mr. Grady needed a little break to calm down the pack. Obviously they needed a little sleep as well after last night's incident."

Claire had a feeling Owen needed sleep; he looked way too tired after she had left the hospital. She knew he would crawl on his hands and knees to make sure his pack was fine. She also knew he would crash after he realized everyone was fine. Claire had set aside an opening to take over the show; it had been a very long time since she had done that. She admit she missed it, and it was another lesson Mr. Hammond had taught her.

" _Don't be afraid to jump into the park, Claire. It makes the workers feel good if you know the shows well enough to actually run them. Know the names, personalities of the animals, and you'll have the most loyal crew in the world. The quickest way to a handler's heart is through the animal."_

The first show she had run was with Rexy. Tim had to miss work without warning, and he didn't have a replacement. Claire was nervous as hell, afraid of doing the wrong thing, but she had simply talked about Rexy herself. Age, personality, random facts about Rexy, and the guests had loved it. They were truly interested in knowing Rexy herself; not just the species.

It made the park more magical. It wasn't 'Here, look at this Tyrannosaurus munching a goat; the Tyrannosaurus was blah, blah, blah.' Facts were great, but people seemed to respond better to, 'This is Rexy, the oldest animal on our park, and her favorite kind of goat is Boer. She's the Big Boss of this island, and her roar keeps the animals in line.'

Claire had been surprised to see guests actually come back, and approach her. They had remembered her show, and they asked about Rexy. Their children even remembered Rexy.

Granted, Claire hardly knew any other animals; she would admit she had forgotten about that lesson until she met the Apatosaurus dying in the grass. She had been mortified, but her first thought wasn't how much money they were going to lose, or even if Elise had been nearby.

She was mortified because she had no idea who this animal was. Claire was the last, living creature the Apatosaurus saw, and they didn't know each other. Claire couldn't even comfort her by at least knowing her name.

It was Jasmine.

But Claire hadn't known that until it was too late. She had forgotten what Hammond had taught her when she became obsessed with bringing in the investors.

She had forgotten to take care of the animals. It was the first rule since the beginning of the relationship between man and animal. Take care of the animals, and they will take care of you. First rule of caring for animals in any situation. Zoos, animal husbandry, even a simple pet. Hammond had drilled that into her head, and she never applied to anyone else except Rexy.

Claire never forgot to take care of Rexy, but all the other animals were numbers on clean sheets of white paper.

But she could redeem herself now, and she was doing that. Instead of her novel before bedtime, Claire had taken to actually reading her handlers' profiles on their animals; it held so much more than she thought.

There was a Pteranodon named Twister who liked to screech into a small cave because her voice would magnify, and scare the others.

A Gallimimus was named after Secretariat because of her love of racing the tour bus driven by an older tour guide. They had been racing for almost five years now, but neither kept track of the wins; they kept each other young.

Even their thirty-five foot long Suchomimus had a personality all her own. Named Bark because she had no bite. She was of a medium aggression, but her handlers certainly didn't try to cuddle her; she was a bluffer when she became aggressive. She simply roared while faking charges.

This island held so much more life than Claire could even dream about. Rexy had always been alive to her, but then Jasmine, then fiery Blue and her sisters.

And in the middle of a rainy night, the most aggressive monster designed to give parents nightmares turned into a funny, caring, intelligent, older sister who never forgot her family.

The Indominus Rex was no longer a thing, an it, but _Elise_ who delighted countless children with rainbows. A gentle giant with a heart of gold, and an ornery streak that made Owen look mild.

One by one, these animals were slowly revealing themselves to Claire in their own, special way. Be it through paper, a visit, or a funny, favorite video taken by a handler.

Claire smiled as she watched Owen tuck himself against Blue, and the raptor lifted her bleary gaze to glare at him for moving. She deemed it too much of an effort to reprimand him, and she let out a large sigh before breathing evenly again.

Claire adjusted her mic as she continued, "And the beautiful, blue Velociraptor next to Mr. Grady is named Blue. She is the Beta of this pack, and the one who constantly challenges the Alphas to make sure they have the pack's best interest at heart. She and Rexy appear to be forming a strong friendship."

A small child raised his hand before asking, "Who's the Alpha? Is it Elise?"

Claire smiled; she had done her research on packs, and she answered, "Elise is an Alpha, but she isn't the first. She helps the main Alpha by keeping the pack in line. If you look closely, pressed against Elise, and sleeping next to Blue, is the Alpha. The Alpha is Homosapien named Owen, and he isn't exactly the brightest of the pack, which is why Blue had her work cut out for her. She does her best, but she brought Elise in after Owen tried communicating with the raptors and ended up accidentally making a mating call."

Claire had heard every detail on that story from Tim. Right down to Elise's shocked face.

* * *

Owen cracked open his eye again when he heard the muffled laughing; maybe he shouldn't have let Claire take over, and he glanced at her. She had the adults laughing, and he could only imagine what she said. Blue gave a warning growl to quit moving, and Owen shrugged it off.

He was fine with just taking a nap today.

* * *

 **Another A/N**

 **Just in case there's that one person reading this, yes, that is what electrolytes taste like. It does smell like that candy powder where you lick the stick and cover it in the sweet powder; I forget what you call it. At least the powdered ones we give to calves is like that, no you probably shouldn't drink it, and yes I've drank it before, but I don't encourage anyone else to do it. I have a really good immune system that let's me get away with a lot. So please don't drink it, get sick, and then tell your doctor that it was a good idea because you read about it in an online fiction story.**

 **Much love to you guys! Have a good day/night!**


	41. Chapter 41

**A/N**

 **Hey guys! Thanks for the understanding, electrolytes are miracle workers, and my boy is doing much better!**

 **Thank you for your reviews, I really appreciate them! Please enjoy!**

* * *

"And Those Who Seek War..."

A vivid, scarlet gaze focused intently on the oblivious target stretched out in the luscious ferns. It was the middle of the day; the prey was full after a good meal, and now she was a sitting target for the merciless predator.

A perfect killing machine.

The slit pupils contracted with a blink before flecks of bold gold were revealed in the small ray of sun peeking through the thick brush. There was no wind to taste the air, but that meant the target wouldn't be able to catch a whiff of her either.

A clawed, thumbed hand carefully stepped over dried leaves as the hunter moved closer to the prey. No sound was made; not even the talking of other creatures could be heard. This was her domain, she was at the top of the food chain here.

She would instill fear with but a single roar; sending lesser prey fleeing for their lives.

Muscles coiled in preparation for the killing blow; the merciless pounce that would be followed by a swift bite to the neck. The prey would be dead before she knew it, and the hunter suddenly leapt from her hiding spot as she let loose her shrill cry for death.

She landed right over the prey, and before the target could do anything, she sank her deadly fangs into the exposed neck as all the bodyweight was used to pin her prey. Clawed hands dug into the scales below her as she made guttural growls; warning others to stay away.

This hunter had made a kill.

Mellow, crimson eyes slid open at the light weight on her as the teeth nipped at her neck, and fragile claws clung to her. She glanced at her small sister attempting to 'bring her down', but the big sister merely huffed; disturbed from her nap. Her sister was so loud that it was almost sad, and her roar was but a mere squeak. But she would let the greyed hatchling have her fun today.

It wasn't often that Small One was feeling vigorous enough to actually play. The grey hatchling gave an indignant squeal when her 'prey' had the audacity to sit up, and the snow scaled Indominus hatchling merely batted a gentle hand over her little sister as she blinked the sleep from her eyes. She filled with amusement when her sister suddenly crouched in front of her, head low and wiggling rump in the air as a playful mischief filled the gold-flecked, scarlet eyes.

The pure innocence made the white hatchling grow soft as she humored her sister. Small One gave a delighted chirp as she immediately tackled her big sister. The two sister rolled over one another as growls with no ill feelings were made, and all bites were soft nips. Small One broke from the playful fight suddenly before bolting into the bushes with her sister hot on her heels.

Ferns shook as the sisters darted by, and the tall trees stood imposingly tall over them. Small One was determined to pin her sister today; she would pin White One. She was feeling strong today, the aches in her bones were almost nothing, and she felt like she was getting better.

White One was always there to take care of her.

The grey hatchling suddenly darted to the side as she expertly dove into a bush before immediately stilling. She quieted her breath as best she could when her big sister slid to a stop. Small One pressed herself low to the ground as she watched those crimson eyes glance around, and the attentive nose sniff the air expertly.

White One pretended not to notice the bush practically shivering with anticipation; the thought of actually outsmarting her big sister was just too exciting for Small One to handle. White One turned her back to the bush before that squeaky cry sounded. The light weight crashed into her back, and the big sister humorously allowed the grey one to roll her around the soft leaves. The small stream gave light chuckles, and the sun warmed them with gentle kisses on their scales.

White One sprawled on her side as her sister pinned a small hand on her cheek before giving a squeaky growl. The big sister wanted to snort, but she knew it would hurt her sister's feelings. She made a small struggle for show, but eventually gave a dramatic groan as she had no choice but to yield to the victor. White One garbled warmly at the joy filled eyes above her as Small One let out a victorious cry.

White One was permitted to get up, and she followed her sister to the stream of water before they lapped up the cooling liquid. The mellow, crimson eyes carefully wandered over her sister as she looked for any signs of illness. The grey scales seemed to have a sheen to them again; almost making them silver. Sometimes they would be dull, but the weather had been very kind lately. She remembered those scales being much brighter when they were first born, but they dulled for some reason; they attained a slight grey tint to them. Small One lacked the lean muscle White One possessed, and it was easier to see the thin skeleton under the more fragile looking scales Small One had been given in life. Even Small One's milky, little teeth seemed less ferocious than what lined her big sister's strong jaws.

A shrill whistle caused the sisters to snap their heads up, but White One gave a delighted trill; she knew that call! She glanced at her sister excitedly before bolting off into the brush as the shrill whistle was made again; she could hear her sister right behind her, and White One let out a happy cry at seeing that warm smile again. The one that made her feel good about herself.

Owen!

That soft chuckle was made as Owen knelt onto his knee, and stretched his arms out. He let out a grunt when the white hatchling barreled into his chest, but easily caught her with his strong arms and a warm laugh that chased all the fears away.

"There's my Sunshine! I missed seeing you, Elise."

Elise garbled happily as she buried herself into the warm vest that smelled like the earth. She rolled onto her back as Owen cradled her in one arm, and he scooped up the smaller hatchling. Elise relaxed as she watched Owen hold her sister with all the tender love he shamelessly showered his pack with. Small One made squeaky sounds when Owen poked that ticklish foot, and he chuckled before greeting, "And there's my little girl; I think you're looking better today, hmm?"

Small One garbled at him as she savored the warmth on her brittle bones. Owen smiled at the both of them before he stood easily. Elise made a loving croon at him, and Owen chuckled as he said, "Come on, we're going to get you a nice, warm bath, and then we'll have Dr. Gerry take a look at that foot, Elise."

Elise blinked as she stared at her feet curled against herself; it was fine. She even wriggled her little toes before glancing up in confusion. Owen glanced down at her as he said, "Come on, Baby, we need to get going. I need you to wake up."

Wake up? Elise was awake; she was looking right at him. Owen was dumb sometimes, but she loved him anyways. She wiggled in his grasp before pinning her feet against his ribcage. She tucked her white snout close to the prickly face as she snagged her claws into a strong shoulder. Owen only snorted as he supported her, and Elise felt delighted when they walked out of the paddock. She saw Claire's white car sitting there, and the redhead gave a gentle smile as she walked over. Small One liked the soft strokes on her head, and Elise felt her eyes growing heavy as she pressed close to the protective chest. She briefly opened her eyes when Owen said, "Elise, seriously, you need to wake up. Come on, Baby Girl, time to go."

Elise snuggled closer as she dug her claws into the vest more tightly.

She was going nowhere; she was happy.

* * *

"Elise! Hey!"

Owen huffed when the glazed, crimson orbs finally slid open. He shook his head in amusement, but gave a sharp snap of his fingers when they threatened to close again.

"Hey! Dr. Gerry can't wait around all day for us, Sunshine! Seriously, another pachy just gave herself a concussion. _Elise!_ "

The Indominus suddenly snorted as the awareness of being awake finally flooded the eyes. She snapped her gaze to him as she seemed to grow confused. Owen pressed his lips; he wanted to get moving, but Elise had slept really hard. She was even talking in her sleep, and it had been cute. All the tender sounds bubbling from the snoozing giant only melted Owen to his core. He was willing to bet she was having a good dream, and he felt bad for having to wake her from that.

Blue chirped at him for being loud, and Owen rolled his eyes at her. The Velociraptors had been fed, and were cleaning themselves. Echo looked much better, and was sleeping upright like she was supposed to; feet tucked under her while the chin was pressed down. Delta was still chewing on a good, thick bone to break the plaque from her teeth.

Owen would not get another chewing from Dr. Gerry, but the old vet certainly wouldn't be happy if Elise took forever to get there.

"Baby Girl, let me see those pretty eyes."

Elise cracked her eyes back open, but she let out a long sigh. Owen went over as he patted the snow scales, and repeated, "Let's go get your bath, Baby. Dr. Gerry can check out your foot while we're there…"

Owen waited for a response as Elise glanced around like she was looking for something. She must have really been out of it, and he paused when her eyes rested on the wooden box. She continued to stare at the box for a few more seconds before letting out a sigh.

A sad sigh.

Owen gently patted the scales as he gently said, "Hey, eyes on me."

Elise turned to look at him, and Owen gave a warm smile as he pointed at himself before crossing his arms over his heart; then he pointed at her. Elise's gaze turned soft as she made quiet chitters at him, and pressed her face close. Owen chuckled, but Elise rose up to mirror the sign.

' _I love you.'_

Owen winked at her as he said, "You're my Sunshine, and don't you forget that, okay? You got a big family now."

Elise thought about that before her lips pulled up into a gentle smile. She did have a big family now; much bigger than she ever could have imagined. It was an odd family, but it was hers. She wouldn't trade it for the world, and she glanced down when Owen asked, "Ready to get going, Baby?"

Elise garbled at him before scooping him up. She chittered with Blue to let her know she was in charge, and the raptor gave a bark in response. She wasn't in the mood for a lot of action today, and there was no way Echo wanted to do a lot of running or even walking.

The Indominus melted into the trees as Owen stretched out in her palms while admiring his boots. They were an older pair he had set aside in favor of thicker boots, but these would work. It had been a long time since any of the girls had gone for his feet, and at their full grown size, he highly doubted the thickness of his boot would really deter a loss of his toes. It made him feel better to have thicker shoes though.

"Having a good dream, Baby Girl?"

Elise glanced down as she went around a tree; she wasn't sure what a dream was, and Owen clarified, "Like, I guess seeing memories when you sleep, or…maybe crazy stuff. I don't know how to explain it very well, but it's seeing things when you sleep; dreaming."

Elise had seen many things while she slept; the memories she visited in the lonely dark when none were around to alleviate the pain in her chest. Most involved Small One, them playing with one another, and then the dreams had taken a darker turn as the years wore on. Elise would briefly forget what her sister had actually looked or smelled like.

One very bad dream had left Elise reeling for days. Playing hide and seek with her sister; all she found was the skeleton because Elise hadn't found her in time. Elise remembered refusing to sleep for as long as possible for fear of seeing that again.

But now the dreams were becoming bittersweet. Happy memories were tampered with as her new family would randomly come in. Owen would play with them, Barry would tuck them into their nest, and Rexy would show them how to roar. Elise remembered doing all of that with Small One, but she never understood why her new family was in the memories too.

Maybe dreams weren't always supposed to be the same, but she was torn between liking these new dream and not liking them.

They didn't happen, and Elise was terrified of ever forgetting what Small One looked like. Grey scales with a slight sheen to them on a good day, and the most innocent, scarlet eyes; a stunning red that seemed to always regard the world with a greater sense of wonder.

With precious flecks of gold dotting them like the first few stars in the young night.

A branch scraped against her shoulder, and Owen raised an eyebrow as he said, "You're thinking too hard again, Baby."

Elise garbled in agreement, and Owen chuckled at her before asking, "So, was it a good dream?"

She nodded once; it had been a very good dream. She was in a much better mood after getting _two_ naps in. Elise felt bad for sleeping through the first show, but she made it up in the second one. Several people had come by; happy she and Owen were both fine, but she was at the mercy of children's truths today.

Elise smelled.

Owen had startled into laughing the first time he heard that. Elise wasn't sure what to make of that, and it wasn't like she could do anything about it. She didn't want to smell though, and apparently Blue smelled like her too.

Owen said it was the lagoon water, and Elise wasn't too happy about that. As the last child had left, Elise immediately gave Owen a look that needed no words whatsoever.

She wanted a bath.

Owen laughed heartily, but he had to actually go get permission before taking Elise to the Vet Building. He didn't think Claire would take kindly to a loose dinosaur without first asking her; even if it was Elise. Owen was pretty sure people would swarm her rather than shy away; at least the kids would.

Owen had once wondered how things would go if Elise decided to crash the Petting Zoo for a couple hours. He could picture the kids going crazy as they slid down her face or sat in her hands. Elise would probably get a little overwhelmed.

And Debra would throw a fit…rightfully so.

Owen gave a small sigh as he rested quietly against the gentle hands. He chewed the inside of his cheek as he contemplated his question before suddenly blurting, "Elise, why did you kill those Apatosaurus?"

He winced when the Indominus paused mid-step to look at him; crimson eyes blinking in shocked confusion. She didn't start to move, and Owen slowly added, "I, um…did you have a reason for killing them?"

Elise had killed a lot of things; she was sad to say she didn't know who Owen was talking about. She found mild comfort in knowing she wasn't the only bad thing; Joker was bad too. He killed a lot of people too. She waited patiently for Owen to clarify as he obviously grew more uncomfortable. Elise wasn't sure why; she knew he would never be intentionally disrespectful towards her.

"You know…the long necked dinosaurs in the plains? They're really big, and you killed six…"

Owen had been able to teach Elise to count; she could get to thirty, and mostly recognize the numbers when she saw them. She knew what six was, and Owen pressed his lips when the Indominus made a chirp as she started to move again. She didn't answer his question, and Owen asked, "Did you have a reason for killing them?"

He blinked in surprise when Elise nodded; she had meant to kill five of the long necks, but the sixth apparently didn't survive. Elise was saddened by that. She could feel the surprise on Owen, but she ignored it; her reason was no longer justifiable. She was no longer alone.

"Do you know the words to explain it to me?"

Elise remembered they had touched up on emotions a few days ago. She didn't remember all of them, but she knew the basics.

Owen stepped off the large hand before he faced his tough baby. She paused, narrowing her eyes to remember, before taking both her hands, and raking up her ribcage like she was tearing her own guts out.

' _Angry.'_

"…You were angry at the Apatosaurus?"

He watched the Indominus slightly narrow her eyes as she glanced up to the side of her. He knew that look; she always made that look when he was close to the correct answer. Owen blinked in surprise when she pointed at him, and he couldn't help stuttering, "A-Angry at me?"

Elise snorted; she had been mad at humans, and her human blinked before realizing, "Oh…people."

She nodded, and Owen watched her carefully gather six, long branches before laying them in front of him. He watched as she slowly counted five before pulling those away, and he winced when each branch was snapped loudly. She tossed those aside before raking a claw through the sixth one, and finally looked at him.

Owen prayed Debra would never see that little reenactment, and he stared at the branch in front of him. It had been raked, but not broken.

"Did you mean for that last one to die?"

' _No.'_

"You wanted that one to live?"

' _Yes.'_

"Even before you attacked her?"

Elise thought about that as she tried to remember the fuzzy, red rage. She did recall doing a few swipes less than what she had done to the others; she hadn't bit that one either. She wanted this one to be alone like her, and she nodded.

She wanted that one to live alone.

' _Yes.'_

* * *

Claire smiled as she watched the emerald trees from inside the false log. She had managed to free up her morning after meetings got cancelled for their own reasons. The children were eagerly pressed against the window as they hoped the star of the show would grace them with her presence a little early.

Elise was usually the only one who did that.

She glanced to the side of her, and relaxed at finally seeing Karen and Scott getting along. It was odd, but there was a fresh breath of air in the family it seemed. A tension had been relieved, and for once, Scott was actually smiling instead of forcing it. Claire was pretty sure it wouldn't all be smooth sailing from here, but for today, her sister's family could simply enjoy their vacation. Gray was already spewing facts about Rexy, and Zach gave him the eye contact he wanted rather than stare at the nearby girls.

Zach had matured incredibly in such a short time, but it was a good change. Sad, but good. Now Gray had a solid rock to always go back to just in case his parents got a little too wrapped up in their divorce. Claire didn't think it was that kind of situation with them, but she knew how quickly things could turn ugly.

"Hey, Aunt Claire?"

Claire turned her head to Zach, and he asked, "Where's Uncle Owen at?"

"Headed over to the Vet Building with Elise so she can get washed."

Zach crinkled his nose; they had gone to the second show, and he said, "Probably a good idea; she smelled really bad."

Claire had no idea why Elise and Owen had smelled so terribly; there was a definite smell around the lagoon, but it wasn't bad. They never got complaints about it, and the lagoon was clean. Claire had, at first, simply thought Owen himself was just being a gross guy, but she knew Elise liked to keep herself clean.

"Hey, do you think I could get a job here after college, Aunt Claire?"

Claire smiled as she immediately nodded, and answered, "Bachelor's Degree at the least, the degree will depend on the job you want, but we can be a little lenient if someone is willing to take extra time to personally train you."

Zach immediately brightened and looked enthused; Claire was happy to see that. She knew Zach was a good kid, and she did recall Karen being concerned about what he would do in life. He simply wasn't interested in anything. Gray bounced over as he excitedly asked, "Can I get a job here as a geneticist? I'll make awesome dinosaurs for this park! I think we need some Therizinosaurus here."

Claire nodded in agreement; she did recall seeing some pictures of the odd looking dinosaur. Long, razor claws, a pot belly, and an herbivore diet. People seemed pretty happy with Elise though, and Claire could breathe for a little while. She gently squeezed Gray's shoulder as she offered, "How about we let Elise keep the spotlight for a little while longer?"

"What about when I can work here?"

Claire would actually love it if Gray worked here, and she promised him he could. Gray was a brilliant kid, but he was fiercely loyal to the true dinosaurs that roamed the world so long ago. He was fine with the animals here, but Claire felt like she wouldn't have to worry about Gray being tempted by mixing random things together.

Gray beamed and Claire asked Zach, "What were you wanting to do? I can see you being a handler for our Suchomimus; she's a sweet girl."

Zach shook his head before saying, "I want to work with Uncle Owen and the Velociraptors."

Claire paled into a gaunt grey before her sister's death glare could even reach her. Claire had no intention of allowing Zach near those animals. Those were the only ones on this island with a red level aggression index; Elise had been taken down to a mellow green. She knew Owen's girls were a little bit of an exception to the rule, and she knew damn well that pack would never be duplicated ever again. That pack had gone through fights alongside one another; Owen had to lead through situations that would never happen again.

But she also knew Zach was a determined seventeen year old who knew everything in life. He would tune her out if she outright said no, and she chewed her cheek for a few seconds before saying, "You will have to talk to Owen about that, but you do realize that you would have to work with your own pack, right? Blue and those girls listen to Owen when Blue thinks it's the right decision. She's not going to allow a stranger to boss her around, and I doubt she'll think twice about munching you."

Zach shook his head as he answered, "I'll study and all that, but I can do it. I'll learn from the best, I promise."

Claire paused; that wasn't what she expected to hear. Red flags were how 'cool' it would be to work with them, or how they can 'handle working around them because they have experience'. She didn't dare look at her sister, but Claire sighed before firmly saying, "I want you to have a serious, serious conversation with Owen about this. He will tell you exactly how it is. If you apply for this job, I will look at it just as harshly as the others. I won't hire you simply because we're related."

"Awesome."

Claire pressed her lips at the red flag, but she trusted Owen to be completely honest with her nephew. Zach would need degrees and experience with dangerous animals before he could be considered; that would be years from now.

Zach would hopefully forget about this job by then, and Claire wouldn't have to worry about her nephew being torn to bits.

Owen wasn't the first Velociraptor Handler they hired; he was the sixth, and the first Alpha not to be mauled by his own pack. Claire was afraid that he would be the last one with that lucky streak too.

Claire startled from her thoughts when the kids started cheering, and Rexy parted gracefully from the trees. She smiled at seeing her dinosaur still walking tall, proud, strong, and downright terrifying. It scared Claire whenever Rexy would start to look old, and she was ignoring those grey scales on the forest hide.

Those were not grey scales to Claire, they were bits of dirt.

Tim sounded on the speaker as he started the show, but Claire went stiff at a deep purr next to her.

"Well, look at that old dinosaur. King of the Jurassic, eh?"

It took all of Claire's discipline to not curl her lip as she refused to take a step away from Bridges. She thought he was coming late afternoon, not now. Her day was ruined, and she wished Rexy would eat the guy.

Claire blinked when she swore that golden fire glanced into the false log, but she blinked; Rexy was focused on the goat.

Gray turned from the excitement to correct the businessman, "Cretaceous. Tyrannosaurus is from the Cretaceous Period."

Bridges raised a sharp eyebrow when Gray turned back to the window, but the man shrugged it off as he gave bold smile at Claire. She kept her straight face as she coolly said, "You're here a little earlier than I expected."

The man winked at her before coyly saying, "Miss Dearing, I am full of surprises. Besides, I wanted to see the full Jurassic World experience. I think you would put a nice twist on this place now that you have full reigns without Masrani breathing down your neck."

Claire stiffened as she restrained herself from outright throttling the man. She only frostily replied, " _Mr._ Masrani was a great CEO who stood by the morals of this park unwaveringly. He cared about the welfare of the animals as well as guest satisfaction and safety."

Bridges put his hands up easily as he immediately said, "My apologies; I never thought he wasn't. I just know you seem to have a talent with this place."

Claire resisted the urge to roll her eyes. It was funny how Owen had said something similar at their date, but Claire had been so warmed by Owen's compliment. Bridges just sent shivers down her spine in a bad way. She didn't like how the man decided to lean against the small free spot against the window in front of her. He was blocking her view of her dinosaur, and Claire didn't appreciate that. Tim was still going on about facts on Rexy, and Bridges slyly asked, "So, what's your favorite dinosaur?"

Bridges jumped when a wet splat smacked into the window loudly, right behind him, and he whirled around. The chewed up, furry meat made a squeaking sound as it slowly slid down the clean window before the glass fogged. The businessman licked his lips when the blazing fire burned his ass, and Rexy fogged up the glass with another puff of hot air. She was standing perfectly still, and Claire cleared her throat before sweetly saying, "That one."

Bridges took a step back before Rexy suddenly let loose a thunderous roar that caused the little kids to run in a panic, and the others clapped their hands over their ears. Claire didn't flinch, but she could see all the sharp, pointy teeth just begging for a bite of the man before her. The Tyrannosaurus puffed air through her nose; she seemed irritated, and suddenly left. The ground seemed to shake a little harder this time, but Claire only smiled.

That was her Mama, her Big Boss, her Head Honcho, her Rexy, _her dinosaur._

Bridges cleared his throat as he adjusted his satin, blue tie before glancing at Claire. She widened her smile as she said, "Jurassic World offers nothing less than a memorable experience for our guests. I have a question, Mr. Bridges."

The blonde glanced at the splattered red before asking, "What is that?"

"A Boer goat, Mr. Bridges, but what I wanted to know was what you did for a living before becoming the new face of InGen."

Claire folded her hands in front of her; she knew the answer after seeing Rexy's reaction, but she still smiled when the man answered, "A lawyer. I used to be a lawyer."

Claire knew it, and she couldn't stop her smirk. Bridges paused when he realized he had somehow lost a small battle of wits, and quickly recovered. Claire went back to her poker face when Bridges cocked an eyebrow, and said, "I am serious about seeing all your attractions, Miss Dearing, but I would like to get to know the Indominus. It won't do us any good if I can't provide able men to assist in training her."

Claire resisted the urge to sigh as she glanced at her watch. She didn't want Bridges to ruin the show, or go anywhere near the Velociraptors. She just knew Blue would take one look at Bridges before gutting him, and leaving him for the flies to dine on. If Rexy singled him out, then Blue would be on him in seconds; no questions asked.

She clicked a small button before asking, "Vivian, has Owen and Elise left the paddock yet?"

Bridges raised an eyebrow in surprise, but Vivian answered, "Yes. They left about fifteen minutes ago. Do I need to call them back?"

"No, I'll meet them there; thank you."

Claire adjusted her sleeve before looking at the blonde man as she said, "We'll drive there."

She glanced at her disappointed nephews, but Bridges eagerly asked, "Are they on a mission of some sort? Helping ACU?"

The redhead resisted the urge to roll her eyes as she gave her nephews hugs before answering, "No."

* * *

"Damn it!"

Owen sighed as he turned the empty bottle of shampoo over. He didn't want to walk all the way through the building to find more; it hurt to walk around. He decided to be a wimp today, and Elise garbled at him for not checking the bottle sooner. Owen tossed it into the garbage can as he said, "Yeah, yeah, I know. I'll go find more, Baby. Just don't get into trouble, okay?"

Elise huffed as she stretched onto the cold cement with her back to the large open door. Owen snorted as he disappeared, and Elise gave another yawn. She was feeling a nap after the next show wouldn't be a bad idea.

Naps were wonderful, little things.

Things around here were nice and quiet; Elise was perfectly fine with nice and quiet. Dr. Gerry was currently giving vaccinations to other patients; Elise hadn't smelled them before, but she didn't care. This was a place of healing; no violence was allowed here. The old vet promised to look at her foot, but Elise wasn't in a hurry. It still throbbed, but she wasn't dying by any means.

The Indominus continued to lightly doze as Owen took his sweet time, but she cracked open an eye when she heard an animal give a distressed bellow. It didn't sound very happy; none of the animals ever did, but she knew Gerry wouldn't hurt the animals intentionally. Elise simply curled into a tighter circle before letting out a sigh as she ignored the stressed handler trying to calm down an animal who was done with this place.

She didn't stir when the quickly trotting, little legs mad soft, padded sounds against the cement floor, but Elise did turn when she heard a quiet, soft cry.

It was a little longneck staring at her with soft, chocolatey eyes. Elise didn't know there were more longnecks, and she wondered if this one was abandoned. Were the parents gone? Elise didn't think so; Alpha Claire took care of everyone. She would have made sure this one would be in good hands.

And the little one did look healthy, a little flustered, but healthy. Elise relaxed back onto the ground as she watched the stiff baby try to figure out if she was an enemy or not. Elise knew she was not; she would never hurt another longneck for as long as she lived.

The baby cautiously creeped forward with nostrils flared, and flinched when Elise gave a loud exhale. The small dinosaur backed away as she checked to make sure her exit was clear before moving close to Elise again.

The Indominus remained perfectly still as the little nose repeatedly poked her, and she heard footsteps drawing nearer. Elise was sure the handler was looking for the little baby, but she didn't want to startle the longneck by moving or making a sound. Elise simply shut her eyes again; if the longneck wanted to continue to poke then good for her. It was no skin off Elise's nose if the baby left either.

Elise heard a startled gasp, and opened an eye to see the familiar curly hair at the doorway. She remembered that human, the mean one who called her a crooked jawed freak.

The human who did _not_ make Elise feel good about herself.

But Elise had to remind herself that violence was wrong here; this was a place of healing. She glanced back to the gaunt white woman who looked petrified; Elise was sure her name was Debra. Debra looked ready to collapse, and Elise wasn't exactly sure why. She felt another poke at her jaw, and Elise flickered her gaze over to the baby who seemed to be growing braver by the minute. The little one startled when Debra suddenly said, "No, no, no, no! Please don't eat the baby!"

Elise had no intent of eating a baby. It was wrong to eat dinosaurs living here, and it was very wrong to eat any human. She knew this, Owen taught it to her, and she abided by those rules. Elise startled when the baby tripped over her own legs, and the lanky dinosaur crashed into the hard ground. The Indominus raised her head with as she blinked at the baby, and Debra paled even more; she almost looked whiter than Elise.

Elise didn't think the little longneck would take kindly to being helped up; she would probably scare her more, and that made Elise a little sad. However, the baby Apatosaurus untangled her legs before sticking her rump in the air. She moved her front legs up with little grace before finally standing again. Elise made a soft garble that made the baby jump, and Debra cautiously walked over as she held an orange stick in her hand. Elise had never seen anything like it, but the baby was enticed by the apparent treat. The curly haired handler never took her eyes off the Indominus as she slowly backed away with the little dinosaur following her faithfully. Elise blinked when they rounded the corner, and she glanced to the side of her when the door opened. Owen strolled out looking victorious, and he said, "Found it. Cause any trouble?"

Elise didn't think she did, but Debra had looked absolutely terrified of her. She garbled at Owen as she shook her head. No blood had been spilled, and no one died. Owen chuckled at her as he hobbled up the stairs before huffing. He winced at his complaining body as he sighed, "Ah, Sunshine, I feel old. I hate to see myself when I'm seventy."

Owen actually didn't think he would get that far. He was pretty sure he would get killed on this island somehow, but he didn't concern himself with that at the moment. He was sure it would upset Elise.

The Indominus tilted her head as she blinked at him, but her eyes lit up when Owen started to run the warm, sudsy water down her grimy scales. She liked to be clean, and she loved the sweet smell that filled the air. Owen gave a light smile as he hosed her down. Simple things never failed to make his tough baby happy. Showers, colorful scribbles, hugs, children, and a jar of American soil.

She was a simply complex creature, but she was getting easier to understand. He had taught her more sign, and she even taught him more calls with the resonating chamber. She knew how to hold the bare basics of a conversation, and Owen knew how to demand the raptors' attention.

It was an eyes on me order.

Elise continued to scrub herself before Owen switched to rinse her off. The bubbles washed away to reveal the snow scales beneath, and Elise looked much happier as she crooned at him. Owen only chuckled when Elise gave herself a good shaking, and the water dropplets rained everywhere. She gave a wide yawn, displaying her teeth impressively, and both startled at hearing another voice echoing in the quiet room. Owen raised an eyebrow at the suit, and Claire looked downright irritated.

"Now _that_ is what I call an Untamable _King!"_


	42. Chapter 42

**A/N**

 **Sorry for the short chapter guys, it was a lot harder to write than I thought.**

 **Thank you for all the reviews! I really do appreciate all of them! Have a great day/night you guys!**

* * *

"…Smell of Death."

Elise stared at the blonde man with a wide, enthused grin on his face. He had forgotten about anyone else as he raked over every detail on her form, and she wasn't sure what to make of the impressed whistle when he caught sight of her injuries.

"My God, look at you! Already have a few battles under your belt, huh?"

Claire stiffened when Bridges fearlessly walked over to Elise as he got a better look at the long, scarring gash on her leg, but he wasn't dumb enough to touch her. Owen curled his lip from the top of the platform; he had already been informed of Elise's apparent hiring in the ACU. He wasn't happy about it, but he knew Claire had her hands tied. He resisted the urge to hose Bridges down when the man exclaimed, "Truly a remarkable creation."

Elise glanced at Owen for a little help before a slight breeze shifted, and she immediately curled her lip.

Something nearby had been dead for a few days it seemed. It was the worst kind of rotting flesh that had baked in the sun for a few days before bursting at the gut. Luckily, it seemed to be coming from a smaller animal, but her sensitive nose still tried to shut the stench out.

She turned her crimson gaze back to the blonde man when he purred at Owen, "And the famous tamer himself; truly a modern day David in the lions' den story. Taming the Untamable."

Owen wanted to rub his eyes tiredly; he found Vic's long lost brother it seemed. Vic was always prattling about how Owen was brilliant for being able to outsmart the 'Swift Thief'; it was like an obsession that hadn't ended well. Vic just hadn't comprehended that they were animals with vastly different, dangerous personalities that rarely heeded their species' name. Blue was a Velociraptor, not a swift thief; it wasn't her nature. Blue was cunning, calculating, bold, and fiery. She didn't thieve swiftly, she bullied until it was given to her.

And now Bridges seemed focused on the alluring temptations of conquering a dinosaur whose name meant Untamable King. Elise wasn't that; she was soft and fluffy. Adorable, and almost childish at times. She didn't seek power over others, but didn't shy from a position of power if she could justify it.

But Owen wasn't exactly ready to forget the image of Elise before she was Elise. When she truly heeded the name of an Indominus Rex.

An Untamable King who easily stripped away the illusion of control from arrogant humans who thought themselves higher on the food chain than what they really were.

"I didn't tame Elise; I gave her the respect she deserved."

Owen was serious when he said he never tamed Elise. It wasn't taming when she decided to follow him instead of continuing her rampage. He felt like he had simply educated her about the world, and she decided she liked it. He felt like she had mellowed, and grown kinder, but it didn't feel right to apply the word 'tame' to Elise.

Because there was still enough Velociraptor in her that Owen would go to sleep wondering which part of her took over in moments of panic; times when Elise would react without thinking.

He wouldn't consider her tame if it was the raptor.

Maybe the word tame just brought about the wrong impression to him; Owen thought of a dog when he heard the word tame. Owen felt like a tame animal wouldn't consider eating him when he gave an order the dog wouldn't like. He knew Elise wouldn't eat him, but he knew he still had to be careful around his girls.

Would Elise snap into killing someone if they were cruel enough to her? Owen knew that wasn't a fair question that would pop into his head. Everyone had their breaking point, but there was prejudice with Elise; she looked like a dinosaur. If Owen killed someone, he would be a murderer. If Elise killed someone, would she be considered the same or a wild animal?

Bridges smirked; he didn't care about how Owen went about it. He cared about the end result; he was a business man through and through.

"But she does what you say."

Owen pushed himself off the platform railing, and retorted, "When she agrees with it; she is her own self. I'm just…a parent basically; when Rexy gets tired of her."

Elise puffed air onto Owen, and he chuckled before squirting her shoulder in retaliation. Bridges seemed to be contemplating that as he continued to look over Elise. He backed up when the Indominus turned around, and Owen hosed down the healing leg. Bridges remained wary of the misting water, but he wasn't at all shy about walking around the large creature. He furrowed his brows at the ribs before asking, "How did you get those slashes?"

Claire had to smile at Bridges' baffled stare when Elise raised her hand, and made the 'L' with her fingers before taking her fingers, and closing them like mouth before tapping her snout twice. Bridges didn't know what to say, and Owen burst out laughing at the inside joke; he truly loved Elise like his own. Her humor was always refreshing to him.

"I'm afraid I don't see what's funny, Mr. Grady."

Owen wiped his eye as he grinned at his girl. He wanted to help her learn the alphabet better, so he taught Elise how to name people. He knew a deaf person was supposed to assign the names, but there wasn't a deaf community here; they had plenty of deaf guests, but Owen didn't know anyone that worked here who was deaf. Granted he didn't look.

Elise had lots of fun with it, and she was all the more eager to expand her vocabulary in order to name everyone. Owen had seen the video of Lilly dragging Elise into the water, and he couldn't help laughing at her absolutely terrified expression when she dragged herself out. He had been biting his nails the whole time, but her face had just been too priceless; it was the face of someone who knew they had made a terrible mistake. He had poked fun at her, and Elise was glad to have something to laugh about.

They lived through the ordeal, it was terrifying, and now they could laugh about the stupid mistakes they made because they were alive. It relieved tension Elise wasn't aware of, and she named Lilly first because she was the first creature Elise truly believed to be at the very tip top of the food chain. Everything else to Lilly could be food. Even Rexy.

So Lilly was named food because it was easy to remember, and Elise didn't know any other words that would be appropriate.

"It's nothing, she was just answering your question. Lilly is the one who did that."

Bridges raised an eyebrow as he asked, _"Lilly?"_

Claire felt her mouth pull up in a smile as Elise and Owen shared a mischievous glance, but she answered, "Our Mosasaur, Mr. Bridges. She has a name."

Owen had never thought twice about it, but apparently it seemed shocking that their Mosasaur was named Lilly. He didn't see much irony in it. It was a water flower, and the Mosasaur was a creature of the water. He would see irony if Lilly had been name Cuddles, or Squeaker, maybe even Nemo, but he let people think what they wanted.

Owen shut the hose off before making the seemingly long trek down the stairs. Elise garbled at him, and Owen only patted her nose before walking over to the large foot. It looked better without the dirt in it, and he didn't think it would need stitches. It would certainly hurt, and he glanced up as he asked, "Want it covered like your hand?"

Elise nodded, and Bridges crossed his arms when he asked, "What's wrong with her hand?"

Claire walked over before stretching an arm up, and Elise gently pushed her talon into the hand. Claire smiled as she pulled the hand down before the palm splayed to reveal the single slash, and Owen answered, "Elise is a smart girl; she lured Lilly away with blood."

Bridges looked legitimately impressed, but Elise didn't think she liked this man. There was something wrong with him. He looked hungry for lack of a better word. She didn't care for the dangerous glint in the icy, blue eyes.

Claire didn't like him either, and Elise trusted Claire to know good from bad. This human was bad, but Claire gestured to him as she said, "Elise, this is Mr. Bridges; he's in charge of InGen."

Elise narrowed her eyes as she snorted; it was no wonder Claire didn't like him. He was leading the people who wanted to take her away. Now Elise really didn't like the man, and she felt a growl bubbling up her throat when the sly man purred, "A pleasure to finally meet you, my dear. I am Daemon Bridges; CEO of InGen."

Elise was very suspicious of this man; he was not normal. He was not in fear of her. He was in awe of her power, and she didn't care for the way he seemed to scooch a little closer when he thought she wasn't looking. He wanted her power; craved it.

He didn't respect her.

But the man had shown absolutely no reason for her to kill him…yet. He had been very polite, and she would play his little game. Bridges paused when Elise extended a long talon towards him with an unreadable expression, and he almost smirked as he grabbed it fearlessly before shaking it.

"If only half the people I've met were as friendly as you."

Elise wasn't sure if he was really buying her 'friendliness', but she had no intention of giving herself away. Elise would feel better if he was out of the loop. She didn't like the air around him, the way he stood, talked, acted, and she lowered her head to get a good look at him.

Claire paused when Elise's pupil seemed to slit more thinly than normal as she assessed Bridges. She didn't blink, and kept her gaze on him as she took in the scent.

Elise wanted to curl her lip; he was what had died. Bridges smelled like a rotting corpse.

 _He was a liar._

Humans always carried the scents of their strongest emotions. Elise had quickly learned that much from her interactions. Children smelled clean, warm, and happy adults still carried that scent. Angry humans smelled like ash, they smelled hot, and the sad ones smelled bitter. Liars always carried the putrid smell on their breath like poison, but Elise had never smelled anyone like this.

She was smelling a walking corpse that had yet to decompose; she wanted to bury him, and she was disturbed by the perfectly white teeth the man possessed when he smiled at her. It was wrong; he was wrong.

Bridges was bad.

But Elise wasn't allowed to kill humans here; it was wrong, and Owen would get in trouble. She wouldn't trust this man, but she would tolerate him. She hoped he would go away, never to return.

Bridges kept his relaxed posture as he said, "Now, I'm sure Miss Dearing here has explained to you how there was a possibility of you being taken away from this island, but we've settled that. I've seen the videos of you interacting with the guests, but the deal was sealed when I saw you rescuing Mr. Grady. I think it's very clear that you wish to spend the rest of your life here."

Elise gave a firm nod; Bridges seemed to be speaking the truth. She was glad he wasn't in the mood to try taking her off this island because she would swim right back. She didn't want to leave; she was staying right here with her family.

The blonde man in the perfectly pressed suit seemed to have a ghost of a smile on his face when he said, "However, I can't just walk away empty handed; the world doesn't work like that. I managed to convince my people to…back off if I could convince you to participate in some research we are doing."

Elise wanted to tell the man he was lucky to walk away period. If Owen wasn't so important to her, she would have smooshed this man without a second thought.

He needed to be buried.

Bridges didn't seem to notice the Indominus' quiet thinking, but he continued, "Now I had invested quite a bit of money in creating you and your sibling, but the point of my investment was to create a dinosaur that could be trained; plain and simple."

Owen stared at the man when he made the briefest pause; Owen didn't like any of this, but Bridges merely said, "If I can come up with research to prove that you are trainable, then I will get my investment back, and we can go our separate ways."

Elise didn't break eye contact with the man as she took that in. She supposed this human would be most concerned with dirty paper, but she wasn't sure if she wanted to dink around with this kind of training. Something still seemed off, but this human was good with his poker face; she would give him that much.

"I just wanted to meet you so I can provide men who will get along with you best. They'll prove you can be trained, I get my investment, and you'll become much more valuable to this park."

Elise flickered her gaze over to Claire. This was news she would have liked to hear sooner, but she wasn't going to give anything of her personality away. She didn't want this corpse to see her home or her family. She didn't like this.

Bridges was bad, and he needed a burial.

The man gave a hearty chuckle that didn't sound humored to Elise, and Bridges said, "Loosen up a little, Sweetheart; I know you probably aren't too keen on being trained, but it won't be bad, I promise."

Elise cocked her crimson eye at him when Bridges suddenly raised his hand as he innocently said, "I can go to my maker tonight, and tell him the same thing, Sweetheart. Nobody gets away with lying to the man upstairs."

The snowy dinosaur gave no reaction to the man as she stared at the raised hand. She had a feeling his validity was not quite where she wanted it to be, but Bridges smiled good naturedly as he added, "Sweetheart, I swear on my mother's grave, my first Bible, and holy Jesus' name that this is purely research, and then we'll probably never see each other again after it's done."

Bridges paused to give Claire a glance, and she clenched her jaw. Elise looked at Owen before lowering her head back down to Bridges' level. He seemed slightly confused when she carefully inhaled the scent around him; sorting through the decay.

A slight whiff a fresh air; by all things good, a truth had just passed by Bridges' lips. Elise could fall over, but she brought her head back up out of his reach. She didn't want to tempt him into trying to pet her; she just had a bath.

"I think we'll have fun with this, what do you think, Sweetheart?"

Elise wanted to tell Bridges to go bury himself; he needed to go back to the earth. It sent shivers down her spine how he smelled so wrong, so putrid.

So dead.

But Claire gave a pleading glance to the dinosaur, and Elise supposed this was the life she had chosen for herself. She would not be selfish when Alpha Claire asked for her help. Elise could not simply take from the pack, not when she was also an Alpha. She had a responsibility to this island as well. She had to work with the other Alphas to protect the island.

And she had caught the challenge in his tone; there was a battle of some sort between them. Elise wasn't quite sure what it was just yet, but she wasn't going to back down. She wouldn't yield to this man.

She would bury him.

Elise gave a single nod; they would have fun with one another.

Bridges gave a wide grin that seemed a little too tight, it was too practiced to Elise, but she only gave her own wide grin. She wished it would have scared Bridges, and she was disappointed when he only chuckled at her before waggling a finger for her playfulness. Elise knew her smile would have scared the life out of anyone when she wanted it to.

But she didn't think her malicious grin could exactly scare the life out of something that was already dead.

She never had to deal with a walking corpse before, and she wondered why the body hadn't decomposed with all the poisonous lies sickening the tissue.

Maybe she would get lucky, and Bridges would fall apart suddenly.

The wind shifted again, and Elise curled her lip as she turned away to press her nose into Owen. The good smells of earth, fresh air, and pack filled her nose. Owen smelled good, he smelled happy, alive, and warm.

Owen was good.

Bridges was bad.

Bridges needed to be buried.


	43. Chapter 43

**A/N**

 **Hey guys! How's life? I hope it's good!**

 **Anyways, thesecondoreo, I don't know why I found your comment fitting, but I did.**

 **As far as this chapter's title goes, this is the title of a song by Hozier. Yes that was intentional; I found it fitting of Bridges. I don't own the song.**

 **Thank you much and mighty for your reviews! Much love to all you beautiful people! Have a good day/night!**

* * *

"Arsonist's Lullaby."

"Elise! I love you!"

The child gave a loud kiss on the snowy cheek, and Owen felt himself go soft at the warmth turning the crimson eyes a gentle cinnamon. Elise never grew tired of the bestowed love in its purest form. An almost ache where it threatened to burst the chest with the warmest of feelings and painted the world with the most vivid of colors.

Owen loved Elise like that, and he knew she felt the same. He wasn't sure if that was parental love, but he simply knew this was a pure love.

A precious treasure.

The white dinosaur made a low, soft croon that sent the child skittering away with a delighted laugh. Happy, chiming bells that were always a welcome sound in the air.

Elise loved how the room smelled when it was filled with children, and their happy smells were almost enough to dilute the smell of death.

Almost.

It was odd to watch the man out of the corner of her eye; when he thought no one was looking. His demeanor changed; he almost looked dead. The icy blue eyes turned dark and flat, and the pale skin looked unhealthy. He continued to fiddle with something in his pocket; seemingly turning it over and over.

Or he was simply standing in a particularly dark spot in the room; the lightbulb above him had flickered before dying not long after he had claimed that small spot against the wall as his own. Elise wasn't exactly sure what that meant, but she knew it wasn't very good. She didn't like how the children would create an arc around him as they walked by; it disturbed her how they seemed unaware of what they were doing.

Bridges was tall, almost lanky, but the lean muscle gave him shape. Elise knew he was handsome by human standard; the females here liked to stare at him frequently. How could they not smell Death's strong cloak around him? Elise wondered if Owen could smell the decay; Claire would curl her lip like she could. Claire was standing across from Owen, and away from Bridges.

Blue was on edge below her; she could smell the dead one with a beating heart. It was what Blue had named him. Dead One. She was pacing around Elise's feet as she waited for one excuse to rip the Dead One apart. She was nervous enough to make Echo move much further into the ferns, and Delta was to remain hidden as well. Elise didn't want Bridges to see how big her family was; she didn't want him to see anything about her family.

But Blue would never yield without very good reason; she would defy Death, and she would not run at his mere scent. She was staying close to her Alphas in case they needed help. Elise would admit she was grateful for the raptor's presence; Blue was not going to abandon them.

She would be the first into a fight, and the last one to leave.

Elise glanced to the side of her when Owen smiled as he said, "Thank you for stopping by, ladies and gentlemen. I hope you enjoy your visit here."

As always, the most enthused children darted forward to give one more declaration of love to the white dinosaur before returning to relaxed parents; adults simply grateful for finding an attraction that was in a shady spot and kept their children's attention. Elise gave the vibrating, almost purr that never failed to entice smiles, and she rested her head on the cement as the guests trickled out. Her gaze fell to a particularly bouncy, adorable toddler teetering next to her mother. The sky blue dress with colorful flowers stitched on made Elise grow soft before the toddler suddenly tripped and fell onto the cement.

And a polished black shoe retracted back underneath its owner before the mother could even look down.

Elise saw red when the small girl began to cry, and the rawness of scraped knees showed themselves. Flat, blue eyes immediately flickered to Elise, and the Indominus stiffened. She curled her lip in anger as the crooked grin was but a mere ghost in the dark light. It quickly hid itself when the mother glanced up, and Bridges made a sympathetic face as he continued to lean against the wall.

Refusing to claim his cruel deed of tripping a child.

Owen jumped when Elise snapped her jaws, but she didn't growl; no growling in the presence of a child. The toddler gave a sniffle, and Elise made a soft croon when the child looked at her. She would never sleep well again if she scared a child. Children were a blessing, and Elise would never take them for granted; she would comfort and protect them only.

The mother gave a soft smile at Elise for being concerned, but she could handle it. The toddler was comforted by her mother's tender kisses, and a little hand waved goodbye to Elise.

The Indominus waited for the footsteps to fade before she snapped her livid, burning gaze into Bridges. The man blinked innocently as her, and Elise gave a hushed snarl at him.

"What?"

Bridges truly acted like he had done nothing wrong, and Elise was briefly fooled until that crooked grin ghosted once more. Elise curled her lip higher as she brought her clawed hand into the room. Bridges kept his attentive gaze on the hand when Elise snapped her fingers shut like a mouth as she gave a firm shake of her head.

" _ **No."**_

Bridges got the message, but he gave a slight shrug as he said, "Sweetheart, I don't know what you're talking about. The kid tripped over her own feet; honest to God."

" _ **No."**_

"Would I lie to you, Sweetheart? I swear on Jesus' holy name.

Owen darkened as he flickered his gaze between his tough baby and the blonde man. Elise looked ready to snap the man in half, and Bridges looked like he was having fun with this.

"Don't antagonize Elise for a reaction. Back off."

Bridges seemed startled that Owen butted into the argument, and Elise didn't like how the icy eyes turned dark with irritation. Elise gave another snap of her jaws in warning before he flickered his gaze back to her. They darkened with mischief before Bridges retorted, "Look, I can't help if some snotty kid trips in front of me, Sweetheart. They're klutzy things, kind of like your handler over there."

Owen blinked at the insult, but Elise bristled as the smoldering crimson gaze threatened to burst into the raw, bloody fire. She was going to drag him out of here, and dangle him in the trees for the cawing black birds to peck his eyes out. She would bury him a blind man, and hope the sweet earth could suck the poison from his filthy corpse.

If not, she would simply pile more dirt on him; deem him a lost cause.

It wasn't until that crooked grin just couldn't contain itself that Elise paused. He looked excited, not terrified; he wanted her to lose her temper, but she didn't know why. Elise was disgusted by this human who had the audacity to bring an innocent child into their little battle. She would not tolerate this; it was unacceptable.

Bridges relished this attention from her, and she would not be giving it.

The blonde man lost his smile when Elise's expression became unreadable, and she slowly backed away. The Indominus refused to look at him as she tenderly scooped up her human before puffing air onto the redhead. Claire startled when Elise slid her window shut, and set Owen on the ground.

"Sweetheart?"

Claire stared at Bridges when he walked over to the window. Elise's head was still visible as she stared directly in front of her with the log to the side of her, and the business man tapped on the glass; confused by this move.

"Hey, Sweetheart, come on; we can work this out. Talk to me."

Elise gave absolutely no indication of Bridges' existence, but she did glance down when Owen's muffled voice drifted up. Bridges banged on the glass with a little more force as he snapped, "Hey! Sweetheart! Elise! Don't ignore me!"

Claire raised an eyebrow when Bridges suddenly growled, "Open this window."

It wasn't until he snapped his light, icy blue eyes at her that Claire realized he had just barked an order at her. Claire stiffened as she stood taller before coolly saying, "Mr. Bridges, I will not provide you an opportunity to further insult my most patient dinosaur or her hot tempered caregiver."

Bridges turned to face her fully with a dangerous look, and Claire would admit he was very intimidating. A dark look seemed to shade his flat eyes when he lowered his brows in a deep frown.

But Rexy wouldn't back down, and neither would Claire.

She only stood taller like her Mama would, and she firmly said, "Let me remind you that you are here as a guest, and we haven't signed any papers finalizing our settlement. Do not push me."

Bridges paused when he caught the threat. Claire didn't know why he was against the DNA test, but it would be her leverage against him. She would take him to court with the lab results, and she would fill her labs with a new generation of geneticists who would be loyal to her. Jurassic World had been content to lean on another company to provide the dinosaurs. InGen owned the machines, but Claire was willing to make an investment to make her company fully independent.

She intended to do that regardless of Bridges' decisions. He was too dangerous, and Claire didn't want another muck up. She didn't want to be at the mercy of another company.

Claire always hated how quickly Bridges could snap out of his current mood; the swings were harsh enough to give whiplash, and he reverted back to his charming, sweet self.

He wasn't ready to show his colors.

Bridges cleared his throat as he purred, "I…apologize for that. It wasn't my place. I would just hate to leave on a bad note with her."

Claire flickered her gaze over to Elise, and felt a little better when she realized the Indominus was carefully watching. Elise knew she would be provoking him somehow, but she wouldn't leave Claire alone to deal with the temper.

Bridges gave a small sniff as he shoved his hand into a pocket before fiddling with something in it. Claire briefly wondered if the man would pull out a gun to shoot her, but the pocket was far too small for that. Bridges gave a much gentler knock on the clear window as he called out, "It's fine, Sweetheart; we'll figure it out later. We'll finish this conversation when you're ready. I'm not mad at you, okay?"

Claire had to work very hard to hide her grimace; this was not normal. She knew people reacted differently to something new, but Bridges was…acting creepy for lack of a better word. She would never talk to a stranger like that, and Elise was a stranger to Bridges.

The Indominus gave no indication of hearing Bridges, and the man let out a humored huff. A smile tugged his thin lips into a crooked smile, and he turned back to Claire with a shake of his head. Claire suddenly wished Elise had snapped Bridges, but the man only good naturedly said, "It seems I've worn out my welcome; shame on me."

Claire hid behind her poker face, and Bridges checked his watch before saying, "I should get out of your hair then, Miss Dearing. We'll get the papers signed, and InGen will get right back to work."

The redhead gave a nod before the man gave another glance at Elise to see if she was ready to acknowledge him, but the dinosaur hadn't moved an inch. She was completely oblivious to his existence. Bridges gave another chuckle as he walked out, and Claire paused before following.

She didn't feel good with him wandering her park unsupervised.

* * *

"Yeesh, anyone else want to say troubled childhood?"

Vivian pressed her lips as she silently nodded at Lowery's exclamation. He glanced around the Control Room before staring at the Security section. Vivian was already ahead of him, and began to talk into her mic.

She wanted security guards to keep an eye on the two CEO's walking through the streets. Vivian made up a reason, but Lowery was grateful to see the protective, blue uniforms moving across the several different cameras. He was glad for the amount of security here.

Lowery leaned back into his chair as he scratched at his jaw; he could feel the stubble growing, but he turned his gaze back to the side of him. The Manella folder was already filled with paperwork, and he was excited to get the job started.

This was going to be an awesome hologram.

It was going to take a couple weeks to make if he didn't run into major problems; he hadn't met his help yet, but Claire had cut his shifts short by three hours to focus on making Elise's hologram. He would be head of a small amount of people, and that was fine. He could get this done easily.

He needed physical data first, and he intended to collect that after meeting his little team. There would probably be two other people, three at most. Claire was effective at creating projects that could be managed by as few people as possible.

But Lowery still had another hour of work to go, so he would focus on that. He didn't want to be caught slacking. He had been given a second chance, and he intended to prove himself.

Things were pleasantly normal as Control worked quietly, and Lowery would admit he was happy with it. It was nice to have a little peace though he found it funny how Owen was being tackled by his raptors as they rubbed their bodies against him.

Owen must have smelled funny to them.

The Control paused when someone in the front suddenly asked, "You know what? Bridges said something that really bugged me. It's not David and the lions' den, it's _Daniel."_

Lowery raised an eyebrow as he said, "So? Not everyone knows the Bible; they're close names."

The man twisted in his chair, and furrowed his brows before replying, "Yeah, but for a guy who's willing to make that many promises on 'Jesus' holy name', don't you think he'd know his stuff a little better? He sounded like a little bit of a religious fanatic to me at first…"

Lowery pressed his lips at that, but he didn't want to doddle on it. He scratched at his head before saying, "I don't think he's the first businessman to hide behind a good name."

"He's a liar."

Lowery was quick to retort, "He was a lawyer; that job is all about lying and being the better debater in all honesty."

It was just another good job that had been turned upside down by the people with the most money. Men educated in the law were hired to protect citizens from mistakes. Now it was who could convince twelve, tired people to give them their vote.

It was just a big debate.

But Lowery would agree that Bridges looked like a liar.

* * *

"Alright, alright! Off, Blue! I'm serious!"

Owen spluttered when the meaty breath assaulted his nostrils as the raptor ran her rough tongue over his cheek again. His face felt raw from the rough scrubbing, and he had no idea what had gotten into Blue. She had never done this before, and he had thought she was trying to eat him at first.

It wasn't all that pleasant to see the gaping maw full of ivories coming right at his face. Then the rough scratching; it was like she was trying to clean him, and Owen didn't understand it. Another rough swipe made Owen plant his hands on the raptor's chest before firmly pushing her away as he said, _"Stop."_

Elise let out a humored snort as Blue gave a huff through her nostrils. She carefully tasted the air around Owen before she went back into the brush. His scent had been mostly cleaned of the Dead One's. Owen wiped his face with his arm before giving Elise a dry look.

"Did Bridges really trip that little kid?"

Elise gave a firm nod, and Owen didn't question it. He trusted Elise; she wouldn't lie to him. He had no idea why Bridges would do that, even Vic hadn't tried to provoke the girls. Barry had said the man had tried to establish a connection with them.

Bridges didn't do that, and for once in his life, Owen found himself wondering if he had the misfortune to meet someone a little crazier than Vic. Vic had been crazy for wanting to use the girls in warfare, and he was crazy for wanting to use the girls to hunt down Elise.

But never had Vic intentionally riled up the girls.

It seemed like that was what Bridges had wanted, but how far did he want to push Elise? Owen wasn't that kind of a gambler. Wasn't Bridges afraid of irritating Elise to the point of snapping? Owen would have been afraid of that.

"I'm glad you didn't lose your temper, Sunshine."

Elise snorted before making the 'Y' with her hand, and sliding it back and forth between her and Owen.

' _Me too.'_

Owen chuckled at her as he glanced at him girls. He was glad to see they had mostly calmed down; Blue had calmed down. She was the one who had make the thick trail around Elise's feet, and he glanced back at Elise before asking, "Want to learn more sign?"

' _Yes!'_

Owen laughed; warmed by her enthusiasm, and he slowly sat in a pile of ferns.

"Alright, let's work on the alphabet again… _Sweetheart."_

Maybe Owen was a little more comfortable with poking fun at Elise than he should have been, but it was still funny when the Indominus narrowed her eyes before flipping him off.

* * *

"Thank you again for your hospitality, Miss Dearing."

Claire only gave a stiff nod as she glanced at the waiting helicopter. Bridges gave his winning smile before adding, "I'll have my men picked out and sent over in the next few days; no need to keep Elise waiting."

"I appreciate your thoughtfulness."

Bridges chuckled before turning to get into his chopper. Claire squinted her eyes against the strong gust of wind as it lifted into the air, and she gave a sigh of relief when the chopper flew off. Bridges always made her tired, and she wanted to spend time with her nephews today.

But she still could, and maybe she could get another movie night with Elise too.

A third date with Owen.

Claire gave a small smile to herself as she began to walk away before suddenly pausing. She stared at the chopper flying away as she realized something.

Bridges hadn't pushed for a dinner.

And he hadn't made a pass at her.

Claire wasn't sure if that was a blessing or not, but she couldn't stop the shiver from going up her spine. Maybe she should have let Rexy eat the man.

But she didn't want Rexy to get sick.

* * *

"Everything went well?"

Bridges adjusted himself as he dug into his pocket before pulling out the deep red rectangular comfort. He turned it over in his hand as he nodded before answering, "Wonderful, I met the most interesting woman today."

The dark haired assistant blinked his brown eyes, and asked, "What about the Indominus?"

"Elise. She has a name; I think it's a pretty name."

Bridges pretended not to notice his assistant as he began to rub his thumb along the length of the deep red. It was a simple object, but it could always be found in his pocket. It was a comfort.

"Are we still going to try and take her to Isla Sorna?"

Bridges pressed his lips as he contemplated that, but shook his head as he answered, "No. She's untouchable as far as I'm concerned. She's too famous, too many people adore her. It would be like taking Koko the gorilla and trying to use her for experiments. People would throw a fit. Besides, I like Elise; she's fun."

Bridges smiled as he flipped the red around before pressing his thumb on the rough wheel. A sharp click was heard, and the lighter made a small, orange flame. Bridges liked to stare at fire, it calmed him down, and helped him think. The small flame danced around enticingly as the blonde said, "She already agreed to the training; we'll use that data."

"But tha-"

The flame went out, and Bridges snapped, "They don't know that, and that's where Hart comes in."

His assistant nodded, and Bridges huffed as he clicked the calming flame back to life. He could already feel the soothing warmth washing over his bones as muscles relaxed at the glowing orange. He ignored the bumping of the chopper, and suddenly asked, "How is Clementine doing? Did she like the gift?"

"Yes; she called to say thank you."

Bridges gave a wide smile as he sank into his chair. He continued to stare at the flame as he said, "I want flowers sent to her by tomorrow morning. Nothing too over the top, but don't get cheap. Make sure those flowers are her favorite color. Purple."

"Yes, Sir."

"She's important; I want her happy."

"Of course."

Bridges glanced out the window to see some seagulls flying nearby; he didn't care for birds, but he loved dinosaurs. Elise was a lot of fun; she was a spitfire.

Bridges loved fire; it was powerful, and he suddenly gave a chuckle.

"Ah, she's got those people so fooled."

The assistant blinked before asking, "Who?"

Bridges snorted as he pointed his thumb at the disappearing island, and answered, "Elise. That is an Indominus Rex, an Untamable King, and she's playing those guests with her adorable colors. Smart girl she is; she has all those people wrapped around her finger. I don't think that old T-Rex is the King anymore; I think Elise is."

His assistant scrunched his nose before quietly asking, "Don't you mean queen?"

Bridges raised an eyebrow, and asked, "Do you know what the word rex means?"

"I, um…"

"It's Latin for king. Tyrannosaurus Rex is 'king of the tyrant lizards'. Indominus Rex is Untamable King. Elise is an Untamable King. She's no _Regina._ Do you know what that means?"

"…Queen?"

Bridges nodded as he turned his icy gaze back to the flame.

"She is a King, plain and simple. Don't you think there's a little more power to the word king? I don't care if she's female, and I bet she can wipe out a T-Rex no problem if she has the right motivation. She's got a temper on her, Jacky, and it's exciting. She's smart though; she's going to keep me on my toes."

Jack didn't reply to that, and Bridges was fine with that. He knew Elise would be fascinating, but he never expected this challenge out of her. She was like fire. She was a little flame around her loved ones, but Bridges was willing to bet it would be a grand time when that little flame decided to become a raging fire.

Fire was powerful and unpredictable. As far as Bridges was concerned, Elise was the same thing.

And Bridges loved fire.


	44. Chapter 44

**A/N**

 **Hey guys! I'm really sorry about not posting yesterday; I hurt my back pulling a calf. I know I don't type with my back, but I just wanted to sleep.**

 **Anyways, Unknown reviewer, and everyone else, feel free to call me Skulls because I know SkullsandDuggery is pretty long to type.**

 **Thank you much and mighty for all your reviews! Please enjoy!**

* * *

"Booger!"

"Alright, Baby, I think we've done all the learning we can today, right?"

' _Yes.'_

Owen chuckled as he glanced around the clearing. He was sure Elise's fingers were aching from all the new words, and the ground looked like the ramblings of a crazy man. Random words and letters were scratched into the dirt. It was simple words though, Owen didn't feel like overwhelming Elise with learning. He needed to pace himself better, and he decided he would spend an hour a day just to simply learn with her. It astounded him how quickly she picked up things, but Owen certainly wouldn't complain.

He had started to show her basic commands she would probably see in her training. He actually wasn't sure how complicated things would get with her. He could see her being trained to track things down, maybe even look for drugs; Owen could see her doing that when things got particularly full at Jurassic World. He was sure she had an amazing sense of smell.

He wanted to test it out for himself, and he intended to ask Claire if he could help train her. He wasn't sure of the final details of this research was.

"How are we feeling, Sunshine? Better?"

Elise nodded as she shifted in the clearing before giving a wide yawn. Owen chuckled at the truth of it as he said, "It's been a busy day. Are you going to head back to Rexy pretty soon? I don't think you've seen her all day."

Elise gave another nod as she glanced at the raptors sprawled in the ferns. Blue was content to hide in the thickest brush, and Echo finally felt well enough to pace around a few times to stretch her legs out. Owen felt better at seeing his girl back to her normal self; he still wasn't sure how the bronze raptor had gotten ahold of coffee, but he was sure Jackie wouldn't make that mistake again.

They had already finished their last show for the day, and Owen was ready to go back to bed. Elise looked ready for sleep as well; it had been a busy day. Owen was still unsettled by Bridges' behavior, but he didn't want to talk about the guy with Elise. It just seemed to irritate her, and yet she knew how to neutralize him. He would have never guess that ignoring the man would fluster him.

Elise was a smart girl, and Owen was glad for that.

He gave a gentle pat on the scaled nose before smiling at the soft puff of air; it was odd. He almost didn't smell the meat on her breath anymore. Owen wondered if it was because he had grown used to it, but it didn't bother him any. He knew his senses weren't dulling because he could smell Blue's breath easily.

"Mind giving me a lift up?"

Elise garbled at him before tenderly scooping him into a warm palm. He adjusted the bandage on her injured palm, and smiled when she gave him a grateful look. They both glanced at Owen's hip when it crackled, and Elise actually ducked under the window to avoid any possible bad news or jobs. Owen snorted at her, but he raised an eyebrow when Claire said, "Owen, you really need a cellphone."

Owen rolled his eyes as he pulled the radio off his hip, and said, "I'm not exactly in the mood to pay that kind of a bill. Hey, why couldn't Verizon sponsor some better coverage out here instead of a dinosaur?"

Claire paused, and Owen knew she was trying to hide that half smile, before she answered, "I think you're just being cheap."

"I know you didn't radio me just to call me cheap, Miss Dearing."

Owen couldn't stop a crooked grin from tugging his lip, and he mimicked Bridges' voice as he purred, "Has Mr. Grey left yet?"

For some reason, the businessman just reminded Owen of the creepy, power greedy Christian Grey. He wasn't sure if it was the suit or just the way he talked, but he had a creepy vibe that didn't settle well with him.

He grinned widely when he just knew Claire was rubbing her forehead tiredly, and she retorted, "I didn't think you to be a Fifty Shades of Grey fan. Is that why you tried so hard to get me into your bungalow?"

Owen pressed his lips before saying, "Okay, I set myself up for that one, and the answer is no."

"So did you read the books or watch the movie?"

He avoided the question by asking, "Hey, want to grab a quick dinner tonight? Maybe we can avoid a hospital trip this time."

Claire gave a short laugh that made Owen smile, and she slyly said, "I shall not. Not until you answer my question."

Owen huffed as he peered out the window to catch Elise's gaze. The Indominus blinked at him, and Owen exclaimed, "Are you hearing this, Baby? She's twisting my arm mercilessly! Tell Claire she's being mean."

Elise snorted at the offered radio, and she gently set herself down into the brush before stretching out. Owen swore he saw an amused smile tugging at the scaled lips. He rolled his eyes fondly as he said to Claire, "She's busy, but she thinks you're mean."

Owen ignored the garble from below, and he pressed his lips when Claire said, "I'm waiting for the answer, Mr. Grady."

"…I read the book, okay? But I didn't even read all of it! I stopped when I had to look up what the color _Communist Manifesto_ was."

"What color do you think her face was turning? It wasn't turning green."

Owen blinked before pointing at the radio victoriously as he exclaimed, "Aha! You read it too!"

He grinned widely, and Claire paused before saying, "So, what I wanted to tell you…"

Owen started to laugh; she was the only one who could get away with that, and it made his day. Claire challenged him like no one else, and he loved it. He thought he had her figured out, but she was full of surprises.

Resistant to his charm, fiercely independent, and could run like hell in those ridiculous shoes. Claire could be kind though, and Owen was amazed by her willingness to incorporate change. He wished so many people and dinosaurs hadn't been killed, but Elise's rampage had shaken Claire from her cold demeanor.

Owen peeked over the railing with a smile as he caught Elise's sleepy gaze. She looked so comfortable and content that it made Owen melt.

That was his baby. His tough baby happy and content as could be.

He couldn't stop from pointing at himself before crossing his arms over his chest and pointing at her. Elise made a delighted croon as she stretched in the clearing before half rolling on her back until Owen could see the white underbelly.

If that didn't melt his soul then Owen concluded that he had no soul. He was so focused on the adorableness that he almost didn't hear Claire say, "By the way, your father called."

Owen snapped his gaze to the radio with a startled, "Huh?!"

It had been a couple years since he had talked with his father; it wasn't like they had bad blood. They simply didn't get along. They accepted it, Owen knew he could call his father for help in anything, but their personalities simply didn't mesh well in a social environment. They still loved one another, but Owen was simply closer with his mother. Owen swore he could see Claire nodding before dryly saying, "He wants to know when you're going to give Rose a call. Who is Rose?"

Claire's tone wasn't suspicious, and Owen appreciated her for that. He really liked that she didn't assume anything, and he replied with a sheepish grin, "My niece."

"Do you know how old your niece is?"

Owen snorted as he proudly said, "Six. She's going to turn seven in…"

Owen paused as realization hit him. He slowly said, "Oh, crap. She's going to turn seven this month; a couple weeks. I haven't talked to my family in a while…"

And he hadn't mailed the storybook to her yet. He had actually read that one to Elise; she liked it. He hoped his niece would be willing to forgive the tardiness. He wasn't kidding when he said he didn't want to pay the phone bill, but he was pulled from his thoughts when Claire dryly said, "We have a Call Center you know. Employees can make phone calls and Skype; it's cheaper than having a cell phone. That's what Verizon was willing to sponsor."

Owen did know that, but he had been busy. He still Skyped with his deaf friend, Lisa, but he had just lost touch with his family. He didn't know if his sister had Skype, or his father for that matter. Claire must have known what he was thinking because she said, "Your father has a Skype, and he told me to tell you to give him a call. I have the info for you."

"How did my father get ahold of you?"

Claire snorted before she said, "He's good with calling the right people apparently. He just said he was the father of the idiot who tried to swim with the Mosasaur. He got connected to my office phone."

"Yeah, that sounds like Dad…"

Owen rubbed his face as he leaned against the wall, and Claire said, "Well, he really wanted you to call him tonight, and my nephews really wanted to do another movie night with us and Elise. I told them we could if you weren't too tired. They are leaving on tomorrow morning's cruise…"

He glanced out the window before giving a short, quiet whistle. Elise cracked open a crimson eye to glance at him, and Owen asked, "Want to watch more movies with Zach and Grey? They're leaving tomorrow."

Elise immediately knocked on the invisible door, and Owen smiled at her. It was so odd to think this creature accused of cannibalism, isolated for most of her life, and capable of sheer destructive terror was now part of his family. She was part of Claire's family.

She wasn't alone anymore, and that made Owen happy.

"Elise and I are up for it."

Owen knew Claire was smiling when he got that warm feeling in his stomach, and she said, "Good, but go call your father first. The boys are eating with their parents right now; we can start the movies when it gets a little later."

Owen supposed he didn't have anything else to do in order to kill time. He peered out the window again to wave at Elise before shutting the window. He could hear her garble a farewell to him, and Owen couldn't help his smile.

Elise was his baby girl, plain and simple. He loved her for it.

* * *

The Call Center always had people in it, but it was fairly quiet considering. It was always kept clean, and each computer or phone had its own little section for privacy. Owen was grateful for it, and he was even happier to see an unoccupied computer nearby.

He really was sore, and Blue had been rough with her cleaning. She actually tried to get him to play with her. Owen hadn't played with Blue for a long time, and he certainly didn't want to start again when he had broken ribs.

But he did miss playing with her; he had no doubt she would be able to pin him in no time flat.

Owen could only imagine what his father would have to say to him; nothing grated the old man's nerves worse than a stupid decision. Diving into Lilly's lagoon was very stupid.

But so was taking this job, and his father had made it very clear how much he disapproved of the idea. Owen wished he could have seen his father's face when he saw the leaked video of stopping Elise with a wave of his hand.

"My God, you look like shit."

Owen snorted as he cracked open his eyes to stare at the weather worn face of his old man. Years of excavation had given the rough skin a deep tan that contrasted quite dramatically with the white, short beard. The green eyes, behind sharp reading glasses, had always held a stern impatience about them, but Owen only cracked a smile as he retorted, "Well, Mom always said I got my looks from you."

His father snorted, but said, "Good to see you still have your wit. I was convinced you lost it, but you do look like someone beat the life out of you."

Owen chuckled as he ran a hand through his hair, and said, "I thought you had been tough on me. You have nothing on Blue."

"Blue?"

He couldn't stop the fond smile from pulling up his lips as he said, "My best girl. Blue's the Beta in my Velociraptor pack."

"Is she the one who fished your dumb ass out of the lagoon?"

Owen nodded, and his father shook his head before saying, "Good, and I hope she chewed you out for doing something that stupid. Your mother nearly burnt down her damn house lighting up candles while she prayed. She thanked Jesus up and down all night for giving you that raptor."

Owen could see that; his mother was a devote Catholic who kept a small rack of candles in her room. She promised she lit a candle for him every time she went to church.

"Is she lighting a candle for Blue as well?"

"And that white dinosaur that helped. Those two get their own candles and a special spot in heaven for having to make sure you don't die. God knows he couldn't pay his angels enough to keep up with your shenanigans."

Owen started laughing, and his father finally cracked a smile. They were ornery people who had a bad habit of goading each other on. It drove his mother crazy, but Owen found it funny. Owen gave a tired sigh before asking, "So what did you need to talk about?"

"Psh. I just saw the video of my son almost getting eaten by Jurassic World's Shamu rip off. What do you think? I want to know what the hell was going through that empty head of yours."

Owen pressed his lips before quietly saying, "I couldn't just watch that guy get eaten, Dad. I had to try..."

His father stared at him for a few seconds before sighing as he rubbed his eyes, and said, "You got a heart of gold, Owen, but it's going to get you killed someday."

"I really thought I could get him back to shore before Lilly showed up. I didn't think the guy would fight me, Dad."

"He fought you?"

Owen nodded, and his father furrowed wiry, white brows when he asked, "Why in God's name would he do that?"

Owen shrugged, wincing at the dull ache, and said, "I don't know. He just said he couldn't get caught. I have no idea by who though. I don't think he was talking about Blue; there's no way she's worse than facing a Mosasaur in water."

His father shook his head in confusion, and sighed, "People do the strangest things when they're cornered, Owen. Why was he running from you anyways? And why the hell did you set a Velociraptor, of all things, on him?"

Owen cringed; that really hadn't been his smartest move, and it was what had probably gotten the guy killed. Security had said the guy was headed straight for the fence when Blue tackled him, but the blood had definitely sealed the man's fate.

"A couple guys attacked me and Elise with paintballs. I thought it was the Petting Zoo, and one of the guys dropped his paintball gun. I wanted to compare the scents with Elise, but I guess Blue somehow caught the guy's scent too. She went right after him."

"Why didn't you call Blue off? Let Security take care of the guy? Surely a camera caught his face."

Owen shook his head in guilt and disagreement. In hindsight, he should have let the guy go to make sure Blue hadn't gone after any guests. He had simply trusted that she would follow him in a hunt of the guy who attacked them without a good reason. Blue hadn't done anything wrong. It had been a poor call on Owen's part.

"I had probably a little too much faith in my best girl, and cameras didn't catch shit. We have no idea who this guy is, and I doubt we can get anything after Lilly's done with him."

His father pressed his lips in thought as the green gaze wandered over the bruised face, and he finally said, "Nothing you can do about it then, I guess. Just keep thanking your higher power for giving you Blue to watch your ass."

Owen snorted; his father wasn't particularly religious. He liked to worship on the couch during the commercials on TV. His mother never liked that, but she wasn't a Bible thumper; she let her now ex-husband be. In turn, his father would go to church during special holidays.

But he was always quick to quietly complain to Owen about the Catholic service. Always standing then sitting on hard benches before kneeling while the priest prattled the same thing he did every service.

The Catholics gave no opportunity to fall asleep in church, no sir.

"Technically Dr. Wu created those girls. I'll thank him next time I see him."

His father rolled his eyes before pointing a knobby, crooked finger at him as he snapped, "Wu may have created those dinosaurs, but I know damn well he didn't create those personalities. Scientists can't comprehend that kind of stuff. Nope, I think this time you get to thank Jesus."

"I'll keep that in mind, Dad."

Owen chuckled at his father's snort, and the elder asked, "So, are you done with idiotic actions for a while? You rode the motorcycle with Velociraptors, you turned the Indominus into a kiddie attraction, and you went swimming with Free Willy or whatever. Have you pet the T-Rex yet? Is that on your list of 'Things I am going to do to give my poor mother a heart attack'?"

His father gave a stern look over his glasses when Owen scratched his head at the last part. Owen glanced away when his father growled, "Did you actually go and pet that damned Tyrannosaurs Rex, Owen James Grady?"

Owen knew he was in trouble with the middle name, and he said, "Of course not! The old lady hates me. I went into her territory to get Elise. I thought Rexy was gone; Elise likes to sleep in her nest so I thought I could get her. I thought I had heard her walking away, but it was Elise, and I didn't know that until after I climbed up the nest."

Owen was always amazed by how sharp his father's biting gaze could be, even through a computer screen. He simply waited, and the elder finally asked, "You went into a Tyrannosaurus' territory, climbed into her nest, and actually got away? Was she asleep?"

"Nope; she was wide awake, and she was not happy when a tiny bit of the top broke off in front of her."

He winced at his father's livid look, and quickly added, "But Elise was there; she saved me. She's great, Dad, really. Elise has my back, I trust her. I think you'd like her."

His father only shook his head as the glasses were pushed up, and knobby fingers rubbed wrinkled eyes tiredly.

"So who gets to tell your mother that little adventure?"

"Eh, how about you light an extra candle for Elise, and we'll just keep that one in the Funeral Story collection."

Owen smiled when his father started laughing. It was a rough, booming sound; his father was a bear of a man, but he was a good person. The two, despite their differences, had kept each other's secrets. They agreed if one or the other died, they would tell certain stories during the funeral. Stories that would rile up Owen's mother to the point of losing her temper.

Stories that would never be told until a funeral service for Owen or his father.

"If that's what you're wanting, Owen. It won't kill me to go into church a little more often."

"What? Are you getting sick, Old Man?"

Owen's father snorted, and snapped, "Of course not, I'm just cramming for finals. Why do you think churches are always full of old people?"

The two shared a laugh, but Owen's father stopped to glance behind him. Owen swore he heard a door shut, and his father turned back as he said, "I wanted to talk to you about something else. Rosie misses you like crazy, and I know you're busy; I just wish you could call a little more often."

"I know, I don't mean to do that, really I don't. I just get busy with the girls, Dad. It's crazy over here."

His father nodded, and quietly said, "She just wants to see you for her birthday. She doesn't want a party or anything; just to see Uncle Owen."

Owen sagged; he couldn't be away from his pack for very long. He had never taken a vacation, and rarely took his days off. Barry had never been in charge of the girls for longer than three days. Owen opened his mouth, but his father raised his hand to ask, "Are you strapped for cash?"

Owen raised an eyebrow; his father never asked questions like that, but he answered, "Um, no, why?"

"Are you done with your idiotic shenanigans?"

"God I hope so. I'm sitting here with three broken ribs, bruised bones, and who knows what else."

His father snorted before saying, "Well good then because I want Rosie to get what she wants for her birthday; she's my only grandbaby."

"You got Blue, Delta, Echo, and Elise to spoil too. They're practically my kids, Dad."

Owen laughed at his father's dry look, but the elder said, "I'll send a little something for Blue and Elise. Anyways, I want to send Rosie to Jurassic World with your sister, your mother, or me. I haven't figured out the finer details, but Rosie gets there period. I just need you to chip in a little money for the airplane tickets."

Owen blinked before immediately saying, "Done. I'll send what I can. Is she really coming over? Because I miss her."

His father nodded, and glanced behind him when he heard knocking on his door. It opened before the head of tightly curled, dark hair bounced in as the girl exclaimed, "Grandpa! I missed you!"

Owen's father lost the stern glare as he swung around in his chair to snag his granddaughter into a tight bear hug. A loud kiss was given on the bearded cheek before the brown eyes landed on Owen, and Rosie shrieked, _"Uncle Owen!"_

Owen had to stop himself from outright hugging the screen as his face immediately lit up with a wide grin. He had missed his niece, and said, "Booger! I missed you!"

Rosie crinkled her button nose up as a delighted smile showed a missing tooth. Rosie looked a more like her father with the curls and brown hair, but she had gotten her mother's lighter skin.

The almost seven year old immediately began to babble hundreds of enthusiastic questions for her only uncle, and Owen did his best to keep up with them. He relaxed as he leaned on the small desk, and Rosie suddenly reached into her backpack before pulling out a white paper. She showed it to him as she said, "I drew you and your pack!"

Owen admired the handy work of seeing himself and the girls with their own distinct colors. He smiled at seeing Elise dwarf all of them, but she had a gentle smile on her face with a calm red for eyes.

"That's pretty good, Booger. Are you going to be an artist when you grow up?"

Rosie shook her head, tight curls bouncing with the movement, before she said, "I'm going to go work with you. Hey, what are their names?"

His niece pointed to the colors on her paper, and Owen said, "The blue one is Blue, and she's really feisty. That brown one is Echo, she's a mellower girl who tries to keep Blue in line. The green one is Delta, and she just tries to keep the peace. Elise is the white one, and she's in charge of the pack when I'm not there."

Rosie nodded as she scribbled the names over his family, and Owen smiled. He couldn't believe how much she had grown. He still remembered being the one to catch her in the delivery room. That had been a stressful night at four o clock in the morning when the doctor decided to show up late. It had been worth it though, Owen had been the one to hold Rosie first.

And he was going to see her again if things went well. Owen couldn't wait to hug his niece again, and he knew Elise would love her.

"Uncle Owen, are you going to make it over here for my birthday?"

Owen glanced at his father who gave a stern glare; daring him to ruin the surprise, and Owen pressed his lips. He scratched his head as he pretended to think, and finally said, "I don't know if I can, Booger. I can't leave my pack for very long; they get into a lot of trouble."

He hated seeing his niece sag, and Owen added, "But I'm definitely going to call more often now that I know Grandpa has a Skype. I'll try my hardest, Booger, but I can't make any promises, okay?"

Rosie brightened up at that, and she nodded. Owen's father smiled as he kissed her head before suggesting, "How about you go get some snacks from the fridge? Uncle Owen and I need to talk a little more. You'll get to talk to him again, okay?"

The girl nodded before blowing a kiss to Owen who returned the affection. He waved at her with a small smile as the bouncy hair disappeared through the door. Owen's father regained his stern gaze, and said, "I'll let you know the details when I figure out the math, okay?"

Owen nodded in agreement, and there was a silence. It was a normal thing in their conversations; when they had run out of things to talk about. Owen was sure his father would move to end the call, but startled when the gruff voice asked, "So, where'd you find the balls to try stopping Elise by shouting stop? I want to know what made you think that would actually work."

Owen grinned at the dry mischief in his father's eyes. They loved pushing each other's buttons; they hated it, but it was a fun game between them.

"Oh, you know. I just wanted to see if Mom's candles really did anything for me…"


	45. Chapter 45

**A/N**

 **Hey guys! How's life? I hope it's good!**

 **As you guys know, this story has a TV Tropes page, and Commando64 is doing a phenomenal job of making it awesome! But, I really encourage you guys to check it out, and even help Commando64 make the page even better! Many thanks to you Commando64 for all the hard work you put into it, and I still have the link to the Tropes page in my profile. Go visit it you guys!**

 **As always, thank you for all your reviews, I read all of them!**

* * *

"Godzilla!"

Owen sank deeper into the cushy mountain of sleeping bags, pillows, and blankets as he pressed a little closer to Elise. There was a cool breeze tonight, and the warm scales only made Owen want to sleep. Claire was leaning against him, mindful of the sore spots, but she looked ready to fall asleep as well.

Elise let out a small sigh as the small family quietly bickered amongst themselves. Zach and Grey had shown up ready for another movie night, and were surprised to see their parents show up. Things had been awkward between Karen being afraid of starting an argument, and Scott throwing wary glances at Elise. It had calmed down after Claire showed up, and then Owen made the air funny and light.

They had finished watching the Dark Knight, and Elise was slightly disappointed in the ending. It was bittersweet, and she admired Batman for his heroic sacrifice; she would give him that much for sticking to his morals so unwaveringly.

" _An unmovable object."_

She supposed that was something to look up to, but she still preferred the Joker. He was her hero for simply being someone she could relate to. She liked his insanity, his ability to weave several plans over one another in case one failed, and his dark view of the world.

The world Elise knew all too well. The one filled with dark, lonely nights and only a skeleton to keep company. The world that judged based on appearances and rejected the freaks who couldn't help what they looked like. Elise didn't believe Batman to be a freak.

He was a smart, handsome man who was highly respected in both his identities.

But the Joker, now _that_ man was a freak, like herself. He was scarred, and she the only of her kind. Joker knew the stinging cuts of sharp words armored with disdainful feelings. The little cuts that never healed over, the ones that built up until it became one, giant slash that bled heavily, but never bled out.

" _All it takes is a little push."_

Elise was sure she had brushed with madness. She hardly remembered anything from her rampage; just the raw, burning feelings, and the heat signature of where all the humans had gathered. Elise still wondered what would have happened if she had succeeded in her destructive path.

She often pictured it ending with her withering away, or even violently ending herself.

Elise never told Owen about those thoughts. She didn't have those thoughts anymore, of when she didn't want to eat, get up, or even move. Elise didn't feel comfortable about telling Owen how she had almost raked her own talons across her throat because of bad nightmares with Small One.

Elise glanced to the side of her when Owen shifted even closer, and Claire raised a soft hand to trace the white scales. Elise felt the sincere love in the light touches, and she had started to think of Claire as a second mother. Owen was a parent as well to her, a father, and Elise was always grateful for how her life had turned around.

She had two mothers, a father, two cousins, and three new sisters.

Elise was glad she hadn't given into the madness. She was glad she had pushed herself to make it through one more night.

Because hope had an odd way of showing up at the darkest of times. A little star in the lonely night, and if one waited long enough, if one was willing to continue looking up, they would get to see the thousands of other stars show themselves one by one.

Elise decided it wasn't being pushed that caused someone to fall into madness; it was all about catching yourself, standing up, and pushing back.

She gave another yawn; her mind had been wandering again, and she smiled when she heard a soft snore from the human pressed against her.

Her human.

The raptors had decided to go hunting with Rexy. Blue had actually decided to go hunting with her newest friend, and the other two felt like following. Elise was happy the raptors were getting along with her mother. Elise felt better when Claire didn't seem too mad when she found out the door had been busted down.

Claire had asked Elise simply drag it out of the way until Repair could get to it. It wasn't a priority as Rexy seemed to like her growing family, and the raptors' Research Paddock was still undergoing repair. Owen wanted to take full advantage of the emptiness to comb over for any needs for repair.

And he simply didn't have the heart to put the girls back into the smaller paddock. He was convinced his girls were a little mellower simply because they had a much larger space to run around, to hunt, sleep, play.

To act with an actual purpose of a normal life as compared to being part of research. InGen was no longer there to push Owen to train his girls anymore, and Claire just wanted them to be put into some sort of an attraction. She was all for the Raptor Race idea, and the board was still drawing up ideas on making it happen. They were taking their time as Elise was drawing in massive crowds; it would be awhile before a new attraction was needed, and there was no need to add more when Elise was doing fine.

They would most likely introduce the Raptor Races at the first sign of dwindling attraction numbers. Owen was fine with that; it would give him time to train his girls to actually race. For now, the raptors were perfectly content, behaving, and drawing in a little more of a crowd where they currently were.

Claire found it hilarious that Blue liked to ride on Rexy's shoulders, and the elder seemed perfectly fine with it.

* * *

"Hey, Elise!"

The Indominus snorted when she realized she had briefly dozed off; it happened when her mind wandered. She blinked a few times to stare at Gray, and he sheepishly said, "You were making the ground creak."

Elise glanced at the cement floor she was resting her head on while she shifted her weight on her feet. It was good to know the log wouldn't hold her weight if she fell asleep. She never intended to fall asleep in it, but it was still good to know.

She flickered her gaze over to Karen when the mother softly said, "Maybe we should call it a night; you look tired."

Elise garbled softly as she glanced at an out cold Owen softly snoring next to her. Claire hadn't fallen asleep yet, and she shifted around to lean more comfortably on Elise. The redhead gently patted the scales as she softly asked, "Do you want to go to bed, Elise? I know it's been a long day for you. You can leave if you want."

Elise didn't even need to look at the two brothers to know that wasn't an option. This was the last time she would get to see them for who knows how long. It cost dirty paper to come to this island, and Karen's family wasn't exactly rolling in it.

And the boys had to attend a place called school; where they learned how to survive in the world when it was time to leave the nest. It was how Elise understood it, but it sounded like the brothers didn't care much for it. Elise wondered why; she loved to learn. She was happy to see her scratching in the dirt was starting to take shape.

She could write her name.

Elise was brought out of her thoughts by a gentle pat on the nose, and she gave a slight shake of her head. She wanted to stay here until Zach and Grey were going to leave. She would miss them, even if it wasn't goodbye.

The two boys beamed, but Scott couldn't help snippily saying, "We really need to pick a movie before it gets too late. We have a lot of traveling to do tomorrow, okay?"

Karen gave a warning glance at the man, but the boys ignored the comment. They were used to the sarcasm, but they knew their father loved them. The two began to go down another list of choosing between a superhero movie or another dinosaur documentary. Elise was starting to doze off again before Scott suddenly suggested, "Look, why don't we do a good classic? I think Elise can appreciate a good Godzilla movie."

Elise detected sarcasm in that comment, but the two brothers glanced at her excitedly. She had no idea what Godzilla was, but she would not sit through another movie of a man giving himself a sore throat in attempts to hide his identity.

Gray scooted over to her as he excitedly said, "I think you'd like it. Godzilla is about this dinosaur brought back to life and mutated by nuclear experimentation. In Japanese culture, he's actually something of a keeper of balance. A guardian."

Elise wasn't sure what to make of that plotline. She had no idea what a Japanese was, but she was fine with seeing a dinosaur. She narrowed her eyes when Scott bluntly said, "It's just a movie with lots of explosions and destruction. Godzilla flattens cities kind of like how you almost did with the island."

Karen gave a warning smack on his arm, but now Elise was intrigued. She wanted to see a dinosaur flatten cities. Maybe Godzilla would be as good a villain as the Joker.

Was there a movie where Godzilla would flatten Batman? That thought pleased Elise, and she gave a small nod. She wanted to see Godzilla.

* * *

Elise blinked as she watched the massive titan sink back into the sea, where he called home. Scott hadn't been kidding when he said there was a lot of destruction. Elise was flabbergasted as to how much damage had been done, and she wanted to see how the humans would clean up that mess. She knew what a sequel movie was, would that be a sequel? Cleaning up Godzilla and his enemies' battle ground? It probably wouldn't be very good.

It was more fun to watch the destruction. Godzilla was very good at destroying things; Elise wondered if Lilly would even stand a chance against the massive dinosaur. Godzilla obviously preferred the ocean as his home, but Elise was confused.

Did people actually like Godzilla? She didn't understand why everyone was shooting at the titan when he saved them, but they seemed happy when the battle was over; they hailed him as their hero. Were they going to leave him alone now that he had save humans from the other titans? Had anyone tried to make friends with Godzilla? Did he have friends? Elise assumed him to be a he, but she had questions the movie did not satisfy. She wanted to know about Godzilla himself; she didn't care what the humans were doing. Why did the dinosaur feel the need to fight on behalf of the humans? Or was he simply there to keep other titans in line?

Elise felt like she would be very small compared to Godzilla.

She just wished there was a little more of the titan fighting. The movie was long, but there wasn't as much Godzilla as she wanted. Surely the world was huge, couldn't the movie have more cities destroyed? Movies weren't real, so why not? Elise was all for Godzilla having a hay day.

At least Elise now knew how to try and destroy a city if she ever got into a fight with someone her own size. She'd smack them into the buildings. Were buildings expensive to make?

The boys gave a yawn as the credits rolled, and Karen smiled at Elise. The Indominus wasn't sure why the mother continue to throw smiles at her. They were nice, warm smiles, but still, Elise liked to know why people were smiling at her.

The mother stood, and stretched out before Elise suddenly heard a loud roar to come home. It seemed Rexy was not willing to sleep until her youngling was home. Elise was happy she had a mother to go home to. Did Godzilla have a mother? Did the Joker? Elise didn't trouble herself with those thoughts as she made a soft croon. Zach and Gray looked sad, and immediately tackled her nose in a tight hug. Elise felt herself grow soft, and made a quiet shiver of her jaws to show for it.

Godzilla did not make quiet sounds.

Gray pressed closer as he quietly said, "I'll miss you, Elise. I'm glad you're our cousin now."

Zach nodded in agreement as Claire snorted awake when the Indominus shifted. She blinked in confusion, but Zach said, "Uncle Owen promised he'd let you Skyped with us, and I'm coming back. I want to work here; maybe you can help teach me how to run a Velociraptor pack."

Elise watched Karen pale drastically as she silently pleaded to Elise for help in discouraging Zach from this path, but Elise never thought like that. If that was what Zach wished to do with his life then she would help in any way she could. Zach was a human with the right to do as he wished like Claire had said to Elise.

It was her choice to see people, and Zach had a choice in the path he wanted as well.

Elise gave a small nod, and the teen grinned widely as he gave another, tight hug. Scott didn't seem very happy with that, but he quietly cleaned up the space; mostly his projector and laptop. He hadn't been very happy with the boys leaving it unattended, but he couldn't get mad for nothing happening.

Claire stretched quietly before gently shaking Owen's shoulder. The man had slept through every explosion, every roar, and even a loud sneeze from little Gray. Elise had been more impressed than surprised at the sudden sound, but she only adored the child more.

Love was an odd thing.

Elise was brought from her thoughts when Gray shuffled shyly; she still didn't understand why the boy still grew shy around her, he was her family. Still, it was cute to her, and he looked at her as he quietly asked, "Um, can we have a tooth?"

Elise blinked, but Zach brightened as he said, "Oh, yeah, I forgot about that. Can we take a tooth from you? I wanted to make a necklace."

Humans were odd, plain and simple. Elise still wasn't sure why she would still get surprised by them when she had already accepted this. She had no idea why these two would want one of her teeth when they each had their own mouthful of perfectly good teeth.

But she didn't have it in her to deny the two what they wanted. They were family, and humans made tools out of anything. She would feel better if they had one of her own ivory daggers to protect themselves in case she couldn't be there for them.

Elise nodded as she opened her mouth widely. Gray smiled widely as he lost all the shyness, and began to poke around for any loose teeth; Elise was sure there were plenty. She felt a slight tug before Gray began to poke around again. She felt another tug, and Gray said, "Here, Zach, this one is like a Velociraptor tooth."

Elise slowly shut her mouth as Zach turned the ivory over in his hands with a smile. He looked at Elise when he said, "Thanks. I'll send you one of my teeth if I lose it."

Elise snorted at the teen before gently puffing air onto the both of them. She memorized how they looked, the scents they carried before she softly nuzzled them with all the tender love she could muster. She was going to miss them dearly.

Elise heard another, fierce and much closer roar, and she knew Rexy was growing impatient. Elise didn't want to irritate her mother, and she gave a soft garble at the boys. Gray gave one more hug with his brother right next to him. Karen had a soft smile on her face, and Scott only carefully watched. Elise finally pulled back after inhaling their scents one last time, and she gave a glance at her snoozing human. He did look tired, and Elise gave a final glance before melting into the jungle.

Claire finally gave a firm smack on the tender shoulder, and Owen bolted awake with the sharp wince. He blinked a few times as he tried to get his bearings, and didn't fight Claire gently tugging him into a sitting position. Owen woke up a little more when the two boys gave him a tight hug; he was glad they were being mindful of his ribs, and he chuckled as he mumbled, "I missed the movie. Was it good?"

Gray nodded when he replied, "I think Elise liked it; we saw Godzilla."

Owen blinked a few times as he raised his eyebrows. He peered into the silent jungle, and Claire smiled at the grimace crossing his face. Owen really hoped Elise wasn't that impressionable; he didn't want her to look up to the titan. Jurassic World had seen enough destruction from her thank you very much.

"What part did she like best?"

Zach snorted as he helped Owen up before answering, "The part where Godzilla kicked butt, but she liked all the scenes where stuff got destroyed; she thought it was cool."

Owen ran a hand through his hair; he really hoped Elise hadn't decided the ancient dinosaur was now her role model. He didn't know who could be worse for her to look up to.

* * *

Elise wove through the trees as she gave a responding roar to Rexy. The old dinosaur sounded like she was by the fence like always, and Elise could hear Blue's barks to get moving; it had been a long day, it was time to sleep.

She picked up her pace before accidentally bumping into a tree. The wood splintered as the roots lost their grip, and the tree gave an echoing thump when it collided with the ground. Elise blinked at it for a few seconds before glancing behind her. There was no one around, and there were plenty of trees.

Godzilla looked like he was having plenty of fun…

Elise couldn't help that childish desire when her lip curled playfully. She tried to mimic the stern, angry gaze of the ancient Alpha as she stood a little taller. The Indominus gave a whispered roar that sounded like a very quiet echo of Godzilla before she pushed her arms into a tree. She pretended it was a weak building as her tail swung back and forth while the tree timbered into the ground loudly.

Elise would rather pretend there was fiery explosions, but she jumped when she heard another roar to get her butt moving. Elise stepped over the tree as she trotted back to her mother.

She would play Godzilla later.


	46. Chapter 46

**A/N**

 **Hey guys! How's life? Good? Good.**

 **I don't think I'll do many more movie nights with Elise, but I had plenty of suggestions, trust me. :) I forgot to somehow mention it in the last chapter, but Elise did see Godzilla 2014 for those of you who were curious.**

 **Anyways, I guess we have a warning for a death; I don't think it was described particularly grotesque, but I'm just saying.**

 **Guys! We broke 2,000 reviews! Holy moly and merciful double stuffed Oreos! That's amazing! Thanks for being awesome you guys!**

 **And most importantly, thank you much and mighty for said reviews! I love you guys; seriously, you guys are hilarious, helpful, and lovely.**

* * *

"Executioner."

"Well, I miss you too, Beautiful. Did you get my present?"

Bridges smiled as he kicked his feet onto the shiny top of his walnut desk. He knew most high end businessmen preferred the alluring deep red of mahogany wood, but he liked the dark purple of his desk. He adjusted the phone on his ear as he listened attentively while glancing around his office. Pristine, lavishly decorated, but retained the class of modern taste. Reassembled skeletons of various, small dinosaurs decorated large shelves, but he was partial to the only taxidermy dinosaur here; a Compsognathus.

The little bastard thought it was high and mighty by trying to attack his expensive shoes. Bridges didn't take kindly to the scuffing, but it was fine now. Bridges had dealt with the minor problem in a calm manner. No one would ever turn the stuffed animal around; they wouldn't see the caved in ribs the taxidermist couldn't fix. Bridges had proved to the little scavenger the shoe was much more dangerous than it looked.

Icy blue eyes flickered to the shiny shoes, without a scuff, and Bridges replied, "I'm glad you liked the flowers, Clem. I know you appreciate flowers. Are you being treated well there? Are you doing well?"

Bridges gave a rare smile when he received the answer he was hoping for. He nodded approvingly as he swung around in his chair to admire the glorious view right behind him. What should have been a solid wall was now one, giant window that was kept spotless, and a railed platform lined the length of the window. The jungle was kept trimmed but never bare. It was a large paddock to roam around, but it wasn't exactly what Claire gave her Rexy. Bridges could see this inhabitant at all times if he so desired, and he liked being able to see his dinosaur. The inhabitant didn't mind the smaller paddock; Bridges kept the creature entertained with good hunts.

It was like keeping a large dog in an apartment; he kept his dinosaur exercised, and thus it behaved despite the aggressive nature. Bridges liked this one.

He was fiery.

"I'm glad to hear that, Beautiful."

Bridges blinked before frowning as he glanced at the phone. He turned dark, and remained firm in his tone though not angry at Clementine when he said, "Yes, you are beautiful, and if anyone says otherwise, you call me right away. I shall not have you put up with that for one second. Am I clear?"

Bridges crinkled his eyes at the response, and smiled; he turned soft as he gently said, "Good, and don't forget that either."

Bridges grinned widely when he caught sight of a few trees shuddering as they were pushed aside, and he gently said into the phone, "I need to go, Beautiful. I need to visit with my boy; I haven't seen him today yet."

The businessman paused with an amused look before giving a hearty laugh. He ran a hand through the silky, slicked back hair as he replied, "I did meet Elise, a few days ago actually. She's something else. Wonderful around children, and she can turn into very bright colors. Elise has a wonderful shade of purple I know you'd love."

Bridges stood from his chair to catch sight of the scales giving a healthy shimmer in the sun. He gave a fond smile as he followed the answer, and he said, "Well, I'll tell you what. The moment we can, I will personally make sure you get to see Elise. How does that sound, Clem?"

He gave a wide smile at the enthusiastic response, and chuckled when he said, "It's a date then. I'll try to call again a little later to check up on you, okay? Mhm…love you too, Beautiful. Bye."

Bridges hung up before tucking the phone into his pocket. He kept the happy grin on his face as he opened the glass door and stepped into the warm, jungle air. Despite its history, Bridges felt like he had improved Isla Sorna. At least the part he cared about. A good chunk of it was still ravaged by highly aggressive animals, but his labs here had penned off dinosaurs that were easier to work with.

He intended to go back to Jurassic World later this afternoon; he was sure Elise had forgiven him by now. He intended to show up with an apology; she looked like a forgiving creature.

He just had to be careful about not pushing her too far; he liked her, but she really was her own little flame. A tender, warm flame.

That had the potential to become a rampaging, unconquerable inferno. He did not doubt she could a whole new level of hell, and that excited him.

Bridges was pulled from his thoughts when shaking footsteps trembled the mere earth. He grinned at seeing the clear footprints in the dirt, and his eyes wandered over to the massive, sun bleached bones decorating the paddock. Bridges did have this paddock cleaned, but it seemed more satisfying to keep the certain skeletons half buried in the dirt.

The bones of slain, wrongly crowned kings of the tyrant lizards.

The massive, clawed hands remained curled close to a broad chest as a loud breath was huffed. Bridges grinned at the scarlet scales that almost glowed when the sun caught them just right, and the slit pupils contracted when the gaze rested on the businessman above.

Bridges gave a small whistle before greeting, "There's my boy! Decided to sleep in this morning, did you? I didn't see you at breakfast you handsome bastard you."

The blonde only chuckled when massive jaws stretched wide to give an impressive yawn before they snapped shut with a sharp clap. Bridges waggled a finger as he added, "I'll forgive you this time; the Good Lord knows I wouldn't have this island running as smoothly without you. You help keep the pests in line here. Speaking of pests…"

Bridges peered over the railing as his eyes scanned over the jungle floor far below him. His boy was a tall one; Bridges was only a few feet above him when the dinosaur decided to stretch his snout as high as possible, but Bridges was never concerned about that. His boy had never tried to get aggressive with him.

Not that Bridges gave him a chance to.

The slit pupils turned to the ground as a sensitive nose smelled the upturned earth for any sign of a meal, and an impatient growl was given when only dried blood was found. Bridges gave a chuckle before saying, "That's my boy, I knew you'd take care of the problem; you've yet to fail me. I bet you're hungry, aren't you? Tell you what, I have treat for you today."

The slit eyes snapped to attention when Bridges walked over to the control panel on the far side of the platform. Bridges was pleased to see his creature side step to follow attentively, but he paused at a quiet knocking on the glass. The blonde ignore the impatient huff from below, and he beckoned the balding man in.

"How are you today, Mr. Hart? Well don't be shy, my boy isn't going to bite us; he knows better than that."

Hart looked like he would have rather stay in the building, but he walked over at another stern wave of Bridges' hand. The lawyer gingerly stepped on, and grimaced as he peered over. Bridges snorted as he dryly said, "How about a 'Good afternoon' for my boy? He does like some respect, Mr. Hart."

The slit, dangerous gaze zeroed in on the sweating lawyer, and Hart quietly mumbled a greeting. Bridges rolled his eyes, and Hart cleared his throat before saying, "I think he got a little bigger."

"He's still growing; ages like fine wine. He'll be a big boy when he's full grown; especially with a good diet and exercise. I think he's a fine specimen."

Hart winced at the loud snap of jaws, and Bridges chuckled before sighing, "Ah, I remember when he was hatched. A cute, little thing who was all legs; now look at him. I raised him myself; InGen wanted someone who knew how to handle a dangerous dinosaur."

Hart couldn't picture Bridges as a parental figure, but there was no denying the animal below obviously knew the blonde. Hart would admit there was a lack of ill will in the dangerous gaze, and the pristine scales spoke volumes about the content life he lived.

"What'd you say his name was again?"

Bridges smiled at the scarlet scales as he proudly said, "I call him Carnifex. A fitting name, no?"

Hart wouldn't deny that it sounded a little…exotic, but he nodded regardless. It was important to agree with the hot tempered blonde, and Bridges beamed as he purred, "You're just in time for a real treat, Mr. Hart. Carnifex loves a good playdate."

The lawyer startled when large doors slid open, and the dinosaur snapped his attention over. Hart shifted quietly before admitting, "I…never knew Spinosaurus was a…social creature…"

"Carnifex is."

Hart blinked, and paused when the younger Tyrannosaurus gingerly stepped out of the dark. Gold eyes squinted at the light, and the adolescent jumped at the loud roar. Carnifex curled his lip to further reveal sharp daggers as he charged forward, and the Tyrannosaurus was given no choice but to hold his ground.

Bridges leaned on the rails with an amused look on his face, and Hart paled at the pained shrieks filling the air. He winced at the sharp sounds of cracking bones before guttural growls were drowned out by pained roars. The wet splat of blood smacking into the earth was unpleasant to look at, and Hart licked his lips when the adolescent kicked at the air as his throat spurted a gurgling fountain.

Hart was glad when the gold eyes finally dimmed, and the body shuddered before going limp. He glanced up when Bridges elbowed him enthusiastically as he exclaimed, "Hah! I think this is a new record for Carnifex! Do you think that old bag of bones Claire is so protective of would stand a chance against this magnificent creature? I would pay good money to see them fight."

Hart flickered his gaze over to the Spinosaurus shoving his long snout into the warm abdominal cavity. He wasn't sure what Rexy would do against Carnifex. He just knew Elise wouldn't hesitate to fight alongside her adopted mother, and he doubted Carnifex could do much against a double team.

"I thought Spinosaurus were more of…fish eaters…"

Bridges raised an eyebrow at the lack of enthusiasm, but he dryly said, "Grady's Velociraptors would be much shorter with feathers on them if they resembled their ancestors. Carnifex would be much different looking if he remained true to his blood. But I like him like this; he's fun, don't you think?"

Fun wasn't the word Hart would use, and he couldn't help asking, "Aren't Tyrannosaurus a little more…valuable than simply being…food for Carnifex?"

"They hold little value to me. We have a breeding pair; eggs are not hard to come by, I assure you. I have no idea why Claire prefers them over Spinosaurus. She gets so aggravated when I suggested she consider taking one to replace her old Rex. It's not like the old hag is going to live much longer."

Hart secretly preferred his cat over all these creatures. The cat took care of himself, kept the mice out of the house, and Hart didn't have to worry about being eaten alive by the furry creature.

However the lawyer sighed, "I'm sure Miss Dearing will come around when the time comes, Mr. Bridges. She's just loyal because Rexy has always been able to keep attendance at an adequate level whenever things seemed to get boring over there."

"I think Carnifex would do better, but she'll listen when the old lady kicks the bucket."

Hart grimaced when Carnifex yanked out the dark, healthy liver before it slid down his throat. Bridges gave a small whistle that brought Carnifex's emerald gaze to attention, and the blonde purred, "That's my boy! You make me proud!"

Carnifex gave no indication of caring about that comment as he turned back to his meal, and Bridges smile before leading back inside the office. Hart preferred the office, it was air conditioned, and no dinosaurs in here.

No live dinosaurs.

Bridges sank into his chair while the lawyer fished the thick documents from his briefcase. He handed them over as he said, "They just need to be signed, and InGen can get back to working with Jurassic World like it should."

The blonde nodded in agreement as he scanned over the papers with a quick, but critical eye. He glanced up when Hart shifted in the chair, and nervously said, "Judge Knight wants Dr. Wu brought forward."

"You couldn't get her off his back?"

The lawyer winced at the dangerous tone, and he eyed the red lighter being pulled from a pressed pocket. Bridges began to turn it over in his hand when Hart desperately answered, "The man stamped his name all over creating the Indominus. It's so painfully obvious that human DNA was used that there wasn't anything I could do. It's human experimentation, and I have no idea how to defend Wu when I don't even know what he was thinking. Did you know he would be using human DNA? And that's an off-record question."

Bridges paused to flick the flame to life, and he sighed, "No. I thought he would be using primate DNA because I thought it was too risky to be using human. I bet Hoskins goaded him into using human DNA somehow. That bastard is lucky Grady's raptor got him before I could."

Hart shuddered at the threat; he didn't doubt a few men had met their end because of Bridges. The lawyer wasn't sure if Bridges would personally get his own hands bloody, but he didn't doubt Bridges had hired hitmen in his time. Hart avoided the comment by quietly asking, "Can I see some records please? Because I can at least argue that maybe Wu didn't use a lot of human DNA. Elise could be a fluke with how human she acts; it's not like they can compare her to anyone."

Bridges turned dark when he snapped, "Wu is being stubborn with us. He knows he's only valuable until we figure out how to make things ourselves. He was smart about keeping thegenetic makeup of _every_ single dinosaur a secret; especially the Indominus. I don't even know what was used in Carnifex that gave him the stronger back legs. The Spinosaurus isn't meant to stray far from swamplands."

"So you don't have records of Elise?"

Bridges shook his head, and Hart sighed as he began to rub his forehead tiredly. He finally said, "Judge Knight wants every record on Elise that InGen has. Hoskins called for that evacuation; it won't take a genius to realize Wu was brought somewhere InGen could keep an eye on him. I don't think you should risk anything for Wu, Mr. Bridges…"

The blonde nodded at the truth of it, but he replied, "Dr. Wu is the head of all of this…"

Bridges began to chew on his lips before suddenly saying, "I know Claire has been replacing the geneticists in her labs, but quite a few scientists have been there for a long time…"

"And?"

"So, what are the odds that one or two of them know how to create a few dinosaurs? I know Dr. Wu didn't personally create all of those animals. I bet he had a trusted friend or two."

Hart blinked at him before asking, "Are you sure? Wu seems locked up pretty tight…"

Bridges gave a humored snort as he answered, "Everyone needs someone to talk to, Mr. Hart. Wu isn't interested in these animals, just making them; he has to have someone to brag to. We just need to get to his records and find another, brilliant mind to work for us. Wu is dangerous baggage to be holding onto; I don't want Judge Knight to catch me with him."

The blonde let the flame go out before flicking back to life as he added, "I'm sure we can sneak someone into the lab to find out for us. We won't interfere with Jurassic World; InGen does need that company. Hammond made these companies in a way that they can't survive without the other. The world isn't ready for warfare dinosaurs just yet; we're stuck with theme parks at the moment."

Hart nodded in agreement; he rubbed his eyes before suddenly asking, "Who was the human donor?"

"Pardon?"

"The donor for Elise? She has human DNA in her; whose DNA does she have?"

Bridges blinked as he held the lighter and the flame flickered out. He raised an eyebrow when he answered, "I…don't know actually. I bet Wu used his own DNA though; easiest to get to. There is no way he was ballsy enough to use someone else's DNA. Can you imagine the lawsuits on that case?"

Hart didn't even want to think about it, and he gave another sigh. He rubbed his eyes again before turning timid. Bridges knew what he was going to ask, and kept his face neutral when the lawyer softly asked, "Did you…um…are you having any luck in…finding one?"

Bridges immediately shook his head, and gave a sympathetic look when he almost gently answered, "No, but you let me worry about that, Mr. Hart. You just keep working for me, and I'll take care of everything else."

Hart sagged, but he nodded. Bridges reclined in his chair as he said, "Keep your head up; it won't do anyone any good to be worrying."

"I-I suppose you're right."

The blonde gave a wide smile as he said, "Of course I am. Now, will you be joining me for the paper signing this afternoon? I'm going to introduce Elise to her trainers as well."

Hart shook his head as he tucked the papers into a folder before laying it on the desk. He looked tired with dark bags under his eyes, and answered, "I need to talk to my daughter, and take care of…the paperwork pertaining this research. Investors are so picky."

"I know the truth of that, Mr. Hart. Believe me, I do, and that's why I picked you for the job."

The lawyer nodded before excusing himself. Bridges flipped the lighter over when the door softly clicked shut, and he went back over to stare at his prized dinosaur. Carnifex was gnawing on a meaty femur, and Bridges smiled when the sun caught that boldly colored sail just right. The glowing orange streaked with shades of red soothed Bridges.

Carnifex's sail looked like fire.

Bridges didn't think any Tyrannosaurus would ever be able to do that. Bridges sniffed haughtily as he glanced at the scattered skeletons of past Rexes incapable of fighting Carnifex; it was only fitting that the false kings be brought to their knees. Bridges would ignore that he purposefully made sure they were at a disadvantage with age and experience, but he didn't care.

Life wasn't fair like that. If Bridges didn't like the dinosaur, it went to Carnifex, and Carnifex took care of the problem.

Bridges didn't like Tyrannosaurus Rexes.

They were poor kings.

* * *

 **Another A/N**

 **I know Jurassic Park III pretty much split up the fandom with the T-Rex VS Spino battle. While we are pretty much content to ignore the movie, I am not willing to ignore a Spino; Carnifex is not the Spino from the movie. I want no back and forth arguing in the reviews about which dinosaur should have won. You're more than welcome to say who you think is better, but if you feel the need to pick a bone with another reviewer, take it to the PM please.**

 **Thank you all again! Have a wonderful day/night!**


	47. Chapter 47

**A/N**

 **Hey guys! I hope life is wonderful for all of you!**

 **Anyways, we have an awesome treat from the lovely Donovan94. She made a wonderful piece of artwork, and the link is in my profile so go check it out because it's very warming. It is titled 'My Sunshine'**

 **Also CobaltBatWings has created a DeviantArt group called Fur-Elise-JW if you are interested in that; it's still pretty new.**

 **This story is on Quotev if any of you prefer that site, LucarioMaster41 is doing a great job over there, so many thanks! I had someone ask me why I don't post this on AO3, and that's because I don't have an account; I know someone bookmarked it there though, whatever that means. I'm not familiar with AO3.**

 **OREO, I missed hearing from you, I'm glad you're back. I hope the East Coast treated you well. I think that would be an interesting twist with Owen hating fire. I hope the double-stuffed Oreos tasted good, but I hear they are making Mega-stuffed Oreos!**

 **thesecondoreo, I missed you too, and I feel like your latest review is a continuation of the London bridge song.**

 **I swear there's a third oreo-something lurking around, but I haven't seen the dude in awhile.**

 **Back to this, spinofan-117, is Sobek a character of yours/someone else's, or is that just what you decided to name the Spinosaurus from Jurassic Park III? Because I like that name, and IF I decide to do something with the JPIII Spino, then I'd like to use that name. I just need to know before hand so someone doesn't accuse me of stealing a character. Give me a PM if you have an account, but no worries if you don't; I'll look for your answer in the reviews.**

 **I know a few of you have been asking for the JP III Spino; discorded-Q started that ball. I am THINKING about it, so nobody worry their beautiful face over it, okay? Okay. I got this. :)**

 **Lastly, but most importantly, thank you very much for the reviews. I do read them over and over because I appreciate you guys taking time out of your day to not only read my story, but also share your thoughts. So, thank you.**

 **And I apologize for the long A/N. Have a wonderful day/night!**

* * *

"Bad Meets Evil..."

"With all due respect, Miss Dearing, but I have absolutely no intent of allowing that…Indominus anywhere near my team. It is out of the question."

Owen threw a dirty look at the flustered Commander while a stern Claire was clearly losing her patience. Blake wasn't happy about Elise being hired, and he was fighting it every step of the way. He wanted Lowery fired for making the application; he didn't want the Indominus trained to be part of ACU. Blake had been agitated enough to even go all the way to their current location, the Veterinary Building, to make his point clear.

Luckily, Elise was out of it; Owen was pretty sure she had no idea what was going on at the moment. She was a little more sensitive dosage wise than Dr. Gerry had realized.

But Owen wasn't complaining; it was a funny adorable to see the massive creature drooling. It was less adorable with all the blood.

Owen glanced back when Claire kept a fine hold on her voice, just barely refraining from losing her temper, when she said, "I have told you several times, Commander, Elise is going to be trained for emergency situations where ACU needs it."

"My ACU can handle itself, Miss Dearing. I see no situations where we would need this animal."

Owen darkened at the choice of words. Technically, Elise was an animal. She wasn't a human even if she acted it. Her body was not human, but Owen certainly wouldn't call her an animal like Blake did. Claire opened her mouth to snap a response, but blinked when a sultry voice purred, "I can think of several situations, Commander. Shame on you for not realizing the full potential of this rare opportunity."

Owen raised an eyebrow at seeing Mr. Grey-Look-Alike again. He was hoping the man would have been busy enough to stay away. Bridges raised an eyebrow at the downed Indominus, and gestured to her as he asked, "What happened?"

Dr. Gerry grunted as he yanked out a particularly crooked, broken tooth before tossing it into a pile, and gruffly answered, "Just cleaning up the backfires of an intelligent idiot."

Claire didn't seem surprised that Bridges was here, and she clarified, "A dental appointment. Elise can't lose her teeth fast enough, and her jaw was starting to hurt. It's already beginning to grow crooked."

"…Really?"

Owen flickered his gaze up to the man. Bridges seemed legitimately surprised at this health problem. He narrowed his eyes before asking, "Didn't you think her teeth would get crowded with all the different dinosaurs used in her?"

Bridges rubbed his chin in thought, ignoring the testy tone, and glanced at Claire when she said, "I do believe I am entitled to records pertaining to Elise, Mr. Bridges. I want my vets to know everything they can so they can help her in any way needed."

Owen was surprised when the blonde nodded in agreement, and replied, "Of course. Holy Jesus knows you do everything to take care of your animals, Miss Dearing."

Bridges gave a brief pause before sighing, "Unfortunately, I don't have very many records in my possession. Most of it is what you have."

Owen narrowed his eyes, and leaned against the warm scales when he dryly asked, "You spent how much money on making her and you expect me to believe that? Hoskins already said Wu worked for you."

Bridges gave a humorless snort as he flickered flat eyes at Owen, and replied, "Believe it or not, I'm not a geneticist whisperer, Mr. Grady. Dr. Wu told me about as much as he told Jurassic World."

"I don't believe that for one second."

Bridges gave a casual shrug as he glanced over Elise's bloody mouth, and replied, "I don't care what you believe in, Mr. Grady. I am a man who feels everyone has a right to believe in what they want. I don't know what was used in Elise because, like Mr. Masrani, I asked for a certain animal, and Dr. Wu created it. He gave me the basics, and Miss Dearing is on the same page as me."

Owen blinked, and Claire clenched her jaw before stiffly asking, "Where is Dr. Wu by the way? Judge Knight is going to issue a warrant for his arrest if he doesn't come forward."

Bridges quietly slipped a hand into his pocket as he began to fiddle with something inside it. He calmly answered, "I don't know where he is at the moment. He disappeared with his records not long after getting off the chopper; we had a lot of chaos going on."

Owen only believed that after Bridges muttered, "The smarmy bastard…"

There was no faking the obvious disdain in the voice, and Owen turned back to his tough baby. Her eyes would briefly crack open, and the glazed crimson gaze would make a slow sweep before shutting again. Owen was pretty sure she wasn't registering what she was seeing.

Owen didn't bother to look up when Blake got into it with Claire again. He only focused on gently running his hands softly along the scarred nose and gave a soft smile when the warm breath ruffled his hair back. He made soothing circles along the indents in her skull; Elise seemed to like that best, and Gerry snorted when the white dinosaur somehow relaxed even further.

Elise hadn't slept well over the past few days, and she had been getting dangerously cranky. Owen was sure she was going through another growth spurt, and a fresh wave of teeth also decided to make themselves known. Elise was limping, but she had much less patience with the constant aching in her jaws. At first, Owen had simply plucked out the loose teeth, but he finally understood what Gerry had meant by health problems.

Not all of the teeth became loose in order for the next one to come in. Owen had finally called Gerry when he couldn't pull a particularly stubborn tooth out despite another one already poking out right next to it. It was causing the teeth to grow at crooked angles.

Owen was pretty sure the relief from the pain is what really knocked Elise on her butt.

"You're not worried about her biting you?"

Owen blinked at Bridges standing next to him. The icy eyes paused over the bleeding gums, and he continued to fiddle with whatever was in his pocket. Owen shrugged as he resumed with gently rubbing his hands along the large face, and answered, "I trust Elise."

"Do you do that with your raptors?"

"My raptors aren't Elise. I can't explain why they need to have their teeth pulled. Besides, Elise is the one who wanted the appointment."

Bridges raised an eyebrow when the old vet yanked out another tooth. It was an impressive pile of broken, disfigured, and simply older teeth. Yet Elise's mouth remained full.

"How does she handle the aftermath of the anesthetics?"

Owen eyed the puddle of drool under Elise's jaw, and he pressed his lips before answering, "I don't know; it's the first time we combined sedatives and aesthetics. She's a little more sensitive than we realized. We just wanted to relax her, and numb the pain, not knock her out."

Bridges gave a single nod with an expressionless face that Owen really couldn't read. He didn't like not being able to read this man, and it creeped him out. It seemed like Bridges' was in a different mood each time he saw him. Arrogant, pushy, antagonizing, and now incredibly mellow.

"When did you schedule this? Miss Dearing had me under the impression that I could introduce Elise to her trainers today."

Owen blinked before glancing behind the businessman. He hadn't seen the two men, an older and younger, pair. Both looked a little wary of Elise though the older one seemed firmer; less willing to give ground. Owen glanced up at Bridges when he said, "We planned it about an hour ago. I figured your trainers would prefer waiting a day rather than try training a cranky Indominus. Her legs are hurting her; she hasn't been sleeping."

Bridges stepped back to stare at the neatly folded legs tucked to the side of Elise. He looked them over, eyes pausing on the scarring slash, before walking back, and asking, "Growth spurts?"

Owen nodded, and the two glanced back when Blake suddenly raised his voice. Owen saw Claire's eye give the slightest twitch, and Gerry growled, "Can someone get Blake out of here? I don't care if Elise is knocked out; I only get one chance to make sure her first dental appointment is a good experience. If Blake ruins it…"

Owen couldn't help scooching off to the side at the unfinished threat. He ducked a little behind the massive, snowy face, but Bridges cracked his neck and straightened his shoulders. Elise was incredibly important to his investment, and Bridges knew better than to try and force animals. They didn't tick like people; he knew how to intimidate an animal, train, abuse, and even nurture.

Bridges wasn't stupid; he fully understood that the most cooperative animal was a content one in a safe, calm environment. Carnifex had taught Bridges that much; the Spinosaurus had been a perfectly docile hatchling until it was time to leave the nest; when Carnifex felt he could survive on his own.

And he realized Bridges was part of a species in the prey category.

Then things had gotten a little messy without warning; there was a reason why Bridges never wore shorts of any kind. He knew he was lucky to still have his leg.

He was short a toe; the little piggy never did come back from the market, but Bridges knew it was simply Carnifex's way of communicating with him. Carnifex had grown frustrated with living conditions, and he let Bridges know that. If Bridges provided outlets for the Spinosaurus to vent his aggression, the animal was more patient. Hunts were the best; fighting a Tyrannosaurus left Carnifex in a mild mood for days.

Unfortunately Tyrannosaurs didn't grow very fast, and the most recently killed adolescent had been the last of that particular clutch from his breeding pair. All the other Tyrannosaurs he had were far too young or being used in an experiment.

Bridges was always a little more patient with animals who were _worth_ his time. A compy was not worth his time unless it was to see how far he could kick it. A Brachiosaurus was not worth his time; they were lumbering cows. Even a Tyrannosaurs was not worth a second glance unless it was to see if it was big enough to provide a challenge against Carnifex.

But Carnifex was worth his time. Bridges made sure the Spinosaurus was comfortable and happy. Carnifex was important to his career, and he was company. He scared away any potential trouble makers that tried to get near the fence.

Carnifex took care of the pests.

Elise was very much worth his time. He knew damn well she didn't have to be so cooperative with agreeing to this training, and judging from Blake's reaction, Claire had probably made up the ACU excuse up on the spot.

Bridges would give her credit for being quick.

If Elise was having a sick day, something that would be considered Wu's fault as far as Bridges was concerned, then so be it. He invested way too much time and money to rush this project. It was his opportunity to get back his investment and mend the burned bridge between Jurassic World and InGen. Vic had completely butchered their progress with creating warfare animals out of the Velociraptors. No one wanted to invest in an animal that could be _talked_ out of a mission so easily. Vic had always argued an animal's loyalty couldn't be bought, and he was right.

It took Elise less than two minutes to sway the raptors to her side through simple talking. Bridges was not happy with that video getting to the media. Vic was a very lucky man that Owen's raptor had beaten Bridges' to Vic.

It wouldn't have been pretty; Vic's head would have been propped right next to the compy on Bridges' shelf. Bridges would deny having anything to do with the inconvenient delays in getting Vic's body home for a proper burial.

But it was Bridges' way of having the last laugh. Vic had ruined an investment, and Bridges made sure his mangled corpse rotted for an extra week before it could be prepared for burial.

Owen didn't like when Bridges turned dark, the flat eyes shadowed under the eyebrows, but he watched the businessman confidently stroll over to the arguing duo. Owen couldn't help but to wonder if Bridges would just snap Blake's neck. It was a terrible thought that Owen almost couldn't fathom, but there wasn't something right with Bridges.

Bridges looked like someone who knew how to snap a neck, and Owen swallowed nervously as he carefully watched.

Blake was turning red in the face, and the vein in Claire's neck was bulging as the Commander snapped, "It has no purpose on my team! I don't care what it can do; ACU can manage just fine without it."

"Get over yourself."

Owen blinked at the quiet, firm, and biting tone. Claire looked startled, and Blake turned around before looking Bridges up and down once. The Commander gave no ground, and snapped, "Stay out of this."

The blonde only kept a hand in his pocket, and a calm demeanor when he immediately retorted, "I am already in this. I have a lot of money on the line here, but that doesn't even concern you. I have no idea why you're so flustered when you can only gain from this experience. You will be the Commander of the first, fully trained dinosaur. Elise is highly intelligent, and if I recall a certain video, she seems to deal with…chaotic situations a little better than most."

Owen pressed his lips at the borderline insulting tone; Blake had deemed him dead after Lilly breached water. If Claire hadn't gotten Elise, he would have probably drowned. Blake stiffened when Bridges coldly added, "I also saw your men quickly follow that plan, and it worked. Elise is obviously a leader; she just needs some training."

"This is insa-"

Bridges' gaze hardened just the slightest as he snapped, "Your men have already followed a plan created by Elise. She led Mr. Grady's rescue because you gave up. You're the one being stubborn here."

Blake lost his red rage coloring for a gaunt, furious white. Owen stood, ready to break up a fight, but Claire gave him a warning glance. She didn't want to escalate this anymore, and Blake jabbed a finger at an oblivious Elise when he hissed, "That thing killed my Commander, several brothers and sisters in arms, and you expect me to accept it into my family just because it had a change of heart? Because Grady decided to kiss its nose better?"

Owen wouldn't disagree with Blake's point of view; the family in arms was closer than blood. He wasn't mad at Blake's reasons; he just wished the man went about explaining himself better instead of simply digging his heels in.

Bridges only raised his eyebrows before simply saying, "Your Commander is stiff and dead in the ground; all the head rearing you're doing won't even get a twitch out of him. He knew full well what he was doing when he went after Elise, and it was his own fault for not getting out alive. Get over it, and move one. Honestly, I've seen emotional children realize this much more quickly than you."

Owen would freely admit that he wasn't the best people person. He knew how to get any single lady's number, and even a few guy's numbers just to see if he could. Owen knew how to make a party great, and he had an idea of how to comfort people. He wasn't so easy going around hot-tempered people like Blake; he had a habit of ending the arguments with a good swing of Righty.

But even Owen knew that was not the appropriate response.

He leaned over the scrunched snout, and quietly whispered to Dr. Gerry, "Five dollars on Blake."

The old vet didn't even bat an eye as he poked around the gums, and answered, "Twenty on the suit."

Owen quietly snorted, but Blake regained the murderous red to his face as he snapped, _"She tried to bury me alive! She dug a goddamned grave, shoved me in it, and pushed all the dirt on me!"_

Owen had heard about that little incident; he knew Josh from all the repairs and changes made to the Raptor Paddock. He was a good guy; nice, mellow, and willing to work with Owen to make sure the girls hadn't gotten too stressed.

Blue had still made a trench with all her patrolling, but Josh had tried.

Bridges didn't give much of a reaction, and only sniffed, "Honestly, Commander, I'm sure every _active_ man has, at some point, had his life endangered by a fiery woman. I've been run over by my own Bentley. You're a little flustered just because Elise is a little more exotic looking than most women. I think you need to calm down in order to think about this."

Now Owen was confused by Bridges; he never expected the man to outright defend Elise when he had tried to provoke her only a few days before. Owen had no idea what was motivating this man, and he didn't like it. Claire jumped when Blake froze before suddenly swinging a clenched fist.

A hot-tempered Commander.

Bridges immediately parried the swing with his own arm before swinging his fist into the unguarded gut. Owen heard the whoosh of air leave the man, and Blake all but collapsed. Bridges kept his calm face as he easily supported the man, and turned to his men before politely saying, "Escort the Commander to his vehicle. I'm sure he'll need a few minutes to think about his actions."

Owen lowered his brows when Blake was carried back, and he quietly sighed at the nudge at his side. Dr. Gerry let out a quiet chuckle as he tucked the Lincoln into his pocket, and said, "Thanks for lunch."

"Mhm."

Bridges only straightened out his slightly wrinkled sleeves, and glanced up when Claire quietly said, "Mr. Bridges, I apologize for Commander Blake's behavior. This will be the second time he will be critically reviewed by the board."

Bridges raised an eyebrow as he fixed his perfect cuff, and asked, "He's started fights before?"

"No. He was reviewed last time because of his incompetence. He failed to realize Elise had purposefully lured his team away."

Claire caught the curious look, and she added, "Elise was trying to protect Mr. Grady from a security guard. No one was seriously injured."

Bridges gave a quick nod as he glanced back at Elise. Owen pressed a little closer to her; it just felt safer to do so. He had her back, and she had his. They protected one another, and Owen would never take her protective presence for granted.

She had always done everything in her power to keep him safe, and Owen would be eternally grateful for it.

Owen glanced up when Bridges said, "Don't trouble yourself over it, Miss Dearing. Your Commander seems a little stressed."

The blonde cleared his throat before offering a winning smile as he added, "Since Elise won't be meeting her trainers today, I think we can go sign the papers over a late lunch. We can get our companies back on the right track. I'm sure you're in need to get your Apatosaurus herd replenished."

Claire gave a single nod as she glanced at Owen. He gave a little wave while Gerry began to clean up. The pile of teeth was certainly impressive, and Owen wondered how quickly Elise's new teeth would come in. He glanced up when Bridges said, "Mr. Grady, I was thinking you should assist as much as you can. I know Elise will probably be much more responsive with you around. I would appreciate it if you would at least be willing to set a good foundation between Elise and my trainers."

Owen nodded as he glanced at the two men. Blake was still trying to catch his breath, but Owen wasn't going to do anything about it. He was just glad someone had found out about Bridges' apparent quick reflexes instead. Owen wasn't won over by the happy smile, but said, "I'll have something ready tomorrow. We can work with Elise between shows."

"Excellent; let me know when Elise is coherent. I need to have a quick word with her."

Owen nodded again, and he sighed when the vehicles drove away. Black was still heaving in his truck, and Gerry said, "She should be up in the hour unless she feels like catching up on the sleep."

"I might be here awhile then."

The old vet snorted as he stood up, knees popping from old age, and he replied, "I know I have no idea how big she's going to get, but I think she'll have another growth spurt in her. This kiddo is growing too fast, but the only thing we can do is give her some pain pills. It'll be better than nothing."

"Think Bridges was telling the truth about not having records?"

Gerry rolled his eyes as he began to gently run warm water along the bloodied mouth. Owen moved out of the way as the vet answered, "Do you want to know how many animals died because Wu decided to answer my questions with, 'I'm sorry, but that's classified information.'?"

Owen blinked, and Gerry said, "In all my years here, Wu let sixty-three animals die because he wasn't willing to help me. I needed information on the animals' genetics, and he wouldn't even give me a glance up from his goddamned clipboard."

Owen had rarely talked to Wu. Only when their paths crossed in the Hatchery, but he understood what Gerry meant by the 'Wu answer'. Only when an animal exhibited obvious characteristics would Wu admit it, and even then he would refuse to go into details about the amount.

Owen had always wondered what would have happened if something would happen to Wu; surely there were more geneticists who could carry on his work. Perhaps the man was valuable in the creation of _new_ dinosaurs, and he was a little more relaxed about the less exciting animals.

Owen was sure that was the case, and he looked up when Blake suddenly threw up his lunch. Gerry rolled his eyes when Owen made a gagging sound, and he snapped, "For Christ's sake, Owen."

Owen only sniffed as he wiped away drool, and muttered an apology. Gerry shook his head as he gave a gentle pat above the closed eye. Owen was momentarily distracted when the cranky vet turned soft and kindly said, "You take your time waking up, Kiddo. I ain't in no hurry, and you're just fine where you're at."

Gerry gave a rare, warm smile when he was answered by a content, relaxed sigh. Elise did look peaceful, and it clearly warmed the vet. Gerry was determined to be a good doctor to her, and Owen was glad Gerry pushed so hard to make sure Jackie got along with Elise.

It obviously didn't take much effort though; Elise adored the colorful, energetic vet.

Gerry gestured to the Commander as he said, "You watch your kid, and I'll see what I can do with Blake."

"Tranquilize him."

The vet only chuckled quietly as he hobbled away, and Owen smiled while leaning against the warm, white scales. He was actually excited about giving Elise something else to focus on. Now that Elise was safe from InGen, Owen really wanted to see what she could do, and he wanted to train his girls even more.

Because now he didn't have to be afraid of what others would do with the answers.

Another puff of warm air made Owen lean on Elise even more. He couldn't wait for Rosie to meet his baby. He just knew the two would get along with one another. They could probably do a movie night again, and maybe he wouldn't fall asleep this time. Elise had clearly taken to Godzilla though.

Owen, despite his sensitive ribs, found it really fun to play the panicked citizen. Elise was always gentle when she took him hostage, and she adored Owen's pleas for mercy.

Blue found it odd, and Owen had no idea what Rexy would think of it. He still didn't feel comfortable with going out into the plains while the gate was down. He didn't want to push things with the old lady.

Owen gently traced the patterns of the large scales, marveling the smooth texture as he wondered where Bridges had learned to fight. The man had reacted immediately, like he had been expecting it. Owen was still impressed with the speed though, and it wasn't easy to block a punch like that.

Bridges was definitely a dangerous man, but Owen was starting to wonder if he was in any danger around him. It certainly seemed like Bridges had lost interest in Jurassic World now that his plan for warfare animals had been discovered, and Elise would have eaten the man. Instead she ignored him when he tried to provoke her.

 _Like he had been expecting it._

Owen sat up before glancing at Dr. Gerry attempting to get Blake back on his feet. The Commander had taken the punch hard; that had been a well-aimed hit. Either Bridges was phenomenal in his fighting and defense skills.

Or Bridges had simply looking for a reaction out of Blake like he had tried to do with Elise a few days ago. Bridges did seem to like antagonizing people, pushing them into losing their temper. It was a really good way of seeing how they functioned.

Owen leaned back onto Elise as he replayed the fight. It made sense. Bridges liked to antagonize, and Elise refused to play that game with him.

Owen gave a wide smile; he couldn't help kissing her cheek and growing soft at her garbled chirp. He hoped she was having sweet, happy dreams again.

Because she had figured out Bridges before he had. That was his smart Sunshine.

* * *

A heavy foot thudded into the ground as clawed hands flexed impressively against the forest chest. Rexy gave a wide yawn before a twitch at her neck caught her attention. The Velociraptor riding on her shoulder had seen the twitching skin, and quickly groomed the spot.

Rexy liked Blue One; she was a good hatchling even if she talked a little too much. She was attentive, smart, and very much like Rexy in her younger days. Crooked Jaw was much calmer after her little incident with the quick prey, and Rexy was fine with that.

She liked calm.

But Rexy liked her afternoon naps a little more. She didn't know where White One was, but her youngling was large and smart. White One knew how to call her mother over if she needed help, and she had her human with her.

Delta and Echo waited for the large carnivore to step into her nest, and lay down before they leapt over the tall walls. Blue only shifted around to tuck herself into the crook of Rexy's neck before letting out a content sigh.

Rexy only allowed three times to shift around before growing irritated; Blue only had to be taught that once. She was happy with the life here. Food was plenty, and the pack was very strong. Stupid Alpha had done this pack well; White One had redeemed herself, and proven her worth.

Life was good. The air was peaceful, and Stern One was warm.

Delta curled up near the forest freckled face while her bronze sister stretched out near the massive ribcage. Rexy hardly shifted in her sleep, and the raptors took full advantage of that. The newest members were making themselves right at home, and a small pile of odd finds were beginning to pile on the far side of the nest where they hardly slept.

A metal ball, a glove, two quarters, a wrench, and a broken wristwatch. It was amazing what vast treasures had been left by the humans, and all three collectors intended to gather all of it into one spot. Rexy didn't mind so long as the pile remained little; she never slept on that side of the nest.

And she knew all the squinting in the world wouldn't see past the 'hatchlings' Velociraptorish behaviors.

Blue curled up more tightly in her sleep before stilling, and Rexy easily drifted off as well. It was nice to have a full nest.

Even if it was full of oddballs, but they were her oddballs.

* * *

 **Much Shorter A/N**

 **The chapter title is inspired by Eminem's 'Bad Meets Evil' I just found the title fitting for Blake and Bridges' first meeting.**


	48. Chapter 48

**A/N**

 **Hey guys! Life is good?**

 **Thank you spinofan-117 for letting me use the name if I decide to bring the Spino in because that is a very fitting name,**

 **thesecondoreo, I'll be sure to look up that song because now I am curious about it.**

 **thethirdoreo, perfect timing on your part.**

 **Ceredon, I think you're crazy for zooming that quickly through that many chapters, but I am really glad you're enjoying this story that much :) Thank you for putting in that bit of background on Sobek's name because that is interesting to me. I hope you get some sleep, sleep is very good. I hope you continue to enjoy this story.**

 **As always, thank you guys very much for reading this story and reviewing it. Even if you don't review it, thank you for reading it! Please enjoy, and I suppose I shall give a warning for a sad chapter.**

* * *

"Love Can't Fit These Boots…"

"How are you feeling, Sunshine?"

Elise couldn't feel her mouth, and the sounds she made sounded very odd to her. She was afraid of moving her mouth around for fear of biting her own tongue off. So she only nodded her head, and Owen smiled as he continued to stroke her nose. Elise decided to rest a little before their next show, and she was content to sleep under the false log next to her sister's box. Owen was ashamed to admit he had almost forgotten about the little box, but he smiled at the jar of American soil.

A small, tender, tiny emerald vine had decided to break the surface of the earth. A single leaf adorned the fragile plant, and Elise was over the moon to see the seedling doing well. It made Owen happy as well; he was glad Lowery had given her the gift.

It made Elise seem lighter.

"Are the girls getting along pretty well with Rexy? I know Blue is like her little shadow at the shows, but is Blue always on her back?"

Elise couldn't help her sucked in laugh; Blue was very much Rexy's shadow, and the two had grown quite close with one another. Blue was learning the old dinosaur's sounds; she couldn't mimic them, but Blue could usually figure out what Rexy wanted.

Usually.

And Rexy enjoyed having the raptor on her back; Elise never expected it, but Blue was apparently very good at scratching all the hard to reach spots. Tim still wasn't very comfortable with the raptors in his paddock, but he wouldn't complain about Rexy looking much younger. It made Tim feel better now that Rexy had something else to do with her time. She still kept her regular schedule, but the new members of the family always provided an opportunity for something different.

Owen let out a laugh as he scooted a little closer. He stretched out in the soft ground as the two simply enjoyed each other's company. Elise kept a careful, soft hand pressed against the side of Owen, and he responded by placing his much smaller hand over hers.

They liked the physical contact. Elise relished it, and Owen had no problem with the extra cuddling. He had done the same thing with Blue and her sisters when they were born; they were establishing and solidifying a very strong bond.

Granted Owen was pretty sure Elise would never lose her cuddly side, but it always reminded him that she was still young. He really wished he had some records to make a better guess, but Owen was willing to bet Elise was somewhere in her late teens, maybe a young adult. The more attached Owen got with Elise, the more he wondered how long she would live.

She did have a base genome of Tyrannosaurus, Rexy was over forty years old, and even the oldest discovered Tyrannosaurus fossil died around thirty.

Thirty to forty years was a good number, Owen could live with that. Elise was going to live a happy, safe life where she had a purpose and family. Happiness had a great way of extending the lifespan, and Elise had human in her. Humans lived a long time, so maybe that would extend it a little more, right? Maybe add five or ten more years?

A very selfish side of Owen hoped Elise would outlive him, but then he wouldn't be there to protect her. He knew she could defend herself, but Owen didn't feel right by leaving Elise behind.

Pack never left pack behind.

Owen wouldn't admit these thoughts had kept him awake more often than not. It was hard enough to sleep with the broken ribs, but then his thoughts would wander around. He would wonder about the future, training his girls for racing, getting Claire on another date, seeing his family.

And how he hoped Elise would be right next to him the entire time.

Was this what it was like to be a parent? Owen had thought he was a parent when the girls had hatched, but he was never so…worried.

Elise worried him. He worried about her health, her happiness, and her living conditions. Was she happy? Was she getting enough to eat? Was she sleeping well? Owen would notice when she wasn't. Was Rexy being a good parent when Owen wasn't there? Did Elise know she could come to him for anything? Did he tell her he loved her enough?

"I love you, Sunshine."

Elise cracked open an eye; she had dozed off when Owen drifted into his own thoughts. She responded by pressing her hand against him as she curled around her human. Owen smiled at the warmth; he had to remind himself to tell Elise he loved her at least once a day. He didn't care if she got sick of hearing it, he didn't care if people thought less of him for it.

Because there could be a day when Elise would have to go to bed without a goodnight kiss from Owen. There was always a chance Elise would have to wake up knowing she wouldn't have her human to play Godzilla with, and there was the possibility the only time she would see him was in happy memories.

And Owen wouldn't be there to tell her he loved her.

But Owen was still right here, he was alive and well. He was here to spend all day with his tough baby, and he would tell her how much she meant to him.

Elise let out a content sigh when Owen began to quietly hum their song. It was the only song with actual singing that Elise enjoyed.

"You are my sunshine, my only sunshine."

The Indominus knew she was smiling, even if she couldn't really feel her lips.

"You make me happy when skies are grey."

Owen quietly tapped a soft beat against the large hand tenderly pressed against him, and he swore the pain in his side dissipated a little bit.

"You'll never know, Dear how much I love you, please don't take my sunshine away."

Elise let out a soft croon as she eyed her human. Owen adored the warm cinnamon colors adding depth to the clear eyes. Even the pupils seemed to grow rounder, and he just couldn't quite picture Elise as anything else.

His Sunshine.

* * *

"Don't be stubborn, Love. I saw you spit out the vitamin."

The chocolatey eyes blinked warmly before the baby let out a defiant, soft cry. Debra patiently sighed at her youngest Apatosaurus. Love was true to her name; a simply lovey baby who adored being cuddled.

And carrots were the greatest treat in the world.

Love was the favorite at the Petting Zoo, and always the first to greet any shy child. Love made everyone feel welcome with her overpowering curiosity. She simply had to inspect everything for herself. Strangers, a new bucket, flowers, children, pockets…

And a certain Indominus Rex.

Debra didn't like to think about that little incident. It wasn't even an incident. Love had run away from Gerry like every normal animal, and she stumbled upon the Indominus sleeping in the Shower Room.

 _Elise…_

Debra unintentionally curled her lip; she didn't want that thing to have a name. The Indominus had ruthlessly killed her babies. She didn't care if Elise had a change of heart.

The Indominus Rex, not Elise.

Because of the mutated, crooked jawed monster, Debra now knew what Beauty's intestines looked like. She had even gotten a good look at the massive, pink stomach when the crane had lifted the dead Beauty onto the flatbed of the semi-truck. Those slashes had been cruel, deadly, and slow to kill. The only one who bled out quickly was sweet Amber.

Amber had liked peanut butter. It had always melted Debra to watch her little Amber smack the soft jaws repeatedly as she tried to eat the thick, sticky treat.

But now Debra didn't need to bring peanut butter with her when she went to visit the remaining girls. She was very grateful that Cherry was still alive to keep the herd together, but Jade wasn't doing very well. The Apatosaurus liked to pair off; they picked a herd mate to stick by.

Jade always stuck by Jasmine, but now Jasmine was dead. Jade didn't walk with a bounce in her step anymore. She didn't eat as much as she used to; it was starting to show, and Debra desperately hoped Cherry could pull Jade through this.

Debra wasn't ready to say goodbye to another baby.

Love pulled Debra from her thoughts by giving a soft bite on the pouch hooked on Debra's belt. The curly haired woman gave a tender smile as she gently stroked the soft, grey skin.

"You're not getting a carrot until you eat your vitamin, my Love."

Love only tugged a little harder though Debra highly doubted the baby would be able to do anything. It was a tough pouch that had lived through much more aggressive children.

Rain had broken three of Debra's belts when she figured out that was where the _Granny Smith_ apple slices had been hidden; Rain never liked any other kind of apple. It was always funny to Debra how her girls always picked a different favorite food.

But Rain wasn't going to break Debra's belt anymore. Now Rain was just a memory and a large patch of disturbed earth.

And Granny Smith apples brought back bittersweet memories.

Debra swallowed to get rid of the sharp, tight feeling in her throat as she smiled at Love. Love was her lovey baby; Debra didn't have a better word to describe the little ball of cuddles. The Petting Zoo around her was full of enthusiastic children eager to meet the fellow youngsters of Jurassic World. Debra wouldn't pick anything over this job; it wasn't even a job to her. She loved educating children about her scaly children.

But more children were starting to ask if she knew Elise. When Debra would immediately deny, they were quick to educate her about Jurassic World's newest attraction. Elise was tender, gentle, quiet, and loving. Elise brightened the children's day while entertaining adults at the same time. Elise could turn funny colors, Elise loved classical music, hated jelly doughnuts, and kept Blue in line.

Elise never growled, and her sharp teeth hardly registered as a threat; she loved to pin Owen to give slobbery kisses. Rexy was her Mama, but Elise was the second Alpha in the Raptor Squad; she was in charge when Owen wasn't there.

Debra didn't like hearing these things. She had been content to pretend the kids were talking about someone else. She had managed to keep the Indominus Rex and Elise as separate animals in her mind.

Until Debra watched Elise rescue Owen from the lagoon. Debra had really thought she was going to witness the demise of her children's murderer. She hadn't been comfortable when people around her had begun to cry out Elise's name.

Like Elise was a good hero.

Heroes didn't slay harmless animals without good reason. Debra was sure the Indominus had absolutely no good reason for hurting the young Apatosaurus.

It had eaten at Debra all night to the point of upsetting her already ravaged digestive system again.

The Indominus Rex was a selfish, sadistic, remorseless killer.

But Elise was a good soul, a friend to all children, and willing to risk her own life for the sake of precious family.

Debra didn't want them to be the same creature. She wanted someone to hate, someone to curse when her chest would throb at the most random of times. It wasn't fair that the Indominus Rex had suddenly disappeared with Elise to keep the same face; Debra wanted to hate that face, but Elise was getting the lashing, not the Indominus.

Debra didn't hate Elise, she hated the Indominus.

Love made another soft cry as she began to lick the gentle hand who had only shown kindness during her short life. Debra couldn't stop her bitter smile when she overheard an excited child beg his parents to get moving.

Elise's show was going to start soon.

Debra was full of bitter anger that had nowhere to go.

Because the Indominus Rex had vanished, and Love was on her way to making friends with gentle giant Elise who had shown no anger for being insulted. Debra was sure it wasn't because Elise had forgotten.

Maybe Elise was patient too, and Debra suddenly gave a short laugh.

No punishment was more fitting of the elusive Indominus than being Owen Grady's babysitter. It wasn't what Debra would have picked for a punishment, but it was all she was going to get.

But at least Owen hadn't seen Love not run away from Elise in the Shower Room. Debra didn't think she could handle it to see the smug face; it had felt very good to punch that jaw. It was even better when he knew she had thrown a solid hit.

"Alright, Love. Eat the vitamin, and you'll get two carrots for being a good girl."

Debra smiled; Love was here to fill in the hurting holes in her broken heart.

* * *

Black combat boots quietly splashed against the current of the always chuckling stream. A freshly painted white cross has planted into the riverbed, and gloved hands carefully pulled the gathering, green plants from the base.

A soft, sad sigh fell from chewed lips as the critical eye made sure the cross was still standing tall, proud, and strong.

Like the man whose name had been tenderly painted on the white wood.

A fresh crown of colorful flowers was slipped onto the cross, and the ACU Commander finally sat down on a large, smooth stone while the cold waters ran over his boots. Blake ran a tired hand through his rough hair.

He didn't feel good.

His stomach hurt for every reason possible. Grief was a heavy rock weighing him down, Bridges had thrown a good, solid punch, and his most recent meal had been of questionable quality.

Sleep was elusive and filled with bad dreams. Happy memories hurt to think about, and Blake was only functioning because of the extra shot of espresso put into his fifth cup of coffee.

Life was not looking better, and he was stuck on this island. He didn't have family anywhere else. ACU was his family; he loved each of his siblings. Even the ones he didn't get along with.

But now the Indominus was apparently going to join. Blake rubbed his eyes tiredly before quietly saying, "It's been a really long day, Commander. You wouldn't believe the shit I had to put up with today."

Blake glanced to the side of the chuckling stream as he stared at the white crosses dotting the riverbed. Some were peeking behind bushes, others right next to one another, but Hamada's cross stood strong in the running waters.

"Claire has lost it; she's putting that _thing_ on Emergency ACU. Can you believe that? I know you wouldn't have put up with that shit…"

Blake swallowed as he clenched a hard, unforgiving fist on his knee, and sniffed, "We don't need it, Commander…all it is going to do it bring chaos and trouble. That's all that ever follows that thing… I know ACU can handle things; we got it, don't worry. We're taking care of each other like you taught us to."

The new Commander suddenly let out a watery laugh as he said, "I mean…I bet you'd be all over training Freak; she's a fiery shithead. God, she's got that look about her. I bet you would have already made a damned vest for Freak…you were always good around weird people."

Another sniff was made, and Blake wiped his nose before adding, "I really don't know who I hate more, Commander. Claire is the iciest bitch I have ever met; she won't listen to anyone unless it's what she wants to hear."

His stomach gave an unpleasant churn, and Blake grimaced as he said, "Bridges is a cold sonofabitch, but he can throw a punch. You would have busted his nose like I should have, but I let my guard down."

The Commander was silent for a few seconds before he bowed his head. He hated the trembling of his chapped lips, and the warmth trickling from his tightly shut eyes provided no sense of relief to him. Blake let out a shaky sigh as he desperately stared at the cross, and choked, "I-I…I let you down. I am s-so sorry, Commander… I should have been there…I was calling in another sick day, and you knew I wasn't sick. Why didn't you come get my ass?! I should have had your back, but I didn't. I'm sorry, I am so sorry, Commander…"

Blake finally buried his face into his calloused, gloved hands as he wept. The rough stubble reminded him that the world was still spinning, and he needed to shave. It was important to lead through example and with a clear, calm head.

But Blake wasn't calm like Commander Hamada had been. Blake had a temper, and he held a hell of a grudge against Freak for disrupting his life like this. Blake had been content with the excitements of bringing down rouge pachys. It had been fun to play chicken with the favorite winner, Rocky. Rocky was a hell of a fighter who knew how to really dodge ACU. She had been Hamada's dinosaur. The only time he ever saw her was when she got loose, but that was enough times for them to know each other.

Now Rocky was getting mean; she knew her equal had passed away. Blake had to deal with that now; he had to be in charge of keeping these animals in line.

Rocky didn't like Blake; Blake liked Bark. Bark was no bite despite her size; she was a good girl who easily followed a strong trail of Twinkies. But Bark hardly caused trouble; she was sweet.

Blake liked it more when Hamada was here to give him shit and push him to do better. Now he had to push himself, and it was more tiring than Blake had realized. He had to keep his team's spirits strong as well as his own.

There was a lot of weight on his shoulders, and Blake didn't have anyone to talk to.

Blake hiccupped as he looked at the blurry cross, and hoarsely said, "I know you would have started training Freak by now…but I don't like her. She's the reason why you're gone…"

The Commander wiped his face as his gaze fell to his wet boots. He couldn't stop the bitter, sad smile when he added, "You always said I'd be the one to take over when you were gone. You said I could fit in your shoes…"

Blake's bitterness cracked his face into a pained smile as he choked, "But it's hard, Commander…real hard…I just don't think I can fit in these boots…"

The blonde bowed his head in defeat, remorse, guilt, and exhaustion when he quietly mumbled, "I'm so sorry…"

Blake would give anything to hear from the closest thing he had to a father again.

Anything for even a three minute conversation.

Because Hamada wasn't here to tell Blake to push himself to become better, and Blake had to greet the rising sun knowing he had big shoes to fill.

Blake just wished he had decided to go to work that day.

Maybe he would have been killed, and Hamada could have already had the Indominus working into the family. But Blake had to make that work now.

Because Hamada had given his boots to Blake.


	49. Chapter 49

**A/N**

 **Hey guys!**

 **I'm really sorry about not posting last night, the website was down, and I couldn't get to it. It's the first thing I checked this morning though so thank you for your patience!**

 **thesecondoreo, I actually really like that song; you got good taste in music.**

 **Oreo, I'm sorry about the heartstrings; I'll probably do it again in another chapter.**

 **xxXScotbritXxx, I was talking about the adults who passed away and no spoilers.**

 **I'm happy to see we are all getting along again, and I just want to remind you that the 'discussions' for mature debaters (people who can respect others' opinions during an argument) take place over on the Tropes page. Link is on my profile. Feel free to discuss whatever you like, as long as it pertains to the story, and it really does not take long to make an account. Seriously, all it wants is a profile name, and an email address.**

 **And the contract you signed? The little next button at the bottom of the page is really a 'I agree to be part of the family' in disguise button ;) Where are the terms? I'm just that sly; it's why I am able to come up with a very creepy character like Bridges.**

 **Anyways, thank you Hellhound117 for giving me permission to use Derick McCoy's character; yes I am tired of creating OC's, no, he's not there for the fun of it.**

 **Thank you guys for your reviews, your help in keeping things calm, and your guys' willingness to apologize afterwards; that really warmed me. I'm glad I have mature readers like that. Thank you much and mighty, love you guys, we love each other because we're family, love and sunshine peoples. Love and sunshine.**

* * *

"That's Classified."

"Goodness, you are going through another growth spurt, aren't you?"

Carnifex only replied by snapping his jaws into the chunk of meat generously tossed down to him. The Spinosaurus wasn't the most talkative of creatures, but the scarlet dinosaur loved a good, loud fight.

Bridges did as well.

The icy, blue eyes wandered of the paddock as an emerald gaze waited for another potential treat. Bridges sighed as he tossed down another chunk of good beef, and said, "We might have to enlarge the paddock again, Carnifex. I do believe you just might get bigger than your father, hmm?"

The Spinosaurus made a low growl as he began to sniff around the disturbed earth, but snapped his gaze up when Bridges gave a short whistle. Bridges glanced at the damning, crimson splotch that was dwarfed by the massive foot. Bridges couldn't help dryly asking, "But do you really have to eat a worker every time you feel the growing pains?"

The emerald eyes held no remorse nor any need to change his way of life. His legs were hurting, he was irritated, and the worker had been in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Bridges snorted as he leaned on the railing, and added, "I can't believe how quickly you've grown; I don't think Sobek was this large when he was your age."

A smooth hand began to rub a defined chin as Bridges mused, "Your spoiled life has certainly done you well, hasn't it? I'm not sure you could beat your father in a fight though; he's a ruthless sonofabitch… I haven't seen him for a month or so…"

Bridges flickered his gaze back to the grouchy Spinosaurus when Carnifex decided it was time to go do something else. Bridges wasn't bothered, he liked their relationship. They liked each other, they got along, but if one died, the other wouldn't be all that torn; they could depend on each other though.

Bridges could bring his problems to the fire colored dinosaur, and Carnifex knew how to make it obvious he wasn't happy.

The Spinosaurus had a habit of announcing said displeasure when it was time to clean the paddock; Carnifex was usually receptive to the sedatives in his food so the workers were safer.

But Carnifex could fight it if he felt like it, and with today's growing pains, Carnifex had fought it. One worker had been snapped up clean; hard hat, boots, shovel, and all.

Bridges wasn't surprised, the workers needed to stay on their toes. They had tracking devices to keep track of Carnifex just in case, but it had been awhile since Carnifex had eaten anyone. The workers had gotten lazy, and what's-his-face paid for it.

The blonde waited for Carnifex to disappear before he retreated back into his air conditioned office. He sighed as he reclined back into his cushy chair, and glanced at his clock. He had very few meetings today, and that was a blessing. It meant he could actually roam his domain, and make sure people were doing their jobs. Bridges let out a deep breath through his nose as a detailed map of Isla Sorna pulled up onto his computer. The old labs were in ruins towards the northeast, and InGen had started from scratch at the southwest part of the island.

Because Sobek roamed the northern parts of the island where the river started and swamps flourished; the Tyrannosaurs had claimed the eastern parts of it before Bridges had captured them. Bridges thought there was a male still loose, but he wasn't sure; he didn't think there was. Sobek was an odd creature. Fiercely territorial to the point where he went out of his way to hunt down disturbances.

And Claire thought Rexy was unforgiving when it came to a disrupted routine.

Despite InGen's reputation, and Bridges being concerned with other things, there were animals with trackers in them. Important animals. Bridges made sure to track at least the Alphas of the herds.

Velociraptors were more difficult to track due to their risky lifestyle, but there was a prion free pack towards the center east of the island. Bridges hadn't realized they were there until after Jurassic World had supplied their own raptors for research. The raptors here went through odd cycles where things would be fine; the packs would be healthy, and then prions would break out for no reason Bridges knew of. It would wipe out most of the packs, and a few stragglers were left to repopulate. The Alpha of that pack seemed to be a smart fellow; he took care of his own, and knew how to lead a hunt.

Bridges didn't bother with the pack after Hoskins had assured him Grady's raptors were the sound investment. It was a fresh start, and Bridges was tired of hearing excuses. Bridges didn't question it, and he was fine with a prion free pack balancing things out in the wilds of his island.

He did not doubt some were escapees from his own pack of Velociraptors. They still had a few, but the promising ones had escaped. Those left behind were used for research as they hardly heeded any orders from people. Bridges didn't feel the need to recapture the others as he had been concerned about a dwindling variety in the gene pools of his wild raptor pack. He had no idea if problems were arising from inbreeding, but he certainly wouldn't stop an opportunity to expand the gene pool. Even if he didn't care about the well-being of those animals, it was his job as CEO to make sure InGen labs had other animals to research on.

That meant 'caring' for the wild ones.

Bridges had made the call to hunt down the prion infested ones to help out, but it seemed they had missed a few. He was completely caught off guard by the accusation of purposely allowing a prion mad Triceratops to roam Isla Nublar. Even in his maddest schemes, Bridges had absolutely no purpose in infecting other animals with incurable diseases.

But he wasn't going to exactly admit to Claire that a certain Triceratops might have escaped her holding pen on a boat before leaping into the ocean. For all Bridges knew, that one had drowned. This one could have been a completely different animal.

Who also happened to have prions.

Bridges sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose; the better labs were on Isla Nublar. InGen had another set of labs on that island for research. This island's dinosaurs were just more aggressive, and Bridges didn't like putting all his valuables into one little spot.

His labs on Isla Nublar requested an animal with prions to test. That Triceratops had conveniently been attacked by the dwindling, rabid raptors, and Bridges didn't think twice about sending her over.

It was so hard to find good help these days; it was another reason why Bridges had been willing to compensate Jurassic World for Elise's rampage. He had dodged a major bullet; Claire would have thrown an ungodly fit if she knew he had tried to send a diseased animal to her clean island.

It was done and over anyways. Bridges was sure the prions had run their course on Isla Nublar; Claire had been smart about getting rid of the infected corpses, and ACU had done a thorough cleaning. The Triceratops herd had taken a major hit, but Bridges was sure one of the oldest females there had taken over; the one who had lost her horn to Rexy. Their herd was going to be fine.

A search box popped up, and Bridges entered in the only code he had memorized. He waited for the information to load before frowning at the tracker's lines.

It wasn't correct.

Bridges knew Sobek's routine, and this was not the routine he knew. Sobek liked to circle his territory, making a large loop to mark the boundaries before staying a couple days in the valley for a good hunt. Then he'd complete the circle by resting in the swamps until it was time to repeat.

Bridges had paid very good money for the trackers; he knew they were not broken.

Sobek hadn't left the swamps for over a week, and it was not the season for good fishing there. The only time the Spinosaurus was willing to disrupt his routine was when sharks came near the island to breed; then the dinosaur would hang along the coast until the sharks left.

The orange lines on the screen made a much smaller circle, and Bridges knew no good reason for Sobek to suddenly stop his routine. He scrolled his mouse to see the previous week's tracking, and didn't like what he was looking at.

It seemed like the orange line was going to repeat, but something made it turn right back the swamps after some snooping around the ruined labs.

Bridges didn't like this, and he wiped his mouth before leaving his office. Bridges was not happy with this information.

Because he had hired someone specifically to keep track of their oldest dinosaur. The big boss of this island.

* * *

"Ah! It's Godzilla! No!"

Owen couldn't stop the laugh from bursting out of him when Elise scrunched her snout to mimic the angry gaze. She gently scooped him up before letting out a victorious growl that reminded Owen of Chewbacca.

Another round of laughing was brought about when Elise gently nuzzled Owen like she was pretending to eat him. Owen replied by falling limp in the tender hold, and Elise made a soft, amused croon.

It was a good day, and their first show had gone well as always. It put Elise in a playful mood, and she managed to infect Owen with the same feeling. Owen had caved into using some pain pills, and they were working great. Blue and the girls were happier than ever; Rexy hardly came over to Elise's paddock, and Lowery had started making the hologram. The tech-geek had done a really good job of explaining it to Elise, and she seemed legitimately interested in seeing this false copy of herself.

"Mr. Grady?"

Owen glanced up to the false log to see the two men from yesterday; both serious and eyeing Elise warily. The younger man looked like he was close to Owen's age, and the older was most likely in his late forties. The dirty blonde hair was kept short, and the hard, blue eyes carefully guarded.

Most likely from a hard life.

The other man kept his black hair short but spiked, and Owen gently patted the scaled hand. Elise set him into the log before she looked over the two strangers over critically. They kept their eye contact, and Owen was impressed with it. They didn't seem so in awe like many people were the first time they saw Elise, but Owen was willing to be the two had seen enough videos of Elise splotching colors for children.

It took a bit of edge off of her, but Elise didn't care. She knew she could be scary if she wanted to be.

Owen dusted himself off as he became serious, and the older man said, "We didn't exactly get to introduce ourselves after yesterday's incident. I'm Samuel Visser."

Owen raised an eyebrow as he shook the large, calloused hand, and asked, "Visser?"

"It's Dutch; that's all you need to know."

Owen snorted; he knew plenty of Dutch people where he grew up when his parents had finally stopped digging up fossils. They had a hell of a temper, but good, solid people who didn't always mesh well with the other hot tempered cultures of Europe. Owen knew this because he had a Portuguese neighbor right next to the Dutch one.

It was a diverse neighborhood, and Owen learned to keep his head down because of it.

Owen turned to the younger man with green eyes, and was pleased with the firm shake.

"Derick McCoy. I'm going to be doing more of the field training, Mr. Grady."

"Call me Owen; Mr. Grady is my father."

Derick gave a playful, enthused grin, and Owen immediately liked him. Owen leaned against Elise cheek as he said, "This is Elise."

Owen would admit he was a little impressed when Derick didn't hesitate to give a little wave, but his older counterpart didn't seem as quick to get friendly. Samuel wasn't acting disrespectful by any means, but he just wasn't acting warm; Owen was fine with that, and he asked, "So how'd you two get picked?"

Derick's hair didn't do anything under the warm puff of air as Elise inspected him, but he said, "I've been training animals since I could walk. I was hired to train a raptor pack, but the little buggers escaped on me."

Owen clearly remembered almost losing his job when the girls had escaped the nursery; when they couldn't even jump past his hip. Blue had been the leader of the little fiasco; it had been their first fight. Owen and Blue had both walked away thinking they were the winners while the other three had been thoroughly confused.

"How'd you get them back?"

Derick snorted as he gently offered his hand for Elise to inspect; he couldn't help his smile when the ebony talon pressed against it before giving a light shake. The dark haired trainer answered, "There's no getting Fuego back into his cage by force; he's long gone with most of the others, but they're doing good. I actually think that hothead calmed down now that he's in the wild. Ain't that crazy? I guess all that frustration is being put to use."

Owen pressed his lips; that wasn't a luxury his girls would ever have. If Owen would have had his way, he would have let them be free to do what they wanted, but Jurassic World had tamed down Isla Nublar. It really spoke to Owen that Derick seemed to know his own pack well enough to recognize what was best for them.

Owen blinked when Derick gently ran his hands along the scarred, scaled jaw as he quietly asked, "Now what calms you down? I know you've got a temper that can make Fuego look like a lapdog…"

Elise couldn't resist the hands that knew the sweet spot would be in the crook of her jaw. Derick grinned widely at her, and Elise liked his smell. He smelled like really good soap to the point where she couldn't smell much of anything else. She glanced at Owen when he answered, "Naps, her shows, more naps, learning sign language and writing, another nap, running with the girls, one more nap, cuddles, and…magic tricks."

Derick blinked, but Samuel asked, "Magic tricks?"

Owen shrugged as he glanced at the white dinosaur, and answered, "She likes tricks that makes things disappear; I have no idea why. She likes to figure them out."

Elise turned her attention back to the hands on her jaw when Derick grinned, "You like puzzles; that makes sense with all that raptor in you. Did you ever have trouble with keeping your pack busy, Owen?"

"I still do, but they're getting a lot better. I think you have a point with about your Fuego. I know Blue doesn't fight me as much now that she has more to do."

Derick paused with a startled look, brows furrowed, and he asked, "Do you still interact with your pack?"

Owen glanced over the railing when his best girl gave a sharp bark to grab his attention. Owen pulled the resonating chamber from his pocket as he made the greeting call, and his two girls gave their own trills in response. Derick immediately walked over, and exhaled, _"Wow, look at her."_

Owen snorted when Blue immediately snapped her gaze to Derick, but Owen was surprised when the man broke eye contact. He turned his head respectfully, and Blue chirped like she hadn't expected a different reaction. Echo gave a nip at her tail, and the two sisters began their playful wrestling. Derick admired the girls, and said, "God, they're beautiful; I've never seen such colorful females before. Blue is stunning. Who are the other two?"

A little flash of pride filled Owen's chest as he pointed to the bickering siblings, and said, "That's Blue, Echo is wrestling with her. She tried to take the Beta position a while ago."

"Yeah, she looks like Blue caught her real good with that sickle claw. I think it's a dirty trick, but Fuego never had a problem with using it."

"And my quiet girl is Delta."

"The peacekeeper?"

Owen nodded, and Derick said, "Cheshire did that; I thought he would have been the Beta. He's a huge male, but he liked to sit around. I doubt Fuego lets him do that now."

"Are all the raptors in your pack male?"

Derick shook his head as he answered, "No, I had three females. I trained them separately from Fuego and Cheshire, but Fuego got one out before they bolted. I took one day off for myself, and my boys escaped. Fuego was smart; he knew when to time things."

"So I take it you were the backup plan in case I failed with my girls?"

Derick blinked before answering, "I thought you were the backup plan in case I failed…"

"…Good to know Vic was diverse with his blackmailing."

The two stared at each other before they started laughing until a pained yelp grabbed Owen's attention. Blue had pinned Echo again, but he knew when his girl was asserting her authority and when she was being a bully. He gave a sharp whistle before snapping, "Blue! Don't start shit!"

The raptor immediately snapped her jaws at him, not happy with being caught, and Owen growled, "Don't give me that shit. You know better than that."

The Velociraptor refused to blink as she glared at Owen. Neither moved, but Owen did see the clawed foot press a little harder on her sister's ribs.

" _Blue, don't push me."_

The raptor huffed as she snapped her head away and released her sister. Echo flipped up before darting into the thick ferns with her head held low. Owen rolled his eyes, but Derick let out an impressed whistle.

"Man, I have never seen anything like that in my life."

"I know, Blue is her own level of shit-stirrer."

Derick raised an eyebrow, and clarified, "Blue is almost as bad as Fuego if not worse, but you got her to back down. How did you do that?"

Owen still wasn't sure where the secret to his success lied. Blue was a violent raptor when she was in the mood to be. She had calmed down after being in this paddock, and he wasn't sure why. He wondered if Rexy and Elise had mellowed her; she didn't pace around as much when new things happened. Blue wasn't so snappy at everyone.

Maybe Blue felt more secure here, and their relationship had improved by leaps and bounds. Maybe she didn't feel all the weight of taking care of this pack because a more solid foundation had been made. There were now two Alphas who Blue could look to for help, Rexy was obviously a very close companion, there was prey to hunt at her leisure, and a massive paddock to expel energy.

"I just…played my cards right, I think."

Owen glanced over when Samuel finally said, "I think it's because she chose you as the Alpha of the pack. I've never seen that before, and I doubt I'll see it again. Your pack was a lot like Derick's before Elise got out. I watched those videos, and those girls were always contemplating on attacking you because they never got the opportunity to choose making you the Alpha."

Owen wouldn't argue with that; he had always been the Alpha of the pack. The girls had never tried to do otherwise because they didn't know any other life. Blue was a good Beta, but she wasn't an Alpha; she stressed too easily. Elise had swayed them, presented herself as a better Alpha, and the girls went for it.

Because they didn't know any better; they had never known a bad leader. Blue had been naïve in her own way when she decided Elise had been the better Alpha.

Derick nodded in agreement, but smiled as he asked, "Ready to start?"

He turned to Elise as he added, "I can't wait to see what that nose of yours can do."

Owen couldn't either, and Derick seemed to sag when Samuel growled, "You can hold your horses right there, Derick. That is exactly why I am here; we have to keep good records on this training or else."

Elise seemed amused by Derick's eye rolling, but the elder added, "We can't make this stuff up at the end of the week. These investors want very detailed records."

Owen raised an eyebrow as he asked, "How detailed?"

He knew that was the wrong question to ask when Derick sighed as he sat down. Owen blinked at him, but Samuel pulled a composition notebook from his bag, and Derick muttered, "He won't even upgrade to something easier to keep records."

Samuel was quick to snap, "Technology makes people lazy and bored. Paper won't randomly delete itself."

Derick only scooted closer to the edge of the false log as he quietly admired Blue grooming herself. She was always so picky about keeping her claws clean, but she was the first to dirty them during a hunt. Owen turned his attention back when Samuel approached Elise. A skeptic look crossed his face when he said, "A good report always notes the mood of the animal before anything is done. So…"

Owen wasn't sure if Samuel looked uncomfortable or unsure, but the elder asked, "How are you feeling?"

Elise blinked, unsure what to make of the tone, but she pulled out of the log. Samuel raised a wiry eyebrow when the Indominus faced both flattened palms towards herself before making a circular motion with them. Her palms lightly tapped against her chest to complete each circle, and Owen translated, "Happy. She's happy."

Samuel slowly nodded as he wrote that down, and Derick rested his chin on his hand when Samuel asked, "What makes you happy? That would be good details for the report."

Derick started laughing when Elise made a loving croon as she tenderly brushed the back of her fingers against Owen. Owen gave her a quick wink, and glanced to Derick when the trainer said, "I think you should get to ask questions about us, Elise, so you can get to know us better."

Elise nodded in agreement, and Derick pointed his thumb at Samuel before saying, "Ask Sam what it was like to fight off dinosaurs when they ruled the earth about sixty-five million years ago."

"Listen here you little shit."

* * *

Bridges was not in a good mood as he walked through the armored laboratory-warehouse. He didn't like having a bunch of different buildings in use; it made it harder to protect even with Carnifex's scent to scare off most of the animals.

People were working hard, and he liked that; no one was lounging around. He glanced to the side to see a baby Tyrannosaur hatchling, in a heated cage, crying for its parents. Bridges kept those animals elsewhere; the baby would figure out the parents weren't coming back eventually.

It didn't matter to him; the hatchling was just going to be another rigged match for Carnifex in the future. What mattered to him was the pudgy man clicking away at the computer; Bridges wasn't very happy to see a Solitaire game going on, and he snapped, "Is this what I hired you for?"

The man gave a small jump as he whirled around in his chair. He winced at seeing the furious, flat eyes drilling into his soul, and he opened his mouth to say something only to be cut off by the livid question.

"Why is Sobek not going through his usual routine? Were you aware of that?"

Bridges narrowed his eyes when the man immediately nodded, and answered, "Yes, he's been hiding in the swamps for the past week and a half."

"Sobek does not hide; it's not his nature."

The man blinked, and Bridges turned darker. He wasn't impressed when the hands wrung nervously as the worker tried, "I sent out the vet team this morning to go check on him. I wasn't going to say anything until they got back."

"And why the hell not?"

The man really wanted to say it was because Bridges' temper became very unforgiving and unpredictable when it came to Sobek. But he couldn't say that; instead he answered, "I didn't see the point in giving you an incomplete report of what is probably nothing. Sobek could just be re-making his nest like last time."

While that had happened before, Bridges quietly said, "You know damn well that was not what happened _last time._ Last time was a perfect example of what I will do to you if you are not competent enough to inform me of when my most important dinosaur is doing things he should not be doing. Last time, your superior cut it far too close, and that's exactly why he is no longer here. Last time will not be repeated, am I clear?"

"Last time can't exactly be repeated…Sobek only had two…"

Bridges paled with anger, and the man fluttered his hands as he hastily said, "I'm sorry! I wasn't ignoring Sobek though! He was doing pretty good, and I thought the raptors were just trying to poke around the swamps. I figured Sobek was just sticking close to his nest to protect it."

Bridges really could not believe how hard it was to find good help these days. He had paid a man to literally sit in front of a computer to keep track of one dinosaur. Just one. It wasn't a hard job. All he had to do was make sure Sobek was healthy, and he notified vets and Bridges when he thought something was wrong.

Bridges didn't give a damn if Sobek was reconstructing his nest; he wanted to know about it. He didn't care if time and resources were wasted when checking up on the dinosaur.

Sobek was very important to Bridges.

"I want a notification regardless if it is a false alarm, and you will tell me when the vet gets back. Am I clear?"

The man gingerly nodded, and Bridges shoved his hand into his pocket to grab the calming red lighter. He could feel the pounding behind his eyes lessening slightly as he began to walk away. He would find a quiet spot to stare at the gentle flame. He needed to get his bearings about himself.

Sobek would be fine; Sobek had to be fine. The dinosaur was king of this island, and Carnifex was not fit to take over.

Bridges paused when white jackets behind windows caught his attention. He walked over before entering the much quieter labs sectioned off by impermeable glass. It was quieter in here, and much smaller then what was in Jurassic World. Bridges ignored it as he walked into the office tucked into the back.

It wasn't anywhere near as luxurious as the one in Jurassic World, and the geneticist snapped his gaze up at the rude interruption. Bridges wasn't in the mood to be charming, but he forced himself to keep his tone even as he calmly said, "Dr. Wu, I've been needing to talk to you about Elise."

"...It's classified, Mr. Bridges. I'm not going to talk about her."

Bridges didn't appreciate the dismissive tone, and he quietly said, "You have a warrant for your arrest; you are lucky I don't turn you in myself."

"You are in it just as deep as I am."

Wu closed his laptop before taking a sip from his tea. He folded his hands protectively over his machine and refused to betray any emotion on his face. Bridges leaned on the chair in front of the expensive desk when he retorted, "I have more than enough to prove I had no idea you were going to use human DNA. What the hell were you thinking?"

Wu looked more irritated than anything, and he just barely stopped himself from rolling his eyes as he patiently said, "You wanted a highly intelligent animal with the ability to not only take orders but also thrive in a warzone. No animal blindly taking orders can handle situations like that without a human to guide them through it."

"I wanted something that could get through the pipes and avoid thermal detection. You never told me the damned Indominus would be bigger than a T-Rex."

Wu raised his hands in an almost shrug when he said, "She was meant to be a prototype. It's harder to make smaller animals with that kind of functioning. Masrani wanted a new attraction. I figured if the Indominus worked out then I could tweak a few things to make her smaller."

" _A twenty-six million dollar prototype_ , have you lost your mind? I can't flop that kind of money around as you please. I need a geneticist who isn't going to break my bank."

Anger finally flashed across Wu's expression, and he snapped, "Do you really think I can just slap together whatever and get a specimen like the Indominus? That took years of careful research just to determine the base genome. I had to work through compatibility of species and even blood type to make sure I didn't mix something that didn't work. Do you know how lucky we are to have what we have?"

Bridges gestured to the outside as he retorted, "Do you know what we have? We have a problem with my investment, Wu. We have an untouchable, celebrity Indominus who has given her undying loyalty to a man who has been against animal warfare since his damned raptors hatched. We have the skeleton of a cripple rotting in a wooden box. Twenty-six million dollars suffocated under her own whopping weight of fifteen pounds."

Bridges jabbed a finger into the scratched, wooden desk as he growled, "And I have a geneticist with a warrant for his arrest because of human experimentation. Of all the things you had to do, why human DNA? I said primate, but this is the mess I have to deal with. I am at the mercy of a kiddie attraction and Dearing. She wants Elise's records, and so do I."

Wu carefully eyed the throbbing vein on Bridges' forehead before quietly saying, "It's classified. You agreed to fund what I could make, but that included my rights to disclose her genetic makeup. You signed that contract, Mr. Bridges."

Bridges just wanted to shake the man until his neck would snap at an odd angle. He couldn't do that though; Wu was too valuable, and the bastard knew it. Bridges was going to enjoy handing him over to the authorities when the time came. Instead the blonde stood straight as he let out a deep breath to calm himself. He pinched the bridge of his nose before quietly saying, "I need to give Dearing something, Dr. Wu. I don't care what it is, just something to give her so she can quit complaining."

Bridges really didn't care at this point; he was so tired of arguing with Wu. The worst part was Bridges had absolutely nothing on the man to blackmail him with. Wu was clean and alone. No debt, no dirty habits, no family, nothing. Bridges knew this would have been risky; Wu may have been the leading geneticist in this field, but it was his mistakes that had cost lives.

His misuse of frog DNA had been a major flaw, another reason for closing down Jurassic Park. The population would have gotten out of control even if the power hadn't been shut off.

And now the Indominus had been another blunder. Bridges had wanted something easy to use, smart, small, and quick. But Masrani had invested more money, and Wu had been on Isla Nublar. Masrani got what he wanted, and Bridges was left with his head whirling as he tried to explain this royal screw up to impatient, unforgiving investors.

"She can breed with a Spinosaurus."

Bridges was a hard man to surprise, but he didn't even try to hide it when he snapped his gaze to an unreadable Wu. Bridges blinked a few times before saying, "I'm sorry, what?"

Wu was starting to look impatient, and Bridges was too shocked to be offended by it.

"The Indominus Rex can be bred with a Spinosaurus to produce offspring."

Bridges let out a forced laugh as he pointed at Wu with a small smile.

"I didn't think you had humor, Dr. Wu, but that is a funny joke. Now, seriously, give me something to tell Dearing. Like, life expectancy, please."

Wu didn't change his expression as he remained tight lipped, and Bridges felt his face fall when he realized the geneticist wasn't joking. Bridges wiped his mouth before snapping, _"I said make the Indominus infertile. Why did you not only give her the ability to reproduce, but with a Spinosaurus no less?"_

Wu never betrayed any fear he was feeling. He looked like they were chatting about the weather, and it aggravated Bridges to no end. The man only sipped his tea before answering, "I know you're partial to Spinosaurus, Mr. Bridges."

"That wasn't your cue to make the Indominus compatible with them!"

Wu's gaze hardened as he snapped, "There are only two Spinosaurus alive on this planet, Mr. Bridges. Amber mines are not finding any more DNA on them, and no complete skeleton has ever been discovered; we're lucky to find the intact, fossilized jaw of one. The only female we had is dead, and Jurassic World wants nothing to do with Spinosaurus; they don't care if this species dies out. I know you wanted a smaller animal, which was why I gave the Indominus a side purpose."

"How is that going to help the Spinosaurus population? You don't even know if those offspring would take after the father!"

"It's simple tweaking on the mother's part. We only need the correct number of chromosomes to match up for viable offspring."

"Viable is not a guarantee. Have you never heard of genetic variation? The Spinosaurus is an incredibly aggressive, massive animal. What made you think the Indominus could handle that?"

Wu darkened; he didn't care for criticism, and he retorted, "Would you like to see the videos of Elise's rampage? I think even Sobek is almost cuddly compared to her temper. Elise is not done growing. Her reproductive system can handle it; it will recognize the Spinosaurus' gametes. If the offspring doesn't take after the father then it was obviously a failure."

Bridges gaped as his eyebrows raised high before quietly asking, "…Do you ever stop to think about whether or not you _should_ instead of if you _could_? Why in God's name would Elise's path ever cross with Carnifex or Sobek? Sobek can't even breed anymore; Carnifex has never been around another female. Elise is on another damned island, and Grady will skin any male that even looks at Elise suggestively. Anyone can see she's practically his daughter. What father wants their daughter to get knocked up by someone like Carnifex?"

Wu finally rubbed his face tiredly before snapping, "I just create these things! What happens to them outside the lab is not my concern! I only agreed to make the Indominus, not be the caregiver! I don't care what Elise's path is because she's no longer in the lab. I created her to hold value to you after I could create the smaller versions. You want more Spinosaurus, and I decided to give this prototype a use after being done with testing! She can breed with Spinosaurus, so go tell Miss Dearing that."

Bridges clenched his fist before feeling his temper rise to a boiling point when the plastic broke in his hand. The lighter fluid seeped into his expensive pocket before stinging the cuts made from sharp edges. Wu pretended not to hear it, and Bridges finally said, "I am not going to tell that woman something that completely pointless, random, and almost unbelievable. I don't even believe you managed to do that. I want Elise's life expectancy by this afternoon, Dr. Wu."

Bridges stormed over to the door before yanking it open. He paused when Wu quietly said, "That is classified, Mr. Bridges. You should have been more specific with your question. I gave you something to tell Miss Dearing."

Wu finally rolled his eyes when the door slammed shut. He didn't care about provoking Bridges; the man knew he was too valuable. Wu opened his laptop as he went back to work. He knew hybrids were going to be off-limits for a while.

But he wondered what would happen if he crossed a Triceratops with a Stegosaurus.

Regardless, that information would also be classified.


	50. Chapter 50

**A/N**

 **Hey guys! So, I'm just going to direct your attention to the rating of this story. It is rated 'T'**

 **I know I act a little unpredictable with how I drive this plot, but I am aware of the rating. I know some of you even read this to your kids, and that confuses me because I'm no longer sure of how old most of you guys are. So, to be safe, the worst I do is make sad chapters, get a little gory in my deaths, and swear colorfully.**

 **Enough of you got concerned about a possible 'forced sexual relations' between Carnifex and Elise that I feel like I needed to say something. I don't mind the reactions I get with the sad chapters or even what I do with Bridges, but those concerns disturbed me.**

 **I will never write about that kind of stuff. Never will this story deal with that topic because that is not appropriate for this rating, it serves no purpose in this story, and I just don't want to write about it. I have my limits too.**

 **Anyways, I just wanted to clarify that with you guys because most of you don't know me as a person, and you don't have other stories to read in order to get a feel of how I tend to write.**

 **Thank you guys for taking the time to read that!**

 **I don't own the lyrics to P!nk's 'Raise Your Glass'**

 **More importantly, thank you for your reviews, I do appreciate them, and have a good day/night!**

* * *

"Boys Are _**Very Bad**_."

The stiff, blonde hair that was normally slicked back was now a ruffled mess from hands running through it too many times. Bridges hadn't slept at all last night; he had been worried, busy,

And mortified.

Wu hadn't handed over Elise's life expectancy; he handed over a diagram of the Indominus' reproductive organs. Bridges really couldn't believe the Frankenstein Wu had pulled here. As much as Bridges liked Elise, and he truly liked her, she was not normal looking. Her parts weren't blended together correctly like he would have expected.

It was like Wu had designated certain species to show certain body parts, and they didn't mesh. The feathers along Elise's elbows stuck out terribly, her nasal and maxilla bone on the front of her skull didn't blend with the frontal lobe; it bulged out. Her feet almost looked Tyrannosaur, but those legs bore more resemblance to Velociraptor. The hands were damningly human, and even Bridges could see it in the crimson eyes.

It sounded cliché when he thought about it, but there was no denying what he saw when he first met Elise. He had been baffled by all the emotion running through her eyes.

He liked Elise when he realized she easily figured out his games, and she immediately began to play. Elise was lots of fun, and she was smart.

Bridges rubbed his eyes tiredly as he tried to make sense of the large words that looked like gibberish to him. He tried not to wonder how much money it had cost for Wu to put a Spinosaurus reproductive system in the Indominus. It was giving him a headache, and he ignored the blonde strand sticking up in the air.

It probably cost a few million when it was all said and done.

Bridges couldn't stop his groan as he rested his head on the cool walnut wood. A few million gone down the drain; he didn't even want to breed an Indominus and Spinosaurus, and he was the only one who really fought for them.

Why hadn't Wu considered the obvious? It didn't matter if Elise could carry Spinosaurus hatchlings because Bridges knew damned well she didn't act like a Spinosaurus.

And that meant she wouldn't understand the courting ritual if, by some unfathomable miracle Bridges would never encourage, her path crossed with Carnifex's. She didn't even look like a Spinosaurus; how the hell was Carnifex supposed to put that much together? Elise looked more like a Tyrannosaurus, and Bridges had already conditioned Carnifex to react very differently whenever he saw one.

Could Elise even socialize with another Spinosaurus? They weren't social creatures like the Tyrannosaur. Bridges could test that theory out if he brought a recording of Sobek's roar. The man sighed again as he tried to calm his hair; he needed a shower, but he was feeling lazy today.

But he groaned when the notification popped up; he knew exactly who it was just because she had great timing like that. Bridges was tempted to ignore the call, but Wu had robbed him of that luxury. The blonde hair was smoothed down further, and the tie straightened out before Bridges wiped his teeth. He cracked his neck, and gave his winning smile.

"Good morning, Miss Dearing. What do I owe this pleasure?"

Claire looked like she had slept well, and her makeup was on point. She never reacted to his compliments, and she merely said, "Good morning, Mr. Bridges. I just wanted to let you know that Elise is getting along wonderfully with her trainers."

Bridges perked up; that was good news he had been dying to hear. It had sincerely worried him about Elise getting along with Derick and Sam.

"Really? That's wonderful. Are they going to start training soon?"

Claire nodded as she looked over some paperwork, and said, "Mr. Grady and Mr. McCoy started last night; they wanted to see the capabilities of Elise's sense of smell. It will be good to see if she can track down animals who have knocked out their trackers."

"And Mr. Visser?"

"If Elise proves she has a strong sense of smell, then he wants to see if she can be taught to possibly look for illegal items. Jurassic World gets a little overwhelmed sometimes, and we have caught guests with illegal substances in their possessions."

Bridges allowed a real smile to grace his face as he leaned back in his chair. Claire raised an eyebrow, and he said, "Miss Dearing, I needed to hear that; it's good to know my investors can immediately see progress. Is this going to be taped?"

Bridges relaxed when Claire nodded as she said, "Elise will be wearing a camera similar to what we placed on the raptors when we get it built. Until then Mr. McCoy will be doing the recording."

"Wonderful. Are they starting the training right now?"

Claire shook her head as she glanced at her watch.

"Elise is doing her show right now, and they wanted to give the scent a chance to dilute to challenge her. They will most likely start after her second show; around noonish."

Bridges was not going to complain at all, but he paused when Claire suddenly asked, "Do you have any more records on Elise?"

Bridges slowly glanced to the window off to the side; he was on the part where it talked about the finer details of the oviduct, and how Wu kept the theorized shape of what a Spinosaurus infundibulum would have looked like.

He didn't think Claire wanted to read about that.

"Mr. Bridges."

But he had damned himself by looking at it like a moron. He scratched his head before slowly saying, "It is completely useless, Miss Dearing, and depressing on my end. Dr. Wu apparently decided to make Elise…fertile."

Claire lowered her eyebrows before saying, "That would be useful actually; we can perhaps get a better feel on what to expect from Elise. Breeding seasons and whatnot; I want to know if her system is similar to a Tyrannosaur."

"Her system is not. The report doesn't really go into detail about that; it's more diagrams and explanations of the reproductive organs themselves. There is a brief page on _theoretical_ mating behaviors."

"Regardless, I want those records."

Bridges wasn't feeling very energetic, and he gave a shrug as he sent it over. He watched Claire scan over the words before her eyes paused on a specific word.

"A _Spinosaurus_?! Absolutely not, Mr. Bridges!"

Bridges would not be yelled at for Wu's screw ups, and he exclaimed, "I didn't know he was going to do that! I wanted the Indominus infertile and the size of a Velociraptor at most! It's wasting too much money on the finer parts of reproduction when animals in warfare probably won't last longer than a few years."

Claire curled her lip at the very word, but she coolly said, "I suppose Dr. Gerry can gather what useful information he needs from this."

"He knows what the five syllable words mean; my vocabulary begins to dwindle at the four syllable words."

Claire gave a rare snort before dryly saying, "You're funny once in a while. I assume you will be watching the training session?"

Bridges nodded; he could shower, eat, and get a quick nap in before heading over. Elise was a doll, and she kept him on his toes. He wanted to see what she could do, and he wanted to be there for her first training session.

"If I'm not there, you can assume me dead, my dear."

Claire only wished as much and she gave a nod at the charming smile before closing the window. She let a disapproving frown set in her face as she glared at the curse word.

 _Spinosaurus._

Claire hated them, and she had absolutely no intent of ever allowing such a weird looking creature on her island ever again. Elise looked perfectly normal compared to the mutated fish dinosaur thingy.

Claire wondered if Bridges was still in contact with Wu somehow; he had to have been. He had seemed so shocked by that email that there was no way he had been holding out on her. Either he had recently discovered it, or Wu had sent it to him.

Claire was leaning more towards the latter.

* * *

"Alright, Sunshine; you ready to do this?"

Elise gave a nod at Owen's eager grin. His excited energy was infectious, and she was happy to be out of her paddock again. They were in what Owen had called the Restricted Area; that meant guests weren't supposed to be over here. She glanced at the dark, thick jungle before the shiny metal of Sam's camera briefly caught her eye. They had spent a lot of yesterday just talking, and Elise decided she liked these two.

Derick was funny. Sam, he said he liked to be called Sam, was more serious, but Elise detected no ill-will from either of them. Elise turned back to Owen when he pulled out Derick's coat, and said, "Here's what you need to do, Baby. I need you to find Derick as soon as possible; he's a lost guest in the Restricted Area who is injured. You need to find him before any possible rogue dinosaurs can get him or his injuries kill him."

Elise glanced at Owen's hip when the trainer's voice suddenly said, "I'm okay, it was just a thorn in my sock. We can pretend my leg is busted though, so don't let me die, okay, Elise?"

The Indominus made a whistling croon, but Sam growled, "You aren't allowed to leave just yet. I asked Dr. Gerry to come by to take some vitals, and look at your foot. I don't want to be accused of running an injured animal into the ground."

Elise tilted her head; Sam was very much like Rexy when he growled. The tone was harsh and scary, but the words themselves were kind. She didn't understand why there was so much _protocol_ as Sam called it. Apparently people called investors wanted solid proof that Sam and Derick weren't lying about training her. Elise just wanted to go find Derick.

He was going to 'die' if they didn't get moving.

Owen's hip gave another crackle, and Lowery said, "Hey, Owen, I figured out how to get the camera on Elise; I'm headed over right now so don't do anything, okay?"

Elise also didn't understand why these investors wanted _recordings_ of everything. That was the purpose of the camera. It meant people could see what the camera saw as many times as they wanted; those recordings were called videos.

"Alright, Lowery, but hurry up. I want to get this started."

Elise kneaded the ground with her claws in anticipation. It had been a long time since Owen had been so excited to do something; even their lessons had mellowed into quiet, focused sittings. Owen was getting much better with the resonating chamber, and Elise swore it had improved his attentiveness to the girls' talking. Owen was starting to pick out the little hints that clued into a conversation.

Blue was just as sharped tongued as Owen had always imagined.

Owen had been content to gently swing in Elise's hand while they waited, and Sam suddenly asked, "Where's Commander Blake?"

Owen blinked; he was not Blake's babysitter, and he answered, "I have no idea; I'm going to assume at his job."

Sam glanced up with a dry look as he retorted, "I know Elise is your kid, but Commander Blake is the leader of ACU. Don't you think Elise should train with him so they can get a feel on each other before shit actually hits the fan?"

Owen leaned back into the hand and grinned widely when Elise gently nuzzled him. He had no idea how they weren't sick of each other by now, but he certainly wouldn't complain. He batted her nose when he said, "I don't think Blake wants to be here; besides, Elise is going to be for Emergency ACU, and those guys almost never get used."

"Almost, Owen; I don't do things half-assed just because some guy isn't happy with changes. I'm going to talk to Miss Dearing about having Blake in some of our exercises."

Owen grimaced; he was suddenly less excited for training. He didn't blame Blake for his reasons of disliking Elise, and he was perfectly fine with attaining peace through avoidance. It was what he was doing with Debra, and it was working wonderfully. Rick said she was in a much better mood, and Owen wasn't getting too many concerning death threats from disgruntled owners of ruined pants.

He wasn't sure what to do with a man who had lost family; he would need to explain things to Elise before that shitstorm would rain mercilessly on them. He didn't want to get caught in that without an umbrella.

Elise pulled him from his thoughts when she gave a delighted croon, and he looked over to see Dr. Gerry's white pickup bouncing along the road. Gerry was crazy driver who somehow never managed to spill his Diet Pepsi when he drank from it. Owen would feel like he was shoved in a paint shaking machine, but Gerry drank from his bottle like he was sitting in the smooth, almost gliding monorail.

Sam waved the dust from his face, and raised an eyebrow when colorful Jackie, energetic as always, burst from the passenger's side.

"So raise your glass if you are wrong in all the right ways!"

Owen slid onto the ground before Jackie bounced in front of Elise, shaded blue hair bouncing in a tight ponytail.

"All my underdogs!"

Elise gently held a talon over Jackie who responded by grabbing it with a hand as she spun on her foot. The white scales shivered to match the rose tattoo with the deep, blue background, as Jackie continued, "We will never be, never be anything but loud and nitty gritty, dirty little freaks!"

Elise garbled a few time, and Jackie stopped her singing when Gerry hobbled over. He looked like a tired parent who had seen plenty of loud singing in a closed car. His back gave a small crack when he straightened out, and said, "Alright, Kiddo. We'll make this quick so you can get to your game of ditching Owen in the jungle."

Elise would never ditch Owen, and she scooted him close to her side to show it. Owen couldn't help his laugh as he playfully bumped into the white scales, and Jackie started humming as she snapped her blue gloves on. Elise lowered her head to Jackie's face level before puffing air onto her. Jackie replied by giving a loud kiss on the scarred nose, and smiled at the adoring croon.

Gerry hid the half smile under his brush mustache while he hobbled over before extending his hand.

"Can I see that hand, Kiddo?"

Elise obliged as Jackie began to gently look over the foot. She seemed pleased with how things were healing, and Elise didn't limp as much. It would hurt if she pushed herself too much, but she knew her limit. Sam had made it perfectly clear that they would stop if her injuries were flaring too much.

It was important to learn everything with a clear, calm head.

Owen did gentle stretches as he checked the binding of his side before the white car grabbed his attention. He didn't know Claire was going to show up, but he certainly wouldn't complain. He still wanted a third date with her.

They were both just really busy.

Sam wasn't going to rush the vets, but he seemed relieved when Lowery stepped out of the car with a box in his arms. Elise was happy to see he was out of his little box, and she made a soft trill. Claire's face lit up in a loving smile at the dinosaur, and it melted Owen.

Claire loved his tough baby, and Owen was falling hard for Claire.

But Owen wasn't going to become outright oatmeal mush around others; it wasn't how he was raised. He didn't stop his smile though, and said, "I didn't think I'd see you out in the wilderness again."

The half-smile pulled at Claire's lips as she gently ran her hand along Elise's cheek. It was such a rare sight to see Claire be openly, and tenderly, affectionate, that Owen almost didn't hear her say, "I wanted to be here to support Elise on her first day in training."

That was it. Owen had fallen face first, rug ripped from underneath him, and fuzzies galore in love. He had found a woman who completely adored his girl with all the pure love of a mother, and Owen doubted he would ever see a woman as Claire's equal after this. She could shoot a gun, she knew how to lead people, she could run in those damned ridiculous shoes, and she loved his girls like he did.

Cupid didn't even shoot an arrow this time; he chose to mow Owen's ass over with an eighteen wheeler semi-truck going at full speed.

Claire didn't notice Cupid's most recent roadkill, and she gently stroked Elise's cheek as she said, "I want you to do your best, but don't get flustered if you don't get it the first time, okay? Owen will help you through it."

Elise gave a single nod before she suddenly turned her head to Owen. Elise blinked at him as her vision distorted until she could see all the heat.

Owen looked like he had a dangerous fever; especially in his chest. Why was his chest so warm?

She turned her gaze when Lowery was in front of her, and he dryly said, "No cuddling this time, okay? I may be your uncle, but this uncle is no huggy. I am fragile."

Elise blinked at him, but she stared at the silver circle in Lowery's hands. She recognized another camera. She flinched at the sharp rip sound, and froze when Lowery just stuck the camera to the side of her head. Elise continued to blink in confusion, like a cat shoved in a costume, before Owen quietly asked, "Did you just duct tape a camera on Elise?"

"I call it the finest of American ingenuity. I have securely fastened our recording device."

"You _duct taped_ a camera on Elise's head!"

Lowery shrugged as he admired his handy work; they didn't have anything else to use at the moment. Elise still had no idea what to make of the thing stuck to the side of her head. She just stared blankly as she tried to make sense of this experience. Lowery gave the camera a few wiggles to make sure it was on good, and he pressed the button on the side before pulling out his radio.

"Hey, Control, are you getting the feedback?"

Owen waved his hands in front of Elise when Vivian said, "We got it; looks good. Your fly is down."

Lowery jumped as he snapped his gaze down, but rolled his eyes when all was well. Owen was snapping his fingers now, but Lowery became distracted by a bouncy, blue ponytail. Jackie crinkled her nose in a happy smile as she snapped the gloves off, but didn't hear Lowery say, _"Whoa."_

Owen raised an eyebrow as he glanced at Lowery. The man was no longer on earth as his mouth hung open unintelligently, and blinked slowly.

"Um, Lowery? …Lowery? Buddy? You there…?"

The tech-geek was gone; ignoring Owen, but he suddenly snapped back into rigid life when Jackie began to walk over. Elise was distracted by the object stuck to her head when Lowery's heart began to hammer hard enough for her to hear it.

He looked like he had a fever like Owen too. Elise wondered if Lowery was sick. The fiery orange that had blossomed all over the tech-geeks body suddenly retreated to the chest and face. Elise tilted her head.

What was Lowery afraid of?

"Aw, Cutie-Pie, you look so cute with your little camera on. You look like an awesome spy."

Elise didn't know what a spy was, but she was getting concerned about her uncle. Lowery had grown incredibly quiet and afraid; Elise didn't like that. She was an Alpha to this pack, and pack comforted one another when needed. Lowery was family, and he needed comforting.

The tech-geek yelped when Elise gently snagged him into a warm hug against her chest. Hugs made everything better, and Jackie immediately said, "Aw! That's so cute. Elise, I think you give the best teddy bear hugs."

Owen agreed, but he was concerned about Lowery's sudden change in behavior. He opened his mouth to ask, but was distracted by Claire gently pulling him aside. He gently brushed her arm just because, and she quietly handed him stapled papers. He frowned at the diagram of Elise, but Claire began to point at highlighted sentences.

Elise finally let go of Lowery as she gently set him down when she felt he had calmed down some. She grew confused when the fear returned full force as Jackie said, "I don't think we've met in person before. You're Lowery right?"

Jackie stuck her hand out, and Lowery somehow managed to get himself to move. He gently grabbed the hand, oblivious to the dinosaur literally seeing all his fear, and he cleared his throat as he awkwardly said, "Um, yep, that's me. You're um…J-Jackie, right?"

Jackie nodded as she let go of the hand, not noticing the extra sweat that had suddenly built up on Lowery's hand, and Elise carefully tasted the air around him. He smelled stressed, and Elise didn't understand why. Jackie needed to help Lowery get better because she was a doctor.

" _Absolutely. Not."_

Elise startled; she had never heard Owen so angry before, and she didn't understand why he looked so livid at a piece of paper. Were there bad words on the paper? Owen had gone pale, and stepped away when Claire tried to put a calming hand on his shoulder. Owen was having none of this blasphemous garbage, and he shook the paper as his voice continued to get higher.

"Over my dead body, I will not allow this to ever happen, this is _bullshit._ No. No. No. _No."_

Elise tilted her head, but Owen let out a half crazed laugh when he seriously asked, "Are there Spinosaurus out there?"

Claire wasn't sure what to do with this, and she tried to take the crumpling paper back as she said, "Mr. Bridges has at least one, a male."

Owen briefly flickered his protective gaze over to Elise before he dangerously said, "I swear to Jesus, Mary, Joseph, all the Disciples, and every damned saint above, that if I see a living Spinosaurus even look at this island…"

"Owen, you need to calm down."

Claire hadn't meant that impatiently; she was concerned about Owen's health. Wu hadn't been very sensitive in his wordings and descriptions of the Spinosaurus courting process. Elise grew a little afraid when Owen exclaimed, " _No!_ I don't want any of that to ever happen to Elise! My baby deserves a mate who will love her forever, not _that!_ She's never been around boys before, I-"

Owen suddenly stopped as he fearfully stared at his baby. She was so innocent that it killed Owen. He chewed his lip nervously before walking over to her. Elise wasn't sure what to do, but Owen grew very serious when he said, "Baby, I am going to talk to you about boys, okay?"

Elise glanced at Lowery when the geek quickly walked away as he announced, "I'm leaving! I'm not staying around for another Birds and Bees talk; I went through that once, not happening again."

The Indominus shifted; she was confused. She liked birds, they sang so pretty, and honey bees were good for the world. Owen had said they kept all the plants alive; that was an important job, and Elise always made sure she didn't squish the good caretakers of plants whenever she would lay down.

Claire placed a hand on her forehead when Owen simply said, "Elise. Boys are bad news, do you understand? Don't ever turn your back to a boy, don't bring him into your paddock. Actually, just give them a good knock on the head if you ever see a boy."

Owen thought about that, and he clarified, "A boy _dinosaur_ ; those are very bad. If you ever see one, _especially_ a Spinosaurus boy, you will immediately come get me and Rexy because _we_ will take care of it."

Lowery overheard that, and he shivered at the threat. He could only imagine the hellfire that would be unleashed on this world between Owen and Rexy if Elise ever got hurt.

Elise tilted her head, and Claire finally clamped a firm hand over Owen's mouth as she patiently said, "Owen; she's six."

Owen narrowed his eyes, but Claire calmly said to the confused dinosaur, "Sweetie, Owen is just being a protective father. I'll talk to you about this a little later, okay?"

Elise slowly nodded, and Claire smiled before she checked her watch. She frowned as she excused herself to make a call, and Owen quietly hissed, _"Boys are liars! They only have one thing on their mind!"_

Claire cleared her throat, and Owen glanced at her before whispering to his girl, "You will bring any dinosaur boy you find to Rexy and me _immediately_."

Elise was pretty sure all the dinosaurs here were girls; Claire had said so, and she had never met a boy dinosaur. What was wrong with boy dinosaurs? Were they mean? Regardless, Elise nodded to calm Owen down. Claire would explain everything later, and Elise didn't want Owen to be upset.

Owen immediately gave the warm smile that made Elise feel good about herself, and he said, "That's my girl; you're too smart to be fooled by a boy."

Claire walked back over as she sighed, "I thought Mr. Bridges would have been here by now; I know he really wanted to be here…"

She frowned at her phone; Bridges never not picked up her calls, but she shrugged as she said, "We'll wait a few more minutes before we can get started."

Gerry rolled his eyes as he went back to inspecting Elise's wounds and taking her vitals, and Lowery shyly stared at Jackie when she wasn't looking. Owen felt better now that he had warned his girl about the malicious dangers that were _boys._

But Claire glanced at the watch again.

Was it safe for her to assume Bridges had died yet? He was mean for getting her hopes up if he wasn't dead.


	51. Chapter 51

**A/N**

 **Hey guys! How's life? Is life good?**

 **Nightmare Moon, it's good to see you're back!**

 **xxXScotsbritXxx, it was you and another reviewer who I know for sure read this to your kids, and that is perfectly fine. I'm glad you guys love it; it just made me realize that I _might_ have a younger audience than what I had originally thought, so I try to tone down my swearing because of it. I know I avoided the question you asked in your last review because I don't like putting answers that pertain to the plot on here. Some people really don't want spoilers. I'll answer any questions your children have if you give me a PM.**

 **Guest, where I live, our duct tape is literally spelled 'Duck Tape'; it is the name of that product in all our stores. However, I wasn't referring to that specific brand, so thanks for pointing it out; I fixed it.**

 **Unknown, I despise Romeo & ****Juliet, and all spoofing movies of it. I cannot handle that level of stupidity romance; I can barely handle romance at all. So, no. No, Romeo and Juliet. I had enough of it in high school. XD**

 **thesecondoreo, I love that song as well.**

 **Guys, Pogona104 made a very valid point in the review, and I went back and corrected my biological error. Reptiles do not cycle, but they do have breeding seasons. Thank you for saying something!**

 **Kim K's butt...I just had to write your name on here.**

 **Thank you to the others who pointed out some spelling errors; I do go back and correct that stuff.**

 **Finally, thank you much and mighty for your reviews, for reading this story, and being you. I hope you have a wonderful day/night! Love you guys!** **I really do!**

* * *

"Nokia Dinosaur."

Bridges pressed his lips as he quickly tightened his tie; he was late. Of all the things to be late to this was the worst event to pick. His investors had been incredibly patient with him, and it was imperative that he redeem himself by at least showing up for the first training session.

Bridges knew full well that Elise did not have to do this. He was very aware that he wasn't in a position to force Elise to do anything.

Elise had absolutely no reason to be as polite or as cooperative as she had been, and Bridges did not intend to burn that bridge; no pun intended.

He hadn't meant to oversleep, but his damned phone decided to die. It was charging now, and then Clementine had called. Bridges, under no circumstances, would ever miss a call from Clem; she was more important than Elise as far as he was concerned. She wasn't having a good day, but she kept her spirits about herself; Bridges liked that.

Clem had reason to complain, but she never did.

The blonde hair was smoothed back; it was a little more feathery today because he had run out of gel. Today was not his day, but he would power through it. Seeing Elise train would make his day better, and maybe he could get to know her a little better.

There was something alluring about Elise and her innocence. Bridges didn't see her in a provocative manner, but he felt like he could relax around her. She didn't seem to care what power he held; she treated him like she would everyone else. She never tried to get on his good side, but responded reasonably with how he acted around her.

She told him no.

Bridges couldn't stop his grin; it had been a long time since anyone had, not only called him out on something they didn't approve of, but also scolded him for it. Elise was a funny character; she stuck up for what was right. He had tripped that kid. It was more for a laugh than anything else, but he had been mildly curious as to how the gentle giant would react to seeing a little kid cry.

He didn't think she would see him trip the brat, but Bridges only liked Elise more for that. It meant she was very attentive to her surroundings. Even in all the bustling exiting, Elise had managed to catch him red-handed.

Claire was very smart for recruiting Elise to the ACU; she was going to be a major improvement in things. He was sure she had a hell of a nose on her.

Bridges was very curious about a little detail though.

If Elise could be trained to take orders from a Commander like any other ACU member, could Elise translate those orders to Velociraptors?

Elise was an Alpha, and those girls were quick to obey when she gave a firm bark. The raptors' aggressiveness had been toned down to an almost boring level. Bridges had sent a few people to watch over the shows. Elise always ordered the raptors away before a show just to prevent any problems; Bridges had no idea where the raptors went, but he was amazed by Elise's ability to recognize risks, weigh them, and make appropriate decisions.

God knows half the people Bridges knew hadn't figured out that art.

He straightened the cuffs before giving himself one more look over. When he deemed himself good enough to be seen by others, Bridges walked over to his wooden door. He opened it only to be met by a man covered head to toe in dry mud. There was even dried, thin grass sticking to the hardened, trimmed beard.

Bridges blinked a few times before the tired man said, "I'm going to need at least ten minutes of your time, Daemon."

Bridges shook himself; only one person had the bravery and the right to call him by his first name.

"What the hell happened to you, Dr. Romano?"

Romano was a fiery Italian with the slightest hint of an accent when he spoke. He was also a very clean man who despised getting dirty for no reason.

Bridges was very concerned when his Head Veterinarian had something to say that couldn't wait until after a bath. The vet's clothes had hardened into an almost shell; it was going to take more than a simple rinsing to clean off the hothead.

"I went to go check up on Sobek."

Bridges looked the vet up and down once more, taking in the mess, before quietly saying, "I thought you left yesterday."

The vet nodded as he tiredly said, "I just got back."

Romano suddenly sneezed, and Bridges grimaced at the sound of the mud covered clothes cracking. Dried bits of mud sprinkled onto the floor, getting stuck in his white carpet, but Bridges didn't notice that. Now he was nervous, and Romano finally said, "Sobek really got into trouble this time, Daemon. How much of your time can I get?"

All thoughts of Elise flew out of Bridges' mind, and he immediately answered, "All the time you need. Why didn't anyone notify me of this? I was up all night waiting for something. I had assumed no news was good news."

"No news in this case was me trying to make sure as little attention was drawn to us. I didn't want the raptors to catch wind of us."

Romano motioned for Bridges to follow him, pants cracking with each step as a trail of dust was left behind, and Bridges quietly asked, "How bad is Sobek? Don't you dare put things lightly with me."

Romano wasn't fazed by the snappish tone; he had a better understanding of Bridges than most people ever would.

He led the way out of the office building that was across from a massive warehouse pressed against the sturdy fence that kept the wilderness at bay. Carnifex's paddock was a massive, solid concrete wall with a single door for the workers to go in and out. Bridges didn't mind his office being so close to the fence; it was nice to see the view, and it was out of the way of things. It was quieter where he was.

Romano quietly stepped into the warehouse, and Bridges could feel his stomach growing a little heavier with each step. He didn't like how the workers would immediately look away when they saw him.

They feared his temper; everyone but Romano was afraid of his temper.

The inside of this warehouse was divided into two sections. The first half was what Romano used to treat his smaller patients and house certain animals. It was calm, cool, and quiet in the warehouse.

The other half was reinforced with concrete walls and steel bars. Bridges really didn't like how the vet went right over to that section, and he swallowed when the vet slid his keycard through before cracking open the door.

"Dr. Romano."

The vet pressed his lips before quietly saying, "We had compys following us, Daemon."

Bridges flickered his gaze to the door before breathing, "You did not bring him here."

Romano quietly swung the door open before Bridges walked in fearlessly. The sight of the dull, mud covered scales froze Bridges before his eyes lingered over the easily visible ribs. The sail was scarred, and the stench of an infected wound fouled the air. It was a punch in the gut to see his proud dinosaur look so lifeless. A large breath was slowly exhaled, and Bridges briefly wondered if he had just witnessed the last breath of this once magnificent ruler. He wasn't aware he had been holding his own breath until the ribcage slowly expanded from large lungs.

"Oh my God…I…oh, Sobek…"

If anything would ever break Bridges' heart it was this. It hurt to see Sobek like this. The massive Spinosaurus was still larger than his spoiled son, and decorated in several scars from hard fights. They weren't visible under the mud, but Bridges knew they were there. The faded sail had remained mud free, and the sapphire 'O's decorating it had faded almost completely.

Sobek briefly cracked open his eyes at the sad sound, and slowly glanced over at the two humans. Bridges ran a stressed hand through his hair at seeing the sunk in eyes. One eye had clouded over to a milky white, and the other lacked the vibrant, emerald fire Bridges loved so dearly. The long, scarred snout was coated in mud and foam.

Bridges turned around as he tried to comprehend this. Sobek hadn't looked this bad last time he saw him. Romano tiredly stared at his largest patient before Bridges quietly asked, "What. Happened?"

Romano placed a dusty hand on Bridges' back as he pushed him along the wall until they were across from Sobek. The room was big enough for the Spinosaurus to move around and stand in, and the far end had two, steel doors that would slide open or close. They were currently closed, and Bridges swore he heard the quiet scratching of scavengers eagerly looking for the massive corpse to be. It made him livid, but he was distracted by the vet pulling out a laser pointer. Sobek deemed them unimportant, and heaved another large sigh as he shifted more of his weight against the wall. His leg was gingerly stretched out, and the red dot brought Bridges attention to a large, puffy slash along the thigh. It was horizontal, and the vet said, "I think he cut himself on something around the old labs; it's not deep, but it is infected. Probably a rusty sheet of tin. I felt like he would have been fine if life wasn't being a raging bitch with him."

Bridges licked his lips nervously; he didn't like seeing Sobek so…not Sobek. This Spinosaurus was named after an Egyptian god for the love of everything; he needed to do this name good.

But Sobek only seemed focused on simply breathing and resting. In and out; deep and slow breaths that looked tiring.

"Why is he covered in mud?" Bridges glanced at the vet before adding, "Why are you covered in mud?"

Romano grimaced, like he had managed to convince himself he wasn't covered in mud, but he sniffed, "Sobek got stuck. He really worked himself into a deep mud hole; that leg just wasn't as strong as he needed it to be. I think Sobek was already tired when he got stuck, and the struggling just exhausted him. I thought he was dead when we found him."

Bridges grimaced when he hesitatingly asked, "How did he react?"

Romano continued to look over the lightly sleeping Spinosaurus as he answered, "Almost snapped up Dave. I never thought I'd be so happy to see Sobek cranky, but he was mad enough to roll one of our jeeps when it got too close."

The blonde let out a sigh of relief, but Romano added, "But we had to sedate him a little bit. I am covered in mud because I made the call to help dig him out. Sobek didn't need a lot of help, but he just kept going downhill. I didn't figure it out until he finally collapsed, and I found these."

Bridges frowned when Romano pulled out wrapped darts and handed them over.

"What is that?"

Sobek made a small groan as he tried to shift into a more comfortable position, and Romano answered, "We have poachers on our island; they tried to bring down Sobek with these. I have no idea what they laced it with, but I think size is his saving grace this time."

Bridges flickered his gaze back to his dinosaur. This wasn't the first time Sobek had been brought here; the dinosaur had learned to be _a little_ less aggressive when he was here. Bridges had done absolutely everything to make sure Sobek could associate positives with this place, even when he was sick.

The room was kept clean, the ground was covered in a thick bed of wood shavings, heated lamps kept it warm, and the doors were kept open so Sobek knew he had the choice to leave when he wanted. People were quiet, calm, and respectful. Romano was a damn good vet who knew how to work with Sobek even on his foulest day.

Romano never tranquilized Sobek with darts; only very good meat. In turn, Sobek was a little calmer. Romano always kept him just a little sedated, just enough to make the dinosaur deem people too much effort to eat. Sobek had learned food would be brought to him here.

"Where. Are. Those. Poachers?"

Romano sighed as he tucked the darts back into his pocket before answering, "I don't know how many there were. Security caught two people, but I swore I heard the raptors having a hay day last night. You know how smart Fuego is around people; I bet he got them. It's probably why they didn't bother with us last night."

Bridges pinched his nose as he tried to calm himself; he didn't have a lighter to hold onto at the moment, but cracked open an eye when Romano nudged his arm. Bridges sighed in relief when the orange lighter was handed over, and he quietly muttered his thanks. Romano only nodded before saying, "Security has the two people locked up, but we need to talk about Sobek, Daemon."

Bridges froze; he knew that tone. Romano only used that quiet, almost defeated, serious tone when he was going to ask permission. Romano put a hand on the stiff shoulder as he gently said, "Daemon, I know I can pull Sobek through this; he can pull himself through this, but I have to think about the aftermath of this. You know just as well as I do, Sobek has been in this room more times this year than all the other years combined."

"Only four times not counting this time."

Romano pressed his lips patiently before saying, "You know that cancer knocked him on his ass. Even the animals can see he's not as spunky after it."

"We caught it in time, Romano. It's gone now."

The vet gave a single nod before dragging Bridges close to the massive creature. Sobek hardly acknowledged them, but Bridges could touch the dirty scales if he wanted to. Romano gestured to the Spinosaurus as he softly said, "This is our wake up call, Daemon. I truly feel like Sobek won't take a bite out of me; God knows he should hate me enough to tear off my own for revenge."

Bridges opened his mouth, but Romano gently said, "Daemon, I see the pattern, and I really need you to see it too. Sobek is getting up there in age."

"Rexy is in her forties."

Romano remained patient as he continued, "It's not fair to Sobek to keep doing this to him. He gets sick, we bring him here, and make him better. We let him go back to his territory, and he goes downhill again. He's starting to stay a little closer to the swamps where it's easier to fish because hunting in the valley is getting to be too much for him. He's not eating enough, his body is needing supplements he can't find, and the raptors are getting braver with him."

Now Bridges understood why Romano had given him a lighter; Romano wasn't a smoker. He licked his lips nervously when Sobek briefly lifted his head. The milky eye blankly stared at them, and Bridges was starting to realize just how sick Sobek was.

Sobek always kept his blindside towards the wall.

"We need to do what's best for Sobek, Daemon. We can't keep doing this because I don't think Sobek is going to recover next time. Okay? I know how important Sobek is to you; the cranky bastard took my finger, and I'm even fond of him. But I want what's best for him."

Bridges swallowed before stubbornly shaking his head as he hoarsely replied, "No. Rexy almost keeled over from food poisoning."

Romano squeezed Bridges' shoulder as he patiently said, "Daemon, Rexy has lived most of her life in captivity, she gets fed every day, and she doesn't have to worry about defending her territory. She has a caretaker who can catch her health problems before they become a problem; we have to wait for Sobek to stop patrolling before we realize something is wrong."

The vet sighed when Bridges remained stubborn, and he added, "Rexy is in _captivity_. She is feeling good enough to not only adopt something like Elise, but be relaxed around raptors because she knows she can take them on. She has a full nest, and a purpose. She has a kid to raise, but Sobek doesn't. All he has to do in life is just stay alive; that's not much to live for. Especially when the odds start stacking against you."

Sobek allowed his head to loll to the side as it seemed to be too much effort to lay it upright. Bridges sagged immensely, but he desperately asked, "What would you do; if you could do anything?"

Romano had earned Bridges' respect. He did what he truly felt was right for any animal even if Bridges didn't always agree with it. Bridges remembered once getting into a screaming match with the fiery Italian. He had threatened to fire Romano, and the Italian had responded by slamming his fist into the desk hard enough to crack it. Romano had easily screamed that he did not give a damn because all he cared about was the well-being of the animal.

Bridges had backed down from that fight, and he trusted Romano more after that. The vet had made the right call.

The vet finally sighed as he turned to Sobek. The Spinosaurus continued to ignore them even when Romano silently walked over to the mud covered neck. He gently wiped the mud away, mindful of the massive but idle claws next to him, before pressing his fingers against the neck. It took a few seconds, but the vein bulged. Romano stepped away as Bridges followed until they were out of the dinosaur's reach. Romano finally said, "If I could do anything, in a perfect world, I would first make sure Sobek actually wants to live. If he's willing to eat, drink, or even bite us, then I would give him a chance."

Bridges nodded hopefully, and Romano added, "But our problem is where he goes after this. We can't let him go back because he's just going to go downhill again."

The blonde blinked before saying, "So, what? Do we build a paddock for him?"

"You know just as well as I do that construction on this damned island is cursed. We were lucky to get the fence up. It'll take months to build a paddock big enough for Sobek and even longer to make sure we have all the dangerous predators out of it. I don't think there's many workers desperate enough to do that."

"We can put him in Carnifex's paddock. Carnifex is healthy enough to handle the outside world."

Bridges was growing frustrated when Romano immediately shook his head as he replied, "Carnifex won't last a month out there. No animal born and raised in captivity does well out there; Fuego is a rare exception. Sobek was already somewhat on his own before he turned wild; you let Carnifex sleep in your shoes."

Romano held up a hand to stop Bridges as he added, "And that paddock is too small, Daemon. You'll just break Sobek's heart if you cramp him up like that. He has to have a big space, and we just aren't as luxurious as Jurassic World, Daemon. You know this island has always been harsher."

The two stared at the sleeping dinosaur that honestly looked dead, and Romano gave another sympathetic squeeze before softly saying, "I need to go clean up, Daemon. I'll come back to give him a lactating ringer at the very least, but I really need you to make a decision by tomorrow morning…I'm really sorry…"

Bridges didn't acknowledge hearing him as the vet walked out. Sobek briefly cracked open the blind eye when he heard the door shutting, but he didn't do anything about it. He was too tired to do anything, and humans didn't taste very good.

The blonde let out a sad sigh as he numbly walked over to the sick ruler. Bridges grew more depressed when Sobek did nothing when his bubble was invaded. Bridges hesitated before gently placing a soft hand on the muddied scales. He stared into the milky eye that couldn't see him, but Bridges softly said, "Come on, Sobek; I know you still have fight left in you. Give me something to work with."

The Spinosaurus did nothing when the crook of his jaw was tenderly scratched, but Bridges thought the dinosaur seemed to relax a little.

"You can't die yet…I'm still in your debt…"

Bridges bit the inside of his cheek until he tasted blood in order to stop the tight feeling in his throat. The massive breathing continued at its slow, rhythmic pace before occasionally pausing. It was painful to listen to. It was worse to know this aggressive creature, who had never had a problem with smashing through fences, chasing vehicles, and even once downing a supply plane, was too tired to even give a second glance at the easy prey making soothing circles on the dirty jaw.

"You saved my mother's life…"

Bridges sighed as he slowly turned around before leaning against the muscular neck. Sobek had tucked his claws under his chest, and Bridges stopped fumbling with the lighter when his head lightly thumped with the beat of the massive heart pumping blood through the large jugular. Bridges found himself counting the steady beats before bitterly smiling.

"What the hell kind of a king goes after an old woman with Alzheimer's? A very poor king, Sobek; you showed me that much."

The dinosaur only gave a large sigh as he continued drifted closer to a much needed rest. He knew he was safe in here; he would eat the humans when he felt a little better, but the humans weren't doing anything too annoying at the moment.

"I'll repay you somehow, Sobek; you deserve that much at least."

Sobek cracked open a dry eye; he was trying to rest and this human wouldn't shut up. He knew this human, he knew the scent, the voice, and energy. Sobek was the most tolerating of this human.

But that didn't mean he was fine with the constant chattering in his ear.

Bridges blinked when a faint, warning growl was heard, and he heaved a sigh of relief. That was his sign; Sobek could still get irritated. Bridges stepped away to give Sobek his space before softly saying, "Good on you, Sobek. You sleep, and I'll take care of the rest."

The tail gave a slight flick to get out, and Bridges felt a little better as he walked away. He slid his master keycard, and opened the door as he quietly added, "I'll start with the poachers."

* * *

"Alright, Elise, Derick is probably dead by now, but that's Doc's fault for not getting a move on."

Elise sagged; she was really wanted to get Derick before he died. She didn't want a redo, but Claire gave a small laugh at the sad look. She couldn't help saying, "You're such a sweet girl, Elise."

Owen's radio crackled before Derick yawned as he said, "Guys, I'll be honest, I ate before this exercise, and you're kind of taking forever. I'll probably fall asleep, so we'll pretend I'm getting really close to dying, alright?"

Owen snorted as he responded, "Elise and I are starting right now."

"You guys haven't even left yet? You are the worst rescue team I have ever seen. Where's the sense of urgency?"

Elise garbled in agreement, and no one saw the amused smile from Sam writing in his notebook. Owen adjusted the binds on his side before saying, "Alright, Baby. I get to ride with you because I am not walking. Can you give me a boost, please?"

The Indominus nodded, but startled at a loud ringing. Owen raised his eyebrows as he slowly glanced at the buzzing vet before Gerry pulled out the phone. Owen felt his jaw drop at the nostalgic sound, and quietly asked, "Where did you dig up that dinosaur, Doc?"

Gerry gave a harrumph, but Owen only started to laugh when the long antenna was yanked up.

"No way! Look at that fossil! Oh my God, 2000 called, Doc, they want your phone back. That thing is practically oil!"

Elise tilted her head when Gerry snapped, "Elise, I'm going to bury Owen in the biggest pile of shit I can find. No one will blame you if you don't want to get him out."

Elise glanced down at her human; she didn't want him to get buried, and she nudged Owen for being rude. It wasn't nice to make fun of others for what they owned. She knew not everyone could afford the same thing. She had learned this by looking at the humans who visited her, and hearing some conversations. Humans didn't have equal amounts of dirty paper; some had to choose more carefully about how they spent it.

Owen only wiped his eye as he patted her leg to pick him up. The satellite phone looked like hell, and Gerry growled, "Owen, this phone has seen everything from the bottom of a river, the tire of my pickup, and even the bottom of Rexy's foot. Nothing beats a Nokia phone. So I suggest you shush before I see what it can do against your skull."

Owen started laughing as he sat himself on the white shoulders before Lowery said, "You know, I wonder what would have happened if we tried to shoot a Nokia phone at Elise during her rampage."

Elise tilted her head when the geek thought about it before saying, "God…it probably would have killed you. I'm glad we didn't do that."

Elise didn't understand the joke, nor did she know what a Nokia was, but she did know that Derick was dying, and her next show was going to start in a bit. She didn't want to be late, and she was eager to fully explore the thick jungles again. She hadn't done that last time, but now she could.

After rescuing Derick.

Elise lowered her head when Sam held out the jacket for her to smell. She sniffed it carefully, memorizing the kind scent, the sweat, and sweetness of a candy bar Derick was fond of. He called it Snickers; Elise called it gross. She raised her head when she had the scent in her head before carefully inhaling the calm air.

Claire paused when she stared at the Indominus. She was struck by the resemblance to Rexy. The way she held herself, the graceful tail slowly whipping back and forth, and even the way she placed her massive feet beneath herself. Claire couldn't stop her smile; Elise had taken after Rexy, and she wondered if Wu had used the old dinosaur's DNA in creating Elise. She could send in a DNA test later.

Elise tilted her head when she caught the scent, and immediately began to walk into the jungle. Sam glanced at his watch before writing down the time, and he relaxed against his car when Elise had disappeared into the thick trees. Lowery scratched at his growing beard, wondering if Jackie liked beards, before he said, "I got the feed on my laptop if you want to watch that, Sam. Control is recording it, but you can watch it here."

He stiffened when Jackie plopped herself right next to him, and leaned close to get a good look at the screen. She had no idea what she was doing to him, and Lowery stopped breathing when she sincerely said, "Wow, you're really good with technology. Hey, do you think you can take a look at my laptop? It's getting really slow, and I don't know why."

Lowery didn't trust himself to speak; he knew he would do something stupid, like randomly moo if he opened his mouth. He did stupid things he couldn't control around really pretty girls, he did even stupider things around really pretty girls who were nice to him. Jackie beamed as she said, "Thanks, Lowery. You know, you're a lot quieter in person."

Lowery only nodded again; he swore the moo almost bubbled from his throat just now.

* * *

 **Another A/N**

 **Yes, I will touch up on some history with Sobek and Bridges later. Also, the Spinosaurus does have faint, blue 'O's lining his sail. You can see them if you find a side view picture of him. Have a wonderful day/night!**


	52. Chapter 52

**A/N**

 **Hey guys! How's life?**

 **Guest, I am leaving out those two dinosaurs because I like sticking to the ones I can spell; if the story needs it, I'll add them.**

 **OREO, I missed you! Good to hear from you! I got aggressive raptors here just for you.**

 **xxXScotsbritXxx, a PM is a personal message. If you create an account you can basically give messages to others with accounts that way you don't have to hold a conversation in the reviews for everyone to see.**

 **Matt, that is not the pair as I feel like they would be too old to breed. I am really humbled you feel I write like Mr. Critchton; I loved both his novels.**

 **IsDeltaAlive, I have no idea; I'm not very creative like that. I'm an old soul, though not an old person, who is perfectly fine with the regular dinosaurs. The Indominus is the only hybrid I like so far.**

 **Regina, Bullet, I hope you get your AC fixed because it is terrible to just sit in the heat. I work in it, I can't imagine my house being it.**

 **Lithornlant, thanks for recommending this; I'm happy to know you love it that much.**

 **I don't own the lyrics to 'Take Me To Church' by Hozier**

 **Thank you much and mighty for your reviews! I read all of them! I have no idea what my role in this family is. Entertainer? The Story Teller? It doesn't matter to me; we're just family.**

 ***We have a warning for a dark chapter, and death. It gets graphic at the very end with Blue.***

* * *

"Judge."

Owen smiled as he watched his girl try to solve their toughest puzzle they had set up. He was amazed by how Elise had blown through all the overlapping trails like they were nothing. She didn't follow every single twist and turn like he thought she would. Whenever she came to an overlapping scent, she would raise her head, smell the air carefully, tilt her head, and follow the right way.

But now they were at the large river; not terribly far from where Elise had fought ACU, but Owen and Blake had been careful about not going in that direction.

It was just the respectful thing to do.

Elise was currently walking up and down the river as she tried to find Derick's scent again; water seemed to really stump her, but Elise sat up once more to taste the air around her. She continued to take deep, slow breaths in hopes of catching the smell before she suddenly turned her head towards some thick brush. Owen raised an eyebrow; he didn't recall going here, but he rolled his eyes when Elise managed to dig out the shiny paper.

A Snickers wrapper.

"It seems we found a litterer, Elise. I'm glad you found that, I don't want an animal to accidentally eat that; it'll kill them."

Elise startled at that; she didn't want an animal to die, and she inhaled the scent before handing the wrapper over to Owen.

Derick was a litterer, and his scent was still fresh on it. Elise wasn't happy with his carelessness; an animal could have died. It was her job as an Alpha to help Alpha Claire when she could. She now understood the workings of Jurassic World after more observation. Claire was the main Alpha of the humans, and Rexy was her partner; the Alpha over all dinosaurs. Claire had humans who she put in charge of other things, like Betas, but she didn't have to worry about them. Dr. Gerry was the Alpha over all the healers in Jurassic World, but Claire was his Alpha.

Elise was an Alpha pair with Owen; they were part of Jurassic World, and they did their own jobs to make sure Alpha Claire could deal with other things. Elise helped make sure the girls stayed in line and didn't hurt any guests; that would cause people to be afraid to come here. The dirty paper wouldn't come in as fast.

A small breeze danced through the lush jungle, and Elise followed the helpful guidance. She loved the wind; sometimes she liked to pretend wind was a person all her own. It was odd to see humans so out of touch with nature; Elise felt she was becoming more human the more she learned, but she didn't want to forget the world her dinosaur blood knew and loved. Were there humans who stayed in touch with the earth? Did they listen to the wind too? Elise liked to pretend she could tell stories to Wind, her stories, and then Wind would go tell the stories to people who couldn't come here.

Elise knew it was a silly idea, but it gave her something to do. It was a habit to talk to herself when she wasn't talking with Small One.

Elise paused to stare at a bold blue beetle, and a bittersweet happiness filled her. She remembered before she had met Owen, and long after Small One stopped moving. It had been a long week of terrible nightmares that had left her shaking, and she thought the bad thoughts of hurting herself.

Then a little beetle had caught her attention. It was such a little thing that she had almost crushed it out of rage, but she had been lonely. She started talking with the beetle, and the insect had seemed to listen. It made Elise feel better, and she name the bug Friend. Friend was good and kind who liked to sit on a large leaf near the stream in her old paddock. Elise talked to Friend a lot; he listened because he was kind.

Then another insect had flown in; Elise had liked the beautiful wings; Owen called them butterflies. The butterfly had knocked Friend into the stream, and Elise never saw Friend again.

So she had eaten the butterfly. She ate all the butterflies she saw; they were not kind. Owen would always give her weird looks when one was murdered, but Elise did not care.

Owen had never met Friend.

Elise startled from her thoughts when Owen gently patted her as he said, "Baby? You kind of zoned out there. We need to rescue Derick."

Elise garbled in agreement as she followed Wind's kind help; she carried Derick's scent. Elise followed the sweet candy easily; ignoring all the other scents, and paused when she heard a guttural growl. Owen raised an eyebrow when he heard it and shifted around to look for the source. He didn't think there were any dinosaurs over here, but he still jumped when another snarl was heard. Elise shifted about as she flickered her vision. She didn't see anything and quietly moved around.

Derick really could be in trouble; this creature sounded very angry.

Owen pressed himself closer as he kept a careful hand on the pistol strapped to this thigh. It wasn't the comforting, heavy weight of his shotgun, but it was something. He didn't want to always depend on Elise to protect him. A gun was useful when wielded with the right attitude.

Elise would paused with every snarl that drew closer, each step silently pressing into the lush floor. Owen had never heard a dinosaur like this before, and they both froze when the snarl made a harsh sound next to them. Elise blinked at the thick tree, and she wondered if this was a nervous mother trying to deter her from a full nest. Elise didn't want to anger a mother, but she paused when the sweet, kind scent filled her nose.

She remained very careful as she brushed the branches aside; she could feel Owen tensing with the snarl sounded again, but they blinked at the sight.

Derick had fallen asleep. He had managed to climb a tree, find a cushy spot in the moss, and fell asleep. Elise tilted her neck when the mouth opened wide as Derick made the snarl again, and Owen rolled his eyes.

Elise didn't understand these sounds. Owen made soft sounds when he slept, not this snarl. Maybe it was a human's way of trying to scare predators away. The snarl had certainly startled Elise. She shifted around until Owen could clamber onto the tree before he shook his head at the sleeping trainer. He scratched at his jaw before suddenly smiling at Elise.

Elise loved that smile.

It was their ornery smile.

* * *

"Derick! _Derick!"_

The man snorted awake at the rough shaking before quickly looking around. He startled at his name being desperately hissed again, and paled at the sight of a bloody Owen.

"What the fu-"

Owen quickly clamped a slightly trembling hand over the mouth as he clutched his red-stained side before quickly looking around. Derick didn't see Elise, and Owen grimaced in pain before whispering, "It's bad, Derick. R-Really bad. We have to be quiet."

" _Where the hell is Elise?!"_

Derick swallowed when Owen immediately shushed him. The man was breathing hard, and he looked like he was in a lot of pain. Owen was even sweating as his limbs seemed to tremble just the slightest. Owen quickly wiped his lip, blood smearing over the mouth before he hoarsely said, "She's down. She slid in the river; she couldn't get back up, Derick. It's a nightmare; I lost the radios."

"W-What?!"

Owen hissed in pain again before adding, "I don't know what happened; the little bastards just swarmed her; I think they were poisonous. She just stopped moving."

Derick paled into a gaunt grey as he quickly glanced around. He stumbled onto his knees, but Owen yanked him back down as he whispered, "That's not the worst part."

Derick nervously swallowed, and Owen shivered before saying, "Rexy busted out of her paddock. She heard Elise crying for help, and she's pissed. I had to run, I-I just had to!"

"Oh, Christ…"

Owen nodded in agreement; they both froze when a thudding footstep was heard. Owen shivered again, and almost whimpered, "Shit; she probably smells the blood. She nipped me, but I got away. The old lady hates me, I accidently broke her nest, and she never forgot that."

Derick snapped his gaze back down to the blood soaking through Owen's shirt. He nervously licked his lips before saying, "It'll be fine, we can get through this. I'll help you down, okay? Rexy is a loud walker, we can sneak around her, and get to ACU."

Owen nodded in agreement before wincing as Derick nudged him closer to the edge. Derick cautiously peered at the far away ground, and he wondered how Owen had managed to climb the tree. It was a hard climb.

Another branch snapped before Owen suddenly shrieked fearfully. Derick whipped around to see the forest scaled, wide open jaw full of daggers gaping at them. He barely processed the stench of meat, and he couldn't stop himself from screaming with Owen. Derick continued to scream until Owen's scream turned into breathless laughs. Derick held his mouth open as he glanced at the injured man desperately trying to catch his breath in between the loud laughs. Tears were streaming down Owen's cheeks, and Derick turned his gaze back to Rexy.

Derick had no idea what to do when the massive jaws quietly shut before the innocent, crimson eyes regarded him with fond amusement. The scales shook off the forest's colors in favor of the sparkling white.

"E-Elise?"

Elise made a warm croon as her lips pulled up into a ferocious smile, and Owen finally fell onto his side as he howled with laughter. Derick blinked when Elise began to make her sucked in laugh.

"O-Oh my, God! Y-Your face, man…! My ribs! Oh, God, my r-ribs hurt! You s-screamed so l-loud!"

Owen burst into another fit of laughter as Elise's laugh grew louder and faster. Derick watched the white dinosaur slowly sink onto the earth as her mouth hung wide open with the gasping laughs. He could see the crystal tears falling from the crimson eyes, and Derick finally snapped, "You assholes! Jesus H. Christ!"

The two only laughed harder, and Derick huffed as he flopped onto the moss. He clutched his thumping chest and growled, "You two pricks are a damned pair, do you know that? You two _deserve_ each other!"

Derick gave a slight jump when his radio crackled; he forgot he had one. He wiped his face when Sam's amused voice said, "I should dock Elise for screwing around, but I might give bonus points if you shat yourself. Be honest, Cowboy, you gonna change your pants when you get back?"

"Oh, piss off, Old Man."

Derick heaved a sigh when he heard the bear laughing, and Sam said, "I will take that as a yes then. Bonus points for Elise."

Claire covered her mouth as she started to laugh quietly; she just couldn't help herself when she heard Elise's laugh. It was the funniest thing in the world, and so warming to know the dinosaur was laughing.

Elise was happy.

And so was Claire. She was much more relaxed now even though she had more responsibilities. It was nice to have Owen right by her side, and she knew she could count on Elise. Elise had made Rexy feel younger, and that meant the world to Claire.

Life was good at Jurassic World; Claire was happy.

There was a healing peace settling in, and peace was good.

* * *

The sickle claw tapped in thought as Blue carefully inspected the large fence. This was in White One's territory, and she didn't smell anyone on the other side of the fence. That was good, but she didn't understand why White One didn't want to expand her territory. The pack was very strong right now; it was time to expand.

But Blue still hadn't memorized all of this territory yet; she knew Stern One's territory better. Blue liked Stern One; she was not an Alpha, but she was to be listened to. Echo and Delta were still wary of the old dinosaur, but Blue had figured her out. They had bonded very well, and Blue couldn't imagine sleeping without Stern One; she was a comfort.

Blue felt much calmer here; things were much nicer, and the bad people did not linger here. Hardly any humans lingered here, and that made Blue happy. Humans made her agitated because she knew they were smart even if they were stupid. She had to always be suspicious of what they were plotting.

Except for Barry; Barry was there to soothe wounds and bring forth Oreos. Stupid Alpha was pack, and White Alpha needed to find a smarter partner; Blue liked White Alpha though.

Blue paused from her inspection of the fence; she hadn't had an Oreo for a few days. Such madness was not something she wanted to delve into. She would find Barry later, and entice an Oreo out of him; maybe two Oreos.

Blue glanced at her sister when Echo made a soft chirp. The other two followed her gaze to catch sight of an animal grazing through the fallen fruit from a lush tree. It hadn't seen them yet, but Blue thought it looked similar to their pink prey.

She flexed her claws; it had been too long since they had hunted something down like pink prey. Pink prey could run, and it was tasty. The bleating prey in Stern One's territory did not run fast, and Stern One always made the kill.

But Blue was intent on killing this prey. It had been too long since they had really hunted as a pack.

The Beta made the low growls to her sisters before they carefully took off into the thick jungle. Blue waited a few minutes before she began to stalk her prey. The pig was rooting through the fruit obliviously, and Blue had to remind herself to stay calm.

She would force the pig into the thick jungle where it would get confused. It didn't know that jungle, but her sisters did. Echo was incredible with ambushing; Blue and Delta would bring the pig to her. Blue lead the hunts, but Echo was most important when it came to this kind of hunting.

Where the prey would never see it coming.

Blue almost shivered in anticipation when the pig saw her. It flicked an ear before immediately trotting into the thick jungle. Blue followed at a distance just to keep the pig going.

It had no idea what trap it was walking into.

* * *

Bridges cracked his neck before walking into the moldy, damp, and silent warehouse. This building had been abandoned after it was deemed unfit for housing animals.

But Bridges never had a problem with putting pests in here.

Filthy no good pests who burrowed into his damned island. Pests that were no better than a squirming maggot, or a swarm of buzzing flies on a sick animal.

Filthy, filthy, no good-

Bridges blinked as he paused to calm himself. He had to be careful of that red rage; that little flame of his temper had a tendency to scoot closer to the gasoline in his train of thoughts. It wasn't good, not one bit; his temper was not a good thing.

But it certainly got him where he was right now.

Bridges didn't acknowledge the small puddles of water that made soft splashes by his polished shoes. He did eye the hanging moss from the ceiling and the vines reclaiming the building. No one else was in here.

No one aside from some filthy pests.

Bridges couldn't help but to pause when the rotting corpse of a dead mouse caught his eye. Mice were not pests in the right setting; he used to have a pet mouse. A smart creature who was always cleaning himself.

Mice could burn.

Bridges sniffed as he pushed that thought away. The skeleton was being reclaimed by the earth; the hole in the concrete. The body was in the good hands of sweet, Mother Earth.

But Bridges liked fire a little more.

He fumbled with the lighter in his pocket as he sang in a hushed voice; even a man like himself didn't care for the painful silence here.

It helped to ignore the almost hunched over, a little too tall shadow walking alongside him. He swore it wasn't his shadow, but it was always with him.

Was it robed? No, no, that was _crazy…_

Bridges questioned his sanity once; a mistake he would never make again. It was easier to accept himself as is, and not go to a _therapist_ for help. They didn't understand anything. They were the most aggravating people in the world; asking about _feelings_ as they pretended to care. They didn't care until the damned bill didn't get paid; then they were suddenly too booked to see him.

"My lover's got humor, she's the giggle at a funeral…"

Bridges snorted to himself; he could ask people how they felt too, and then he'd slap a three figure bill on them for an hour of his time. If they didn't like that then he could prescribe them some addictive pills to poison their system, fog the mind, and reap havoc on the stomach.

Did they ever intend to prescribe stomach ulcers? His therapist had insisted it was his stress.

He insisted she was flammable.

But she left before he could find out.

"Knows everyone's disapproval, I should have worshipped her sooner…"

Bridges knew he wasn't _sick_. He was perfectly healthy; healthy as a God-dang horse, damn it.

Bridges didn't take the Lord's name in vain, that was a no-no. He would not encourage any lighting to smite him; the Good Lord was patient enough as it was.

He could function just fine; that was the health bar set up in the good ol' U.S.A. You're weak if you're sick in the head. If it ain't bleeding, broken, or bruised then you're perfectly fine.

Can you eat, sleep, and bathe? Hold a job?

Yes, sir.

Then you're perfectly healthy. Mood swings are your own problem so long as you can push the damned pencil.

A little laugh escaped Bridges; he was perfectly fine.

So what if he liked to burn things for no good reason?

Was it a good reason just to see if it could burn? That could be a science if he really wanted; it was good to know what would burn or not.

Houses burned.

But Bridges never told all those details to his mother before she had lost her mind to the disease; she had been sick.

Bridges gave himself a brisk shake; he needed to snap out of it. He was perfectly fine. He was just stressed from Sobek being sick, but Sobek would be fine. He would have to be.

Because Bridges didn't want to admit how much of a crutch the dinosaur was to him. Sobek was imperative in helping Bridges stay balanced on that fine, little line. On one side, he could get along just fine. His thoughts were _normal_ and he didn't need to hold his lighter. That side was fine, and he'd even step over to that side once in a while.

It was nice; that side of the line was very nice.

"Every Sunday's getting more bleak, fresh poison each week…"

Then there was the darker side of the room. The not so nice side. He got a little irrational; it was his _emotional side_ as his father had called it on more than one occasion. He liked to burn things to keep that side lit; he wasn't afraid of the dark. The creatures inhabiting that side scared him sometimes.

The little demons in the dark; those little bastards had to be watched at all times. Grady thought his raptors were cunning? They needed to meet the one who goaded Bridges into making Mr. Iudex his solution to pests. Iudex was fair in dealing with pests like these; Bridges liked Iudex.

Bridges straightened his tie; he would deal with the pests, and then go check on Sobek again. Sobek would make it. Maybe he could catch Elise before her last show.

"We were born sick, you heard them say it..."

Bridges had spent a lot of time trying to get ahold on his damned demons in the dark. Smarmy pricks never missed an opportunity to kick him while he was down.

But he would never deny they had some good ideas once in a while.

It was almost six; people had left to go home already, and Security was at its sleepiest. When the day-dwellers were headed home, and Night's sweet children were still dreaming of her caressing cloak.

No one knew Bridges relied on Mr. Iudex to deal with the pests; they didn't need to know. Bridges took care of it; things were fine. He didn't need others to know, they didn't think like him, and they would get in the way.

"Evening, gentlemen. I apologize; I have been busy."

The two poachers jumped at the broken silence, and Bridges was glad to see they looked like hell. He already didn't like the smarmy looking blonde with a rugged, thick beard. Bridges was still deciding with the other one.

He internally sighed; he never had major problems with the Costa Ricans. It was the damned rich, thrill seekers who paid the Costa Ricans to bring them to his island. These two had probably grown bored with hunting animals in Africa.

Giraffes weren't exciting and elephants were off limits. Wildebeests were just funny looking cows.

"So, do we pay a fine before leaving? I don't want to miss my flight back home."

Bridges ignored the snippy tone as he opened the loud, protesting door before stepping inside. He didn't feel like sitting, but he put on his most polite smile as he purred, "I am curious as to why you think you had the right to hunt my Spinosaurus. He's important to me."

The younger man seemed to feel guilty, and Bridges made a note of that. But the other man snapped, "Look, we're just looking for a good hunt. We were doing you a favor, we know that one is old. It's time to make room for the next generation."

"The next generation stays in captivity. He's not going out there, and I don't think that is a good excuse for hunting Sobek."

The bearded man was a rich thrill seeker at heart. Bridges knew hunters had their place in the world. He would never nay-say keeping a population down, or hunting for food and clothing. Even the rich hunters who hunted for sport, _the ones who did things correctly_ were good. They put the kill to use, and Bridges was fine with that.

But there was no use for Sobek's carcass. No one knew what Spinosaurus meat tasted like, and no one knew how to use his skin nor bones. Did anyone know how to cook a Spinosaurus loin? Bridges didn't think so, and his temper was scooting close to that gasoline again.

These men, pests, had no good reason for hunting here.

Bridges leaned against the bars as the man coolly said, "I don't expect a suit like you to understand, but I'll do my best. Humans have the right to hunt too. Animals hunt each other all the time, so why can't we? I think it is an exciting challenge to play that game with something like a Spinosaurus. There's a bond between hunter and prey."

Bridges had seen their guns; he was willing to bet this man was just compensating for his incompetent size. He could feel his eyebrows shadowing over his eyes as he turned to the other man, and asked, "Is this your view?"

The man twiddled with his thumbs as he quietly mumbled, "I…didn't shoot at him…I wanted to see if I could get a Velociraptor…but the pack is too small I think…"

The bearded man glared at his companion before snapping, "You did kill one; it was why we got caught!"

Bridges raised an eyebrow, and the younger man quickly said, "He was sick, Sir! He was already down and foaming at the mouth…I didn't want him to suffer…"

Bridges nodded. This was a good hunter who got caught with the pest. He could reason with this younger man. Bridges fumbled with the lighter in his pocket for a few seconds before sighing, "I suppose I can't change your view of hunting down my Sobek, but he is very important to me. He saved my mother from a Tyrannosaur."

"I don't care; I want to go home. I didn't get my hunt, and all my damned money was wasted."

Bridges didn't need to hear any more than that; this man was not willing to cooperate, and he quietly said, "Very well. Allow me to escort you to my partner, Mr. Iudex. He can sort you out."

The blonde glanced at the younger hunter as he added, "You can leave on tomorrow morning's boat. I would fine you, but you did me a favor by putting that raptor out of its misery. Security will come escort you out tomorrow."

The younger man licked his lips nervously, but Bridges ignored him; he would go home tomorrow after a long, dark night in here. The compys would provide a good scare in the middle of the night.

The bearded man gave a harrumph before standing; he gave a look at his companion before following Bridges out. The door slid shut with an unforgiving slam, but Bridges didn't notice; he wouldn't be staying here anyways. The good hunter would learn his lesson and never come back.

"So what kind of a name is You-dex?"

Bridges rolled his eyes; he despised uneducated, pompous pricks. He only replied, "It's Latin, but you can ask Mr. Iudex himself."

"Do I get to go home with my friend?"

"That depends on Mr. Iudex's mood. I suggest you use your manners around him; he's much less forgiving than I am."

The bearded man grumbled to himself, and Bridges glanced around him. He didn't see anyone; not that he expected to. Everyone was gone, and he was left to roam the silence alone. They walked without talking before coming over to the towering Office building. The man raised an eyebrow when Bridges opened the steel door and gestured inside.

"Your buddy doesn't get a nice office like yours?"

Bridges shrugged nonchalantly as he peered into the door before answering, "Mr. Iudex keeps his office at the end of the trail; he likes to be closer to the wilderness; he's braver than I am."

The man stepped inside, blinking at the decorations alongside the think trail, and Bridges said, "Mr. Iudex keeps a key to this door in his office. If you can convince him to give you said key, I will be more than willing to fly you home. Be polite."

"Why are there so many Tyrannosaur skeletons here?"

Bridges smiled, "Because they are poor kings."

He shut the door before the man could reply, and he sniffed as he locked it firmly. The cuffs were straightened as he walked back to his own office.

The idiot had no idea what he was walking into.

"I was born sick, but I love it…"

Bridges wondered why the Latin language had died out; it was a wonderful thing.

At least it provided for obviously blunt names without having to give away anything. Bridges was sure no one actually knew what Iudex Carnifex's name actually meant.

The blonde sighed as he sank into his chair; all was quiet outside. He would take a few minutes to get the red rage out of himself before going to Sobek. The older Spinosaurus didn't take kindly to any visits from anyone who wasn't in their right mind.

He rested his head back while clicking the flame into life; the thudding behind his eyes slowly went away, and he was feeling better. He cracked open an eye to glance at the photograph of smiling, older woman.

"Don't worry, Mama; I'll make sure I do Sobek justice. He's good."

Sobek was good. Bridges sighed as he remembered the first time he saw Sobek up close and personal.

When he was forced to acknowledge that his mother was sick with a real disease, and not a harmless case of bad memory. He had been pushed to put her in a home where she could be taken care of, but he was stubborn.

He hadn't wanted to acknowledge it.

The fence was still being built, but Bridges had hired someone to look after his mother in a secure home. It was the safest spot on this island; it still was, and it was where everyone was to go in disastrous situations. It was the safe house. He thought the air would have been good for his mother; she loved the tropical world.

But she had her bad days where she would wander around when the helper was resting. Bridges would usually escort her back before anything could happen; he just didn't want to believe his mother was sick. He just had refused to comprehend the days where she wouldn't recognize him.

Until she decided she wanted to go for a walk. It was normally fine on her good days, and Bridges would go with her because they stayed inside the fence.

But she had forgot what was on the island.

And she had walked past the fence before Bridges could stop her.

Bridges pinched his nose at the memory. It was so clear in his head.

* * *

 _Run faster. Run. Faster._

 _For once, all the damned demons in his head were screaming the same thing. Run faster because Mama is going to get eaten. He yelled her name, but she had probably forgot to put in her hearing aid. He could just tell it was another bad day._

 _He could see her shoes weren't matching._

 _Why the hell hadn't anyone stopped her? Bridges was so scared that the red rage wasn't even factoring in his head._

" _Mother! Stop!"_

 _A worker snapped his head over before paling at the woman speed walking away. Bridges wasn't going to acknowledge that she was walking a little funny. She was on uneven ground. The worker darted out, but yelped at a loud thudding. He fell backwards in his haste to get away._

 _The bellowing, injured Parasaurolophus burst from the trees. It tripped over itself, and Bridges ran faster when his mother stumbled back. The bleeding herbivore shoved itself into the line of trees before the furious roar made Bridges' blood freeze._

 _The Tyrannosaurus let out another furious roar when it realized its prey had vanished into the trees. Bridges prayed his mother would have the sense to stay still; he prayed the massive carnivore would move on after the injured herbivore._

 _His mother let out a soft yelp when her ankle gave out on her, and the Tyrannosaurus snapped his gaze onto her. Bridges continued to run, but the dinosaur didn't think twice about charging the elderly woman._

 _The gaping jaws opened wide to chomp the easy kill whole, and Bridges stumbled in his running. He looked up just in time to see the massive, rusty grey scales burst from the trees as a shrill, echoing roar made his ears ring. The charging Tyrannosaurus gave a pained shriek when the hard skull bashed into his shoulder, and the powerful force knocked him onto his side._

 _Bridges slid next to his mother before he held her protectively, but he never took his eyes off the mighty carnivore._

 _It was a Spinosaurus; an actual Spinosaurus. He had known there was one, but he didn't actually believe it._

 _Bridges believed it now; and he was in awe of this massive beast who was larger than the Tyrannosaur. He had to be around twenty feet at the peak of that proud scale, close to fifty feet from head to tail; sapphire O's handsomely decorated it, and strong, ebony talons raked through a forest hide. Bridges swallowed when the throat was ripped out by sharp teeth._

 _What the Spinosaurus lacked in bite force, he made up for with slashing._

 _A massive tail swung over them as the beast circled victoriously over his dying prey. He gave a sharp bite at the throat for extra measure, and Bridges was overwhelmed by the furious, emerald fire. He had never seen a dinosaur with green eyes before._

 _The Tyrannosaur gave a final kick, and Bridges blinked in shock._

 _Did he just witness the slaying of the Tyrant King?_

 _He swallowed when the emerald eyes snapped at him, and Bridges realized his mother's sobbing had grabbed the Spinosaurus' attention. The massive beast gave slow, calm breaths through long, slightly parted jaws. The Spinosaurus wasn't even out of breath. He seemed to regard the sobbing woman for a few moments, that emerald fire flickering about dangerously, before he glared at Bridges._

 _Bridges felt like he was being scolded, and he glanced down at his mother. She was frail, old, and scared. The blonde slowly glanced back at the Spinosaurus, and the dinosaur seemed to give another scolding snort before thrusting his snout into his kill._

 _Bridges understood._

 _His mother wouldn't do well here._

 _And she was too sick to be eaten._

 _She was sick._

* * *

Bridges sighed as he pressed the balls of his hands into his eyes. Sobek was a picky eater; he had learned that afterwards, but it made more sense. His mother was too sick to eat. Bridges had finally caved in, and sent her to a good home.

She had died a few weeks later. She never forgot Sobek; she had actually named him. She had always called her son to ask how Sobek was doing, and it made Bridges feel a little better.

The disease had never robbed her of that memory, and it had given her something to do. His mother had been a talented artist; she had made a stunning portrait of Sobek. Bridges was always grateful to Sobek for that.

For saving his mother.

For forcing him to realize his mother was sick.

And giving his mother one memory that couldn't be forgotten.

His mother had been gone for almost fifteen years now. Bridges believed Sobek was in his early to mid-thirties, and Carnifex was ten years old.

A shrill roar from outside the window started Bridges from his thoughts. He walked onto the platform to see some trees knocking over in a straight line. The bearded man burst from the tree line, wide eyed, and he darted to under the platform.

" _Help! Oh, God, help me!"_

Bridges sniffed as he called out, "I take it you didn't use your manners. I told you Iudex was unforgiving; now you get to deal with Carnifex."

The man made a blubbering plea that sickened Bridges. This was a relationship between hunter and prey. If the man had really believed what he said, then he wouldn't act so scared. He was prey now.

The fire colored Spinosaurus maliciously parted from the tree line with saliva dribbling from the parted jaws. The emerald fire burned just as brightly as his father's, but this was all Carnifex. Bridges sniffed again when Carnifex lunged forward with gaping jaws.

He knew Iudex Carnifex was the same Spinosaurus; it was his full name and purpose. When Bridges couldn't deal with a pest, the Spinosaurus became Iudex; he was their _iudex._ When Iudex had made his ruling, which was always guilty, he turned into their _carnifex._

This Spinosaurus was a multitasker; the judge and executioner.

Bridges sighed as he went back into his office.

No one knew Latin anymore, and the pest had been so focused on him that he hadn't seen Carnifex coming until the jaws snapped.

* * *

The pig made a nervous sound when it came to a brush too thick to walk through. It snorted a few times before turning around, and freezing. Blue was right there; keeping its attention. It wasn't sure what to do because Blue wasn't doing anything.

She was just distracting.

Blue continued to stare at the tense pig; it made to move to the side only to catch a glimpse of Delta sliding through the brush. Another nervous snort was made, and Blue shifted to catch the pig's attention again.

It was so focused on her that it never saw Echo smash into its back.

The shrill squeals filled the air as the other two raptors immediately tackled the pig in a fury of slashes and bites. Blood splattered as intestines spilled. Blue yanked them out with a sharp tug, Echo tore a large chunk from the meaty leg, and Delta had simply torn off the front leg. They ignored the dying squeals and feeble kicks.

Prey always tasted a little better when it was still kicking, and that blood was still pumping. Even a good Oreo couldn't compare.

* * *

 **Another A/N**

 **Just in case I wasn't clear, Iudex is Carnifex's first name. It's pronounced You-dex. I hope this story wasn't too dark with Bridges there, but that's how he is. I hope I didn't offend any therapists; I know there are sincerely kind, caring, and good ones out there.**

 **I hope you all have a good/day night!**


	53. Chapter 53

**A/N**

 **Hey guys! I hope life is good for you!**

 **xxXScotsbritXxx, Carnifex is Sobek's biological son, and this chapter explains what happened to the mother.**

 **Annonymous, I needed that comment before yesterday's chapter, but it's all good. I don't think I'll give him a middle name since, in this case, the Judge will also act as the jury.**

 **thesecondoreo, my goodness, I really liked that! That was very poetic and beautiful; thank you for sharing that.**

 **Thank you guys much and mighty for all your reviews! I love them, and I love you guys! Have a good day/night!**

* * *

"Please."

"Alright, Elise. Not considering the fact you and Owen screwed around on training, you did really well. I think you found Derick in a timely manner."

Elise beamed happily as she continued to clean Owen. He wasn't getting out of this grooming. It was almost time for her last show, and the smeared berries were still on his shirt. They tasted very good, and Owen knew they weren't poisonous.

Sam snorted at Owen's defeated look; a little kid who was forced into a bath. Barry was bringing a new shirt, but Elise insisted. The bear of a man glanced down at his notebook before adding, "But, you need to focus a little more; there were a couple times that you seemed to zone out, and I didn't like that. Every second counts, I know this is just training, but it's going to get you used to working under pressure."

Elise agreed with that; she had taken her time because she wanted to explore. It was fun getting out of her paddock with Owen. She knew she would never be that relaxed in a real emergency, but Sam had a good point.

She wanted to see that old building again; it held a certain air about it. Like it was very important. She had actually calmed down with the peacefulness around it before she heard the old vehicle snarling into life.

Claire had agreed to allow Elise to explore the Restricted Area at certain times when she was with Owen. It would be good for her to know the lay of the land; it would help make her a little more accepted in Emergency ACU.

Owen had heard plenty of things about them team's reaction. None of them were very good, and he didn't blame them. He knew it was a good idea to Elise to use, ACU was a perfect job for Elise.

If she hadn't butchered many of the team's members; including Commander Hamada.

So many avoidable mistakes could have saved precious lives.

Owen cringed when Sam added, "I talked to Miss Dearing; Commander Blake will be joining us in the next training session."

"And, uh, when will that be?"

Sam glanced up before dryly saying, "Tomorrow, Grady. I don't like to waste time. We'll be in another section of the Restricted Area. Commander and Elise get to find you and Derick."

Owen pressed his lips as he glanced at Elise currently grooming his arm. He cleared his throat before saying, "Maybe we should reinforce a little more positive behavior with the training before sticking her with Blake, Sam. They don't get along. She really did bury him alive."

"Elise is going to have to get over it."

Owen crinkled his nose when Elise softly licked his face clean of the berry juice; that wasn't what he had meant. He knew Elise would pretty much work with anyone willing to cooperate with her.

"Maybe we should try the Emergency Commander first; Elise will work with him more often than not."

Sam rolled his eyes, but he knew it was a valid point.

"Fine; I'll talk to him and see what I can do."

Owen was glad for that; he knew for a fact that this new Commander was freshly hired. He hadn't been here when Elise had gone on her rampage.

Elise paused from her grooming when Sam shut the book. He checked his bag to make sure he had all the cameras, Lowery had slipped in some duct tape, and he slid the bag over his shoulders before saying, "I'll be off then. Good work today, Elise. I think we can train you on looking for illegal substances. One thing at a time though, we'll get through search and rescue first."

Elise garbled as she gave a final kiss on Owen; she had kept him safe, and she rescued Derick. She felt good about herself today because she was doing something aside from loving on the little ones. Now she could be really good like Owen; a protector.

She crooned a farewell to Sam when he left; Derick had already gone home. Sam swore the man was waddling just the slightest, and he laughed until he cried.

A content growl grabbed Elise's attention, and she glanced down to see Blue and the girls still cleaning their lips of a very good kill. Owen peered over before paling, and he quietly pulled out his radio.

"Hey, Tim?"

Elise knew the girls hadn't eaten Tim; Rexy wouldn't allow that to happen, and she had told them not to touch Tim. Tim was very important to Rexy, and that's all Blue needed to hear. Pack protected one another, and pack did not hurt each other.

There was a silence, and Owen licked his lips nervously before Tim suddenly said, "Yeah, what's up?"

Elise snorted at Owen's sigh of relief, and he answered, "Just callin' to say hi. I missed ya."

Tim made a 'pishaw' sound before dryly saying, "I'm sure of it, but your girls caught a wild boar in Elise's paddock. Nasty buggers used to live in Rexy's place until she drove them out. Maybe Blue and the girls can keep that population under control."

"I didn't know we had wild pigs."

"Well, now you know. Good job on training them to hunt down pigs."

Owen gently stepped onto Elise's hand before she easily set him on the ground. Owen pulled out the resonating chamber, and the girls perked up when the warm trill was made. Blue threw her head back in an enthused greeting, and Owen crinkled his nose as he made a few bark-like sounds.

Elise was happy Owen was getting the hang of this, and Blue immediately pressed close to Owen. She rubbed her jaw along his shoulder as he gently scratched the blades of her shoulders. Owen couldn't help his soft chuckle when Blue rested her head in his hands. He gently stroked the crook of her jaw before slightly startling when she suddenly pushed her head against his.

They hadn't done this since she was as tall as his hip. It was a brief lovey stage that Owen never thought he'd see out of her again. Owen was warmed Blue was doing this again, and he ignored the smell of blood.

Until his pocket crinkled. Then Owen rolled his eyes when he realized Blue had been diverting his attention with cuddles.

"You little shit, Blue."

Blue garbled in defeat when she was caught with her hand in the cookie jar. Owen snorted at her, but he gently tossed a cookie over anyways. Blue rewarded his reward with an affectionate flick of her tail as she disappeared back into the brush. Owen scanned his eyes over the other two before greeting, "Hey, girlies. Is Blue behaving, Echo?"

The bronze raptor paused from her grooming, and Owen swore he saw that flash of irritation across her intelligent eyes when she glared at the bush. Owen was glad to see she had mostly recovered from her coffee fit, and Owen turned to the emerald raptor.

"What about you, Delta? You doing good?"

Owen had never been able to read Delta like Barry could, but he loved her nonetheless. The emerald raptor made a soft sound as she trotted over before thrusting her nose into his vest. She liked hiding in there, and Owen could never figure out why. He gently ran his hands along the scaled neck while Delta tasted the smashed berries Elise had somehow missed.

The raptor gave a delighted chirp when she heard the rich voice dryly say, "Owen, you are not supposed to be giving the trainers heart attacks."

Owen grinned sheepishly though Delta gave a little turn at seeing her most favorite person in the whole world. Barry smiled before blowing her a kiss; it was the only trick he had managed to teach Delta before she had gotten too big to really work hands on with, but Owen started laughing when she flopped over onto her side. Barry grinned widely, and said, "Ah, my sweet girl, I brought your very favorite."

Blue was in love with Oreos, Charlie had been over the moon for a bag of Cheetos, and Echo was fine with either.

But nothing made Delta's day more than a fresh churro. Lightly sprinkled with cinnamon, and a bit of sugar.

The emerald raptor leapt high as the stick was tossed down, and she made a muffled sound before disappearing back into thick brush. Echo didn't want anything at the moment; she was full.

Owen shook his head at her, but caught the fluttering shirt that was also tossed down.

"Thanks, man!"

Barry nodded, but called out, "I passed Miss Claire on the way over here, she said your mother called."

"Oh, Jesus…"

Elise tilted her head at the distressed tone; Owen had never talked about his mother to her, or any of his other family. Did Owen have other family? He obviously did if his mother called. Was his mother nice? Why wasn't she nearby, close to her baby?

Elise shifted around; she wouldn't trouble herself over this because she was Owen's family, but Barry cooed to her, "And, Beautiful?"

Elise loved that rich voice that was so full of tender affection. Barry was the second human she had come to love with all her heart; she couldn't exactly remember the first one, but she remembered the love. The Indominus made a loud croon as she rolled onto her back, exposing her underbelly. Barry laughed before saying, "Lowery wanted me to tell you he is sending someone over to get pictures of that beautiful face. He will be here after tomorrow's first show."

Elise was fine with that; she was interested in all the technologies humans came up with. Cameras were an odd creation, but Lowery had shown her pictures of what she looked like.

It was so very odd when comparing them to the children's drawings of her.

Elise had seen a picture of herself; the sharp teeth lined a scarred jaw that was slightly offset. Her talons were curved dangerously that left marks in the smooth cement, and her own eyes practically glowed against the snowy scales.

Elise felt like she looked scary.

But the children's drawings portrayed a much different creature. A kind being with a wide smile. The teeth were rounded, and claws merely longer fingers. The bloody crimson orbs were but a soft red. Her healing scars were hardly noticed, but the occasional child drew their own self kissing it better.

Children were not afraid of Elise; it was what had made her so happy with the drawings. She would only have to look at them to know how the little ones viewed her.

"Why is my mother calling Claire?"

Barry rolled his eyes as if it were obvious and dryly said, "Because her son doesn't keep a cell phone on him. She said to use the same Skype your father has. She wants a call tonight."

Owen nodded; he would do that. He assumed his mother wanted to talk about bringing Rosie here. He wondered if she would visit as well; she was always a little disapproving of the creating of dinosaurs.

His mother did not care that dinosaurs had existed; she just felt like the creation of these dinosaurs was playing God. She didn't like that, but she had only said something when Owen announced he would be the Velociraptor trainer.

She begged him to do something else; she had even called Vic without his knowing to try and transfer him to the Petting Zoo. Barry never let him live that down.

Owen couldn't stop himself from smiling when Elise gently nuzzled him. He scratched the jaw as he said, "We ready for the next show?"

Elise immediately nodded, and Owen winked at her as he said, "You and me, Baby. We'll make it a good one."

Elise didn't want it any other way.

* * *

Claire sighed as she went through the last of her emails for the day. Her bare feet swung back and forth as the high heels were tossed aside. No one would see that she had kicked off her shoes, and that was a relief.

It hurt walking in the damned things all day, but it was what looked good on her. She liked being taller as well. She did feel good in them; she felt prettier.

And for some reason, she felt like Owen wouldn't care if she wore them or not.

That made Claire smile; Owen was a funny man, but he was so…Owen. Claire didn't have words to describe the complicated man. Maybe she would ask him onto the third date, and take him somewhere nice. She didn't think he would care for anything fancy, but maybe the Steakhouse again.

She glanced at the clock; it was nine. She was sure Owen was talking to his mother right now; he liked to be in the Call Center when things were at their quietest. Claire didn't blame him though she wouldn't pity him for being a cheap person.

His mother was funny, and Claire really liked her. His father was hilarious as well. He sounded very much like Owen, and she wondered who he looked like more. Claire smiled; she would find out in a week.

Claire's smile left her face when the notification came up, and she sighed. She really had thought the blonde had died. She answered the call before dryly saying, "Back from the dead, Mr. Bridges?"

The blonde gave a tired chuckle, and Claire raised an eyebrow at seeing what looked like mud on his white shirt. His tie was gone, and so was the pressed suit.

"Is everything fine, Mr. Bridges? You look…"

"Tired, my dear, and a little stressed. I apologize for not showing up; I had poachers on my island. They injured one of my most important dinosaurs. I just got done helping hose him down."

Claire blinked a few times as she eyed the dirty shirt and messed up hair.

"I didn't think you to be…hands on."

Bridges gave a short laugh before retorting, "Miss Dearing, if I wasn't so tired, I would make a bad joke."

Claire raised an eyebrow; Bridges was tired if he wasn't in the mood to make jokes. She scratched her wrist before saying, "I have the videos of Elise's training. One of my workers figured out how to get the camera on Elise. She did very well; she needs a little focus, but I think she enjoys this. I'll send it over to you."

Bridges gave a quiet sigh before suddenly saying, "I have faith in how you'll train Elise, Claire. I know you treat all your animals well."

Bridges held up a hand; he was aware he had crossed the informal line between them, and he said, "That's exactly why I am calling you. I need a very massive favor from you. I need you to take this very special animal onto your island because I can't take care of him here."

Claire was not in the mood to take any animals from Bridges, and she said, "Mr. Bridges, I don't keep males on this island. We have things figured out with our females, and I don't know what adding a male would do to that species."

"You don't have this species…anymore."

Claire was confused; Bridges always made her pay good money for animals she didn't own. He used it as leverage and bragging to keep his island just as important.

"What species is this?"

Bridges pressed his lips as he tried to think of a way to say this without getting an immediate no. He ran his hand through his hair tiredly before quietly saying, "A Spinosaurus."

Claire accidentally knocked her cup of water off her desk, but she didn't hear the clinking splash. Bridges didn't do anything when she exclaimed, "Absolutely not, Mr. Bridges! I will _not_ have another Spinosaurus on this island, let alone a male Spinosaurus."

"She still entertains your guests, doesn't she?"

Claire felt her jaw drop before she pointed in the direction, and snapped, "She is sitting in our plaza! Even as a skeletal display she causes us grief! I have never had one skeleton collapse so many times! I told you once, and I will tell you again, I will not have a Spinosaurus as a replacement for Rex-"

"Sobek isn't much younger than Rexy. Maybe five years at the least."

Claire was not comforted by that fact, and she took a breath before calmly saying, "Mr. Bridges, Mr. Masrani took that female in because we thought she would be a sensible addition to our park. In one day she managed to cause more chaos in this park than what Elise could even dream of accomplishing. The only reason that Spinosaurus didn't get us shut down was because the park was closed to guests, and she made the stupid mistake of breaking into Rexy's paddock. Rexy took care of her, and before the day was over, we had a dead Spinosaurus. The only thing we could do was make a display from her skeleton. Do you know how much that skeleton still reeks even ten years later? Do you know how hard it is to create a skeletal display from something of that size? Our guests had refused to even go near that skeleton because of its stench."

Bridges chewed the inside of his cheek; he had heard plenty about that, and he would admit the bones still smelled on a hot day, but Claire wasn't done. She leaned closer to the screen as she dangerously added, "Do you know how much Spanish I know, Mr. Bridges? I know very little, but I learned her name really fast. The workers had named her before she even stepped off the boat. _Madre del Diablo._ I have never heard such a fitting name in my life. The Devil's mother indeed."

Bridges didn't think Claire needed to know that Spinosaurus had the name before stepping onto the boat. She really had been crazy; to the point where Bridges feared her. He couldn't justify putting her down either. He thought mellow Sobek would have been able to calm her down, but she got worse. Much worse.

Madre hadn't wanted to be a mother, and it was another reason why Bridges had taken Carnifex as his own. The Spinosaurus had refused to make a nest let alone take care of the egg. There was a screw loose in her head that scared everyone. At least Sobek looked sane even if he was terrifying; Bridges found him very brave to somehow copulate with Madre. Bridges knew there was no way Sobek would have been able to force himself onto Madre; she had been too crazy.

Bridges didn't think Wu used bovine DNA in Madre's genetics, but he knew a general rule of thumb amongst cattlemen. He learned it from his grandfather who had been an rancher.

The more whites around the eye, the crazier the cow.

Madre had a lot of white around her eyes, and those eyes had even bugged out when she got super angry. She would look like a stress toy being squeezed.

"Sobek isn't Madre, Claire. He's a very mellow dinosaur. Please, at least come look at him; I know he'll grow on you. He's nothing but a gentleman who has done this island well."

"He is a male Spinosaurus, Mr. Bridges. Elise is compatible with Spinosaurus. If you think I will allow that sweet girl-"

"Sobek can't breed."

Claire paused before narrowing her eyes, and she snapped, "And how do you know that?"

Bridges rubbed his forehead; he couldn't help dryly saying, "My biology class. Sobek has been castrated."

"…You…castrated…?"

Bridges still felt like he had betrayed Sobek by authorizing that surgery; that had been a night-terror all its own. A level of hell no one knew even existed until that dark day reaped havoc amongst them. No one could look Sobek in the eye after that, and Romano was still sure he would be killed by the Spinosaurus as revenge. Sobek just seemed to know Romano had been the one with the knife.

There was a look of betrayal on Sobek's face. Bridges didn't care if animals couldn't use facial expressions like humans, that Spinosaurus had looked betrayed. They had broken the Bro Code, and Sobek knew it.

"He had testicular cancer, Miss Dearing. Sobek is castrated, the cancer is gone, and he is much more mellow after that surgery. Please, I wouldn't ask if he wasn't important to me. Sobek is calm."

Claire raised her eyebrows, but she still wasn't convinced, and Bridges desperately said, "Claire, I am begging you to give Sobek a chance. I don't have a place to put him, and he needs to be babied in his old age. I just don't-"

Bridges paused to wipe his mouth as he shoved his hand into his pocket; Claire would admit she had never seen Bridges so distressed looking, and he finished, "I just don't think I could live with myself if he ended up suffocating under his own weight. I don't want to put him down when I know he still has plenty of years in him. I know you take wonderful care of your animals. Please, I'll rent a space if you have one, I'll pay the vet bills, and feeding costs. Claire, please don't make me put Sobek down."

Claire believed the sincerity and desperation in Bridges' voice. As much as she hated to admit it; Bridges was acting a lot like Owen did when Elise had almost been put down. She never thought Owen could get so attached to the point of begging. Bridges was in a similar situation, but Claire pressed her lips.

Businesses didn't run on pity. Even if Bridges was willing to pay for Sobek, Claire would have to up security, expand her ACU team, and worry. Rexy had been accepting of Elise, but how would she react to seeing a full grown, wild, male Spinosaurus?

Claire flickered her gaze back to the screen when Bridges pleaded, "Please, just come meet him at the very least."

Owen had asked her to get to know Elise too, but she just couldn't see how this was going to work. Madre had been a traumatic experience. Rexy was the only reason why this island was safe, and everyone deemed her the Big Boss after that.

Her gaze wandered back over to the windows on her screen. She still had the documents on Elise's reproductive breeding system up. She couldn't shake the feeling that Bridges had access to Wu somehow. As much as Claire hated to do it; she had leverage here. She had no need nor desire to bring a Spinosaurus here.

But she needed Elise's records; they were vital to her health. Claire still felt guilty for leaving Elise to rot next to her sister's skeleton. Now Claire had a vague understanding of what it was like to have a child; Elise was becoming her baby.

Claire wanted those records; even if it meant twisting Bridges' arm, but she was sure the sonofabitch had done it several times to other people. She took a deep breath before saying, "I will come look at Sobek with Mr. Grady."

Bridges brightened, and Claire quickly added, "After I get Elise's records."

The blonde swallowed before hoarsely saying, "You have everything I do, Miss Dearing."

Claire kept her poker face when she retorted, "I think you still keep in contact with Wu. I want Elise's records, and you may call me as soon as you have them, Mr. Bridges."

Claire didn't think she would be so bold if Bridges was actually in front of her instead of on screen. He was dangerous, and she didn't like how he darkened. She was pushing him on some fine line, she just knew it, but she held her ground because Rexy would do the same.

Bridges suddenly snapped from his dark side as he calmly said, "If I find more records, you agree to come look at Sobek. If you want those records then you agree to take Sobek. I will pay for his stay, and you just give him the same attention you do all you other animals."

Claire wasn't surprised Bridges had found his own way to twist her arm, but she didn't doubt it would take no less than a miracle to get Wu to talk. She didn't need bad blood between their companies, and Bridges would be in her debt if she took Sobek in.

That was a very big _if._

"I can work with that, Mr. Bridges. Now if you will excuse me, I think we have both had a long day."

Claire suppressed a shiver when the man gave an emotionless smile before saying, "It has been one of those days, Miss Dearing; full of pests and stress. I will see what I can dig up, and I will call you when I have something."

Claire nodded before she signed off, and Bridges was still for a few minutes. He clenched his fist on his desk, not hearing Carnifex pace around his paddock. He always paced when Bridges was on edge; it was the oddest thing. They weren't attached to each other, but they were.

He suddenly raised his fist before smashing it into the polished wood.

" _Fuck!"_

Bridges ignored the throbbing in his hand and the mark in the wood. He leaned back into his chair as he tried to calm himself with deep breaths. The lighter continued to flicker on and off as the demons all had their own ideas. Bridges didn't like any of them, and he winced at the throbbing headache; the punishment for being so ungrateful for the offered help.

Claire had a very simple trade. Elise's records, and then Sobek would be safe.

But Bridges had to convince Wu to give that up, and there was no way in hell that would be happening.

Carnifex gave another furious roar, and a little demon whispered an idea to Bridges. The blonde immediately agreed, and he stood before leaving. He was pressed for time in saving Sobek. Romano wanted an answer by tomorrow, and he would have it.

Wu probably wouldn't blink an eye at being in hell, but Bridges had a better place to convince Wu to see reason.


	54. Chapter 54

**A/N**

 **Hey guys! How's life?**

 **SmurfTurf, you get your wish.**

 **xxXScotsbritXxx, thanks for letting me know.**

 **Guys! Elise starts writing in this chapter, and I think I _might_ be pushing it with how well she writes. I tried to even it out with misspelling and lack of punctuation, but I'm not sure. I say she's a very fast learner, but I tried to keep it at simple words.**

 ***Warning, I got really dark in this chapter and gruesome.***

 **Sorry, but I just can't help myself sometimes. Pun time! It's a finger-lickin good time if you got the stomach for it! My editor didn't!**

 **Thank you much and mighty for your reviews! Have a good day/night!**

* * *

"We're Human."

Claire liked walking around her park when it was dark, when the guests had gone back to the hotels for the night. It was quiet with the occasional night owl giving a cry. Jurassic World was cleaned up for the night and ready for the next round of guests in the morning.

Claire wouldn't want any other job in the world.

She had visited Rexy for the night, but she just had a feeling that Bridges would be able to get some records. She wanted to talk to Elise about all this. Claire had explained the Birds and the Bees, but she never told Elise about Spinosaurus.

Claire decided it would probably be better for Elise if Owen wasn't right there when she talked about this. For all she knew, Owen had already drilled it into Elise's head that all Spinosaurus were terrible, poisonous creatures who snatched children from their rooms in the dead of night.

Claire wouldn't disagree to a certain extent, and she had a very hard time picturing a mellow Spinosaurus. That sounded like Blue cuddling a complete stranger or Rexy backing down from a fight. It just wasn't normal.

But Bridges had looked like he just got done washing an animal. Claire did not doubt Sobek was something special to him. She swore she heard that name before, but she never met any of his Spinosaurus besides Madre.

The viewing log was quiet and empty, but Claire smiled when she peered through it. Elise was still here; she was talking to her sister. Claire still wasn't sure what to do with that, and she considered bringing in some kind of psychiatrist in to talk with Elise. Claire wasn't sure though; Elise seemed so happy with everything going on around her. Claire wondered if she was repressing the bad memories. Would it do her good to poke around, re-open wounds that might already be healing over? Elise was bright eyed and clearheaded; she just looked gentler.

Elise had softened under the constant affection from the temperamental idiot that mashed down every button on Claire.

The window slid back, and Elise started at hearing it. She blinked innocent, crimson eyes, but a happy garble was made at seeing the fiery hair. Claire couldn't stop her own smile as she gently sat down, and said, "Hey, Elise. Talking with your sister?"

Elise seemed to think about that before she suddenly brought up the jar of dirt. Claire blinked as she gently took it before smiling at the fragile, little plant poking up from the rich earth.

"I see, you were talking to this little baby."

Elise nodded proudly; she had shown Lowery the growing acorn, and he had seemed genuinely surprised to see it growing. Elise knew he was sarcastic more often than not, and he jokingly said talking to the plant must have made it curious enough to see what the outside world was like.

Lowery wasn't aware of how imaginative Elise was.

She had started talking to the plant because she didn't want it to be afraid of this world. She talked to the little one as much as Small One now. She assured it that she was here to protect it until it could stand alone. Owen was nice, and so was the world.

The world was beautiful.

Claire smiled as she gently stroked the tender leaf before setting it aside. Elise eyed it protectively, but turned her gaze to Claire when the redhead asked, "Elise, has Owen talked about Spinosaurus to you?"

Claire was surprised when Elise shook her head, but the redhead continued, "Well, I want to talk to you about that because we might be adding one to our park."

Elise perked up excitedly; it would be wonderful to add another member to the park. Lowery told her plenty of funny stories about the others here. She wished she could meet them, but she wondered if she could meet this Spinosaurus if Claire was going to talk to her about it.

"You remember what I said about how babies are made, right? It takes a bit from a male with a bit of a female; they join and the baby is made."

Elise nodded; she knew this. It had been interesting to learn about it, and it explained why some animals never had babies around here. Like Rexy, but Elise stared at the redhead when she said, "Well, I thought the only way you could have a baby is if there was another Indominus. But…you can have babies with a Spinosaurus."

Elise loved little ones, she loved making them happy, smiling, and the laughter was a warming blessing.

She didn't want a hatchling to take care of.

The little ones went home with their own parents, and Elise didn't have to worry about taking care of them. As much as she loved Small One, Elise had exhausted herself emotionally and physically taking care of her sister. It was stressful, and parenthood was not all smiles; especially when the hatchling was sick.

Elise was perfectly fine with how her life was and she didn't feel the need to factor in a hatchling. Maybe someday, but nowhere in the near future.

Claire couldn't help her small laugh as Elise mulled over the big news; Elise carried all her emotion in those beautiful eyes.

"Not ready to have a baby?"

Elise snorted at the playful question, but she gently pushed Claire into her hand before placing her on the dirt. Elise had gotten much better at writing.

It was difficult to write, but she liked writing in capital letters more; it was just easier. Anyone who picked at it was just going to have to get over it. They were lucky if she spelled it right.

Claire eagerly watched the word being carved into the rich soil before startling. She blinked a few times before quietly reading, "Owen."

Elise nodded, and Claire began to laugh. Elise was serious; Owen was hatchling enough for her. She didn't care if he was an Alpha or her father. Owen had to be watched because he did the dumbest things.

Like swimming in the Mosasaur lagoon; Elise was not happy about that. She had to save his sorry butt because of it. Elise didn't want a hatchling because she wasn't ready for one, she didn't want one, and Owen was her baby when she felt like mothering something.

Claire gently patted the large hand next to her before saying, "Owen is a little kid sometimes, isn't he? It's fine if you don't want a baby, Elise. I just wanted to talk to you about this because Mr. Bridges has a Spinosaurus he wants to bring here."

Elise narrowed her eyes in concentration as she dug out the words. 'W' was an upside down 'M', and it was close to the end of the alphabet.

' _WHY'_

Elise hadn't really figured out punctuation yet, she was just focused on the letters. Claire smiled at the word before drawing a little question mark next to it. Elise found that symbol to be odd, but it did belong there. She crooned a thank you, and Claire smiled before answering, "Because his Spinosaurus is getting old and sick. He doesn't have a place to put him, but I don't know if Sobek will be brought here."

Elise tilted her head before tapping the word again. Claire sighed, "Because we used to have a Spinosaurus a long time ago. She was very mean and crazy; Spinosaurus are the largest carnivores to have ever existed. He's bigger than Rexy, and probably you even after you're full grown. I just don't know if it's a good idea."

Elise tapped her claw against her chest as she thought about that. If Sobek was bigger than Rexy then he would be very powerful. Elise would ask Rexy about what a Spinosaurus was later.

But that didn't mean Sobek was bad. Rexy was good. Elise didn't think Sobek would be much trouble if he was sick and old. Did he need a place to heal? Elise huffed before she carefully sounded out the words in her head.

She had no idea how to spell Sobek, but Claire would get the idea. She knew how to ask the question with simple words.

' _IS SOBEK GOOD'_

Elise looked it over before poorly carving out the question mark. She was proud of herself for learning, and it helped tremendously to sound out the words. The words that had a tendency to irritate her was what Owen called homophones. The words needed to find their own sounds so she could learn easier.

There, their, and they're were the bane of her existence.

Claire sighed as she looked over the question before answering, "I don't know, Elise. I haven't met him. If Bridges can get me your health records then Owen and I will go meet him."

Elise crinkled her nose before she went back to the dirt. Claire was glad for the log's light shining on the dirt.

Elise hated combining words; it was a pain to remember the punctuation that told the reader the words were joined. Owen picked at it, and Elise finally scooped up the word before throwing it at him.

' _DO NOT JUGE SOBEK BEFOR MEETING HIM'_

Claire smiled; the wisdom of the words were incredible for someone who lived so sheltered. She gently said, "Judge has a silent 'D' before the 'G', Sweetie, and there's an 'E' at the end of before."

Elise was not in the mood for critiquing, but she corrected herself nonetheless. Owen made her re-write the entire sentence when she messed up.

' _DO NOT JUDGE SOBEK BEFORE MEETING HIM'_

Elise was still stuck on silent letters, she had learned an 'E' made a letter say its name. Like bake, base, die, and quite. Then there were the silent little assassins in her spelling; ache, know, gnaw, and sign. Words were hard to spell, but Elise was willing to learn.

Claire nodded in approval before saying, "I just don't want another Spinosaurus to run rampant in this park, Elise. Rexy had to kill the last one… Did you ever see that big skeleton in Main Street? Where Owen taught you your first word?"

Elise thought about it; she did remember the odd smelling skeleton. It hadn't smelled happy. She hadn't really given the thing a second glance, but she nodded her head. Claire pressed her lips before saying, "Well, that was the Spinosaurus who went on a rampage. Her name was Madre; she was supposed to be another attraction, but Rexy killed her. We didn't know what else to do but use her skeleton as a display."

Elise was mortified by that. That was someone's skeleton? Did Madre want her skeleton on display? Elise didn't think so, but she wrote in the dirt.

' _LET ME MEET HER'_

Claire blinked at the words, but she glanced around her.

"Where are the raptors?"

Elise gestured over to Rexy's territory; the girls were nowhere near here. They had wanted to see if there were pigs in Rexy's paddock. Claire pressed her lips, but she finally said, "Okay, but just a quick walk, Sweetie."

* * *

The bones smelled very bad indeed. Elise kept her tail still to avoid hitting anything. Claire curled her lip as she glared at the skeleton. The Spinosaurus was a bit bigger than Rexy; the sail was definitely taller, and she had been longer.

They smelled bitter, angry, and stressed. Elise knew bones did not need to smell like this, and she didn't like the shiny screws forcing this skeleton to retain her shape. The redhead below her looked very disdainful, and Elise tilted her head. Was Claire not aware of how sensitive bones were?

" _Elise?"_

Claire jumped at hearing Owen's voice, but the man looked absolutely baffled as he trotted over. Elise made a small croon as she turned her attention back to the bones.

Owen blinked at the white dinosaur, and he asked, "Why is Elise right here?"

Claire shrugged as she answered, "Elise wanted to see the Spinosaurus."

Elise glanced down when Owen said, "Oh, right. Madre de Diablo. The Devil's Mother. I heard plenty about her; she looks like a terror, huh, Elise?"

The Indominus turned her gaze back to the Spinosaurus skeleton. She didn't like this; even Owen was fine with this creature being denied a proper burial.

Owen stared at the Indominus lost in her own thoughts; she looked so serious that it was scary. Sometimes she acted so much like a child, but then she would get a mature look about her. He didn't understand how she was able to bounce back and forth between that. He wondered if she was still young mentally, but a hard childhood had forced her to grow calloused in order to protect herself. Now that she was in a safe place, she could act like a child.

Shielded from the cruel world.

Owen always wondered where the calloused morals were hiding. Elise had said she regretted hurting the animals; so he was confused. Elise had done wrong, but so had her caregivers. Even if it hadn't been intentional, Elise had been abused.

But she had attacked without moral. She knew no other enemy besides the outside world. She had been abandoned, and left to rot. She seemed to pick up his morals easily, she was very impressionable on him.

The question Owen had been too afraid to ask was what Elise's state of mind had been during the rampage. He didn't know a way to punish her. Good people had been hurt.

She knew what she was doing; she was hurting the world the way it had hurt her. But she hadn't known that was wrong until after she had experience good. All she had for life experience was cruel isolation, her sister's painfully drawn out death, and humans who treated her like a monster.

What else was she supposed to act like when that's how she was treated?

The world branded her a monster and she grew into the fitting role.

Until he had said no. He had taught her better, he expected her to be better then that. Now Owen treated her like a pack member who was to hold responsibilities.

Now Elise was good, but she had done bad.

Owen sighed as he watched his tough baby. Was she bad who had done bad, or good who had done bad? Was she good now? Sometimes he wondered where her morals really were. She knew it was bad to eat or kill humans and other dinosaurs, but did she _really_ feel like it was a bad thing to do that?

Owen really hoped she was a good girl who had gotten turned around in an unforgiving world. He wasn't sure she was all there as a human _should_ be.

But not even all the humans were where they were supposed to be. Everyone held values a little differently; including life. Some people regarded it so highly that they refused to hurt animals, they wouldn't eat meat, and they took care of the world. The average ones were fine with meat, cleaned up after themselves, but wouldn't kill another person.

Then there were the people who held little regard for life because the world had taught them that or something didn't quite click in their head. Was that where Elise was? She knew it was wrong, and she was willing to abide by the laws.

How did she regard life?

"Owen?"

The man jumped from his thoughts; Elise was still quietly poking the massive skeleton, but Claire was looking at him.

"Um, I didn't hear what you said…"

Claire snorted, but she patted Elise's leg before saying, "Sweetie, Owen and I need to go talk about a few things. We'll be around the corner, but you stay right here, okay?"

Elise nodded; her eyes clear and innocent. Owen blinked at her, but there was no faking the sincere love she regarded him with when she looked at him. Owen smiled warmly at her; she was doing her best to be good.

The Indominus watched the two leave before she sighed at the skeleton. This poor thing would never be given the peace of a proper burial. She didn't understand these humans sometimes. Why were humans regarded so much more highly than others? What made this Spinosaurus so low on the chain that even her body was permitted to be desecrated?

Elise pressed her nose into the bleached bones in attempt to offer comfort. There was nothing she could do except comfort. Was this the Spinosaurus' punishment for not being good to the park? Is that what happened to animals who didn't cooperate with humans?

Elise felt herself sag; humans were brutal to those unlike them.

" _You. What the hell are you doing out here?"_

Elise paused to blink at the disheveled looking man. Blake didn't look right; he looked very angry. He seemed to be swaying slightly, and his eyes were very red. Elise wasn't sure what to do with him, but she gestured to the skeleton.

Blake squinted at the bones before snapping, "I wished they would have just made you a display like that. You don't deserve to live after everything you did."

The words hurt; Elise didn't understand why Blake was so angry with her. Or why he suddenly stumbled back. Was Blake ill?

Her vision flickered as she looked the man over. She had never seen such a wide combination of extreme emotions. He was furious, he was very sad, and ashamed. Elise lowered herself to his level before the Commander took another drink from a brown bottle in his hand. Elise crinkled her nose at the sharp scent; what was he drinking?

"Do you…really think you have…the right to walk free? I think…you need to be locked up in that paddock…for the rest of your life…"

Blake paused to think about his statement before correcting, "That little one; you deserve to rot there."

Elise narrowed her eyes; she knew she wasn't supposed to eat humans, but there were humans who just needed to be eaten. Blake stumbled again, and Elise paused.

There was something wrong with Blake.

Elise looked him over again before her attention was caught by a slab of dirt. There were supposed to be flowers there, but they hadn't been replanted again. Elise tapped the dirt before writing in it.

"What…the hell…are you doing? Don't you _dare_ turn your back to me."

Elise gave Blake the eye contact he wanted because he wasn't in his right mind. She tapped the dirt, and the man stumbled over because he was finally growing numb. Elise wanted to extend a claw, but the man mistook her for a building. He leaned heavily on her as he tried to read.

"Am I fine?"

Elise nodded, and the Commander blinked at her before snapping, "No! I am not fine! I have to fucking work with you after everything you did. You ruined my life, and you get off without so much as a smack on the hand. You should have been put down; that was the only reason why I showed up that day. Fucking Grady just couldn't let you die."

Elise blinked; was that why ACU had been at her paddock that day? When Owen was too afraid to explain to her what was going to happen? He had asked her to trust him, and she had.

She was going to die?

That was a lot to take in, but Elise didn't get much of a chance to think about it. Blake gave a firm swat on her leg, and Elise curled her lip. She would not be hit; she had been hit in the place before the old paddock. The cold, metal, and bright place when she was still little. The harsh, white hands that smelled pinned her before stabbing her. She would not tolerate this hitting, and she shifted away. Blake stumbled with a startled yelp, and Elise scribbled in the dirt.

' _DO NOT HIT ME'_

Blake snorted at the words before retorting, "Why not? You killed my family."

Elise startled into freezing. She hadn't known that. Was Blake so upset because of something she did? She didn't recall killing a human family; just workers here. The ACU Commander squinted when Elise erased her words before writing, _'WHO'_

The man seemed disgusted, and snapped, "You killed so many people that you can't even keep track of them. I'm talking about the people you ambushed at the river."

Elise crinkled her snout; they had been hunting her, and they were upset when she defended herself? Granted she wasn't feeling very nice towards humans, but she had been starting to calm down by the chuckling river. Then the humans had shown up with a dangerous smell around them.

They were not here to make peace, and neither was she.

"Do you regret that? Killing those people?"

Elise stared at Blake. She knew the answer he wanted to hear; he wanted her to rot with a guilty conscious, but the blunt truth was different. Elise had always admired Joker for his honesty, and she would do the same. She had wronged Blake by killing his family; he deserved the truth.

' _NO'_

Elise didn't regret it; plain and simple.

Blake's eyes bugged out, but Elise swiped over the word before writing again. She was going to apologize for hurting Blake because she had never met him until after Owen had told her it was wrong to hurt people. But she paused; Blake had said she had killed his family. Family was pack, and ACU was a pack, right? The protectors of this island? Pack always fought alongside one another.

She swept the apology over before writing again. If Blake was there then he would get no apology because he had attacked her. They fought, and she had won. Humans were an odd species but she regarded them no differently than any other animal. They were certainly much weirder, but she felt little kinship with the species as a whole; just with the few. What those important humans valued; she would value. Their happiness was important to her.

It was hard to love adult humans.

' _WERE YOU THERE'_

Blake paled into a gaunt grey as the bottle slipped from his limp hands. He seemed frozen, and Elise tilted her head. She suddenly cringed when the bottle shattered; she had probably triggered a bad memory like the shots did for her. She quickly swept over the words as she made soft sounds to pull Blake from the bad thoughts; now he did deserve an apology. It was one thing to win the fight, but another to open wounds. She mentally smacked herself; it was so hard to remember how sensitive humans were. She was sensitive too, but people treated her differently.

Elise carefully nudged Blake, and he stumbled back from the shock as he growled, "Don't you _ever_ touch me, Freak. Am I clear? You are the worst fucking monster in the world. You murdered and got away with it, Freak! If I had been there, you would be dead, do you hear me? Dead. My next pair of boots!"

Elise tilted her head before gently writing in the dirt.

' _I AM SORY I HURT YOU'_

Blake curled his lip as he read that, but Elise didn't look at him when she swept over the words, and added, _'I AM NOT SORY FOR HURTING THEM'_

The Commander blinked at the words until they were swept over again, and he slowly turned to Elise with an odd expression on his face. A grimace mixed with fury, hurt, and shame. He slowly jabbed a finger at her as he snarled, "I don't know what the fuck you are, but you are just a freak!"

Elise couldn't stop the bitter smile from pulling her lips up. She was just that; a freak who had murdered like Joker just to prove a point. She would never do it again, but she had done it.

She only knew one other species who did the same.

Blake reluctantly watched her scribble in the dirt.

' _I AM HUMAN'_

The Commander blinked at that a few times before letting out a humorless chuckle. He wiped his face tiredly before saying, "You are a freak, Freak."

It was Elise's turn to give the humorless snort, and she retorted, _'SO IS THE JOKER AND HE WAS HUMAN I AM HUMAN AND A FREAK YOU ARE HURT GO HOME'_

"You do know the Joker was a villain, right?"

' _DO I REALY LOOK LIKE A HERO?'_

Elise didn't like to talk about this stuff; the subjects that forced her to be more mature. She really hadn't known humans had their own little laws where it was wrong to kill one another. She had grown into something violently naïve. Her instincts had filled in what the human hadn't known. It was okay to attack intruders it was fine to kill those who inflicted pain because talking it out wasn't something she had ever done with a stranger.

Elise's claws were aching, but she couldn't believe this was her first conversation with someone who wasn't pack. These were her thoughts in physical words, and they sounded so mean and emotionless. This is what it was like to talk to strangers who took her at face value. She was a freak, but she would allow Blake to be rude.

She had wronged him even if she hadn't meant to. It was nothing personal against Blake when she had gotten into the fight with the ACU by the river.

Blake sniffed at the words before saying, "At least you know it. It won't ever make me feel better, but at least you don't try to kid yourself. I'll respect that much, Freak."

The man stumbled back as he added, "But you'll have a special place in hell to rot. It doesn't matter how many lives you saved; it's not going to ever repay the ones you took for no good reason. I don't care how sorry you are. You'll get what you deserve."

Elise watched the man stumble away before she looked at the dirt. Blake was right. She was not good or a hero; she would never be as good as Owen because of what she had done. She gave a sad sigh as she glanced at the skeleton that didn't smell any better. It smelled worse because of the bad in the air. She would sincerely do her best to be good like Owen, but she had done wrong. She knew it, and she wasn't sorry for hurting the humans who hurt or tried to hurt her. She was very sorry for every dinosaur she had hurt, but not the humans. Humans had brought this upon themselves by creating her as cruelly as they had. She would never do another rampage because it was wrong, but humans were no better than her. She knew there were very good humans in the world.

And she knew those were rare treasures.

Those were her morals. She would hurt what hurt her, but Owen's morals were different. He was good.

Owen was good, Claire was good, Bridges was bad, Blake was hurt, and Elise was a bad freak who tried to be good.

But at the end of the day, they were all humans molded and shaped by the way the world had treated them.

* * *

Bridges let out a shaky sigh as he strolled through the dark night; it was going to be a very long night. He was not going to play any more games with Wu.

Bridges was not feeling very nice tonight; he was all business.

He glanced at the massive warehouse not far from the labs; it was hardly ever opened, and very few people were allowed to go in there.

It was silent though, and Bridges was glad to see the labs were as well. It was Wu's mistake tonight. The geneticist was still writing on his laptop, and he snapped his gaze up before blinking at the sight.

"Um, you look like a mess."

Bridges didn't try to smooth his hair back at the moment, but he dryly said, "It happens when caring for animals, Dr. Wu."

Wu looked him over with a bewildered expression, and carefully said, "I suppose so…"

Bridges leaned against the chair in front of the clean desk before calmly saying, "I need records on the Indominus for Miss Dearing."

"It's classified."

Bridges only gave a dangerously patient smile as he said, "I know, but I need this in order to have Sobek transferred to Isla Nublar."

"You are going to put Sobek in captivity?"

Bridges nodded, and Wu looked legitimately surprised before asking, "Are you sure that's a good idea? Sobek is…a little too wild for that; don't you think?"

"I think Sobek is ready to retire from his job. I need those records, please, Dr. Wu."

The man looked briefly torn as he said, "That is a very difficult situation to be in, Mr. Bridges, but I can't give up that information."

"I don't need the amounts of what are in the Indominus; I just need some records to make this trade. It is almost midnight, and Dr. Romano wants an answer on Sobek's fate by tomorrow morning."

The geneticist wasn't moved; he didn't care about animals or other people's situations. He wasn't very good at empathizing, and said, "Sobek has lived a good life, Mr. Bridges. I think it just might be his time to go. He's what? Fifty?"

"Thirty, I will ask one more time."

"You signed a contract."

Bridge felt his eye twitch as he dangerously retorted, "And you gave me a mess. I am housing you from the law, Dr. Wu; Hart is working overtime to get you out of it. While I respect your reasons for wanting to keep certain things classified, _I would appreciate a little cooperation."_

Wu darkened before he walked over to the door. He opened it, and gestured to the outside as he calmly said, "I would appreciate you talking to me about this when you are in a better state of mind. I know you're attached to Sobek, but I can't reason with you like this. Please, go get some sleep. I'm sure there's a different way to do this."

Bridges lowered his brows; he didn't even bother with the damned lighter in his pocket this time. He sighed before walking over. He paused at the doorway as he said, "You're right. We…we are obviously not understanding each other, and that's a shame. I know you're sensible, but…"

Bridges sighed again before suddenly slamming Wu against the steel doorway. The geneticist simply slumped to the floor, and Bridges sighed in irritation as he waited patiently. Wu gave a pained moan, and Bridges cracked his neck before he wrapped his arms under Wu's. The man grunted as he dragged, and huffed, "You just aren't as valuable to me as Sobek is. People are easy to come by, Sobek is not."

* * *

Wu groaned again before cracking open his eyes; he frowned at the leaves sticking to his cheek, and he brushed them away. He carefully sat up as he clutched his head, but didn't understand why his arm wouldn't move very far.

"About time you woke up, Dr. Wu."

Wu blinked as his vision cleared more. He squinted against the bright paddock lights before paling at the man next to him.

"Where…?"

Bridges snorted dryly before calmly saying, "Iudex Carnifex's office of course. You weren't willing to see reason, so I thought I'd get him to help me."

Wu froze as he looked around for any sign of the Spinosaurus; he prayed Carnifex wasn't nocturnal, but Bridges sighed, "I'll ask once more for those records."

The geneticist licked his lips nervously; if he was quiet then he wouldn't get eaten. Paddocks were always built with emergency exits. He took one more glance at Bridges before suddenly bolting.

Bridges shook his head when the man yelped as his arm didn't follow. Wu groaned at the hard landing before blinking at the silver cuff.

"W-Why…?"

"Because I feel like I haven't had your full attention, Dr. Wu, and I don't appreciate that."

Wu had no idea why he was actually handcuffed to Bridges, but now he was scared.

"Mr. Bridges?"

Wu blinked when the sound of sharp blades sliced against one another. The blonde twirled something around his finger before saying, "You know, before America got afraid of offending _anyone_ they had some pretty respectable people to look up to. Good businessmen who knew how to get their point across. But the softies didn't like it because it was _wrong,_ but you know what? I disagree."

Wu swallowed nervously before he quietly asked, "What are you doing?"

"Do you know what this is?"

Wu did not recognize the odd tool that fit in Bridges hand; it had a small hole in it, and it was a shiny silver.

"A cigar cutter, Dr. Wu; double guillotine model. A very handy tool. What I am doing is grabbing your full attention, okay? You see, I think you need a reality check on where you actually stand here on this island, okay? Pay attention because it'll be real fast."

Wu didn't even have time to listen to that last part before his wrist was suddenly snagged in an iron grip. Bridges pinned the man against a tall boulder before Wu felt his left index finger being slipped into something. Bridges paused to ask over his shoulder, "You're a righty, aren't you? This is the least important finger then."

"W-Wha-"

Wu heard the sharp slice before the pain exploded in his hand, and he gave a piercing shriek. It was almost too much, and he collapsed as his limbs began to tremble with the revolting shock of what had just happened. Bridges turned around, allowing Wu the full view of his gushing finger.

He vomited.

Bridges rolled his eye before giving a sharp slap on Wu's face.

"Do I have your fucking attention now?! Huh?! Because I am getting real tired of your shit, Wu!"

The geneticist gasped as his eyes threatened to roll back, and Bridges snapped, "Don't you dare pass out on me, Wu! We aren't done talking!"

Wu was reeling; he couldn't get the clean slicing sound out of his head. It went right through the bone, and his stomach was churning again. Another sharp slap brought Wu out of the dizzying haze, and Bridges snarled, "You are a criminal for human experimentation! I am the only reason why you aren't rotting in jail! People want your head for everything Elise did, Wu! She killed, but you created her! Claire pointed the finger at you because of your classified bullshit! Jurassic World is another victim because it would have been different if Elise hadn't had a shitty childhood!"

Bridges heaved the man up; ignoring the blood gushing onto his dirty shirt as he added, "And I am not losing Sobek, so here's how it's going to be. You give me those records, I'll allow you to keep the ones with the specifics because I don't care how much DNA of every little thing is in her. You get those records to me before six o clock this morning, and you get your finger back."

Wu gave a choked cough, but he froze when a dangerous growl echoed in the paddock. Bridges kept his firm grip on the shirt as he dangerously said, "You have less than two minutes to answer me, Wu. Nothing gets Carnifex going more than a screaming coward. I'm not leaving until I have my answer."

A tree shuddered, and Wu stuttered, "He'll eat y-you too!"

Bridges' mouth turned into a cruel smirk as he purred, "I am more than fully aware of that, but as long as he eats you first, I won't care. I'm not afraid of dying, Wu. This could be our last moment on this earth. People are always true to their nature in Death's presence, I am not a coward. So, what's it going to be, Wu? Are we dying tonight?"

Wu felt the warmth trickling down his leg when Carnifex's head poked from the thick trees. The emerald eyes glistened hungrily, and Bridges gave a short whistle before calling out, "Iudex! There's someone I need help talking to!"

The Spinosaurus parted from the trees, and Bridges calmly said, "His name means Judge, but he's very fair. Do you want to know why?"

Another shaking thud made Wu's throat go dry.

"Because he finds everyone guilty. You see, that's the great thing about animals. All the humans are fucking guilty of something. They don't care about the finer details we like to dick around with because we're just food to them. Carnifex won't give a damn about eating me or you. He doesn't care about what we've done, and quite frankly I find that to be a relief. It's nice to get such a fair judgement before Carnifex takes over, don't you agree?"

Carnifex seemed to pause slightly, like he wasn't sure why the prey wasn't running, and Wu was hyperventilating. Bridges kept his back to Carnifex, and Wu truly believed the man didn't care if he got eaten.

"Time is ticking, Wu. At least give me enough time to say one Hail Mary for the both of us. Great thing about being Catholic is all you have to do is confess; then you get a clean slate. Isn't that amazing? Are we going to be eating French toast and scrambled eggs with our Savior in the morning, Wu?"

Carnifex gave a booming roar as he charged forward with gaping jaws lowered to simply snap them up. Wu was so terrified he couldn't even speak, but Bridges didn't even falter. He kept a straight face like it was a bunny charging them. Bridges was growing angry with the stubbornness, and he snapped, "Do I need to cut off another finger?!"

Wu whimpered.

"I'll cut off your dick when I run out of fingers, Wu! Do you want to try me?! What's it going to be, Wu?! _Wu?!"_

Carnifex gave another roar, and Wu shrieked, _"Okay!"_

Bridges suddenly shoved the man forward into a hard dive. Wu had closed his eyes, expecting death, and the air left his lungs when they collided with the ground. Wu looked up before shrieking loudly.

The tip of Carnifex's nose was poking through the door, and Wu trembled at the glistening teeth drooling with saliva. The snout pulled back before a furious, emerald eye peeked through the door. The pupil slit as it focused on him, but Bridges only chuckled.

Wu snapped his gaze over to the blonde dusting himself off. Bridges calmly undid the cuffs before walking over and shutting the door as he said, "Sorry, Carnifex. Maybe next time."

Bridges slicked his hair back before turning to the traumatized man, and he smiled, "See? That wasn't so hard, now was it? You cooperate, and I reward; it's a team effort here."

Bridges tossed the severed finger in the air before catching it, and he sweetly said, "Records by six this morning, and I'll return the finger."

He checked his dirty watch, and added, "It's two right now; that's enough time, right? Remember, enough records to convince Miss Dearing to take Sobek into her home."

Wu was still reeling as he half heard everything. He was clutching his trembling hand close to himself; he didn't even know if he could type at this point, but Bridges continued, "I think we are on the same page now, but I'm always willing to remind you in case you forget. I won't ask for other classified information, okay? Okay."

Bridges heaved the man up before patting him on the shoulder, and walking away. Wu flinched when Bridges paused by the office door, and said, "Don't try to run either. I'll find you; I have friends in the oddest of places. I know all the colorful people of the world who aren't afraid to get their hands dirty. They will be much worse than Carnifex because they aren't fair."

The door shut, and Wu simply shook as his wet pants stuck to him uncomfortably. He had no idea what just happened, but a furious roar caused him to stumble away. He shivered violently and had no idea where the lab was. He just hoped he was going in the right direction.

Because Bridges wanted his records by six o'clock.


	55. Chapter 55

**A/N**

 **Hey guys! Sorry about not posting yesterday; animals first.**

 **Guest, I'm terrible about it as well; I say around a little over a month.**

 **OREO, I;m glad you liked the philosophy, and I'll check out the movie when I get a chance.**

 **thesecondoreo, amen.**

 **Guest, I know Sobek wasn't mellow in Jurassic Park III; that's why I made him old and sick. I feel like that stuff would force him to slow down.**

 **Reference Man, I'm glad you caught the reference because that was inspired by Outlast. That scene had all of my attention.**

 **Thank you guys for your patience and reviews! I really do appreciate them! I know this chapter might have ended at a weird spot, but this is a long chapter. Have a good day/night!**

* * *

"A Mighty God."

A shrill ringing caused Claire to almost fall out of her bed. She awoke with a snort as the dry stick of drool clung to her cheek. She blinked at the darkness in her room as she squinted at the clock.

Four in the morning.

Claire startled at the shrill ringing again, and almost knocked her phone off the bed as she tried to pick it up. It was Bridges, and Claire rolled her eyes. Sometimes Bridges would travel elsewhere and forget the time zone Claire was in. She also knew Bridges would keep calling until she picked up because he thought himself that important.

She sighed before tiredly answering, "Time zones, Mr. Bridges; it's four in the morning…"

Claire was slumped over as her hair stuck out in a wild mane. She half wiped the drool from her face before Bridges gave a tired laugh.

"I am aware of that this time, Miss Dearing. I'm on Isla Sorna right now; I just found more records on Elise."

Claire raised an eyebrow even if her eyes were closed. Her head was lolling to the side, and she knew she would fall asleep if she dared lay back down. She had no idea why this couldn't wait till morning, and Bridges answered, "I apologize, but my vet is very much like Dr. Gerry; he's not willing to postpone an animal's suffering. He wants an answer from me, and I really need you to come meet Sobek this morning. I am really sorry for this hassle, believe me; I haven't slept in two days, and I know you are incredibly busy."

Claire blinked a little bit, but she woke up more. She rubbed her eyes before asking, "Exactly how bad is Sobek, Mr. Bridges?"

The man took a drink of something before he answered, "Not as bad as we initially thought, but he does need some babying. What my vet is concerned about is putting all the effort into making Sobek better only to have to put him down; it's not fair to anyone by doing that."

Claire squinted at the clock again as she tried to think. Her first meeting was at nine, the park opened at eight, and she would probably need to give herself an hour at the very least to look Sobek over. Her board would throw a fit if she didn't bring an animal expert of some kind, but her first thought was Owen. He could be ready easily.

"Does seven work for you, Mr. Bridges?"

Claire kind of hoped not; she wanted to do this at noon so she could sleep a little longer. She sagged a little when Bridges immediately said, "Of course. I shall see you then."

Claire nodded, but startled when Bridges' voice suddenly turned soft. It was sincerely grateful.

"And, Claire? Thank you."

Claire blinked at the phone when Bridges hung up before she flopped back into the cushy sheets. She threw a pillow off just because she was cranky at being woken up, but she sighed loudly. She still didn't think Sobek would be coming on this island, but she really wanted those records.

Owen had almost given himself a legitimate heart-attack from working himself up when she told him. Claire had to actually pin Owen against a building when she realized he was planning to rally his pack.

He was actually going to try and make peace with Rexy just to plan ahead.

Claire might have distracted him with a quick kiss. It had worked; Owen had even forgotten about his dinosaur sitting around the building as she had stared at a skeleton.

Claire groaned again; she hadn't finished her conversation with Elise about Spinosaurus; she wondered if Elise was up. Claire could talk to her at six, but Owen would need to know so he could get her up.

Owen didn't have a cellphone, but he had a radio.

Claire rolled over before pulling the radio from her drawer; she clicked it on before saying, "Owen. Owen, are you awake? Wake up."

Claire didn't think she would actually get a response; she was pretty sure she would have to go drive over to his bungalow. Claire blinked at the sounds coming from the other end as an obviously very tired, and panicked Owen quickly asked, "What?! What?! What did Blue do this time, Barry?!"

Claire couldn't stop her smile; Blue was a wonderful creature who obviously knew how to keep Owen on his toes. She said, "Owen, it's me, Claire."

There was a brief pause before Owen grew more panicked, and almost yelled, "Oh my God! What did Blue do?! Oh, God, she got into the Petting Zoo, didn't she?!"

Claire would not be this calm if Blue had caused that kind of chaos, but she said, "Owen. Calm down; I'm sure your girls are sleeping with Rexy and Elise. They haven't done anything."

"…Oh…"

Claire could actually hear Owen sink into his own mattress from relief. She rubbed her eyes again before saying, "Owen, I really need your help."

"What?"

Claire rolled her eyes, and sighed quietly before saying, "Mr. Bridges has records on Elise, and you and I are going to meet Sobek at seven. I want to ask Elise a few things at six. Okay?"

Claire could hear the man trying to process this before he dangerously asked, "We get to go meet Sobek?"

"That's what I just said; we go meet him at seven."

Claire frowned when she didn't get an immediate answer, but she rolled her eyes when the sharp sound of a shotgun being loaded sounded over the radio. She pinched the bridge of her nose when Owen, now fully awake, cheerily chimed, "I'm ready."

"Mr. Grady."

" _Owen._ And don't lie to me; I know you'd do the same thing if you had a gun."

"I have a revolver, Owen."

Claire had to smile at the startled silence before Owen admiringly said, _"Miss Dearing,_ what more are you going to surprise me with?"

"I'll see you at six, Owen."

Claire couldn't stop her small giggle when Owen started laughing on the other side. Owen was a funny guy who just knew how to make her smile.

She really liked him.

* * *

Elise gave a wide yawn as she simply followed the bronze raptor through her paddock. It was a new routine Elise wasn't exactly thrilled about, but Echo didn't care. They were up at five, patrolled while snacking on prey, before going back to the nest. Elise would sleep for a little while longer while Delta and Echo caused trouble elsewhere. Rexy and Blue would wake up, and then they would all patrol Rexy's territory before her first show.

Echo suddenly paused before giving a confused chirp. Elise followed her gaze before blinking at the bike riding towards them. Elise wasn't sure why Owen was here so early, but she didn't like that. Was something wrong?

Elise didn't think so when Owen slid his bike into a stop with a smile on his face. He gave a gentle scratch on Echo's jaw before greeting, "Hey, Sunshine. I guess Echo wakes you up now?"

Elise nodded at the bronze raptor who was pressed against Owen; it wasn't often that Blue wasn't around to hog all his attention. Owen chuckled at her, but said, "Listen, Claire wants to talk to us about a few things."

Elise tilted her head; she wasn't sure what Claire would want to talk about this early in the morning, and she didn't understand why Owen was so giddy this early. He didn't like being up this early like her.

"Sunshine? You okay?"

Owen looked Elise over; she could have been tired, but she just didn't seem as energetic as she usually was. She looked a little sad even, but the Indominus nodded easily. Owen didn't buy it, and frowned as he said, "I want you to talk to me if something is ever bothering you, Elise. Am I clear? I don't want you to bottle that stuff up; it's not healthy for you."

Owen checked his watch before adding, "We got plenty of time; talk to me, Baby."

Elise tapped the claws against her chest in agitation; like she was embarrassed to say it. Owen waited patiently, and Elise finally carved into the dirt.

' _BONES ARE SAD'_

Elise paused before adding a dot at the end; that was called a period, and it meant the sentence was over. Owen frowned as he read that before asking, "Your little sister?"

Elise shook her head; she didn't know how to spell Spinosaurus, but she tried, _'DEVILS MOTHER.'_

Owen stared at the sentence as he chewed his lip. He didn't expect that, and he wondered how sensitive Elise was to her environment. She was obviously upset about this, and he asked, "Do you know why she's sad?"

Owen wanted to see how Elise thought about the things around her. He had no idea if she thought like a little kid or not. The Indominus nodded before writing, _'NO PEECE NEEDS TO BE PUT IN THE EARTH.'_

"…Ohh…"

Of course Elise would be confused by how a skeleton was put on display when it should have been buried. He scratched at his jaw while trying to think of a response before finally saying, "Elise, we keep that skeleton up to educate people about Spinos since we don't have a live one. People do it all the time; we even have humans who allow their bodies to be put on display after they die. They want to educate others. Dinosaur bones are dug up all the time before being put back together. Madre is no different."

' _MADRE DID NOT SAY IT WAS FINE AND MADRE WAS NOT PUT IN THE EARTH'_

Owen couldn't stop himself from saying, "Madre was crazy, Elise."

He actually flinched under the angry glare, but Elise wrote, _'SHE HAD A HEART TO AND YOU NO HER BONES SMELL.'_

"Elise, that's just from the process of making her a skeleton-"

Elise gave a sudden snap of her jaws before angrily writing, _'DO NOT BE A AROGANT HUMAN YOU ARE BETER THEN THAT'_

Owen blinked at that; Elise thought people were arrogant? He was so wrapped up in the words that he didn't correct her spelling errors. He sighed quietly before patiently saying, "Elise, Madre has been there for ten years; I doubt she cares about what her body is doing. She's gone and moved on. She's not here anymore."

Elise huffed; Owen wasn't getting this. Maybe his sense of smell wasn't very good, but she knew he did his best to explain to her when she was confused. She would do the same. It took a little longer to write, but Owen was patient.

' _MY SISTERS BONES DO NOT SMELL SINCE SHE IS AT PEECE. BONES PUT IN THE EARTH HAVE THE BAD FEELINGS SUCKED OUT. MADRE DID NOT GET EARTH ON HER BONES. SHE DOES NOT GET PEECE. I CAN STILL SMELL MADRE.'_

Owen startled at that, and he pointed at the last part as he asked, "You can still smell her? She should smell like outside, Elise."

' _ANGRY SAD STRESSED NO PEECE. MADRE IS STILL THERE.'_

Owen scratched his head before muttering, "Certainly explains why she keeps falling apart…"

His attention was pulled away when Elise nudged him.

' _MADRE WAS ALIVE. SHE NEEDS BASIC RESPECT OF BEING RETURNED TO EARTH. IT IS NOT RIGHT.'_

Owen let out a sigh; his girly was one of those very sensitive people, but he knew she had a small point. It was a little gruesome to put an obviously sick animal on display without some kind of basic respect. People weren't respectful around the bones; they always poked fun at it for smelling. The workers avoided the skeleton for fear of being squished, and it was a little odd to think about how many times that skeleton had fallen apart. Something trying to be returned to the earth.

"Elise, I'll talk to Claire about, but I don't know how much I'll actually be able to do, okay? Maybe I can suggest she make a copy of the bones, and we can bury Madre. I'm sure Claire is getting sick of that being a health hazard to guests."

Elise beamed happily, and Owen dryly asked, "You are aware of all the chaos she caused right? Rexy had to kill her. She wasn't exactly a good animal."

Owen suddenly patted Elise's nose before giving it a tight hug. She melted under the affection, and Owen said, "But you are good, and my Sunshine, okay?"

Elise pressed her face close as she brushed the back of her hand against Owen. Nothing in the world was more precious than this human in front of her. He made her feel good about herself, and she pulled back with a smile on her face. Owen chuckled at it before saying, "We should probably get going before Claire gets pissed."

Elise garbled in agreement; it was rude to keep Claire waiting, and Elise was not rude. Sometimes blunt, but not rude. She glanced down in amusement when Owen revved his bike while asking, "Wanna race, Baby?"

Elise snorted, but Echo was all for a challenge. Owen laughed when the bronze raptor immediately took off, and Elise felt better as she ran alongside Owen.

Owen made her feel good about herself.

* * *

Claire checked her watch once more before startling when Owen suddenly slid under the log on his bike.

"First! I win!"

Echo jumped over him before giving a groan of defeat while Elise calmly trotted in third. Echo flopped over to catch her breath, but Owen was grinning widely at the snow scaled dinosaur. Claire loved how Owen looked so alive and happy. It was infectious.

"Good morning, Elise."

Elise crooned at the redhead as she gently puffed air onto her. Claire smiled as she ran a hand along the white scales before saying, "Owen and I have to leave pretty soon, but I needed to ask you a few questions."

Elise glanced down when Owen patted her leg, and she gently scooped him up before setting him next to Claire. Claire had always found the manhandling funny because Owen looked like Elise's little Ken doll. It was endearing to her, but Claire said, "Owen and I are going to go meet Sobek this morning. We're going to see if he won't be too dangerous for this island."

Elise was happy Claire was giving this Sobek a chance; it was wrong to judge before meeting him. If he was old and sick, then Elise didn't see how he would be too much trouble aside from extra care. She was pulled from her thoughts when Claire turned serious as she said, "Elise, Rexy took care of the problem last time, but Rexy is…she's a little older…"

Rexy did not act old by any means that Elise could see, but Claire added, "And if Sobek is as big as I think he is, then he is going to be a lot bigger than Rexy. I just…I feel like I will have to ask you for help if Sobek gets out of control like Madre had. I don't know if Rexy can fight Sobek if he ever gets like that…"

Elise tilted her head; was Claire asking her to do Rexy's job as Alpha? Elise was not the Co-Alpha with Claire, but she was a powerful fighter. Rexy did move a little stiff in the mornings, and Elise wanted Claire to feel like she could depend on her. If Sobek got out of control, then Elise would help protect this island like Rexy would.

But she would make sure Sobek's bones were returned to the earth instead of being made into a display for people to make fun of.

Elise immediately nodded, and Claire smiled warmly at her. Elise melted at the soft kiss on her nose before Claire said, "I'm glad, because Sobek's paddock will share a fence with yours. It's been sitting idle ever since Madre died, but I think it'll be good to have you to make sure he and Rexy don't fight."

Elise wasn't sure if she could convince Rexy to not fight.

She had not been very happy when Elise asked about Madre. It was hard to word the question, but Elise had talked about the humped back, and Rexy had grown angry. She had not been fond of the crazy female who barged into her home for no good reason.

And Rexy liked to fight; it was something that made her feel young. Even Elise was a little wary of getting playful with the old lady.

"Can you handle keeping Rexy calm if she ever sees Sobek? I'm sure she'll smell him."

Elise blinked; she was sure that side of the fence was electric as well. Claire needed to go ask the fence if it was willing to keep Rexy calm, not her. Elise would do her best to keep the peace, but Claire needed to make sure the fence was strong.

Because the fence didn't melt under Rexy's livid gaze like Elise knew she would; she hoped Sobek was not one who liked to antagonize.

Claire smiled when Elise nodded, and she said, "I knew I could count on you. I'm sure it won't ever get that far, but I just wanted to ask you first."

Elise pulled her own lips up; Claire was a very good Alpha for asking her first. Echo gave a sudden bark to remind everyone of her existence, and Elise was sure she wanted to go back to Delta now. Owen chuckled at her, but he said, "I'll see you before the first show, Baby Girl. Okay?"

Elise nodded, and she turned to leave. She paused when Owen called out her name, and he said, "I love you, Elise."

The Indominus relished those words because she knew Owen wouldn't say that very often to anyone else and he meant them. She garbled gently before pointing to herself. She crossed her arms over her chest before pointing at him, and Owen winked at her.

Owen smiled as he shut the window before catching Claire's eye. He blinked before defensively asking, "What?"

Claire patted his shoulder as she said, "You're all mush, Owen."

"Am not."

"Yes you are."

Claire let out a startled yelp when Owen poked her sides before darting ahead of her. He laughed loudly, and Claire called out, "I can outrun you in these heels!"

"I know!"

* * *

Owen hated flying. He hated flying in airplanes, and he really hated flying in helicopters. They were fickle machines that weren't very forgiving either. He kept a white knuckle grip on the side of his seat while the other hand had somehow snaked itself into Claire's grasp. The redhead didn't seem to mind though she smiled at every little bump that made Owen tense.

He should have flown with Mr. Masrani.

Claire missed the man, and the sincere wisdom she never noticed until after Elise had really opened her eyes.

She wished she could have told him she now knew how to measure the animals' happiness. She would ask their handlers, and she would look at the animals themselves. It wasn't in the eyes for her; it was just their general appearance. Shiny scales, clear eyes, and temperament.

She would make sure the animals and people were happy now.

The chopper made a sudden dip, and Owen made a slight squeal; Claire burst out laughing as she comfortingly squeezed his hand. Owen did not look happy, but the pilot made a small apology; Owen didn't care.

"Relax."

Owen finally gave a snort before replying, "Claire Dearing has told me to relax; I must look pretty pathetic."

Claire laughed again as she playfully nudged him. Owen relaxed a little as he leaned on her slightly. He focused on their hands intertwined with one another; it helped calm him down as he thought about what Elise had said to him.

Don't be an arrogant human.

Where had she gotten that idea? She had been around little kids who smothered her in love all day, and the adults deemed her a wonderful babysitter. She was something to look up to; especially after she had saved him from Lilly.

"Elise was really upset about seeing Madre."

Claire blinked at the quiet tone, but Owen was gently rubbing his thumb along her hand. She frowned before asking, "Why?"

The man sighed as he ran a hand through his hair, and said, "She told me that she can still smell Madre. I guess the bones smell really bad to her; she thinks that because Madre never got a proper burial, she isn't at peace."

"Did you tell her we do this all the time?"

Owen nodded as he remembered the angry flash of red; it was truly offended. It reminded him of when she had glared at him after sending his girls after her.

"She said it was wrong with Madre because she never gave her permission to put her bones on display. I told her we do this with dinosaur bones, but she's so focused on getting dirt on the bones."

Owen paused suddenly before slowly saying, "Elise never calls it dirt…she kept saying the bones needed to have earth put on them. She was convinced the earth could basically suck the bad feelings from Madre's bones."

Claire glanced out the window to see the sparkling, blue ocean; she had no idea Elise would get so upset over it. It was an interesting point of view to say the least, but it made sense to Claire in a very connected to the earth way. Elise seemed to be very tuned into her environment.

Especially life and death.

"She does little things I don't understand, Claire. I can get talking to her sister's coffin, but sometimes I find her in the plains, talking to nothing but the wind; I don't know who she's talking to. Is it bad for her to hold conversations with herself?"

Claire wasn't sure about that, and she quietly said, "Maybe it's something she did in her old paddock. She didn't have anyone to talk to there, maybe she just likes the sounds…"

"She gets really mad when I squish spiders or any kind of bug. She gets so upset when I flick them off or when I don't check the grass before I sit down. Except for butterflies; Elise…Elise doesn't like butterflies…"

Claire raised an eyebrow at that, and Owen quietly added, "She saves honey bees too. She will save them from spider webs, ponds, and she sits elsewhere if there's a honey bee in the grass…"

Owen still wasn't sure why that was, but it was somewhat amusing to see Elise try to save a tender, little bee from a web.

Until she would get frustrated and come get him to help; he had saved more bees in the past month then he had in all his years.

Twenty bees owed their lives to him.

"She won't even smack a fly that's bothering her. I don't understand it."

Claire glanced at Owen when she asked, "Have you asked her why?"

Owen shook his head, and hesitated for a few seconds. He looked torn about admitting it, but he finally said, "Sometimes…she really scares me. I know she would never hurt me or another person, but just how aware she is and how smart. She doesn't panic like she should. I think she's a six year old, but…she gets different around people; adults."

"I thought she loved guests."

Owen nodded in agreement, but he quietly said, "She told me the bones smelled, and I tried to tell her it was because of the process used, but she told me not to be an arrogant human; she said I was better than that. What six year old says that?"

Claire sighed, "Apparently our six year old…"

Owen blinked at that but didn't stop his smile as he nudged her. Claire was glad to get a smile out of him, and she comfortingly said, "I know Elise is a little oddball, but she's a good oddball. I trust her because she didn't hesitate to save you from Lilly. She risked her life for you without a second thought; that's enough for me because I know a lot of other people wouldn't have done that. Elise is getting good at writing; we can always ask her before assuming anything."

Owen nodded in agreement as he finally relaxed into his chair. He felt a little better talking to someone about this; his mother hadn't been very helpful.

She had told him not to be picky about the finer details on his guardian angel; he just needed to be grateful he got one who was willing to fish his sorry butt out of the lagoon. Owen had been surprised his mother hadn't been put off by the fact that Elise was basically an affront to religious values; the product of a man successfully playing God. He actually hadn't had problems with people as far as that went.

Everyone was pissed at Wu, but they seemed to forgive Elise after the Mosasaur incident.

And the hundreds of videos showing her delighting children to no end.

"There it is."

Owen was pulled from his thoughts when he finally caught sight of Isla Sorna. It looked no different than the few times he had gone there to try and get raptors for his own pack. They weren't pleasant memories, and he wasn't sure what to expect from this experience.

He had never seen a live Spinosaurus; just Madre's bones.

The men he had traveled with never mentioned one on the island, but they had always been incredibly clear about avoiding the northern parts of the island as well as the valley on certain days.

Owen had never questioned it; he didn't know this island.

The landing was smooth, and Owen was grateful to be back on solid ground. He extended a hand to help Claire down before he glanced at a group of security men. They were escorting a man into an armored car; the guy looked like hell, and Owen could hear him asking about his friend.

"Miss Dearing, _and Mr. Grady_ ; I'm glad you could make it."

Owen turned to see fifty shots of too much espresso walking over to them. Bridges looked clean, and normal, but just a little too jittery. Like he hadn't slept very much. Still, the handshake was firm, and Bridges looked like he could mostly function. His hair was perfectly slicked back and suit immaculate.

The businessman motioned for them to follow, and he talked as he walked over to a massive warehouse. Owen was baffled by how armored everything was, but it was necessary.

"And how is Elise, Mr. Grady?"

"Owen. And Elise is doing good; she's having fun with her training. She's writing."

Bridges paused as he glanced at the man with raised eyebrows before asking, "Writing?"

"Yep; she's getting pretty good at it."

Bridges looked startled, but he didn't focus on it. Owen pressed his lips; Sobek was very important if Bridges wasn't willing to focus on a literate dinosaur.

"Is Sobek used to people?"

Bridges smiled as he opened the door, and said, "Owen, he's a funny character around people. He's used to people, he's been a frequent visitor here unfortunately, but he's not afraid of people."

Owen pressed his lips; none of his girls were afraid of people. Rexy wasn't afraid of people, and neither was Elise. Owen was pretty sure they did not have a dinosaur who was afraid of people. Even the compys were not afraid if they were in a big enough group.

"Is he fine with being handled?"

Bridges shrugged as they walked through the bustling building; Owen raised an eyebrow at the reinforced walls, and asked, "He's actually inside?"

"It's where we keep him when he's recovering, Owen. This building is part of the fence that keeps the wild out. When Sobek feels well enough to go on his own, he walks through the doors; we don't force him into anything. He knows when he can leave when he wants to."

Owen was actually impressed, and Bridges slid his keycard before opening the door. He gestured inside as he said, "Sobek just ate; he's probably sleeping."

Claire glanced at Owen and he supposed that was his cue to walk in. He peeked through the door, amazed by the clean calm of the room. The wood shavings were a nice smell, and the heated lamps weren't too much. Owen was pretty sure he would be calm in here too. He eyed the massive trough that probably held water, and Owen was sure it was clean.

But he didn't see Sobek.

He took a small step in; the room was massive, but the giant doors at the end were closed. The shavings had been disturbed by massive feet.

Something heavy dribbled onto his shoulder, and Owen frowned at the saliva before snapping his gaze up. He paled and froze.

He was looking right up at the underside of a very long jaw. The Spinosaurus hadn't noticed him, but Owen was amazed by the sheer size of this creature. Had Madre been this large? Her skeleton certainly lacked the presence this creature had. Owen's eyes trailed down the proudly held, scarred neck that blended into a barrel chest. Two, massive, clawed hands were neatly tucked on the ground, and Owen was reminded of a sphinx.

Owen glanced to the side when Bridges poked his head in before chuckling. Owen was going to smack him for making a sound, but the man was very comfortable around this creature. Owen did not think that was smart. Bridges quietly said, "He's a little hard of hearing, and he's blind in that eye. You're fine."

Owen blinked before stepping away as another dribble of saliva fell down. He was really confused by how…relaxed this animal was. Sobek must be really full if he wasn't in the mood to be observant. Or he was fully aware of just how high up on the food chain he was.

Owen was willing to go with both, but he wasn't sure how Sobek would react to actually seeing people. There were plenty just on the other side of this wall. Was he not interested in eating people? Or was his sense of smell poor? Owen couldn't tell; he couldn't see the nostrils.

Owen could see another door on the other side of the room, and he startled when Bridges simply pushed Owen passed Sobek as he pulled Claire. Bridges remained quiet and quick but never made sudden movements. Bridges finally paused, and Owen was flabbergasted.

Sobek was either asleep or very close to it. He looked very content with his belly bulging slightly even if the ribs were visible. He kept his eyes closed though he took calm breaths through a slightly parted jaw. The scales were more grey than anything, but there was a slight rusted tint to them. Owen thought he could faintly see some blue markings along the scarred sail, but he frowned at the scarred legs.

"Are those burns?"

Sobek cracked open an eye, but he hadn't seen them. He took a deep breath before leaning against the wall. Bridges nodded before saying, "Yes, but we're not sure why. We actually haven't had a fire here, but Sobek has been here longer then I have. He does his own thing."

The Spinosaurus finally turned his head at the loud voice; he looked more irritated then anything, and Owen was ready to bolt for the door behind himself. He could see the contemplation in the emerald eye. Weighing the pros and cons of possibly eating three annoying humans, but Sobek simply huffed before resting his head on the ground.

They were not worth the effort of eating because he was comfortable. He was full, sleepy, clean, and tired. Talking humans could be ignored so long as they did not get much louder because he knew the blonde human. That one kept the others in line. He didn't know these new strangers, but he didn't care.

Humans never tasted very good, and they always got stuck in his teeth. If he ate them then it was because they made him mad. They were all bone with no flesh.

"How sedated is he?"

Bridges blinked at Claire before saying, "Not too terribly, but enough to want to sleep more than anything. He can move around if he wishes to, but he's not in the mood to be very active."

Owen looked over the tough muscles before saying, "I bet he's pretty active; something that big has to move around a lot."

"He's getting a little slower; I'm sure he would just fish all day if the rivers were that full. He's not as successful in the valley as he used to be."

Owen took a step back when the Spinosaurus cracked open his eye again. Owen had never seen a shade of green that deep; it was actually a very pretty color. Sobek wasn't as bad as he thought actually.

"He can't breed?"

Bridges looked ashamed as he avoided eye contact with the Spinosaurus. Owen swore there was a small hint of begrudging anger dancing in the emerald orb when Bridges quietly said, "He's castrated."

Owen glanced at the Spinosaurus; that could mellow an animal. Owen was glad he hadn't been there for that surgery; he could only imagine what kind of a mess that had been. Sobek gave a wide yawn before Owen went into animal expert mode, and asked, "What's his natural habitat supposed to be?"

"Swamps of Africa. Sobek keeps his nest in the swamps here, but there isn't much fishing to do unless it's breeding season for the sharks."

"He'll hunt sharks?"

Bridges nodded as he continued to look over Sobek. The Spinosaurus still looked exhausted, but a long night of rest had done him very well. Lactating ringers were a Godsend. If Bridges would personally thank any human for a useful invention, it would be that one. Sobek didn't look so dehydrated anymore, and it always amazed Bridges just how well he could bounce back from near death. Sobek had kept his appetite, and that had saved him more than anything else.

Like Romano said, it wasn't hard getting Sobek back on his feet; it was hard when Sobek had to go back on his own.

Owen tensed when Sobek suddenly let out a small growl before a man poked his head from the door next to the Spinosaurus. Bridges watched Romano easily pull back before the jaws snapped on empty air, and Sobek huffed before relaxing again. Owen blinked before asking, "Does that happen often?"

Bridges shrugged as he replied, "Dr. Romano knows how to work with Sobek…and he was the one who castrated him."

"Oh."

Owen scratched the back of his head; he had pictured something very different. An angry animal tearing holes in everything, and people running in fear. Sobek was calmly sharing a building with others, and he didn't care. Either he was much more sedated than Bridges let on, or Sobek really didn't care about humans.

"Has he always been this calm?"

Bridges couldn't stop his short laugh at Claire's question; Sobek turned his head slowly, and Bridges got the warning. The full on glare came before the warning growl; Bridges would get one more warning before Sobek deemed the effort of eating him worth it.

Bridges cleared his throat before saying, "God no. Sobek used to be hell on wheels. We couldn't even go into his territory because he went out of his way to hunt us down. There is an airstrip there, and I am assuming poachers landed there often."

Owen raised an eyebrow when Sobek suddenly stretched out as he leaned most of his weight against the wall. He kicked a massive foot out while the other remained tucked under him. The lighter underbelly was slightly exposed. A large, long sigh was contently exhaled, and Owen quietly asked, "Why?"

"Because he knows how to down a plane within his reach, and he knows how to get into said plane when it is downed."

Owen raised his eyebrows as he stared at this massive animal with a story all his own. Sobek did look old, even if he hadn't been castrated, Owen wasn't sure how much effort the Spinosaurus would put into finding a mate. Even if bringing offspring into the world was a strong instinct, food and shelter were more important. Sobek was obviously struggling with finding food on his own.

"Does he get sick a lot?"

Bridges pressed his lips before sighing, "He had started to lose weight and we couldn't figure out why for a while. He had testicular cancer, and that just knocked a lot of his fire out. He's mellowed terribly to the point where the raptors are getting braver with going into his territory."

Claire tilted her head at the animal giving no ill secret about himself, but she asked, "How is he around Tyrannosaurs?"

Bridges knew that question was coming since the moment he asked Claire to come here. He had a feeling Sobek would be in the paddock where Madre had been, and he answered, "Sobek isn't afraid to fight them, but I don't think he's seen any for quite a few years. I don't know what he would do around your Rexy. I trust you have strong fences, correct? He will heed a good electric fence."

Claire looked surprised, and Bridges quietly said, "They are all electric, right? Sobek is good at breaking through a regular fence; I don't care how well you've barred it up."

"Rexy is good with breaking through electric fences if something really riles her up."

Owen scratched his head as he continued to state at Sobek; he was surprised when the animal tilted his head on the ground before giving a piercing stare. Owen could tell he used to be a fiery creature, but he lacked that blazing, gold fire Rexy had kept her entire life.

Owen wasn't comfortable with judging an animal this huge in just one sitting. Sobek was sick; of course he was going to be less aggressive. Would he go picking fights with Rexy? Rexy hardly went into Elise's territory, but one good windy day could change that.

Owen would admit he was slightly unnerved by how Sobek refused to break eye contact. Owen had gotten into staring contests with Blue plenty of times, but he didn't know what this would mean to a massive, loner creature like Sobek. Would Sobek consider it a challenge? A wish to fight? Or maybe a sign of respect?

He cringed a little when the Spinosaurus raised his head, but he didn't see any sign of aggression. Maybe curiosity? Owen startled when Bridges suddenly said, "We should move; I think Dr. Romano is coming through the door behind us."

Claire raised an eyebrow, but took a step back when Sobek began to get up. Owen was in awe of how tall this creature stood; even if Sobek wobbled a little bit, there was a demanding presence about himself. Head held high with an old, learned grace as the massive tail slowly whipped back and forth with gentle waves. The milky eye held no emotion, but the emerald fire seemed to tell of a knowing power he held over the lower creatures.

Sobek knew he was highest on the food chain; even if he was ill.

He made no move as he continued to simply stare; now he was up, but it would still take effort to eat the humans. They were too close to the door; he knew how quick humans were, and the stranger male was too observant. He smelled of the pack hunters; Sobek knew how quick those annoyances were.

And always staring; humans always stared. It was irritating; he would give them something to stare about if they wouldn't knock it off.

Sobek decided he was tired of these humans. He wished to rest, and his human food bringer was loud. The stranger human had a calm presence that was appealing, but Sobek was not in the mood to see humans.

"And that is our cue to leave."

Owen blinked when Sobek gave a soft growl, but that was all Bridges needed to hear. He ushered his guests out with haste, and Owen looked back in time to see Sobek glaring through the doorway. The Spinosaurus hadn't made a move, but it was nice to know Bridges knew how to read this animal.

Owen would remember the growl.

The door shut quietly, and Sobek sniffed the air before deeming his warning heeded. The food bringer was always attentive to his warnings. Sobek limped along the walls as he searched for a new spot to nap in. He paused at a particularly cushy pile of wood shavings before using his forelimbs to build something of a little nest. If the doors would not open, then he would make a nest. Food, water, and shelter were here; he was not in the mood to patrol, and it was easy to chase the small trespassers out when he felt good.

He exhaled a content sigh as he sank down. He looked around for a few seconds, tasting the air, before suddenly rolling flat onto his side. He hardly ever slept like this, but it was safe here. He knew he had the energy to get back up, and nothing would dare touch him.

Except the male who poked him with sharp, silver things. Sobek didn't care much for him, but he liked how attentive the human was. It made for entertainment trying to eat him. Sobek would be more surprised than anything if he actually ever got that human.

But Sobek wasn't concerned about that human coming in; he had given his warning.

Sobek gave a large sigh; if only humans were still worth the effort of eating.


	56. Chapter 56

**A/N**

 **Hey guys! How's life?**

 **We have another piece of artwork from blackdragon21! 'Elise vs Lily' Go check out the link in my profile! Many thanks blackdragon21!**

 **Nightmare Moon, all is well, I still read your reviews; there weren't too many, and typos are fine. It's me who gets the flack if I make typos.**

 **SmurfTurf, thanks for the link.**

 **Kim K's butt, I missed you. I'm sorry to hear your snake isn't feeling so well. What's his/her name? Snakes are beautiful creatures, no? I'll forgive you; Morivanja sounds like the right person to hide behind.**

 **I'm really sorry I didn't post yesterday, I was stumped on this chapter, and I really had to do some research. Thank you Makokam, DONOVAN94, and Duesal Bladesinger for your help.**

 **Lastly, thank you much and mighty for your reviews! I read all of them even if I don't respond to all of them. Much love to you guys, especially the those of us going back to college and school. We'll support each other in spirit come Monday. Be brave...**

* * *

"We're All Sick."

"You may have all these records when you give the green light to take Sobek."

Claire internally groaned; she knew Bridges would be possessive of the Manella folder. Elise's records just mere inches from her grasp. A childish side of Claire wanted to tell Owen to pin Bridges while she quickly read the files over. She would give them back, and Bridges could keep Sobek.

But that was not how it was going to work.

And Sobek had not given Claire a legitimate reason for her to reject him. He reminded Claire of Rexy just the slightest. An old ruler who was fine with going about his own schedule. Claire knew she could handle Sobek. Madre hadn't been that calm when Claire had seen her, but Masrani had been convinced a large space would mellow out the Spinosaurus.

It had only given Madre more room to get into a full out run before smashing through the fence.

But Sobek did look like a fisher, and Isla Nublar did have a river running through it. She had an idea of where she could put Sobek if she wanted to. She knew she didn't want him to be in the paddock. Madre had always paced around, but Sobek just looked…like an old man.

And he was castrated.

Claire sighed before she nodded, and said, "I will see what I can do about convincing my board, Mr. Bridges, but the space I was thinking won't work for him. I will have to build a new paddock. How long can you house him here for?"

Bridges gave a quick, nervous glance at the barred wall, and Owen knew the answer to that question.

Until Sobek said he was ready to go. That could be a few weeks, a couple days, maybe an hour or so. Owen hoped the Construction Team were miracle workers like the Repair Team. Claire followed the gaze before quietly saying, "I'll just make it a priority. We aren't building anything else at the moment."

Bridges gave a grateful smile as he said, "I would appreciate that, Miss Dearing. Thank you for coming to see him."

"I can give you an answer by noon; I'm sure."

The blonde gave a nod as he led the way back to the helicopter; it wasn't a long visit, but it was more than enough. Bridges was very glad the old dinosaur had been willing to give a warning before getting snappish.

He paused at seeing Owen help Claire in; there was something a little too informal about the hand touching, and Bridges was stunned at the idea of Claire actually getting romantic with anyone.

Let alone one of her own workers.

Bridges made a note of that as he watched Owen hop into the chopper. The man who tamed the Indominus would certainly be the only one brave enough to try and date Claire.

The redhead gave a final wave before Bridges took a step back as the chopper began to lift. He exhaled a tired sigh as he felt the coffee dwindling; it was time for a nap. It wasn't good when he missed too much sleep.

It was very bad actually; bad enough that Bridges had cancelled his morning meetings in favor of catching up on sleep.

* * *

Claire readjusted herself in the chair before startling when Owen suddenly grabbed her hand. She glanced up in confusion, but the man said, "Claire, don't even think about making Sobek an attraction."

"But-"

" _No._ It will be very bad. Sobek cannot see people because he is way too comfortable around them."

Claire raised an eyebrow, and Owen pressed his lips nervously when he saw that look on her face. The one where she would hear him but not listen because it wasn't what she wanted to hear. He gestured a hand to the trees moving past them as he said, "You heard Bridges, Sobek takes down _planes_ for the love of God. Planes. He should shy away from something that loud. Can you imagine what he would do to a viewing log? He knows how to break through fences, it won't take much for him to figure out ramming that log will get him to guests."

Owen felt a bit better when Claire glanced down quietly. She rubbed her finger along his hand in thought before saying, "I want those records, Owen. I won't have Elise die of some disease we could have prevented."

"I want those just as badly as you do, Claire, but we have to be really careful about bringing something as big as Sobek onto the island. He's bigger than Rexy and Elise. Rexy is old and experienced, and Elise is not fighting Sobek."

Claire nodded in agreement as she thought about it. Owen grimaced when the chopper made an unsavory tilt, but startled when Claire suddenly said, "Bark."

Owen was confused when Claire looked at him excitedly, and he slowly said, "Meow…?"

"What? No, you butt head. Bark is our Suchomimus."

"The what?"

Claire sighed in exasperation before she pulled out her phone. Owen let out a startled chuckle as he said, "That's a mini Ipad! Look at that! That is no pocket phone."

Owen laughed again when Claire gave a firm smack on his shoulder before snapping, "Be cooperative or I'll go get Rexy."

A little part of Owen could actually picture Claire marching through the jungle in her high heels looking for Rexy. It was a cartoony image where Claire would point in Owen's general direction to an angry looking, but attentive Rexy slowly grew angrier.

Owen didn't want an angry Rexy showing up at his bungalow to tell him to treat her adopted child better.

"Yes, Ma'am."

Claire snorted at finally finding a threat that would work on Owen. All she had to do was let Rexy chase him once.

She leaned onto him as she brought their website up. Owen watched navigate through all of the tabs with ease before she brought up a picture of a navy blue creature with stripes of yellow decorating the dinosaur.

"…She's got a face like Sobek…"

Claire nodded as she pulled up more websites; Owen would kill for that kind of internet, and she said, "The Suchomimus is a close relative to the Spinosaurus; they're in the same Family. _Spinosauridae."_

Owen blinked as he read it over. Spinosaurus and Suchomimus were both from Africa. Both fished. The difference was the time; Suchomimus was from the early Cretaceous while the Spinosaurus was from the late Cretaceous.

And this particular Spinosaurus was still unafraid of humans, never set foot in Africa, and liked to down planes.

"Okay…"

Claire gave Owen a look before saying, "Mr. Expert, why don't we go talk to Bark's handler?"

"Because Bark isn't Sobek?"

"Bark is part of the Cretaceous Cruise; she sees people all the time."

"So does Sobek; he even hunts sharks apparently. That'd be a great addition to that ride considering the sharks he hunts are probably the same shape and size as the kayaks."

Owen had meant that sarcastically, but the image was a little funny to him. He had seen a T-Shirt Jurassic World sold. It had a picture of a kayak splashing through the waters with the caption, 'I survived the Cretaceous Cruise'. It was more of a joke as it was a very calm ride, but Owen could just picture adding Sobek to that ride.

Make the guests really earn the shirt; they'd get it for free if they made it. Owen was sure the river wasn't that deep, but he could just see Sobek bursting from the calm waters like a cheap horror movie. Maybe they could put some kind of tracker in the Spinosaurus, and speakers along the waters. They would play the Jaws theme when they sensed Sobek nearby; the closer the Spino, the faster the music.

Owen would ride that ride. He thought it actually sounded fun; he just knew it was a bad idea.

The little voice in his head, dubbed Common Sense, agreed.

Claire rolled her eyes before saying, "Bark looks a lot like Sobek; maybe her handler can tell a few things about what she does to keep Bark happy. Maybe we can learn the do's and don't with her before we incorporate Sobek into this."

Owen immediately snorted, "We do _not_ bring Sobek in as an attraction, Claire. If you really want him here, put him on the other side of the island; like, really far into the Restricted Area."

"And how am I going to justify that to the board? Yes, I just brought in a Spinosaurus with the potential to be an attraction, but he gets to be lazy all day while no one is even aware he exists."

"Okay, two things. _I_ know he exists, and he doesn't have the potential to be an attraction. I know Elise fluked out into being the greatest thing since toilet paper, but I don't think Sobek will be a kiddie attraction."

Claire threw her hands up in exasperation before exclaiming, "Cooperate with me, Owen!"

Owen sighed as he rubbed the back of his neck before saying, "I'm just being realistic. I'm concerned about Elise, and we're training her for ACU. It makes me nervous why Bridges even wanted to train her, and I just don't want the threat of Sobek breathing down my neck. If he gets loose, you know ACU won't be able to do anything; it's Elise who is going to have to do the fighting. You know the fight will rile Rexy up, then the girls are going to jump the fence. I don't worry about them doing that now because the paintballers are long gone."

Claire sagged slightly, and Owen squeezed her hand as he gently said, "I just don't want to bite off more than what we can chew…"

The redhead was quiet for a few minutes as she thought it over, and Owen was staring out the window. He wondered how they were going to do today's training session. Maybe they would try to muddle their scents, like a real guest who didn't take well to the wilderness.

"I'm going to talk to Bark's handler."

"Huh?"

Claire sat back with a determined look on her face, and Owen gaped. He blinked a few times before saying, "Claire, Bark is not Sobek. You saw how huge he was; there's no way he can be part of an attraction. I don't care how powerful his shock tracker will be."

"I'm going to try, Owen. I will not roll over and give up just because Sobek is a little big."

"He's bigger than Rexy!"

"I'm going."

"But-"

"I'm. Going."

Owen looked over the determined expression. He was looking at a human Blue; Claire might have well puffed air through her nose.

Claire let out a breath through her nose.

By all things heavenly and smothered in Oreo fillings; Owen was really looking at a human Blue. Claire had made up her mind, she was going with or without him, and that was that.

He relaxed into his chair while mulling over this startling revelation. Was that why Blue had gotten along with Claire? Because they were kindred spirits? Owen paled slightly; what was he supposed to do with two Blues? His mother would have to light a lot more candles for his sorry soul now.

Two. Blues.

Owen was already getting prepared to go pray the rosary. He had actually never done that; he just pretended to so his mother would stop harping on him. Owen was actually amazed lightning never struck him or his father during church for the shit they pulled.

Sarcastic commentating during the priest's teachings, picking out all the sick old people so they could get ahead of them during Communion; they didn't want to share the cup with them, and even singing very different words during the songs. Making bets on which old person would outlive the other, purposely scaring the babies in front of them just for fun, and Owen's father had even once done the unthinkable.

Making sure he was one of the first in the line for Communion before ripping the most unholy of noxious fumes _silently;_ forcing everyone behind him to slowly walk through the almost visible cloud _._ Owen had almost died trying not to laugh as the priest's eyebrows curled, and he was pretty sure that had been the final straw in his parents' marriage.

Owen wasn't very religious, but that was his favorite memory of church.

He felt a squeeze on his hand, and Owen couldn't stop his smile. He was head over heels for this stubborn woman right next to him. She was going to drive him up a wall, mash down all his buttons, give him grey hair, and the best feelings in the world. He wasn't going to let her have all the fun alone.

"I'll tag along."

Claire smiled as she squeezed his hand again; she knew he wouldn't be left behind. He was stubborn like that.

* * *

Bridges heaved a tired sigh as he shut the door behind him. He knew it had been a really bad idea to lose as much sleep as he had. He needed to take a nap right now, but he just had to check his phone for any messages, and then remind Jack not to allow any disturbances.

He let out a quiet curse when he stumbled a little; it had been a very bad idea to drink that much coffee. Now the crash would be twice as worse. He didn't care much for the breeze swaying the trees; it was still early enough in the morning for their shadows to stretch into his office.

The movement of a particular shadow caused Bridges to glance at it. He narrowed his eyes; it was a lot taller than usual, and he refused to convince himself of the longer than normal arms hanging limply.

Was his shadow robed? Of course not; Bridges was just tired.

And it wasn't his shadow.

It stayed in the corner of the room when he sat down; it was just the lack of sleep. It was always the lack of sleep when the shadows played tricks on his eyes. He snorted; it was obviously one of the tree's shadows.

 _The Devil hides in the corners of the house…_

Bridges rolled his eyes; the Devil had much better places to be than his quiet office. He honestly had no idea why his mother's voice would randomly pop into his head. It wasn't like it was useful.

When it rained on a sunny day, the witches were getting married; that was one he never understood, but it was stuck in his head.

He ignored the shadow slowly rocking back and forth like a cryptic metronome. He made a mental note to get rid of the tree with a shadow that disturbing, and Bridges was glad to see he didn't have any messages yet. But it was only seven forty five; they had spent longer with Sobek than Bridges had realized. He bit his lip when a sneering voice drifted in from the open, glass door behind him.

"Some presentation that was, Daemon. Why would you tell Dearing that Sobek can down a plane? You should have tried to appeal to her sense of family; convince her that Elise needs a Papa Spinosaurus to look up to."

Today was going to be a very bad day if he didn't get to sleep right now.

"Can't ignore me, Daemon, and you know it. I'm just gonna keep talking until you say something… _Daemon…"_

Bridges sighed again; he ignored the rocking shadows in the room before walking onto the balcony. Iudex Carnifex was standing right there; judgmental as could be, and a disapproving glare in his eyes. The blonde leaned on the railing tiredly, and Iudex snorted before saying, "What a mess you've become. Can't even go two days without sleep anymore. What happened to going almost a week, hmm? You're losing your touch, Daemon."

Bridges was very tempted to walk back inside, but Iudex rolled his eyes before growling, "You either talk to me or the shadow in the corner, and we both know who is just a little kinder. My insults or his questions? I know you don't want to talk about all the dirty little things Mama never knew about with Mr. Growls over there."

Bridges frowned before giving a small glance over his shoulder. Now he really did intend to cut down the tree making that shadow; the damned leaves had managed to give a swaying shadow narrowed eyes.

Damned shadows.

Iudex's eyes seemed to glint with a sadistic malice before he purred, "I don't know about that, Daemon. We wanna talk about what happened last time you told yourself that? Mama came home to a giant pile of ashes and you holding the matches. Why do you gotta burn everything?"

Bridges rolled his eyes before snapping, "I'm fine."

Iudex let out a short laugh, cruel and harsh, before scoffing, "Oh, yeah, of course you are. I'm obviously the _crazy_ one. What would my mother think of this? Me talking to a human; preposterous."

Bridges stiffened at the word as he growled, "We don't use that word, Iudex…"

Iudex rolled his emerald eyes again before retorting, "Is that all you learned from that therapist? Don't use the word crazy? Money well spent; kind of like creating the Indominus. At least Elise is kind enough to cover for you. Hey, since she's so good at figuring you out, do you think she's…a little off like you are?"

Bridges could feel the shivers from his crash coming on; he was not in the mood to deal with Iudex right now. The judgmental prick always knew how to mash his buttons. Iudex wasn't much of a talker; only when Bridges became very stressed or tired.

It didn't happen often; he loved his job. It wasn't as stressful to him as people thought; it calmed him down. The paperwork, the meetings, everything about his job was good for him because his mind was put to use elsewhere. It had been easy to climb the corporate ladder in a failing company. He slept better at night out here. Life was such an easy game to play.

The Spinosaurus gave a tilt of his head before serenading, _"We were born sick, and we love it, Daemon. We're all sick, and you know it."_

Iudex suddenly paused to ask, "Hey, want to know who I'm curious about since he's an important little chess piece?"

Bridges blinked; he still had no idea how Iudex got these details. Damned shadows probably told him. The shadows shifted over the Spinosaurus' face in such a way that Bridges swore he saw Cheshire-like grin.

But that was even more ridiculous than a talking, smart ass Iudex.

Bridges gave a tired sigh as he felt the pounding headache coming on, but the Spinosaurus soothingly purred, "Mr. ACU Commander; he's going to be fun. You saw him, remember? He's gonna snap soon if someone doesn't do something… What do you think he's sick with? Shame? Guilt? I'm thinking survivor's guilt; thank God that can actually be helped. Not much hope for you though, huh, Buddy?"

A low growl made the hair on Bridges' neck stand straight, but Iudex gave a snap of his jaws before saying, "Knock it off, Mr. Growls; he's mine today!"

Bridges glanced behind him again to see the tree's shadow had shifted a little closer, but Bridges had no idea why the Spinosaurus had named the air conditioning system Mr. Growls of all things. There was nothing else here that could make that sound.

The blonde turned his gaze back to the fire colored dinosaur when Iudex asked, "When you gonna introduce me to the pretty lady anyways? Miss Elise is a real looker."

Bridges stiffened before snapping, "Bite your tongue; you are not meeting her. That has no part in any of my plans."

Iudex seemed to darken under a shadow before he paused to sniff around the disturbed earth. Bridges pinched his nose, and Iudex slyly said, "But I can make my own plans too. Come on, scratch my back, and I'll scratch yours. We already have a nice system here where I send the pests over to Carnifex, and you get off scot-free. I even purposely paused last night just to scare Wu a little more. Hey, Carnifex can eat Wu when you're done with him, right?"

Bridges was getting irritated, and he snapped, "I have no romantic interests. Go away; I want to go to sleep."

The Spinosaurus gave a little turn as he continued to search the ground; Bridges had no idea what for, but Iudex took a step back with lidded eyes cruelly shimmering as he taunted, "Of course; that's why you never brought home a pretty girl to Mama. All your dates are just for show because we both know whose backside you've been staring at since day one."

Bridges looked over the seemingly smiling dinosaur; a little tiny voice said this wasn't normal, but Bridges hardly ever heard that voice. Instead Bridges shoved a hand in his pocket to fumble with the comforting lighter as he dangerously said, "That has no place in my plans; go away, Iudex. I am tired of talking."

Iudex rolled his eyes again though the smile seemed to shrink back to what was normal. The Spinosaurus gave a final sniff on the ground before he regained that glint in the emerald eyes. Bridges narrowed his eyes when Iudex coyly said, "It's not going to change the fact that a certain Italian has caught your eye. Oh, what would poor Mama think? I bet she'd roll all the way over in her grave. Must be pretty dark where she is; six feet under cold, dark earth."

Bridges refused to say anything, and the Spinosaurus finally scoffed, "Fine, fine. I get the hint. Yeesh, Daemon; you're no fun anymore. I'm going because I don't want the other dinosaurs to see me talking to a human; that's not normal. Grady can talk all he wants to Miss Elise, but the world is gonna turn upside down the moment she talks back."

Bridges glared at the dinosaur who had turned back to the thick jungle. Iudex melted into it as he hauntingly sang; mournful voice echoing through the empty jungle.

" _We were born sick, and we love it. We're all sick, and you know it. We were born sick, and we love it…"_


	57. Chapter 57

**A/N**

 **Hey guys! How's life?**

 **We have another wonderful piece of artwork from blackdragon21! Link is in my profile, titled, 'Rexy's Nest'. Go check it out!**

 **Anyway, with college starting Monday for me, I have decided I will try to update every other day just to avoid writing on school days. I'm sorry this chapter is short and almost filler, but there is important stuff in here that will make more sense with the next chapter.**

 **Guys, Bridges was hallucinating. By the way, there is more than one Italian. I never said whose Italian butt Bridges liked.**

 **Unknown, have fun at camp.**

 **Kim K's butt, Kuro is an adorable name, and I hope he gets better :)**

 **Andrea, I don't own a bike nor do I know how to ride one.**

 **Lord Destroyer, in all sincerity, thanks for sticking with us this long.**

 **egal, it is not weird.**

 **Kothir, I can see that too.**

 **Most importantly, I adore you guys, and I give my heartfelt thanks for all your reviews. I appreciate you taking the time to not only read this story, but also give your thoughts on it. Thank you, have a good day/night!**

* * *

"Photos."

Romano gave a small sigh as he thumbed through the thick encyclopedia in his calloused hands. He needed to wait a little longer before giving Sobek another lactating ringer. At least the Spinosaurus still had that fire in him; Romano wasn't actually surprised, but it was still comforting to see it.

The man wiped his eyes tiredly before sniffing when he found what he wanted, he sighed again as he mumbled, "Hallucinations…let's see, things persons can see, hear, feel, yadda, yadda that no one else can…voices most common…voices can talk to one another…to the person themselves…warn of danger…talk about person's behavior...order them around…"

Romano scratched at his beard as he highlighted a few things before snapping his hard gaze up when a tentative knock interrupted him. He lowered his brows at seeing Daemon's assistant timidly walk in with that look on his face. The look that meant Romano would get to step out of the comforts of his medical profession of doctoring animals to take care of a particularly sick human who had mastered the 'I'm perfectly fine' illusion.

"What now, Jack?"

Jack pressed his lips before quietly saying, "He's…talking to Carnifex…again…I'm scared Carnifex is going to get really agitated like last time…or worse."

"You know where the pills are, Jack; they take care of the hallucinations."

The dark haired assistant paled before hoarsely saying, "I'd rather try giving pills to Carnifex…"

The fiery Italian was quiet for a few seconds before sighing in defeat. He finally stood to follow the stressed assistant as he said, "You get to come help me."

"W-What?! No! I mean, I can't…I have errands to run, Dr. Romano…"

Romano gave the assistant a dark look before snapping, _"Sei uno stronzo."_

"I…um…"

The vet walked past him as he added, "I'll figure it out myself, Jack. God knows he'll just throw shit at you like last time. Pelted your sorry face with Skittles until you left."

Jack rubbed the back of his neck before quietly saying, "Mr. Bridges just respects you a lot more."

"Because I'm the only one around here, besides Sobek, who doesn't go belly up when he gets a little irritated. Just make sure his meetings are cleared until he can get enough shut eye, Jack."

The assistant nodded with a sigh when the door closed. He glanced at the open book on the cheap desk before wincing at the subject. He quickly shut it for fear of anyone else seeing it. Jack didn't want to lose his job; he knew how personable assistants were; just because Bridges liked him as one didn't mean the next CEO would.

And it never seemed to end well when someone of Daemon's position of power was discovered to have a mental illness. Jack was just glad Bridges kept it really quiet. Bridges was smart about never drawing that kind of bad publicity to himself. If he did drugs, he didn't show it. Affairs? Jack never knew a thing about it. He actually didn't know anything about Bridges' romantic life for that matter, but the man seemed to be doing well.

Jack jumped at the sound of breaking glass before the tempers started again. He bravely peeked out of Romano's windows to see said Italian getting into a fight with the other Italian. Jack had no idea why Bridges was brave enough to hire more than one. There nothing scarier than two Italians fighting each other.

Or when the Italians got into fights with the Cubans…

Jack shivered at that terrible memory; even Bridges had resorted to speaking over the intercom for fear of his own safety until differences were settled. Some tempers just didn't mesh well.

* * *

"Alright, Baby Girl, I will be back in a little bit. Claire and I are going to go visit a couple girls."

Elise crooned gently to Owen as she rested her head on the cement. Owen noticed she still hadn't regained the joyous innocence he had come to adore. She seemed down, and Owen wasn't sure what to do about it. Even all the little kids smothering her in tender affection didn't brighten her day like it normally should.

"Hey…eyes on me."

Elise flickered her crimson gaze, and Owen was again amazed by how far this powerful creature had come in so little time. He never thought twice about the sheer power she possessed because she had hardly used it around him. She was just a cuddly baby; his cuddly baby, and he didn't like to see her sad.

"Smile, Baby. I haven't seen a happy smile on you all day."

Elise pulled her lips up into a ferocious grin, but it didn't light up her eyes like it should have. Owen pressed his lips before quietly saying, "You and I are going to have another talk, okay? I don't like seeing my Sunshine sad."

The smile fell immediately when Elise realized she wasn't fooling Owen. She knew how to lie, but she didn't know how to lie to Owen. It felt wrong to give him nothing other than the truth; she just respected him enough to do that.

She would lie to Bridges; she didn't respect him. She wouldn't lie to Blake; she had slashed wounds on him that would never heal over. She knew even the passing of time could do little to help Blake, and she wondered why no one was helping him. Was Owen so rare a human that there weren't enough healers for the inside wounds? Were there healers for such things? Gerry and Jackie seemed to only be for physical wounds.

She couldn't help Blake, but she would respect his intelligence and being enough to never give him a lie. He had enough to worry about around her; she would never make him feel like he needed to question the validity of her answers.

Elise wished she could be good like Owen, and she had a bad dream last night. It had left her very sad. She knew she was supposed to feel guilty about hurting humans.

But humans were so cruel a creature that it made it difficult to pity. Was she hard to pity? Elise wasn't sure.

Elise felt bad for not feeling guilty, and that left her very confused. She wasn't sure if she was good anymore. She thought she was because of how the little ones saw her, but a bad thought had crept into her subconscious that left her feeling cold.

What if she was just that good of a manipulator? Joker was a master at tweaking the minds of others. She was a lot like Joker, so was she bad? Joker didn't regret killing humans, and neither did she. Elise would regret killing a human now because she knew better, but she didn't regret what she had done.

"Sunshine."

Elise blinked as she turned her gaze back to Owen; he looked very worried. Owen worried a lot, and that warmed Elise. It meant he loved her a lot. She loved him too. He was her precious treasure she would never let go of. She would always be here to help him no matter what.

Was there such a thing as the dark serving the light? Elise wondered if that was possible. She was dark, but Owen was in the light; he was very good. Maybe she could still be bad but do good.

"Elise, you're thinking too hard again."

Elise still didn't understand the meaning of that phrase, but Owen put the gentle smile over his concerned look. It made her feel good, and he said, "Don't worry yourself over nothing, Baby. I'm right here to help you through anything, okay? It's what dads do."

Owen suddenly paused, and Elise tilted her head. He got a sheepish look on his face as he rubbed his neck before saying, "I don't know if you actually see me as a parent…"

Elise immediately nodded as she tenderly scooped Owen close to her. He acted like a hatchling a lot, but it was fine. They were not related through blood, but they took care of each other's needs. When Elise needed parental love and guidance; she would look to Owen. When Owen decided to do something dangerous and stupid; Elise was there to be the protective mother.

Owen let out a warm laugh as he batted the long fingers around him before saying, "I got you, Baby, okay? I don't care what your problem is; I still love you."

Elise nuzzled him with a grateful shiver of her jaws before Owen stepped away. She kept her talon snagged on his shirt simply because she liked the contact, but Owen's hip gave a crackle, and Lowery said, "My guy is running a little late, Elise. He should be there in a couple minutes, he had to bring me a few snacks. Claire is waiting for you, Owen; she says to hurry."

Owen rolled his eyes before blowing a kiss onto Elise's nose. She replied with a puff of her own air, and Owen smiled as he said, "Try to make sure the guy doesn't get eaten by Blue if she shows up. Remember to shut the window before you go."

Elise nodded, reluctantly letting go of Owen's shirt. He chuckled at the clinginess but paused at the tunnel to ask, "Hey, Sunshine, can you do me a favor?"

The Indominus tilted her head, and Owen said, "Claire has her heart set on bringing Sobek here as an attraction, but he cannot be around or even see people. I'm afraid of him even smelling people; he's too comfortable around them. Is there any way you can come up with some points to help Claire see that? She's not listening to me very well."

Elise snorted; Owen wasn't all that great at listening to Claire either. It was a funny relationship between the two, but Elise loved how Claire could always make Owen feel so warm. Owen deserved a good mate. She nodded, and Owen chuckled before waving again. Elise waited until she couldn't hear the footsteps anymore, and she gave a small sigh. She wanted to go back to the nest; she was tired and she didn't know why. Despite the bad dream, she had slept through the night. Maybe after Lowery's helper came by she would go pick some flowers for Claire. Elise decided that even if she was bad, she would do her best to be good.

She just wished her core wasn't rotten.

* * *

"For the guy who runs around with the fastest animals we have, you sure are slow."

Owen snorted as he walked over to Claire; he loved the mischievous smile on her face, and the ornery glint in her eye seemed almost a little more dangerous than Blue. He playfully bumped his hip into her before quietly saying, "Elise is a little down today is all. I just wanted to make sure she was fine."

"Is she?"

Owen sighed as they began their walk.

"I don't know, but as soon as we're done with Bark, I'm going to go talk with Elise. I want to make sure she's fine."

Claire nodded as they stepped into her car; Owen was glad they wouldn't be circling the entire island on the monorail, and it was much less crowded in here.

"How'd the meeting go?"

Claire gave a slight grimace as she said, "About as well as expected. If I don't come up with a good idea on how to safely incorporate Sobek as an attraction, the board won't approve of bringing him here."

Owen couldn't say he disagreed with the board on this one. Sobek was a massive dinosaur with a charming personality just waiting to be revealed when the sedatives worked themselves out of his system. Owen still wanted to see a little thrill added to the Cretaceous Cruise, but Claire had enough to deal with on her plate. He didn't think she would appreciate his ideas, and she suddenly asked, "What if he couldn't see the people in the viewing log?"

"He couldn't see the people in the airplane. I'm sure he could smell _and_ hear them. Elise says Rexy can."

Claire pressed her lips before retorting, "Rexy has a phenomenal sense of smell. We don't know what Sobek can smell."

"I'm sure he'll let us know when he decides to smash through the log. I don't think we can get him on a schedule like Rexy is."

"Why not?"

Owen scratched the side of his head as he answered, "Because Sobek is a wild animal, Claire. He's dealt with poachers his whole life, he has had to fight in order to survive. You said he's what? In his thirties? That's a long time in the wild, Claire. He can't just suddenly accept that humans aren't food. I don't even know what he'll do with seeing other large carnivores like Elise and Rexy. We have to be really careful about this. He can't be isolated from other dinosaurs, but he can't exactly play with them either."

Owen wasn't even sure how they would get him over here; he assumed via a massive ship, but how would Sobek handle transportation? It wasn't fun being tossed back and forth on a ship before suddenly realizing that the home you called your own for over thirty years is gone.

Could Sobek handle that kind of shock? Was he super sensitive to changes in his routine like Rexy? Owen didn't exactly want the guy to keel over after all the trouble of getting him here.

"What are you hoping to learn from Bark's handler?"

Claire gave a small smile as she made a smooth turn before answering, "Bark is our fourth largest dinosaur after we measured Elise. She's bigger than a Triceratops, and just a foot shorter than our tallest Apatosaurus."

"…Oh…"

Owen was expecting something much smaller than that. He wondered how aggressive she was if she could be on this particular ride.

"We might also go see the Baryonyx if she's close by. She's in the same family as Sobek and Bark."

"How big is she?"

"A little smaller than our Parasaurolophus; I hear she's a little more aggressive."

Owen scratched the back of his head as he relaxed into the seat; they would probably need to see the Baryonyx then. If Bark was a cuddle monster then she wasn't going to be any help whatsoever.

Because Owen knew Sobek was not a cuddly creature; he looked like an old dragon.

* * *

Elise gently puffed air onto a fragile flower in front of her. She was getting tired of waiting for this person; she didn't even know his name. She liked this flower; it was a happy color with a soft lavender coloring its petals. The bright center was simply stunning, and Elise perked up at seeing a little honey bee land on the flower. She crooned a hello and thanked the bee for doing a wonderful job. She appreciated all the hard work it did in making sure the world stayed green and alive.

Bees were good, and she hoped this one was happy.

She crinkled her nose when the fuzzy bug buzzed around her nose before landing on her snout. It was such a little thing but it had an enormous job to do. Elise hoped this one had a large family who helped.

The tiny wings buzzed into life before the bee disappeared into the jungle; Elise garbled a farewell before she heard footsteps echoing in the tunnel. She lifted her head into the log, and noticed how she had to hunch down just a little bit lower than what she remembered.

She had grown larger.

Elise wasn't sure how much bigger she would get, but she didn't want to be bigger. She was just fine with her size right now. She could still cuddle Owen and fit into the log. What if she got too big to interact with the little ones? Elise felt sad at that thought; Owen had said she would get bigger than Rexy. Rexy was the largest dinosaur she had ever seen. Was there anyone bigger than Rexy?

Besides Godzilla.

Elise crinkled her snout in thought; Owen had said Sobek was bigger than Rexy. Maybe he knew how to deal with being the biggest of all. If she could have hatchlings with Spinosaurus, then maybe she could talk with him like she did Rexy. Elise wasn't sure though, and it sounded like Owen didn't want Sobek here. If Sobek was going to bring harm to this island then he wouldn't be welcome here.

"Oh! Hey, Elise. Sorry I kept you waiting."

Elise startled out of her thoughts at the accented voice. She blinked at the Hispanic man with a gentle grin on his face, and a large bag at his side. He looked very nice, and Elise immediately liked him. Brown eyes twinkled with happiness, and black hair had been pulled back into a short ponytail. The rugged goatee looked almost scraggly against the sharp jaw, and Elise found this man to be adorable.

She wanted to pinch his cheeks and hug him. He was so cute to her.

Elise made a soft croon as the man walked over fearlessly as he chuckled at her. Elise liked the accent, and he said, "I'm glad you don't get mad at tardiness. Lowery wanted his churros. Here, I brought you one."

Elise happily accepted the sweet treat, and the man said, "I'm Jesús."

She liked that name; it sounded exotic, and she liked the 'Z' sound in it. She wished she could roll the sound off her tongue. _Hey-Zeus_

He smelled kind, and Elise liked him for that. She quietly watched him pull out the large camera as he talked to her. He didn't even seem phased by her presence, and Elise liked that.

It meant he didn't need humbling.

He set up the camera before smiling at her as he said, "I love taking photos; it is amazing how beautiful this world can be, no? Not everyone can see the beauty in it, but I can show them with this camera. Isn't that amazing how far humans have come?"

Elise nodded; she liked the energy around this man. He was very happy and bright. Jesús smiled at her before adding, "I just need closer pictures of the details of your scales so we can get them right in the hologram. Most people don't notice the little details, but it amazing how much it can bring a hologram to life."

The Indominus made a chittering sound that got a rich laugh out of the man as he fearlessly walked over to her. She remained still as the camera made clicks and bright lights, but they didn't hurt her eyes. She just liked listening to Jesús talk. He had funny stories that were interesting to Elise. His home sounded so different than what she knew. A desert; a land filled with sand and few plants.

The world was a vast place indeed, but Elise was happy here. This was her home.

"What do you think so hard about, _mi amor?"_

Elise turned her crimson gaze onto the tan skinned man with a twinkle in his eye. She couldn't help the smile tugging up at her lips, and Jesús gave another chuckle. Elise wasn't sure what her look was that gave away her thinking, but she garbled at him like he could understand her. Elise would pretend with him because he was a rare type of kindness like Owen.

"What made you choose mercy, Amor? When you met Owen on Main Street."

Elise blinked at the man, but Jesús only patiently smiled at her. She hadn't chose mercy; she had been startled by Owen telling her to stop without a weapon in hand. She had been stunned to see him defend another when he knew he would be killed in the process.

She had been curious; not merciful.

Elise told the man that, and he chuckled at her; like he could actually understand her. She found it odd, but another click from the camera sounded before he asked, "Are you happy to be learning how to better protect the people and animals on this island?"

The Indominus nodded at him, and he smiled at her as he warmly said, " _Muy bien._ That makes me happy. It is good to see this island starting to heal over. I think if you continue your path, you will end up taking Rexy's place when it is time for her to go."

Elise didn't want to think about that, but there was no cruelty in the man's words. He chuckled as he looked over his photos, and said, "I do not think Rexy will be leaving anytime soon though, so you have plenty of time to learn from her."

Elise surely hoped so; she wasn't ready to be without her mother. The island wasn't ready to lose Big Boss, and Jesús said, "I am always amazed when I take photos of Rexy; she is very…beautiful, no? I think all creatures here are stunning. I like to share those photos with the world, Amor, because it spreads the beauty. I can take a photo of a beautiful flower, and preserve its beauty without ever hurting it. I can preserve the photo for many years and share it. That is why I love my job."

Elise garbled at the man; he now very adorable. His eyes lit up like Jackie when he talked about taking the photos. She was glad he had found happiness in life; he made the world brighter.

He counteracted the dark that followed her, and Elise was grateful for that.

"I really like taking photos of the little creatures too, you know? The ones people tend to not see. Do you take the time to look at those?"

Elise garbled at the man as she briefly disappeared from the log. He blinked in confusion as brush gently rustled before Elise suddenly came back up. He took a step back when Elise extended her index talon inside, and he let out a laugh.

"A praying mantis! And you found a feisty one."

Elise didn't know that was the name of this creature, but she liked these kinds of bugs. They were hilarious with their fiery personalities. They weren't afraid to attack anything that got in their space. Elise had once shown one to Owen.

He had screamed when it flung itself at him. Elise had laughed about it the rest of the day.

She liked this emerald bug, and it was already sizing up Jesús; daring the man to invade its space. Elise smiled at the bug, being careful about not suddenly moving her hand around; this little bug was fragile compared to her. She had to be gentle around it.

Elise blinked at hearing a click, and looked up to catch Jesús' warm smile. He lowered his camera as he softly said, "I think I just found one of my new favorite photos. There's good in you, Amor, I hope you never lose that good."

Elise glanced down at the mantis making a small turn on her ebony claw. It relaxed its tense posture despite the human's closeness, but Elise wouldn't allow any harm to befall this creature so long as it perched here.

She glanced up at the chuckle, and Jesús smiled at his camera as he looked at the digital image of the photo he had caught. It was absolutely perfect, and he sighed, "I love my job. I also love bird watching, do you know what that is, Amor?"

Elise assumed he watched birds, but she only tilted her head. Jesús gave a smile as he peered into the jungle while saying, "It is a wonderful hobby, but you need binoculars to see them up close. The birds can't see you because they fly off before you can get a good look at them. Sometimes you have to hide really well because some birds are so easily startled, others are very fierce, and you have to hide so they don't attack you."

Elise tilted her head when the man paused before slowly raised his camera. He remained very still before giving a single click of his camera, and taking a slow step back as he whispered, "Thank you, Amor, but I think it's time for me to leave. I will come visit again."

Elise gave a confused sound as the man continued to back away with a gentle smile on his face. He waved a farewell to her before giving a small sigh of relief, and peeked at his camera with a wide, amused smile on his face.

He had managed to catch the two pairs of blazing gold eyes burning through the emerald trees. He had yet to see a picture he really liked of Jurassic World's oddest duo, but he loved this one. Especially with Blue perched right on Rexy's head as they gave him a double death glare to go away.

Jesús let out a small laugh when he heard the window close; he loved his job.

* * *

"How do you guys keep track of any of the animals here?"

Claire smiled as she walked down the worn path towards the quiet building. Her car wasn't meant for off road traveling like they would probably need to be doing. It was a shame she couldn't have the other animals come to her like Elise.

"We have attentive caretakers and very good trackers in all the animals here. We also keep motion sensors throughout Cretaceous Cruise for extra help."

"How do you keep something as big as Bark from eating the other dinosaurs?"

Owen spotted a blonde woman leaning against a smaller jeep that had seen plenty of the jungle terrain, but she glanced up at hearing Owen's question. She raised her eyebrows as she dryly asked, "How do you keep your raptors from eating other animals and people?"

Owen had heard that question enough times to immediately answer, "I keep them away from that or make sure the pigs they chase are just a little faster."

The blonde gave a snort, but she gave a firm handshake; Owen couldn't help whistling at the long, raking scars that had torn up her arm.

"I gotta know about these; I'm Owen by the way."

"Kate, and these are from Queen Anne, our Baryonyx; she was a feisty little thing who didn't like anyone except Edward to hold her when she was little. Bark's never hurt anyone; I'm her main caretaker."

Owen had to admire the scars; they looked like they hurt like a bitch, and he had very few that could compare to those. Kate turned to Claire before saying, "Bark is sleeping at her nest, and we can go get a look at her now. Ed had said something about you wanting to see Queen Anne as well; she's at her fishing hole right now."

"Who's closer?"

Kate swung herself into the jeep as she answered, "Anne; I can have Ed meet us there if you want."

Claire nodded while gracefully getting into the jeep. Owen had no idea how she managed to do that, but he hopped into the back. He was actually kind of excited to see more dinosaurs, and Kate glanced over her shoulder as she asked, "Mr. Dinosaur Tamer, have you actually taken the time to explore the park."

"Nope; I'm a homebody. I hardly left the Raptor Paddock, and I don't stray far from Elise's paddock."

Kate's lips pulled into a crooked smile as she slid her sunglasses on. Owen could see his reflection in them, and she said, "Well, hot damn; you're in for a real treat. Queen Anne is gonna love you."

Owen pressed his lips; he wasn't sure what to make of that. He suddenly wished they had gone to see Bark first. Claire gave a small laugh as she turned to Owen, and said, "The only man Queen Anne will talk to is her handler, Mr. Thacker. She's one of the smallest animals on the river, but she's the boss there."

Kate snorted as she began the drive down a trail, and added, "Just like Ed; he's a pushy man, but he loves Anne. She loves him too; she's not so warm towards others. Especially other men."

"Oh…great…"

Kate couldn't stop her laugh at Owen's deflated response. Claire reached behind her seat to give Owen a comforting pat on the leg, and he sighed as he held on. The road was bumpy as hell, but it wasn't the worst thing in the world. He just hoped this would be quick.

And he really hoped there wasn't an infamous Queen Anne this Baryonyx had been named after.


	58. Chapter 58

**A/N**

 **Hey guys!**

 **OREO, please do; you won't be the first, and I go back and correct them.**

 **Guest, thank you for your suggestions, but I am happy with what my story is doing. It is a long story, but I have an ending in mind. Also, don't start discussions here. That question was for me, and it was in regards to my previous author note about my change in update schedule.**

 **Nightmare Moon, I really do appreciate you sticking up for me, thank you for that, and I was torn between that most recent comment being a review or not. It was half a review, half a discussion towards Guest, which was why I had removed it. I had seen your first review for the previous chapter. I just really do not want discussions here, and I felt like that one would have been left open for others to start more discussions.**

 **Guest, I don't know if I'll include the C** **archarodontosaurus. It is underrated, and that is unfortunate.**

 **Kim K's butt, thanks for the Oreos.**

 **Imtomzizle, it's good to see you catching up.**

 **Lyrics belong to the song 'Drunken Whaler' from Dishonored.**

 **Thank you guys for reading this story and leaving your reviews. Even if you don't review, I thank you for taking the time to read this.**

 ***Warning for suicidal thoughts***

* * *

"Queen Anne's Revenge."

Henry Wu gave a shaky sigh as he pressed his forehead into the comforting warmth of his laptop. His hand hurt beyond imaginable, and he couldn't stand to look at it for very long. It had been stitched back on; Bridges was an intelligent bastard. Wu would give him that much.

A lab accident indeed.

"Arrogant, idiotic, buffoon."

And the doctor had the audacity to be out of pain killers. Wu had half a mind to drink himself into a stupor just for a few minutes of sleep. He wondered if Romano had some kind of morphine; at this point Wu didn't care if it was meant for animals.

He was in a lot of pain.

But Wu had absolutely no intent of doing that; he had no friends here. He now fully comprehended where he stood on this island. He was a prisoner; he was below a dying, old animal. Wu knew Bridges had been crazy, but he never thought he would be on the receiving end of Bridges' temper.

But Wu intended to have the last laugh; he already had the last laugh. It was just a matter of time. He had sent the records, but nothing would happen until Sobek was on Isla Nublar.

He just prayed someone on Jurassic World was attentive to details; they would find his cry for help encoded in the records.

Wu sighed again as he glanced at his cold tea; it hurt too much to move, and it didn't taste good anymore.

Nothing was good anymore.

He didn't want his tea, he didn't want to live here, and he was tired of meeting these demands. He wanted to go back to the old park; he missed bringing back the good old classics. Tyrannosaurus, Brachiosaurus, Triceratops, Velociraptor, and even Dilophosaurus. Rexy had been his first, successful creation, and Wu missed sharing an island with her. The Dilophosaurus wasn't supposed to be venomous, but Wu had wanted to give a wow factor to it; when he still cared about what he created. But now it was just easier to not be connected to these animals.

Henry missed working for John Hammond. The man who never forgot to visit, to show up for every single egg's hatching till the day he died. The kind smile who had irritated Wu with his childishness, but was always won over by the recognition.

Hammond had sincerely appreciated him for what he could do.

Now, the CEOs couldn't even be bothered to speak to him until shit hit the fan. Masrani had been too busy to even personally meet him about the creation of the Indominus. He had just sent in the memo; bigger, more teeth, _cooler._

Wu missed when Hammond would just walk in for the afternoon. He'd ask how he was, if he needed more tea, and how the dinosaurs were coming along. Hammond never pressured him with the overhanging threat of investors; not one mention of money.

Hammond had just wanted Wu to worry about bringing back healthy dinosaurs.

Wu sniffed as he raised his head before opening his laptop. He was too tired to work at the moment, and he was sad to say that's just what it had become to him.

Bringing dinosaurs back was just work.

He wanted some soothing noise in this dingy, isolated room. At least Bridges was good enough to have decent internet here. YouTube never failed to distract him from his thoughts, and he scanned over the videos before sighing.

Surprise, surprise; a dinosaur had made it into the Popular Videos. Wu sighed again, but frowned at seeing the white scales; they only had one snow scaled dinosaur.

He might as well see what all his grueling, hard work had done to get itself famous on YouTube.

Wu would admit he was…disturbed, and intrigued. Elise was something else indeed; Owen made the perfect pair with her needless to say. He had never seen such loyal animals willingly take on a losing battle just to save one of their own. Lilly was a terrifying creature to behold in her own kingdom.

Elise acted very human indeed, and Wu was puzzled by that. He never recalled her making human gestures or even attempting to communicate with others before. It was like she grew more human the more she learned.

Wu wished he would have been able to research that, but Bridges had made a very valid point.

His reputation was ruined because of human experimentation. He had committed career suicide.

A sad chuckle fell from dry lips, and Wu sagged into his chair. He was ruined and left to rot on this forsaken island until he had wrung himself dry. What was Bridges going to do to him when he found out what he had done? Wu knew it was going to be gruesome because the man was clearly off in the head.

He didn't want to lose any more fingers, or worse.

The geneticist sighed as he glanced around his office; he had plenty to finish himself off. Scalpels, poisonous liquids of all kinds, even a large bottle of Tylenol would do the job; the bitter, sad truth was suicide never required much creativeness or effort. Just a completely bleak outlook on the miserable journey called Life.

But Wu didn't want to die like that; he didn't want to slowly bleed to death, and he had no idea what would happen if he just randomly drank poisons.

Death was not quick or painless, and the alluring, false image of being set free was a lie. Wu just wanted out of Bridges' grasp; he was a cornered animal. Who knew what was waiting for him on the other side? A furious deity? Nothing? A new life?

Wu rubbed his forehead tiredly; he needed to think this through. It wasn't going to be helpful to anyone if he was found doing circles from the ceiling fan because Bridges could just cover it up. Bridges was very good friends with Death; perfectly comfortable in his presence and cloaking shadow. Bridges knew how to get out of that sort of thing; it was something everyone here knew, but had no proof to damn him.

No, no. If he was going to end himself, he was going to do so in a loud, spectacular, grand, 'spared no expense' fashion. Wu would draw all attention over here, and then Bridges would be caught in a bind. All the painfully bright lights would chase away any shadow that the sleazy bastard would try to hide in.

But Wu had to wait.

He had to wait until after Sobek was on Isla Nublar. It was out of his hands for now.

In the meantime, Wu allowed a small smile to tug at his lips as he clicked another video. Elise was truly what he had pictured her to be. A brilliant creature with the potential to be a monstrous terror, or an amazing babysitter. Her rainbows of colors were as he remembered.

He hadn't actually expected her to be a kiddie attraction, but Wu was grateful for the smile Elise had managed to give him again.

Wu would repay her somehow; even if it was in the form of money willed to her. It wasn't like he had any living relatives anyway. He was alone.

He was done.

* * *

"Bloody hell, it's the Dinosaur Tamer himself. You here to take a shot at my Anne?"

Owen gave a shake of his head, and the bear of a man, with a large bag on his back, grinned widely from behind his burly black beard as he boomed, "Smart man. I'd have to mail your mustache to your next of kin if you were going to try that."

Kate gave a small laugh as she leaned against the muddy jeep, and Ed gave a warm smile to Claire as he said, "Anne is still fishing not far from here; she's taking a break from all the kids 'quietly' tapping on the glass. We can walk there."

Owen though Edward looked like a lumberjack. He was all burly muscle with a few inches over Owen. Owen actually wouldn't be surprised if the man could toss him over his shoulder like a sack of flour.

It was actually very pretty here, and Owen was ashamed to admit he never really traveled the island. It seemed more tropical here; there was more thick green with the river supplying all a plant ever really needed. Said river made a nice background noise, but Owen was sure he would get annoyed with the birds' constant chirping.

Owen remembered how he used to have a pair of mourning doves outside his bungalow. Used to; when the girls were still little, and Blue hadn't learned tolerance of annoyances. She still hadn't learned that kind of tolerance, but Owen hadn't been tolerant of the doves either. The things were up at five every morning, and Echo was the only one who hadn't complained. Owen would admit he had almost cried a little when his early bird decided she liked making her own loud sounds with the doves as she right under the window. Even Blue would shove herself under his pillow when five A.M came around.

And then Blue had decided she had enough of that nonsense. Owen had startled from his sleep when he realized no doves had woken him up at five. He found his pillow void of his best girl, but a sight to behold at the base of the tree.

It looked like a feather pillow had exploded, and Blue was contently sleeping amidst the massacre. Owen didn't question it. Blue hadn't escaped, Blue had somehow taken care of the problem, and Owen had let her eat all the Oreos she wanted that morning.

"So what made you want to venture from the comforts of Elise, Owen?"

Owen startled at the booming growl, but he answered, "I can't let Claire have all the fun, and I've never seen a Baryonyx before."

"What about a Suchomimus?"

"Nope."

Ed raised an eyebrow as he glanced over his shoulder before asking, "Metricanthosaurus?"

"I'm not even going to try and say that."

Kate snorted as she stepped around brush, and Ed frowned while stating, "You really do stick close to your pack, don't ya?"

Owen let out a chuckle as he said, "My girls like an attentive leader; I never had a need to go anywhere else."

The sounds of the river grew louder, and Owen wondered if Elise liked rivers. He would ask her later, but he asked Ed, "So, how do you stop Anne from escaping? Does she ever try to break out of her area?"

Ed raised a bushy, black brow as he glanced at Owen before saying, "Em, no offence, Owen, but you have the craziest animals to take care of. Queen Anne doesn't try to escape anywhere, and neither does Bark. Our carnivores are pretty content with the consistent food supply, and a safe place to sleep. I think those raptors are the only red level aggression on this island. Bark and Anne are at a nice yellow."

Owen shrugged as he avoided a low hanging branch.

"Fair enough."

He wouldn't have dreamed of walking into the girls' paddock like this; with strangers. The girls wouldn't have hesitated to slaughter the strangers before killing him for bringing danger into their home. Owen had always fought for their respect; he had always had to prove himself.

He was glad the girls had relaxed a little, but he still wouldn't bring strangers into the territory; he didn't care if Elise told them to stand down. Blue didn't like those kinds of surprises.

"Do you have to keep her busy?"

Ed shook his head as he ran a hand through the thick mess of ebony hair before answering, "My Anne is perfectly fine with fishing her heart out before she makes a pass up and down the river. She can walk by the herbivores, but her tracker doesn't let her get very close to where the guests actually kayak. They can see her, but it's at a distance. If you want a close look at her, you have to catch her at the Viewing Window. She catches enough to survive, but I like to give her a little extra to keep her looking really beautiful; extra vitamins and whatnot in the meat."

"She never tries to attack the other dinosaurs?"

Ed glanced over his shoulder again, the river sounding much louder, as he said, "Yellow, Owen. Queen Anne never backs down from a fight, but she's not an opportunistic attacker like raptors are. I'm sure she'd hunt others if she was trying to survive, but there's no need to hunt the others when she's got plenty of fish in the river."

Kate playfully tapped Owen's shoulder as she teased, "Poor Owen doesn't know what to do with dinosaurs that aren't in the red index. I know Elise is a green right now, but she sure as hell didn't start there."

Owen raised an eyebrow when Ed snorted, "She shouldn't have even started at red. 'Very High' aggression did not cover her. I know Elise is all cuddles now, but I am not going to forget that temper of hers. Beware the temper of patient creatures does not do justice in describing Elise right now."

Owen would agree with that; he hardly saw even a hint of her temper, but he wasn't going to forget about it either. She was a much calmer girl now.

Her mind was put to use, she had a job, and support. It was amazing what a little nudge in the right direction did for her.

They stepped out of the thick brush, and Owen was amazed to see the river steadily moving along in front of them. He glanced to his left before letting out a breath at the stunning waterfall misting a rainbow over some jagged rocks. The river was amazingly clear, and Owen blinked at seeing silvery fish leaping out of the water before snapping up insects.

Owen snapped out of his thoughts when Ed clamped a massive hand over his head in order to turn his gaze at the dinosaur in front of them. Owen gave Ed a sideways glance as the man said, "I know it's a pretty sight, but you're here to get a good look at my Anne. Best you look at her before she sees you."

Claire smiled when Owen ruffled his smooshed hair back to life, but he would admit he was amazed by the striking colors of this creature. Queen Anne was twice as long as Blue, and a couple feet taller. She was perfectly still with her crocodile like nose dipped in the water, and her flared nostrils just above the cold river. Owen would have easily mistaken her for a statue, and he liked the striking sky blue patch over her intelligent, gold eyes.

The crystal waters lapped her muscular legs as her massive, almost sickle clawed finger made light skims over the running waters. He liked the sandy colors of her scales, and the dark patterns decorating her hide were beautiful. He swore he saw some thin feathers running down her head, but they lied flat against her skull at the moment; Owen was sure they would raise if she became agitated.

Owen was content to quietly watch her, but he jumped when Anne suddenly struck the waters with a snap of her jaws. The Baryonyx came up with a fat, wriggling fish between her jaws, and she gracefully stepped onto the shores. Owen was glad there was a river between them; he didn't care if she was 'yellow' index. He squinted his eyes before softly asking, "Is that a pile of fish?"

Ed's face split into a wide grin; he looked immensely proud as he said, "You'll never find a better fisher than my Anne. She catches her fish a lot like bears when she can. Sometimes she snaps with her jaws, but she's good at catching them with her hands. That big claw is fantastic for snagging the slippery buggers."

Owen believed it, and he watched Anne claw at the fish, tearing the shining scales apart before she began to yank up the stringy meat. She snapped the meat up, allowing it to slide down her long mouth before swallowing.

A breeze suddenly pushed passed them, and Owen tensed when the Baryonyx immediately abandoned her kill in favor or snapping her burning gaze at the intruders. Owen wasn't sure what to make of Anne actually narrowing her eyes as she scanned over them, but he nearly leapt out of his skin when Ed cupped his hand around his mouth before bellowing, "My sweet Anne! Are you showing those fish who the Queen of this river is?!"

Owen swore Anne was glaring right at him, but she ran a pink tongue over her lips as she silently judged him. He quietly hissed when Ed suddenly smooshed him to his massive side, and hollered, "It's alright, Anne! Owen is just an ugly woman! She's not a man, I swear."

Ed paused to glance down at Owen before adding, "A really ugly woman!"

" _Go to hell, Ed…"_

The bear snorted before quietly asking, "You want your mustache on your lip or on the next FedEx plane to your kin?"

Owen lowered his brows while Claire quietly laughed. Anne seemed unsure of what to do. She knew no woman would look like Owen, but Ed wouldn't lie to her. The man let go of Owen as he walked over to the river side, and grinned. He knew how to put his girl in a good mood. Owen blinked when the man suddenly boomed, _"What will we do with a drunken whaler, what will we do with a drunken whaler, what will we do with a drunken whaler, early in the morning?"_

Owen was pretty sure that singing would scare the life out of 'a drunken whaler early in the morning', but Anne seemed to pause before turning around gracefully. She threw her head back and made an equally piercing shriek that echoed through the jungle.

Owen swore he couldn't stop himself from saying, "Oh my God, they sound exactly the same…"

Kate burst out laughing, and Ed gave Owen a dark look before snapping, "I'm gonna take that as a compliment."

"I am impressed by how you two manage to mimic each other so well."

Ed snorted, but he would accept it as a compliment. Owen would admit he was impressed by how Anne had calmed down; she still glared at him, but she was calmer. Owen was sure the signing would send any animal running, but Anne seemed to find some appeal in it.

"…She is beautiful…"

Ed beamed proudly like he didn't expect any other reaction, and Owen asked, "So I'm guessing she doesn't see Bark?"

Kate shook her head as she smiled at Queen Anne snap up another fish, though she kept a golden eye on Owen at all times.

"Sometimes they fish at the same time, but they stay out of each other's way. Bark is afraid of Queen Anne."

Owen blinked at the blonde as he tried to remember what a Suchomimus looked like. He could have sworn Claire had said Bark was their fourth largest animal. Bark, as big as she was, wasn't a big animal in Jurassic World. Kate smiled as she seemed to read Owen's thoughts, and she said, "We don't think Bark has really figured out just how big she is. I don't know if it's just her personality, or what Suchomimus are in general, but she's…well…a really shy girl. If you stand your ground, or fake a charge at her, it's enough to scare her."

Owen pressed his lips; he just couldn't picture actually doing that with a dangerous carnivore. Rexy would just think him dumb for closing the ground between them before she ate him whole, and Blue would take it as a challenge before launching herself into battle.

Elise would just start playing Godzilla.

Claire gently tapped Owen's shoulder as she reminded, "Yellow, Owen. Bark is a yellow."

"How is she yellow if she's just afraid of everything?"

Kate snorted, but answered, "Bark will fight if she feels cornered, or if you're standing somewhere she feels is rightfully hers. We learned that the hard way, but if you accidently meet her on the trail where she's just walking, just stand your ground; she'll move on."

"…Huh…"

Ed smiled as he walked over to a large boulder at the edge of the river. Owen blinked when the man pulled out a crudely made fishing pole, a strong stick, fishing line, and a hook, before he dug around the cool earth. It was easy to find a wriggling bug to snag on the hook, and he tossed the line into the river.

Anne didn't seem to at all mind her handler fishing on his side of the river, and she deemed her kill picked clean. She waded back into the waters before dipping her nose back into the water.

"Why does she do that?"

Ed glanced over his shoulder as he said, "Bark does it too; it's the crocodile nose. It detects the changes in pressure in the water. Makes for really good fishers."

Owen scratched his jaw before quietly asking Claire, "I wonder if Sobek does that."

Ed continued to expertly move his line along the waters to bait a fish, and Claire answered, "I wonder if Sobek can mellow out if he has somewhere to fish. Mr. Bridges had said he would be content to do that if he could."

"Do we even have a river with that many fish? He hunts sharks. Those fish Anne is eating are like…pocket snacks for Sobek."

Claire snorted before clapping a hand over her mouth. She smacked Owen's shoulder for making her give an unladylike sound, but Owen only grinned at her. They both turned when Ed gave a victorious cry as he yanked up a fat fish. Anne glanced up as Ed unsnagged the fish from the hook, and he called out, "My Anne! Have a fish, Beautiful!"

Anne made her piercing shriek as she stood taller. Ed carefully aimed before throwing the wriggling fish across the river. It was amazing to see the Baryonyx pierce her massive, sickle claw through the flesh before giving another loud cry. Ed only grinned as he searched for more bait.

"I don't think we should try that with Sobek…"

Claire nodded in agreement, and Owen rubbed the back of his neck before sighing. This wasn't going to help them very much. Bark and Anne were acclimated to a life in captivity where they knew they were safe. They had a constant supply of food; people were fellow fishers rather than potential poachers.

Claire glanced at him as she quietly said, "Whatever we do for an attraction, we have to have Sobek fishing. I don't care if we have to mass produce fish for him or even buy from the fishermen. He either gets a river or a very large pond to fish from."

Owen would admit that it was odd to see a carnivore contently fishing alongside humans. They gave each other a respectful amount of space, but it was peaceful here; there was enough fish.

That would be a major key in getting Sobek to relax; they had to always have enough food for him to the point where he wouldn't be so aggressive. Blue and the girls were aggressive by nature, and InGen had liked keeping them a little hungry; they theorized Owen would be able to keep their attention more. Especially if he was the only one providing the food.

InGen had been wrong; the girls had begrudged Owen for not providing enough.

"He still can't see people, Claire; he scares me."

Claire couldn't help teasing, "More than Rexy?"

Owen pressed his lips as he watched Kate join Ed in the fishing; they looked content with life. He had never known things were so quietly peaceful on this side of the island; it made him wonder what Blue and the girls were doing.

Sobek was a different kind of terrifying compared to Rexy. Owen could understand her anger; she didn't want anything in her territory. That was perfectly normal, but Sobek seemed to be just a little too calm. He had stared at Owen like he was nothing; a mere speck compared to him.

Rexy gave her full blown, fiery attention to any stranger, but Sobek seemed almost bored by humans; like he couldn't be bothered to kill them until they irritated him enough. Owen didn't think more patient was the right way to describe Sobek. More like too proud to be bothered; it was on the tip of Owen's tongue, and it drove him nuts.

"Rexy is fine with her attraction, Claire. Sobek is something else."

A loud roar caused Owen to jump, almost knocking into Claire, and he was ready to get moving. That animal sounded big, and Owen didn't want to see it. Kate turned her head down river before cupping her hands against her mouth. She blew air into her hands, and the whistle came out in a loud, yet soft cry. Owen blinked but Kate glanced at them as she said, "It's how the Indians used to call their horses over without actually whistling. It sounds like a bird, huh?"

Owen nodded in agreement; it sounded like a mourning dove. He wondered what Blue would do if he made that sound around her.

"Can you show me how to do that?"

Kate nodded as Owen sat down next to her, mindful of the suspicious glance Anne was giving him. Owen wondered if he should try to make his voice higher pitched to be more convincing.

"Just cup your right hand over your left like this; make sure it's airtight, and there's a golf ball sized chamber. That's right, now your thumbs should be even with one another."

Owen mirrored the position on his hands, and kept a small opening between his thumbs; like small slit. Kate nodded before saying, "Now make an 'O' shape with your mouth, and just blow."

Claire burst out laughing when Owen ended up sounding like Darth Vader.

Kate gave a small laugh before comfortingly saying, "It's fine; it took me awhile to get it."

Owen adjusted his hands before trying again; he didn't really improve, and he sighed, "It's the resonating chamber all over again…"

Before Kate could ask, another loud roar sounded as heavy footsteps told of a large creature walking towards them. Owen wasn't sure what to do, but he blinked at the navy blue scales shyly peeking from the emerald leaves. She was only a few feet shorter than what Rexy was, but she seemed smaller to Owen. She wasn't very demanding in her presence, and Anne only gave the massive creature a sideways glance. Kate smiled as she said, "I guess Bark decided she wanted an early snack."

"That's Bark?"

Kate nodded, and she called out, "You're alright, Babe!"

Bark flickered her gaze over to the group, and Owen raised an eyebrow when she pulled herself further into the leaves. Bark would glance around, looking for any threats before pulling back into the leaves. She would wait a few minutes before peeking out again, and repeating the process.

"She really doesn't know how big she is, does she?"

Kate gave a small smile when Bark finally took a shy step out, and said, "No; poor baby. She'd probably have a heart attack at seeing someone bigger than her."

The Suchomimus had finally stepped out enough that Owen could clearly see the bold yellow lavishly decorating her hide. It was a pretty color; freckling on her long face before turning into complimenting, bold stripes along her body. Bark also had a large sickle claw on her hand like Queen Anne, and Owen wondered why Sobek didn't have the same thing. These animals were in the same Family. Bark and Queen Anne resembled one another in face shape and hands, so why didn't Sobek have the sickle claw?

Owen wondered if Sobek wasn't completely true to his ancestors. It wasn't like they actually had a skeleton of a Spinosaurus; Madre didn't count because she had been created as well. If Sobek was different like that, how else was he different?

Owen wasn't sure if he wanted to find out, but he blew through his hands again. He adjusted his mouth against his thumbs before brightening at the small, almost whistle sound. Kate smiled, and said, "Now the hardest part is actually doing that again."

"Great."

Claire smiled at Owen sitting on the rocky dirt; she liked him.

She really liked him.

Anne gave a piercing shriek when she felt Bark had gotten just a little too close, and the large carnivore averted her gaze as she sidestepped further down the river. Ed only chuckled, but Anne looked miffed; like it was an inconvenience to have to remind everyone of her authority here.

She was the Queen of the river.

Owen continued to blow into his hands as he thought. He liked to do mindless things while thinking; it helped him. He knew that if Sobek came here, no matter what, he would have to have a spot to fish. That didn't leave a lot of options as far as placement of paddock went. Unless Claire wanted to take the time and money to create a pond for Sobek, but that seemed like such a large hassle.

And he could not be under the spotlight of guests; Sobek would lose his temper. Plenty of food or not, the Spinosaurus was not going to be tolerating of that many humans. Owen could just imagine what the old dinosaur would do to a bunch of cheering guests in a log.

It would look and sound a lot like people trapped in an airplane.

Owen was getting dizzy, and he paused to catch his breath. He flickered his gaze between the two fishing animals with plenty of space between them. They were almost mirrors in how they fished. It amazed him just how much Bark had actually relaxed as she focused on her task. Even if she had forced herself to remain completely still, there was a peace about her. Fishing made her happy.

"Does Bark ever get agitated around guests?"

Kate nodded sadly before saying, "Yeah, she does. She's the hardest one to find on the cruise, and it's usually just a glimpse. She doesn't like to nest near the Viewing Window like Anne is fine with doing. Guests have to be really quiet when I feed Bark or else she leaves."

"She never tries to attack them?"

Kate snorted before repeating, "She is a very shy, easily startled girl, Owen. Bark doesn't look for fights."

Owen scratched his head in frustration; he hadn't found the answers he had been hoping for. Bridges had already said what kept Sobek calm, and Owen wasn't sure they could provide that for him.

And Claire was going to give Bridges an answer by noon.

Ed tossed another fish to Anne, and Kate made her soft cry with her hands. Bark never made a cry, but she did flick her tail in acknowledgment. Owen sighed; these two weren't what he needed. What he needed was a calmer Spinosaurus to observe, and he didn't think such a thing existed.

He gave another sigh before blowing into his hands once more. He startled at the shrill sound; it did not sound like a mourning dove at all. He glanced up when Ed quietly said to him, "Good job, but you're probably going to have to leave now."

"What, why?"

Owen followed the man's gaze before wincing under the furious gaze. Anne looked downright offended. How did he manage to always make the wrong sounds around the wrong animals?

"What did I say?"

Ed snorted, but backed up when Anne took a step forward; he knew when she was in the mood to fight. No amount of merry songs would sway her mood, but Owen would be smart if he left right now. The bearded man answered, "I don't know, but it didn't sound very nice, did it?"

Owen hoisted himself up when the Baryonyx seemed to be seriously contemplating charging; it was time to go. Kate gave another glance at her Suchomimus quietly stepping away; afraid of Anne's rage, and she said, "I'll walk you guys back before Anne shreds Owen."

Ed snorted before calling out, "My Anne! Have another fish!"

The Baryonyx snapped her jaws into the well tossed food, but she didn't take her glare off Owen. She was obviously angry, and Owen pressed his lips. He turned his head when Claire called out his name. She was waving him over, not wanting him to get left behind, and he turned back to say his farewell to Ed.

Owen hadn't expected the slimy slap to his face. It crashed hard into his cheek, and he stumbled back in shock; instincts of survival kicking into gear. He had stupidly turned his back to this carnivore, and she had taken her chance.

Ed was roaring with laughter as he held himself, and Anne let out a shriek of victory as she made a graceful turn. Owen spat out the fishy taste when he realized the would be assassin was lying dead at his feet. Anne had thrown her fish at him, and he would admit he was amazed by her aim.

Smacked him square in the face.

Ed had tears rolling down his cheeks, and Anne's seemingly smug look didn't help any. She acted like nothing wrong had been done, and would glance at Owen out of the corner of her eye as she went back to fishing. Bark looked unsure of what to do, and she shifted her nervous, orange gaze back to the comfort of the thick jungle; it was quiet in there.

Owen wiped his face and tongue as Ed finally calmed down enough to say, "Oh that was amazing. There's no escaping Queen Anne's revenge. I wouldn't make that sound around her again."

Kate was heard laughing from the hidden trail, and Claire covered her mouth to hide her smile. Owen only rolled his eyes, but he backed away when Anne snapped her jaws in a show of dominance. He wasn't going to challenge her here.

"See you, Ed."

The bear gave a wave of his hand before picking up his fishing pole again. He inspected the pole as he replied, "I might come to see your girls, Owen. See if they're as scary as everyone says."

"Your singing will definitely startle them, Ed. If you ever come face to face with Blue, just start singing; she won't have any idea what to do with that."

Owen chuckled when Ed's booming laugh finally caused Bark to retreat back into the jungle; she would fish when things were quiet and calm.

" _Stuff him in a sack, and throw him over, stuff him in a sack, and throw him over, stuff him in a sack and throw him over, early in the morning!"_

Owen grimaced at the bellowing before Anne's piercing shriek joined in Ed's cryptic song. The booming laugh echoed through the jungle before the song continued, and Owen wondered if any wildlife actually stayed nearby. He actually had no idea if Blue would actually be brave enough to investigate Ed's singing.

She would probably come get him first, and that thought made Owen smile.

He caught up to Claire as he said, "Learn anything?"

"Queen Anne has an amazing arm."

Kate laughed, but Owen said, "I'm serious, Claire. We really do need to think of something…"

Claire pressed her lips as she grabbed Owen's shirt for balance before saying, "I know… Do you have any ideas?"

"No…"

Owen trailed off, and he didn't like seeing Claire sag; he wanted her to be happy. He really did want to be helpful, but he was stumped. They walked in silence before coming back to the jeep, and Owen nudges Claire as he softly offered, "I'll go talk to Elise about it; kick some ideas around with her. She's smart, and maybe she'll come up with something we don't know, right?"

Claire nodded before she gracefully climbed into the car. Owen was glad to see that half smile on her face; he was almost wrapped around her finger, and he wasn't going to complain about it.

Kate patted her pockets before sighing, "Oh, shoot; I left my radio at the river. I'll be back in a few minutes, sorry."

Claire nodded before reclining back into her seat. They were in a comfortable silence, before an ornery thought struck Owen. He couldn't stop his sly, crooked smile as he leaned closer to the oblivious redhead before quietly saying, "Psst."

Claire raised an eyebrow, but turned her gaze to Owen before the lips quickly pressed against her own. She was startled, and almost melted into the warm feeling trickling down her spine. The kiss wasn't demanding or rough, and Claire was enamored by the gentleness.

Then she tasted the slimy fish.

" _Owen! Absolutely not!"_

Owen began to howl with laughter as Claire stumbled out of the car while spitting out the taste. He knew she was something of a germophobe, and that was an opportunity he would never pass up. He laughed harder when Claire had managed to smear her lipstick off, and she snapped, "That is disgusting! I cannot believe you!"

He only grinned wider under the fiery gaze before teasing, "I thought you liked raw fish; you said you wanted sushi last night."

Claire crinkled her nose as she began to furiously dig through her bag. Owen was still laughing, and he lost it when Claire shoved a mint in his mouth before eating her own. Claire rolled her eyes as she vigorously rubbed the hand sanitizer into her skin, and muttered, "You butt-head…"

"Ah, you wouldn't know what to do without me."

Claire sniffed as she reapplied her makeup before coolly retorting, "You just wait until Mama hears about this."

She gave a victorious smirk when Owen paled just the slightest. He opened his mouth before quickly saying, "Now hold on; let's not do anything drastic, Claire…"

The redhead gave a sly smile as she contemplated her response. Rexy was a treasure for scaring the life out of Owen, and she finally put her purse away before saying, "You get to buy tonight's dinner, and I get to pick the place."

Owen had expected something much more sadistic, but he felt his lips tugging up as he coyly asked, "A third date with you, Miss Dearing? Hardly a punishment. Deal."

Claire smiled as she patted Owen's hand, and said, "I never said what restaurant we were going to, and Mama will hear about this third date. Don't get cheap on me, and no board shorts."

Owen pressed his lips; his wallet was going to be a sorry sight by morning, and he had a feeling his tie was going to be put to its proper use. It was currently keeping a broken door shut, but he cringed.

A formal attire date. What a cruel world this was.


	59. Chapter 59

**A/N**

 **Hey guys! Did you know that five minutes in a dust storm at my place turns all my animals the same shade of dusty, dirt brown? *The more you know***

 **Anyway, busy chapter here.**

 **Guest, you did not misread that, that was my mistake, and I went back to correct it; thank you for saying something.**

 **Guest, you are right, Queen Anne the Baryonyx is named after Blackbeard's ship.**

 **Guest, I'm starting a diet; I have no more sugar at my disposal, but I'm glad you're all for the less sweet.**

 **Guest, I have no promises on adding those dinosaurs; I probably won't add them; sorry.**

 **ReginaDC21, I hope you get some AC at your place; thanks for leaving a review.**

 **Shadowfire, I'm pretty sure that link has been on my profile for awhile.**

 **OREO, they have Megastuffed Oreos in existence!**

 **Most importantly, I sincerely thank you guys much and mighty for taking the time to read and review this story. Have a wonderful day/night! For those of you in school; stay strong! Weekend is almost here.**

* * *

"Bird Watching."

"You know what I would do in the Purge? Talk really loud in the library."

Jackie started laugh, and Lowery was actually startled by it. He had grown so used to Control's quiet snorts that he hadn't expected anything else.

He had made Jackie laugh.

A small, shy smile pulled at Lowery's lips before he went back to Jackie's beat-up laptop. It was a nightmare for any tech-geek, but Lowery wasn't going to say anything rude about it. The back had been decorated in peeling stickers, a couple keys were missing, and Lowery had almost fallen over at seeing small blades of grass growing from the keyboard.

Jackie had said it was a prank.

They were sitting at a quiet Starbucks; Jackie had an opening in work, and Lowery had taken his break a few minutes early. He really didn't think Jackie was serious about him fixing her laptop, and he was pretty sure he would never hear from her after this.

That's how it seemed to usually go for him, and Lowery was used to it.

"So, are you friends with Elise?"

Lowery was so focused on the monsters before him that he had almost forgotten how pretty Jackie was with her hair in a braid. Was she even wearing makeup? Lowery honestly couldn't tell. He furrowed his brows before shrugging, "I'm her uncle and godfather; I picked her middle name. I've actually only seen her in person a couple times, but I talk to her a lot over the speakers."

The tech-geek froze when Jackie made an 'Aw', and he had no idea what to do with the look she was giving him. It wasn't a bad look he didn't think, but he was pretty sure it wasn't really meant for him.

"That's adorable! I didn't know Cutie-Pie had an uncle; I bet you're a hilarious uncle. What's her middle name?"

Lowery blinked a few times before reminding himself to breathe.

Oxygen is good for the lungs; breathe in and out but not too quickly.

"Um…A-America. Her name is Elise America Grady."

Jackie crinkled her nose in a smile before asking, "It's because she's such a badass, huh? That's a cool middle name."

Lowery grinned, and half wondered if there was anything in his teeth. The time to wonder that was not when he was smiling. Did he need to brush his teeth? For the fifth time today, he had to remind himself that he did in fact wear deodorant.

A silence fell between them, and Lowery had no idea if it was awkward or not. Jackie wasn't even on her phone; she was just…people watching. Lowery liked her, and he wondered if she knew how beautiful she was. He was, once again, startled when Jackie asked, "So, what's your favorite dinosaur here?"

Lowery really had no idea why she kept talking to him; he didn't mind it, but he didn't understand it. She was way out of his league, but she didn't act like it.

Jackie was acting nice.

He gave a sheepish grin before quietly saying, "Well, there's an old Apatosaurus; she likes peaches, and-"

"That's Cherry! I love Cherry; she's hilarious."

Lowery blinked again, but gave a short laugh as he said, "Yeah, that's her. I guess you're her doctor then?"

Jackie nodded before saying, "Cherry is an old sweetheart. How do you know her?"

"You know the hologram in the Visitor's Center?"

Jackie's eyes went wide, and she quietly asked, "Did you make that hologram of Cherry?"

Lowery gave a shy nod, and he startled when Jackie exclaimed, "That's incredible! That's my favorite one! You even got her little scars just right; I didn't know you did that! Did you make the other holograms?"

The tech-geek shook his head before saying, "No, but I am helping create Elise's hologram."

Jackie looked him over for a second before a wide smile pulled her lips up. Lowery had half a mind to thump his chest to get his heart back into gear. There was no way this was healthy for him. His hands were getting really sweaty again, and he needed to focus on the laptop to calm himself down.

"That's going to be the most badass hologram, Lowery."

Lowery shyly peeked at her, and he was surprised by the sincerity. He gave a smile as he said, "I…I think it's fun; it'll be done soon if things go well."

"I can't wait to see it."

Lowery smiled; he couldn't either. The final product was always so breathtaking.

There was a nice breeze going by, and Jackie had finished her coffee by the time Lowery finally said, "There. Done. You should be good to go; you just needed some anti-virus software, and a major cleanup."

The vet brightened when her laptop was handed back, and Lowery expected her to ditch as soon as possible. He was right, and internally sighed when Jackie glanced at her watch before saying, "Oh, shoot. I really need to go; I have to help Dr. Gerry with a couple Microceratus. They're so cute, but they're hard to catch."

Lowery gave a smile as he nodded; he actually believed that excuse, but it was nice while it lasted. He stood as she did, but was cut off by her handing him the napkin as she said, "We should stay in touch; you're really funny, and we can get some coffee again sometime. Text me."

Lowery heard all of that, and he was not sure what to do with that information. He numbly nodded as he tried to figure out if the number was legit, and froze when Jackie suddenly hugged him. He didn't even get a chance to return it, and she smiled while saying, "See you around, Lowery!"

Lowery half waved as the blue hair became lost in the crowd, and he glanced down at the napkin. There was an actual number on there. From a girl. A really pretty girl who he really liked. And she didn't even seem crazy. She gave her number to him.

And told him to text her.

Had Lowery been a computer, he would currently be showing the Blue Screen Error.

Lowery tried to swallow as he attempted to think about his next move. Had Jackie been serious? He needed help; Lowery needed help, he needed Tech-Support to fix this. The man sighed; that was his thought process. He needed someone who was actually good around women.

He knew a guy, and Lowery immediately began his quick, half run, half walk towards the Rex Kingdom before he went into a full-blown panic. He could be a little late to work; Claire wouldn't know, and this was an emergency.

* * *

"Alright, Sunshine; that's what I pretty much learned from Bark and Anne. If Sobek is going to be here, then he absolutely has to fish."

Elise gave a single nod as she began to think. Alpha Claire was set on bringing Sobek here, but Sobek wasn't very good around humans apparently. Elise didn't understand what Owen had meant about Sobek being too comfortable around them. She was very comfortable around humans, and so was Rexy. Blue wasn't afraid of them either. It sounded like Queen Anne wasn't afraid to challenge a human in her territory either.

But Bark sounded like she was afraid of humans; Elise wondered if she would ever be able to meet these other dinosaurs; maybe someday. She didn't feel the need to leave the island, but she did want to explore it. She was eager to see a new section of the Restricted Area in today's training session.

She was less eager to see Blake again, and she wasn't sure if she could help him in any way aside from avoiding him. Sam had made it clear that he wanted her to work with Blake. Elise wanted to tell Sam that Blake didn't like her, but she had a feeling he would tell her to get over it.

Sam said that a lot.

"You got any ideas, Baby?"

Elise scratched at the dirt in thought as she tried to think of something, but it seemed hard. This would be easier if Sobek wasn't so large, and she didn't understand why Claire wanted her records so badly. Elise was curious about what she was made of as well, but it wasn't like she was going to do anything with that information.

Her curiosity could usually get the better of her if she didn't have to invest too much, and Sobek sounded like a very large investment. He was dangerous, and Elise didn't like that. She wanted to see a Spinosaurus though; she wanted to meet another who was larger than her. She was afraid of getting bigger; she would have to be even more careful around her family and the guests.

Elise let out a breath as she shook her head before glancing over to the thick trees. Echo and Delta were currently curled in the thick ferns, but she knew Blue was sleeping on Rexy. Now it was getting odd to ever see them apart. Blue still did her patrols with the pack, but she didn't like to be far away from Rexy for very long, and even the old Tyrannosaur would get agitated if Blue took too long.

Owen wasn't aware of who was sleeping just behind the tree line, and she would not be telling him unless he tried to go over there. It just seemed like the better thing to do; Elise didn't like the idea of Rexy and Owen interacting. Owen was still too jumpy, and Elise was afraid he would make Rexy angry. At least the raptors could outrun Rexy if ever needed, but Owen would have to depend on them for protection.

Elise paused from her thoughts when a chirping bird caught her attention, and she felt her spirits lift. It was a colorful bird, delicate looking, and it made a pretty sound. Owen smiled at her before startling at footsteps hitting the pavement in a fast walk. It was too loud in the empty room, and he sighed; he was probably going to have to tell an overeager child to reign it in.

Elise didn't like it when he had to tell children to behave themselves, but they just got too rowdy if he didn't say anything.

Owen waited patiently as Elise continued to admire the bird, but she glanced over at Lowery's breathless, "Oh, thank God! I _really_ need your expert advice Owen."

Elise and Owen briefly glanced at each other, and Owen was confused by the crumpled napkin in Lowery's hand. The man was clearly shaken, and Owen asked, "Um, with what? What's wrong?"

Elise watched Lowery pause to look at the crumpled ball in his hand, like he was assuring himself that he wasn't crazy, and he looked downright scared.

"I…I got a girl's number!"

Owen raised an eyebrow, and Elise tilted her head. She wasn't sure what was bad about that. She thought numbers were fine, was there something bad about 'a girl's number'?

She watched Owen scratch his head in thought before slowly asking, "Is that a bad thing? Whose number did you get?"

"Jackie's number…. I don't know what to do with it…"

Elise puffed air through her nose; there was nothing bad about Jackie, and she didn't understand why Lowery was getting so worked up about it. Owen couldn't help dryly saying, "See, with phone numbers, you usually put that sequence into your phone. That's how you can call or text, Lowery. Did Jackie just hand you her number, or did you ask for it?"

Lowery wrinkled his forehead in stress before saying, "She gave it to me after fixing her laptop. She told me to text her."

Owen blinked before rolling his eyes as he dryly said, "Then you text her, Lowery. That's why she gave you her number; honestly, women aren't _that_ complicated. She outright told you to text her. Aren't you supposed to be working? You know Claire went to Control after we came back from seeing the Baryonyx and Suchomimus."

A small flash of panic went across Lowery's face, but he still wasn't quite understanding what to do with the markings on the Starbucks napkin. Owen waited for him to say something, and Lowery finally asked, "How do I know if a girl likes me? Because the last one actually had a boyfriend, and I didn't find that out until I tried to kiss her."

Owen couldn't stop his snort, but Elise gave him a dirty look; it wasn't nice to make fun of Lowery when he came to them for help. His body was truly stressed, and Elise could see the shiny forehead.

Poor Lowery was sick with stress.

Elise gently nudged Owen to be helpful, and he finally said, "She gave you her number, right? That's a pretty good indicator that a girl likes you; just text her and see where it goes. Ask her out."

Lowery narrowed his eyes at the obvious answer before saying, "Owen, I'm not…you. I'm not Mr. Smooth who is out of the Navy and the badass who rides his motorcycle with the Velociraptors. I'm the guy who hides in a dark room all day with his face glued to a computer screen to watch people. Sometimes, I forget the sun exists."

Elise made a concerned croon; even she was never denied the gentle kisses of the warm sun. Why was Lowery stuck in darkness all day? She didn't like that, but Owen patted her cheek comfortingly before saying, "It's not that hard to ask a girl out. Come on, just…ask her to go get coffee with you. That's a Starbucks napkin, right? She likes coffee, go get coffee with her."

"What if it creeps her out?"

Owen paused; he had never been in this situation before, and he wasn't exactly feeling very patient with the time limit Claire had set for herself. He finally said, "Lowery, I doubt it'll creep her out if she gave you her number. Besides, Jackie is really nice. Just ask her if she wants to get coffee, and then go on from there. Seriously, quit being a chicken."

Elise wanted to roll her eyes; Owen was not being helpful. Lowery wanted guidance, and Owen was pulling a Sam. The tech-geek chewed on his lip before asking, "How do I ask her that?"

Elise tilted her head, and Owen blinked before saying, "Give me your phone, man."

"What? No!"

"If you won't text her, then I will. It's a simple question that gets a yes or no answer."

"But I'm afraid of getting the no answer. How do I not get the no answer? That's what your expertise lies in, doesn't it?"

Elise garbled at Owen to be a better teacher, but the man gave her a look. It was his impatient look that he gave her when she wanted to pause to smell the flowers or say hello to a passing bug. Humans were always in such a hurry. Owen pressed his lips when Elise gently nudged him again, and he finally asked, "You make her laugh, right?"

"Yeah…I guess…"

"You can carry a conversation with her? She talks to you? Does she play with her phone when you guys are talking?"

"Kind of, yes, and no."

Owen shrugged as if the answer was obvious. Elise still wasn't sure why Lowery was so afraid of Jackie, but she wished she could help him. Lowery crumpled the napkin nervously, and Owen finally said, "Lowery, just ask her if she wants to get coffee. Jackie is really nice. You already got the hardest part over; you got her number, and she doesn't seem like the type who would give a rejection hotline number."

"It's not…"

Lowery trailed off, and Owen paused; he didn't need Lowery to tell him how he knew that. Lowery already recognized most rejection hotline numbers. Owen rubbed the back of his neck before quietly asking, "You like her?"

"Yeah…I just don't want to creep her out with my nerdiness…"

Elise perked up; Lowery liked Jackie. Of course he did, but he was interested in having her as a mate? Elise approved of that idea; she thought they would be good mates. She would help Lowery like she had helped Owen with Claire.

Lowery needed flowers to give to Jackie.

Owen raised an eyebrow when Elise suddenly pulled back, and she pushed through the thick brush. She knew where a very pretty flower was, and Rexy cracked open a glazed, golden orb when Elise leaned over her. Blue shifted in her sleep before letting out a sigh, and Elise plucked up the blue flower. It was simple, but it smelled very nice, and the blue reminded Elise of Jackie's hair. Rexy let out a deep rumble when Elise pulled back, and she drifted off again when she felt Blue give another sigh.

Owen had to smile when Elise held the flower out to Lowery. The tech-geek took it with confusion, and Elise gave an encouraging shiver of her jaws. She wished him the best in courting Jackie, but Lowery said, "Thanks?"

Owen snorted as he said, "Elise wants you to give the flower to Jackie. Why not?"

Lowery had no idea why not, but he couldn't think of a good reason to give her the flower either. It really was pretty, but he was afraid of doing the wrong thing. He pressed his lips, but yelped when Owen's radio crackled. The tech-geek look mortified when Claire dryly said, "Lowery you can figure out that stuff later, but your break ended about five minutes ago."

" _It was an emergency!"_

Elise tilted her head when Lowery made to scramble away, and she huffed before scooping him into her palm. Lowery let out a yelp at the handling, and Owen said, "Baby, Lowery is late enough as it is."

Elise didn't care; it was an emergency. Lowery was terrified of Jackie not liking him back, and she wanted to help him. She was glad when Lowery went quiet at seeing the lightly sleeping raptors, but he blinked when Elise carved into the dirt.

' _BE YOU'_

He read it over a few times, startled that Elise had actually written, and puzzled by the message. He glanced up before asking, "Be me? Like, what? Just be myself around Jackie?"

Elise nodded as she made a soft sound; she was happy Lowery had gotten it so easily, but he quietly asked, "But what if she doesn't like me?"

Elise tilted her head; if Jackie didn't want Lowery as a mate then it was as simple as that. Why was Lowery so afraid of being rejected? Had he been rejected by other females? It certainly seemed like that, and that made Elise sad. She didn't want him to be with the wrong mate though; he needed someone who liked him, and if he had to be rejected again in order to find the right mate, then so be it. She would be here to comfort him.

Lowery glanced back down when Elise simply tapped her writing again, and he sighed, "I really need to go Elise."

Elise tapped the words once more before setting him free. The tech-geek gave an unsure glance at the vibrant flower in his hand before quickly leaving to get a chewing from Claire. Owen waited a few minutes for the footsteps to disappear before he picked up his radio.

"Go easy on the poor guy, Claire."

Owen couldn't help his smile when Claire sighed, "I had to get him out of there before you gave him bad advice. I could just see him destroying himself with any of the flirting techniques you try."

"Hey, they work, don't they?"

Owen laughed when Claire simply answered, "No."

He put the radio back on his hip before winking at Elise as he playfully said, "She knows my moves work."

Elise made a soft chirp at Owen; she wasn't sure he had Claire figured out quite like he thought he did. The same went to Claire, and Elise found it funny to see these two run circles around one another. She had a feeling human courting wasn't as simple as her instincts told her it was.

But that was the humans' problem, not hers.

"So, Sunshine, are we going to take the girls for a run, or are we going to find a solution for Sobek?"

Elise was pretty sure Claire would appreciate them coming up with a solution to Sobek before they went and had their fun. Even Blue made sure the pack did their work before they would get playful with one another.

Her attention was grabbed by another bird chirping in the trees, and she thoughts they were beautiful. Owen smiled as he leaned on her cheek before asking, "Like the birds, Baby?"

Elise nodded, and Owen chuckled before saying, "You know, there's this thing called evolution where animals basically change to better adapt to their environment. Some people, like Dr. Grant, say that some dinosaurs never went extinct; they just evolved into something else. Velociraptors like the girls evolved into birds, that's pretty cool, huh?"

The Indominus glanced down at Delta and Echo as she tried to picture them as birds. They didn't sing quite as pretty as some of these birds, and they didn't have feathers. She wasn't sure how Velociraptors managed to turn into birds, but she didn't trouble herself with those thoughts. It was an interesting fact to know.

"Could you picture Rexy as a bird?"

Elise snorted; she couldn't picture Rexy as anything else. No animal commanded the graceful majesty that was Rexy. Maybe Sobek had some presence about himself, but Elise doubted he could compare to Rexy.

Owen chuckled again as he glanced down at his girls; he was itching to give them a run, and his ribs weren't hurting as bad today. They were getting better, but he had promised Claire he would kick ideas around with Elise.

"Maybe we could have a reinforced platform going over the river, but I could see that distracting Sobek from his fishing. I don't know if he would try to knock it over. I feel like he would try, and he's pretty tall…"

Owen actually hadn't seen Sobek standing, but he was massive enough as it was when he was laying down. That sail on his back really gave him height, and Owen wondered if Sobek had held more vibrant scales in his younger days. He really was a rusty grey, but Owen wasn't supposed to care about color; just getting Sobek in a safe spot on the island because come hell or high water, Claire intended to bring him here.

"I used to try and catch birds, but I never could get one. They always took off before I could get too close."

Elise felt her lips being pulled into a smile; she could picture a hatchling Owen trying to catch birds; it was an adorable image to her. Birds would flee if she stepped too close, but they regarded her differently from humans.

It was like they deemed humans much more dangerous than fellow animals.

Elise wasn't sure what to make of that, but she wondered if Jesús could catch birds; he said he had to bird watch them; the birds couldn't see him. Elise crinkled her snout in thought before Owen suddenly said, "My mom loves to watch birds; she keeps a really beautiful garden that attracts all kinds of humming birds. They're really pretty, and she likes to sit ion her porch just watching them. She had one once, but its wing had been hurt. I thought Mom would have tried to keep the bird, but she let it go. She said it was wrong to keep a bird caged; they were prettier when they could fly free."

Elise personally agreed with that, and she wondered if the flying ones in the glass nest would be prettier if they were set free. Did they ever get to feel the sea's breeze under their wings? Elise wasn't sure, and that thought made her sad; she wouldn't focus on that. There was nothing she could do for them, and they were dangerous.

Did Jesús ever try to watch the flying ones? He would definitely have to stay hidden because those ones would attack him. Elise hoped he would be careful around them, but she suddenly paused.

The flying ones were dangerous dinosaur birds. Sobek was a dangerous dinosaur. If dinosaurs had 'evolved' into birds…

Then why couldn't the humans bird watch Sobek?

Elise perked up; the humans could see Sobek if they were hidden. If Sobek didn't see them, then he could fish in peace, and no human would be harmed.

Elise garbled at Owen excitedly, and he gave her a confused look before saying, "Please don't tell me you want the Pteranodons and Dimorphodons loose, because that didn't go over very well last time."

Elise crinkled her snout; she didn't know what those jumbled words were, and she shook her head. Owen brightened as he asked, "Got an idea about Sobek?"

Elise immediately nodded, and Owen all but jumped into her hand to get to the ground. Elise treasured the way Owen completely trusted her with his life, and she gently set him down before positioning herself in between him and Rexy. If a breeze passed through, she would be blocking it. Elise was sure Rexy wouldn't attack Owen here, but Elise didn't want to take any chances.

Elise paused to remember what Jesús had said about how he bird watched. He used his camera to take pictures, but there was another tool he used. The one that let him see birds up close without getting close to the birds. She couldn't remember what it was; she had never heard the word before. Owen waited expectantly, and she finally wrote, _'BIRD WACH SOBEK'_

Owen looked over the sentence over before saying, "There's a silent 'T' after the 'A', Sunshine."

Elise cursed the silent letter for having the audacity to butt in where it didn't belong. She corrected the sentence, and Owen crossed his arms in thought before he began to chew his lip. He finally uncrossed his arms as he slowly said, "I think you're onto something, Baby…"

Elise crooned proudly; she was helping make progress, and Owen tapped his foot before saying, "It wouldn't be up close like guests like, but…if we had powerful enough binoculars…guests could see him just fine, and it won't cost a lot to maintain."

The Indominus nodded; that was the jumbled word. Binoculars. It was a funny sounding word, and she wondered what it looked like. It was easier to remember the word when she knew what it was referring to.

"Yeah…I like that idea, Baby Girl… We could do a lot with that…"

Owen gave that warm smile that made Elise feel good about herself, and he said, "Damn good, Baby, damn good. You know you're really smart, right? Much smarter than a lot of people I know."

Elise couldn't stop herself from flattening to the ground before half rolling onto her back. She had no idea why she liked exposing her vulnerable underbelly to Owen, but she felt it was her way of showing her own trust to him. She certainly didn't do this with Rexy, but she trusted Owen.

He smiled before pulling his radio off his hip. He read over the words as Elise stretched in the comfortable dirt. She smiled at the growing plant in the glass jar; it was too fragile to plant, but Owen intended to bring a better container for the oak hatchling to grow in. Apparently this hatchling liked wet soil, but the soil had to drain really well; the glass jar didn't allow that.

"Hey, Claire? Elise figured out an idea."

Elise turned her warm gaze to Owen; she loved how he would never try to take another's idea. Owen smiled at the snow scaled dinosaur when Claire excitedly asked, "What? What did Elise think of?"

Owen absent mindedly scratched at the scales as he explained the idea to Claire. Elise was content to melt under the fingers' soothing massage, but she cracked open a crimson eye when Claire said, "Elise, you're smart. That's a wonderful idea. I can get that to my Planning Team right now; thank you."

Elise relished the pride in Claire's voice. She had made her second mother proud, and she had helped the Alpha of this island. That made her feel good, and she relaxed into the soil even more. Today was a good day. Jesús was a very good person for helping her out, and she hoped to see him soon again. She would thank him, and Owen chuckled before saying, "Alright, Baby. We'll let Claire's miracle workers get it done; now we can have some fun."

Elise garbled at the bright look lighting up Owen's eyes; he loved nothing more than taking his girls for a run. Elise enjoyed it too; it was fun to simply run as a pack. She nodded, and Owen said, "My bike is over by the paddock doors; we can go get it right now."

Owen didn't wait for a response as he darted for the tree line. Elise all but had a heart attack in her haste to stop Owen from running face first into Rexy, and the man yelped when Elise suddenly snagged him.

"Hey! What?!"

Elise winced at the loudness, and she held her breath as she glanced at the trees. They didn't move, and Owen raised an eyebrow when Elise let her breath out. He followed her gaze before asking again, "What?"

Elise carefully poked her head in first to make sure the carnivore was still sleeping before she gently parted the brush back.

Owen paled at the forest scales. Elise took another step back, and Owen hissed, "Why didn't you say something?!"

They both froze when the carnivore let out a large exhale, but Elise gently nuzzled Owen. He sighed before saying, "Let me know next time so I can stay out. Rexy might still think I'm dead, and I am fine with that. I don't know if she really saw me when Blue and she were hunting down that guy."

The paintball guy they still had no answers on.

Elise glanced at her mother before tapping her nose. Owen raised an eyebrow before asking, "Can she smell me on you?"

Elise nodded, and Owen risked a glance at the sleeping giant. So the old lady didn't hate him enough to abandon Elise for not killing him. It certainly didn't mean Rexy was going to tolerate him in her territory, and he had no intent of sticking even one toe on her side of the paddock.

Owen wasn't going to push anything with Rexy. The girls had to do what he said, but he didn't want to try and exert his authority over a forty foot dinosaur who was older than him. He had to respect his elders.

"Maybe we'll leave the run for a little later. Is she always here?"

Elise shook her head; Rexy rarely made the trek to her false log. She would sometimes come over if she grew worried about Blue or if Elise didn't respond to a roar to come home. Rexy was a good mother, but she wasn't going to walk all over kingdom come to find her hatchlings if they were perfectly fine.

Today, Elise hadn't gone over to meet Rexy because she had to wait for Jesús. Rexy hadn't been too thrilled to know her orders to come home were ignored, but Elise had won her over with a good grooming. Blue was good for getting the little itches, but Elise was better for grooming.

Elise glanced down when Owen said, "I guess she's just being a good Mama, huh?"

The Indominus nodded, and Owen smiled at her before saying, "We got another training session at noon. What do we want to do until our next training session?"

Elise paused to think before she wrote in the dirt.

' _SOBEK'_

Owen peered down at it before giving a smile. Elise leaned against a tree as she cradled Owen in her palms. He sat down before batting her long fingers; she had already heard this story, but she was very curious about the Spinosaurus; Owen didn't blame her.

"So, I walk in, and I actually thought the dinosaur was gone. It wasn't until the drool fell on my shoulder that I looked up, and boom. Sobek was right over me."

Owen paused to smile when Elise gave her sucked in laugh; she found it very funny that such an observant creature missed something so large. It concerned her mildly, but Owen was alive and well. Now it was funny because it was over and everything was fine.

"He's got a massive, long snout on him, Baby. Full of these sharp teeth, and he's got big hands; like yours but without the thumbs. He's got grey scales with a little bit of red to them, and this huge sail on his back; you should see all the scars on him, Baby. He's seen lots of fights; I bet he's fought Tyrannosaurs before…"

* * *

Sam scribbled in his notebook while Elise quietly stared at a cheery beetle going about its own busy life. Elise was eager to get moving, and Sam had said they were going to do another search and rescue; he wanted to see if she could improve her time. Elise wanted to prove herself to the park, and redeem herself for all the bad she had done.

She had a feeling nothing she could do would ever reverse the scars she had personally raked, but she would do her best. She decided that if she couldn't do any good, then she would never do bad. Were there humans out there who believed the same? Elise wasn't sure, but it sounded like a nice idea.

If you can't do any good, at least don't hurt others.

Elise wanted to be good, even if she was bad. She wouldn't be good like Owen, but she would be a _bad_ bad; if that made sense. Could she be a good bad? Elise mentally shrugged to herself; she would be a good bad because there was nothing else to be.

And Owen's Sunshine.

She glanced at the man half dozing as he leaned against the jeep. He looked a little tired, but he always looked like that when he thought no one was looking. She wondered if his life was stressful; did Owen worry about a lot of things? Humans seemed to be worrisome creatures. Elise didn't want to spend her life stressing about things. She had food, family, shelter, and a purpose; she didn't need anything else for now. Life was good.

"Where's Derick?"

Sam frowned as he erased something, and Elise tilted her head. Sam was always frowning, but Elise didn't think he was always angry. He glanced at his watch before saying, "Looking for Commander Blake."

Owen paused before asking, "Where's the Emergency Commander?"

Sam shrugged before saying, "Vacation, I guess. Things are calm around here, and he wanted to take time off. I think Commander Blake will challenge Elise."

Owen glanced at Elise before saying, "I think we're pushing things by having him work with her…"

Sam shook his head before saying, "Miss Dearing said it was perfectly fine. If Commander Blake is having troubles, he has more than enough resources at his disposal to get him through it. He doesn't want to use them, then it's his fault."

Owen chewed the inside of his cheek; he had a feeling Blake wasn't one to use said resources for fear of looking weak. Maybe Blake was using the help available to him; ACU had plenty to keep them in tip top shape mentally and physically.

Elise perked up a seeing the bouncing white pickup; she was glad to be out of her home. She was seeing all her friends. She relished that Claire trusted and _respected_ her enough to let her outside of her home. Maybe she would get to see the whole island someday. Elise was in no hurry; she had the rest of her life to explore it. She intended to know this island like the back of her hand by the time she was Rexy's age. She would be a good Alpha over the Velociraptors with Owen, and ACU could depend on her to help them if they ever needed it.

She would make up for her mistakes as best she could.

Sam sighed as he closed his notebook before saying, "Alright, Elise. Today you get to search for Barry because you and Owen scared the life out Derick."

Elise perked up; she was going to get to rescue Barry! Barry would not die on her watch, she would find him before he could even get hungry or bored. She wouldn't play a mean prank on him, but she would get him back to safety in no time.

She was going to improve her record time today.

Owen smiled at her excited expression; he couldn't wait to see her meet Rosie for the first time. Only another week before she would come to visit. Owen was so excited, but he still had no idea who was coming with Rosie; his mother said they hadn't decided yet. Owen had surprised himself by being torn with who he hoped to see with Rosie. He missed his mother dearly, but his father's humor was all his own; even if they got tired of each other fast. He hadn't seen his sister for a long time either, and he had no idea how she was going to get time off from work to come here.

She was a workaholic who intended to give her daughter nothing less than the very best.

And the best part was Rosie never acted spoiled; she was a wonderful kid who Owen loved to pieces.

Elise made a delighted trill at seeing the bouncy, blue hair step out of the pickup. Gerry looked as cranky as ever, and Owen found it dumb how Sam insisted on having two vets present; just to really convince the investors that things were being taken seriously.

Owen paused when Elise nudged him before gesturing to Jackie. The energetic vet was preoccupied with checking her equipment, and Owen snorted before quietly saying, "Baby Girl, I don't get involved in that kind of stuff. Too much work and drama; trust me. Playing matchmaker is no fun. Besides, I'm not sure how well Lowery and Jackie know each other; it's probably too early for them to start dating."

Elise sagged in disappointment; she wanted to see the adorable couple together _now_. She was impatient, and Lowery needed help. If Owen wasn't going to help, then she would. Elise wouldn't be too much; just to make Jackie aware that Lowery liked her.

"Hey, Cutie-Pie! You look really cute today."

Elise wrapped a large hand around the vet before gently pressing her cheek close. Jackie gave a loud kiss on the scarred nose, and she said, "I hear you have an awesome uncle. Lowery is hilarious."

Elise beamed as she snuck a glance at an amused Owen. Humans were funny creatures. Sam walked over before saying, "Alright, you get one more day of duct tape camera before we get the belt to strap it on."

Elise didn't care much for the duct tape; it was annoying to pull off, but this was for the good of the park. Rexy had been irritated by the sticky residue last time, and Elise was sure she wouldn't be pleased to see it back again. Maybe she could get Owen to clean it off better this time.

She flinched at the sharp tear before the camera was stuck to her head. It still felt odd, and she couldn't help freezing to take in the feeling. It was just plain weird, and Elise didn't know how else to describe it.

It was stuck to her head.

Sam had to snort at her expression before he pressed the button. He narrowed his eyes in focus before asking his radio, "Hey, Lowery, are you getting the feed?"

Elise felt a sly smile creep onto her face when the tech-geek replied, "Yep, nice and clear. It should sync to your laptop when you press the icon I showed you."

Sam nodded as he went back to his laptop in his car. He scratched at his jaw before sighing. Elise glanced at Gerry to see the vet was muttering to himself while checking over his equipment.

And there was a beautiful flower conveniently placed within Elise's reach with Jackie all to herself.

* * *

Lowery gave a small sigh as he followed Elise's camera. He had almost died of embarrassment while skittering back to his workstation. It was almost worse when Claire didn't even yell at him for being late. She had given him a look.

A look that knew it all. She pitied the lovesick fool.

But Control didn't; how cruel were his coworkers when ammo was provided to them. He couldn't believe he had forgotten about the cameras in the log; now everyone knew he was crushing on Jackie.

It was mortifying because everyone was going to know when Jackie rejected him.

Lowery liked to hide behind his witty sarcasm; he didn't like admitting just how shy he was around women.

"Aw, Cutie-Pie! Is that flower for me?"

Lowery glanced up, and couldn't stop his smile at the bright face in the camera that bobbed up and down once. He watched the massive hand give the delicate flower to Jackie, and he felt his insides go warm at seeing Jackie so happy.

How did Elise find the talent to make all kinds of people smile? He would at least be grateful that he hadn't creeped out Jackie yet, and maybe he would ask her to go get some coffee again. He was sure he had heard her right, but he would probably wait a few days.

He really didn't want to look desperate, but he wasn't looking to just get with Jackie. He sincerely liked her even if he hadn't known her for very long. He wanted to get to know her. He would take Owen's advice, and maybe a little of Elise's as well.

He wouldn't be a wimp, and he would act a little like himself around Jackie.

"You're sweet for giving me a flower, Cutie-Pie."

Lowery silently agreed, but frowned when the camera gave a shake. Jackie raised her eyebrows in confusion before asking, "It's not from you?"

Elise nodded, and Lowery blinked; he could feel that little, harsh fear grip his stomach. There was no way Elise was going to take matters into her own hands; he prayed she wouldn't.

"Well, who is the flower from then, Cutie? It's a really pretty flower."

Lower froze when the camera turned to the dirt, and the claw began to carve through the soil. He only had to see the 'L' before choking on his own spit. Vivian startled at the sudden coughing, but Lowery panicked when the 'O' was carved next. Control paused when Lowery gave a little shriek as he fell out of his chair in his haste to get to his radio.

" _Owen! Owen! Don't let Elise write my name! Stop her!"_

Lowery grimaced when her realized Elise was almost done with the 'W'. He really hoped Jackie knew other people who shared his name, and Lowery paused when the a bear's voice growled, "It's Ed, Lowery, and you scared off all the fish. Now Anne is going to-"

Lowery did not care in the slightest about fish, and he fumbled with his radio in his haste to get the channel switched. He winced as the corner of his eye saw that a small monitor at the front of the room had Elise's camera feed on it. Now everyone was going to see his name carved into the dirt.

Why did Elise know how to spell his name? Lowery vaguely recalled Owen saying he intended to teach her how to spell the names of important people first. His name, Lowery's, Claire's, Jackie's, Gerry's, and Barry's.

Lowery just wanted to melt into the ground.

* * *

Owen gave a slight jump when Lowery was suddenly hissing through his radio. The static crackled out most of the message, and he sighed while plucking up the radio before asking, "Come again?"

He raised an eyebrow when Lowery desperately hissed, _"Stop Elise now!"_

Owen walked over to his tough baby hunched over the dirt with an attentive Jackie in front of her. He had no idea what Elise was doing, but he blinked when he saw the word. Elise had just finished writing the 'Y', and she gave a proud croon. Jackie stared at the word.

* * *

And Lowery sank into his chair. Control had gone very quiet, and Vivian gave a nervous glance at Lowery to see how he was holding up. He had clapped a hand over his mouth very tightly, as if to prevent his very soul from escaping this cruel world in sheer mortification. Vivian wasn't sure how to help her friend out, and Lowery held his head with a defeated sigh.

"You're the best niece in the world, Elise."

Lowery blinked as he risked a glance at the screen; Jackie didn't look creeped out or angry. She just looked like Jackie. Elise was heard giving a happy rumble, and Jackie smiled as she said, "Are you telling me that Lowery likes me?"

Lowery removed his glasses before smacking his head onto his desk; he was done. He was braced, and ready to be shot down. At least he could get it over with now. Vivian pressed her lips sympathetically, but she tilted her head when Jackie walked to the side of Elise.

* * *

The dinosaur listened attentively before a smile tugged at her lips. She was happy to hear what she heard, and Jackie pulled back with a grin. Elise understood now, and now she was really going to help Lowery find courage.

Owen was going to help whether or not he wanted to.

Because Jackie had been completely honest. She and Lowery didn't know each other well enough to date, but they liked each other. That was enough for Elise to work with.

Elise watched Jackie walk over to the camera before saying, "Thanks for the flower, Lowery; your niece has great taste in pretty flowers!"

If only Jackie knew Lowery would mentally check out after hearing that. Vivian would spend five minutes trying to get him to come back before going back to work. Lowery was long gone.

And Sam sighed in irritation as he checked his watch again. He grumbled to himself while Owen began to talk on the radio with Barry. The two had each other laughing in minutes, but Gerry and Jackie began to work on taking vitals. It wasn't a long process, and Sam rolled his eyes when Derick's car finally showed up.

The man frowned when only Derick came out, and the green eyed trainer shrugged before saying, "Commander Blake got caught up with some loose assets. I guess a couple pachys knocked out their trackers; they needed everyone to get them."

Sam frowned at his notebook, but he wasn't going to do anything about it. If Blake had to be at work, then he had to be at work. They would squeeze him into the schedule somehow.

He glanced at the two vets before saying, "It's fine. You and Owen can work with Elise. You might take the lead this time; I want to see how she works around others."

* * *

Claire pressed her lips before she adjusted her top once more. She was very pleased with the progress her Planning Team had done. Once it was clear the guests would be out of reach of Sobek, and he could still be an attraction; they had approved. They still wanted a written report from Owen about his impression of Sobek, and Claire wished the board the best of luck in getting a report out of Owen.

Sobek would be oil in the ground by the time Owen would write the report.

Still, those records were practically in Claire's grasp, and she frowned when Bridges didn't pick up. She thought this would be important enough for him to at least answer the call. She glanced at the clock; it was a little after noon, but surely he would be willing to wait. He had been so adamant about getting Sobek over here.

Claire sighed impatiently when her third call wasn't answered. She would not be ignored, and she picked her phone up. If Bridges wasn't willing to answer an online call, he would always pick up a phone call. It was an unspoken agreement between them.

Phone calls always regarded more pressing matters.

She frowned when it continued to ring, and she wondered if Bridges was dead. It was the only logical thought that popped into her head. Claire sighed when she was sure it would go to voicemail, but blinked when an accented voice answered the phone.

"Yes? Hello?"

Claire raised an eyebrow; this wasn't Bridges' assistant, and she said, "This is Claire Dearing from Jurassic World; is Mr. Bridges there?"

The man seemed to pause before he answered, "Mr. Bridges…had a bit of an accident a little after you left. He slipped and hit his head; he's sleeping right now, but he should be fine in a couple hours or so. May I take your message, Miss Dearing?"

Claire raised an eyebrow; Bridges was too graceful a man to actually slip and hit his head. She cleared her throat before asking, "Whom am I speaking to?"

"I am Dr. Romano; Chief Veterinarian here."

Claire could have sworn Bridges had doctors on Isla Sorna. She thought he had once bragged about it to her, but she couldn't quite remember, and she finally said, "I was supposed to give Mr. Bridges my answer in whether or not I could bring Sobek to Jurassic World."

The Italian paused before saying, "Ah, yes. I had been expecting that answer as well. Can you take Sobek, and if you can, how long before we can get him to you?"

Claire really wished she was working these details out with Bridges himself, but she believed that he was out-cold. She shifted her phone to her other side before saying, "My board has given a green light to bring Sobek here, but we are still working on a date estimate. We're still planning out our paddock for Sobek, and it will take a few weeks at the very least to get it built."

"…Weeks?"

Claire raised an eyebrow again, and Romano quietly said, "I thought you had an empty paddock…"

"It won't work for Sobek because of safety issues. I want to discuss this with Mr. Bridges when he gets the chance please."

Romano seemed to pause before saying, "I will let him know as soon as he wakes up, Miss Dearing. He will be very happy to know Sobek can live a new life over there."

Claire mentally agreed, and paused when Romano suddenly said, "Miss Dearing, it's not my place to say this, but please give all the focus you possibly can to creating this new paddock. Housing Sobek in a small space will be…"

"A nightmare?"

"Yes…"

Claire pressed her lips in sympathy. She would believe it with Sobek. She wondered how they were going to house the massive Spinosaurus, and she silently wished them the best of luck before excusing herself.

* * *

Romano hung up the phone before placing it on the desk with a sigh. He glanced back at the sleeping man before shaking his head. He was not looking forward to this. Daemon was always exhausted after having to take the pills. It was just a side effect, but it wore on the blonde man. Now they were going to have to house Sobek? For possibly weeks?

Romano was not ready to see how Sobek would react to that news, and he wondered if he could get away with inducing the Spinosaurus into a coma just to make life easier.

Too bad the dinosaur would suffocate under his own weight before that happened.

The Italian sighed again before figuring it was time to go check on Sobek again. The Spinosaurus always seemed ready to go after the fourth lactating ringer. He had just given him the second one this morning.

He glanced at Daemon before concluding the man probably needed food and water as well; he would tell Jack to have something ready when Daemon woke up.

But for now, Romano had a Spinosaurus to tend to, a sick man to cover for, and a busy job that never lightened in work load.

And it was only noon; the day was far from over.


	60. Chapter 60

**A/N**

 **Hey guys! I'm really sorry about not posting last night; this chapter was just longer than what I thought it would be.**

 **Anyway, RainbowKittyRune, Double-Stuffed are Blue's favorite.**

 **Imtomzizle, I'm glad I can make you laugh, and you read at whatever pace you like; I was just in awe of how quickly you powered through it.**

 **Guest, thanks for the OC suggestion. He sounds cool, and the Tyrannosaurus is wandering around.**

 **The Only Potato, you get Sobek's POV in this chapter.**

 **SmurfTurf; it's good to hear from you!**

 **Thank you guys much and mighty for your reviews and criticism; I go back and correct things if you see something. I sincerely thank you for taking the time to read this, for leaving a review, and just being awesome; all of you. Thank you guys!**

* * *

"Oh…"

Sobek held his head proudly while lightly dozing. He rarely fell into deep sleeps; those were when he felt comfortable enough to lay flat on his side. Those periods of sleep did not last long, but they were certainly refreshing.

He mostly napped with his head held high, out of reach of scampering scavengers dumb enough to actually hope he might have finally died.

Sobek had no intent of dying any time soon, and it had enraged him to get stuck in the mud. He had been furious with the humans for daring to trespass in his presence. It had felt good to swat the growling human-carrier onto its useless back.

He had been slightly less irritated when the thief had helped dig him out. Sobek wouldn't forgive his theft, but he would be _slightly_ less aggressive in hunting Thief down.

Sobek still wasn't sure what Thief had exactly stolen from him, but it felt like he had lost some of his inner fire after waking up. It had been weeks of aggravating pain to the point where Sobek had considered simply dying, and then the humans had brought him here. He had fallen into a blissful sleep, and awoke.

With much less pain, but he had lost something valuable, Sobek just knew it. He could notice different behaviors in humans.

They knew they had done something wrong; it was the look the pack hunters had after being caught stealing from his territory.

His dead smelling human wouldn't look him in the eye as often, but Thief simply worked around him. Sobek was fine with that, and he knew Thief would accept dying by a snap of his jaws. Sobek actually wasn't sure who the alpha of the humans were. He was sure the dead smelling human was the leader, but Thief held much respect from Death. Sobek had named him that; it was what he reeked of. A killing deceiver was what Death was; Sobek knew that smell anywhere. It plagued most humans who had the audacity to invade his territory.

A familiar click was heard, and Sobek cracked open his good eye.

Speaking of Thief…

He was here, but keeping his distance, a smart move. Humans were smart, but did the dumbest things. Or were they dumb creatures who had brief moments of brilliance? Sobek wasn't sure; especially after the strangers had shown up. They did not carry this island's scents, they were not from here…

They were trespassers.

But the stranger male seemed to have some intelligence. He was wary, rightfully so, and never tried to invade his space. Sobek had actually been interested in that one; it was a pity Death had irritated him. The stranger smelled of pack hunters, and something else.

Something different that Sobek had never smelled before; he normally wouldn't care, but it carried a familiar, sharp scent. He was reminded of a hot tempered female he met long ago.

He was glad she was gone. She was trouble, scattered herds for no reason, and simply killed. Sobek was sure Death had taken her; it was his scent that Sobek had caught in the female's poorly guarded home.

The crunching of the ground gave away Thief's movement, and Sobek snapped his sharp gaze onto him. Sobek awaited the day Thief was dumb enough to stray far enough from his little exit.

Coward; at least the pack hunters would fight him.

Romano rubbed the back of his neck as he looked Sobek over; it was just his luck that the Spinosaurus was getting better so quickly. Romano wasn't sure if he should just let Sobek eat him now or let the dinosaur have his fun when he realized just how long he would be stuck here.

"Feeling better, Sobek?"

The Spinosaurus parted his jaws just the slightest as a malicious breath was exhaled; Romano nodded, that was his answer. He had no idea why, but Sobek easily irritated with talking. Anything loud that was human just aggravated the dinosaur.

"I'll take that as a yes then. Lactating ringer can wait I suppose."

Sobek shifted; Thief was pushing his patience. Death was allowed to chitter in his presence, but not Thief. At least Death knew when to leave, Thief would bounce around his irritating, multiple exits to the point where Sobek would consider bashing into the walls.

But he knew better; he knew what structures could be broken through, and these human shelters could not be broken by his raw power.

He eyed the exit…maybe today Thief was not on his toes…

"See you, Sobek; don't exert yourself."

Sobek huffed; a mistake on his part for moving around. He had spooked Thief, and the damned human walked out without a second glance. Death refused to turn his back to Sobek out of respect. The only time Sobek would tolerate others turning their back to him was when they ran from him.

Humans had made for grand chases, but he had grown old. He was tired more often than not, and now humans were just irritating pests compared to being a thrilling chase. Scaring his prey away, and hitting him with the shiny weapons. It stung his hide, and aggravated him beyond all reasoning.

Sobek sighed as he shifted to lean against the wall again. Thief was not coming back for a while, and that was perfectly fine. He was in need of a nap as much as he hated to admit it. It made his scales crawl at the thought of the pack hunters running in his territory, but they were easy to drive out.

He would take care of them later. All things would flee in fear of his mighty roar; none had ever challenged him. Not even the ones close to his size, the ones who could put up some fight.

But they were mostly gone now; he smelled a male once in a while, but never saw him.

And that was fine by Sobek.

* * *

Elise thrust her snout close to the ground as she tried to pick up Barry's scent. The man had done a wonderful job of playing a difficult guest to find. Elise wasn't going to give in easy though; she was going to find Barry before he could even get bored.

She was stuck at the river again; it was a different part of the river, but she was stuck there. Water's scent muddled all the other ones, and Elise wasn't sure how to get around it. Could she learn to ignore scents? That sounded odd to her, but she kept going. She had to do better with her time today, and she was working with Derick today; Owen had to stay behind.

Elise felt more nervous with working with Derick. She wasn't nervous around him, but she wanted to work with Owen; he would help her if she needed it, and he knew how to read her. She trusted him more.

"Elise? Don't overthink it; just skim over the stuff to find Barry. Kind of like going through the county fair; you smell all the good food, but the food you want sticks out."

Elise had no idea what a county fair was, nor did she think of Barry as food. He would never be food to her; Barry was good and kind. Derick had used a dumb example, but she paused to clear her head. She took a few deep breaths before parting her jaws to taste the air. She was looking for Barry; good, kind, sweet Barry who could probably get away with kissing Rexy's nose.

Barry smelled clean, like a fresh breath of air, but he smelled sweet. Sweet meat, Oreos, and churros.

Elise paused when she caught the scent; she found it!

Derick gave a chuckle when Elise took off in the right direction. The view was incredible from up here, and he still had no idea how Owen had found the courage to stop Elise, but he wouldn't complain.

Elise was amazing, and Derick had never had so much fun in his life before. This wasn't even work; Sam was doing all the paperwork. Derick got to choose the field training, and this was amazing.

Derick missed 'training' his raptors, but at least with Elise he actually got to relish seeing his training go somewhere. He didn't have to yell at her, it was so easy to correct her, and she was willing to work.

If only the raptors could have been trainable like this. Then they might have actually worked for warfare. Derick didn't like the idea of animals fighting for them, but he didn't like his fellow man dying either.

He would have liked to avoid war altogether actually, but he knew that idea was even more farfetched than a dinosaur with human DNA.

"Stay focused, Elise, and you're going to work wonders."

Elise flicked her tail in response; Owen knew when to talk to her. He never interrupted her focus, but she wouldn't fault Derick for not knowing her as well.

It wasn't going to help Barry if she got picky about who she worked with, and she knew Sam wanted her to be flexible about it.

So she would follow the trail wherever it led.

* * *

"I think she's going to do much better this time."

Owen nodded in agreement as he watched the camera's view move around. He was proud of Elise; she had found Barry's scent more easily, but he wasn't sure if it was because she knew him.

"We might want to pick a stranger next time, or someone Elise isn't used to smelling."

Sam raised an eyebrow as he glanced at Owen before saying, "She's not around Barry all that much. Maybe twice a week he visits her."

Owen nodded his head, but said, "Yep, but Barry is the first person to actually love on her; unless she got affection when she was hatched, but…I doubt that."

"She doesn't act abused, you know?"

Owen let out a sigh as he continued to watch his baby work her nose through everything, and he quietly replied, "You haven't seen her in the right setting. She's afraid of being alone; she spent her first night in the new paddock with Rexy. She almost destroyed her old paddock when she thought I had locked her in it again. She's never been alone after moving out of the old paddock, and she's terrified of shots."

Sam paused to ask, "She's gun shy?"

Owen shook his head; Elise hardly blinked around the weapons. They didn't do anything to her, and he sighed, "Like, needles on syringes shots. She…passes out at having her blood drawn."

"…You're kidding."

Sam raised an eyebrow when Owen shook his head again, but the two went back to watching the laptop. Jackie had been doing her best to work with Elise's fear of needles, but Owen could just see it would take a long time of heavy positive reinforcement to get her to relax around them.

He wouldn't blame her though; they had come a long way. Both of them had. Owen felt more relaxed now with Elise in his life. He didn't have worry about what Vic was doing anymore or if he would suddenly find his girls dead one day because the research had been terminated.

Now they were safe and sound with Rexy and Elise. Owen was forever grateful to the old dinosaur for the things she had done for this pack; he slept better at night. He felt more rested, he was more eager to greet the day.

Owen had never imagined he would actually be part of the park's entertainment, but he and Elise made it work, and it was never the same. He hardly did the same thing twice, and that was a relief to him.

Owen actually felt his lifespan had been extended with the way things had turned out. Who knows what would have happened if Elise hadn't decided to listen. He could have died, his girls gone, and the park ruined.

Owen didn't like to think about that, and he cracked his neck before focusing on what was before him.

His tough baby finding Barry.

* * *

Elise worked her nose through the thick brush; Barry had really wanted to challenge her. He was doing a really good job, but she would find him. Derick remained patient.

Elise didn't recognize this area, she had never been her before, and she wanted to explore it. She wanted to see what creatures lived here, but she couldn't stop to admire everything or Barry would die. She didn't want Barry to die.

She loved Barry.

And she could smell him more easily now. She was getting close, but she had to be careful about following trails that would wind over one another; Barry seemed to be fond of doing that. She wondered if this was how they trained Blue and the girls. Elise felt like Barry would be a good trainer.

Elise almost moved around a tree before suddenly pausing. She shifted back to carefully smell around the trunk, and smiled victoriously. Barry had thought he could outsmart her by making a path passed this tree before coming back, but she was smarter. His scent stuck to the bark, and Elise lifted her head high to peer in. She expected to see Barry sitting there, but she blinked when he wasn't.

Barry had outsmarted her, and Elise had to follow the trail anyway. Derick gave a small chuckle; he had a feeling Elise would be fooled by that one. It was a little mean to pull on her second day, but it was his payback for ruining a perfectly good pair of pants.

The Indominus grumbled to herself as she continued to follow the scent; it was always a little tiring to do this. She had to really focus when it was just one scent being muddled by all the others, but it was Barry; she knew that kind smell she so adored.

She was determined to find him, and she let out an excited snort when the trail seemed to grow stronger; she was getting closer.

Elise kept her head low before she suddenly paused; her vision flickered, and she gave a wide smile at seeing Barry walking along. He hadn't seen her yet, and Elise couldn't stop her orneriness when he seemed to be looking for a tree to climb again.

Derick raised an eyebrow when Elise tossed a heavy boulder through the jungle before quickly moving around as her scales shifted color. Now Derick was sitting on the largest pile of leaves he had ever seen, and Elise was creeping along. It wasn't until Derick saw Barry scratching his head that he realized what was going to happen.

Barry was about to brown his own pants.

The man continued to stare in the direction of the loud thud he had heard, and Elise couldn't help scooting closer. The closer the better, and Barry was so focused on the sound that he never reacted to her soft sounds. She crept silently closer like the perfect predator she was, and Barry was oblivious. She would get a scream out of him, and then cuddle him for being mean. She just couldn't help herself; it was so funny to scare people.

Elise was close enough that she had to hold her breath so Barry wouldn't hear her. She paused before she slowly rose higher as the leaves faded in favor of the snow. She was going to give a roar, not a really loud one, but good enough to scare him.

Her chest puffed out with the air, and her jaws parted right behind Barry for the roar to spill out.

"Don't even think about it, Beautiful."

Elise let out a squeaky, garbled roar in her surprise. Barry turned around with his arms crossed, and an amused smile on his face. Elise blinked; how did Barry hear her? She was the perfect predator damn it! No one heard her when she wanted to be silent.

Said predator melted under the wide smile, and the rich voice said, "You are so much like Owen that sometimes I wonder if it's his DNA in you."

Elise felt herself swell with happiness at that; she always felt good when people said she was like Owen. They usually said that when she did something ornery, but she didn't care. Barry only chuckled at her expression as he said, "I hope you don't intend to scare the people you are trying to rescue, Beautiful. It won't look very good on your record if you always scare them."

Elise replied by wrapping her hand around Barry as she let out a soft trill. She pressed her face close; she adored Barry, and she hoped he knew that. He chuckled again as he hugged her back; it was always amazing how gentle Elise could be.

* * *

Sam snorted at the affection going on, and he agreed, "Yeah, we probably do need to use people Elise isn't exactly familiar with. She gets too…unprofessional. We need to teach her to take this serious the whole way through. She does really well when she starts, but she gets playful when she actually finds her person."

Owen nodded in agreement, but he said, "I doubt she'll do that in a real case scenario."

"Are you sure?"

Owen raised an eyebrow, but Sam said, "Does she know how to act professional around strangers? Because she's really playful around guests, and those are all strangers. I don't know if she knows what to do with a scared guest."

Owen turned his gaze back to the laptop; Elise was headed back right now with Barry riding behind Derick. A scared person was much more difficult to work with, and Elise was nothing short of terrifying if one didn't know her.

He could only imagine how a terrified guest would react to suddenly meeting Elise in the middle of a jungle.

Owen sighed as he rubbed his neck, but said, "We will definitely have to do a few things to help that. Make Elise some kind of uniform, and maybe add another announcement to the guests when they arrive. It'll be good for them to know she's on search and rescue."

Sam nodded in agreement though he said, "But, we need to teach Elise what to do with scared people. I highly doubt every guest actually listens to the announcements; hardly any of them even read the release forms before coming here."

"Yeah…I get what you mean, but she's doing really well, you know? I like how enthusiastic she is about this."

"I know, I know, but she needs to learn before giving some poor sucker a heart attack."

Owen did agree with that because he was pretty sure that wasn't in the release form. He sighed while leaning against the car while Sam quietly scribbled in the notebook. Owen still wasn't sure what to expect for tonight's date.

His tie had been claimed by a very possessive spider, and Owen wasn't about to reclaim it. He normally didn't mind spiders, but that one had looked ready to jump him.

Owen drew the line at spiders who fought back.

"Does it ever bother you?"

Owen startled out of his thoughts at the question, and blinked at Sam. The bear of a man was glancing at him quietly, and Owen asked, "Does what bother me?"

Sam checked his radio, afraid of others hearing the conversation, before asking, "When people say you're related to Elise. Even her resume has your last name as hers. Do you really consider her your kid?"

Owen was caught off guard by the questions, but he had already given up on denying that he saw Elise as his own daughter. It was odd; Blue and the girls were his kids, but Elise really was a daughter to him.

There was a difference between calling the girls his kids and Elise his daughter.

Owen nodded; Elise need a rock for a base, and he was her rock. He had decided that the moment she had lowered her splayed claw, and he had simply grown into a father figure.

"She's my tough baby, Sam. Besides, she needs a dad. She's got Rexy for a mom, and I think she sees Claire as a mother as well. It doesn't bother me, why?"

Sam shrugged nonchalantly before answering, "I was just curious; I watched the video the other day, and I don't think you had signed up for all the stuff you're doing right now; thought maybe you would have preferred training your raptors."

"Nope."

Owen was serious, he wouldn't trade this new life for the world.

Sam didn't seem put off by the answer, and he continued to write silently. Owen decided to kill time by trying to whistle with his hands. He was determined to get it right.

* * *

Bridges cracked open his eyes tiredly; his head was pounding, and he felt sluggish. His heart was beating a little too fast.

Romano had gotten the damned pills in him.

It was a side effect, and Bridges despised it. He let out a tired sigh; he just wanted to go back to sleep, but he knew he needed to get up. He had forgotten why he needed to be awake, but there was something very important he needed to do.

He slowly sat up, and was grateful his office was dark; the curtains had been shut, and the air conditioner was on. He was surprised to see the blanket on him, but he wasn't; Romano was a good doctor.

The room was spinning slightly, but Bridges ignored it; he just needed a few minutes to pull himself together. He would ignore the queasy feeling in his stomach for now and do something. He wasn't sure what. He didn't know what time it was or if it was still daylight.

Bridges froze when his door opened quietly, and he scrambled his mind to think of a legitimate excuse to explain what he probably looked like. Bridges relaxed when he recognized the boots, and Romano growled, "I didn't think you'd be up so soon."

Bridges snorted though he regretted how it hurt his head. The headache was going to be a bitch; he just knew it. However, like always, he put on his brave face, and said, "I can bounce back from it; I'm fine."

Romano never seemed to believe him when he said he was fine; Bridges had convinced himself that he was perfectly fine. He was healthy and had a long life ahead of him. He was just saw a few things others didn't; it wasn't like it seriously interfered with his life.

He was fine.

"Here, you need to eat this."

Bridges blinked at the sandwich in the Zip-Lock bag, and Romano added, "I know you skip breakfast, Daemon. It's not good to take those pills on an empty stomach."

Bridges wrinkled his nose at the offering; he didn't want to eat. The smell made him sick, and even if his stomach was hurting from hunger he didn't want to further upset it by throwing in a little sandwich. But he glanced up when Romano threatened, "Don't make me force feed you, Daemon. I still have the tube to force feed the raptors, and I'll go get it."

Bridges raised an eyebrow, but he couldn't help a small smile as he took the sandwich while purring, "You're all bark, Romano."

The vet sank onto the cushion next to him as he snapped, "All bark my ass; who do you think Jack comes running to when he sees you arguing with Carnifex?"

Bridges gave a slight pause before opening the bag, and he coolly said, "I think Jack needs to learn to mind his business."

Romano glared at the man as he retorted, "I think you need to learn to take your pills consistently. Don't you get tired of arguing with Carnifex?"

Bridges took a bite out of his sandwich, thin sliced turkey with a little bit of mayo and mustard. It tasted pretty good actually, and he simply said, "I can hold my own against Carnifex."

Romano rolled his eyes; this was such a pointless argument he had with Bridges every single time the blonde had another hallucination. It didn't happen very often, and Romano was grateful for that because he was close to bringing in some kind of psychologist.

Daemon needed help.

But the blonde would clamp up at trigger words; Romano had learned to work around them like all his other animals. It was sad to say Daemon fit in with his patients sometimes. Most of his patients were much more cooperative as well; raptors including. Trying to help Daemon was like trying to help Sobek. Both were too proud to admit they were sick, both were absolute hell to treat, and both somehow made miracle comebacks.

"Daemon…"

Bridges froze at the warning tone; they were about to have another argument, and he wasn't ready for it. His head was hurting too much for screaming, and his mouth was full of food. He glanced at the Italian, and Romano gave his hard stare that Bridges had never figured out how to read. He was sure it was just Romano's thinking face, but he wasn't absolutely positive.

Romano looked ready to kill someone when he was thinking; women complained about Resting Bitch Face, but Romano had Resting Murder Face.

Bridges wondered if Romano had ever been harassed by the police because of it, but he simply waited. He was too tired to argue, and he never cared for arguing with Romano; neither would back off.

The Italian finally sighed as he wiped his face tiredly, and said, "Claire Dearing called."

Bridges paused mid-chew before panic seized him. He all but choked on his sandwich, and made to tackle his computer. How could he forget about Sobek?! What time was it now?! What had Claire wanted to tell him?!

Romano snapped his iron grip into the back of the wrinkled, white shirt before yanking Daemon back down as he growled, "Sit down for Christ's sake before you smash your head against your damned desk again. I talked to her, and don't you dare choke on your sandwich. I'm one more stupid decision away from losing my temper, Daemon."

Bridges stared at Romano, and the Italian snapped, "You purposefully avoid taking your pills, and you run yourself into the ground. Jack is the biggest wimp you could have hired, and the next few weeks are going to be very stressful, Daemon."

Bridges put his sandwich down before carefully saying, "I think it's you who needs the nap, Romano. I'm fine."

" _Che Dio mi aiuti_ , Daemon, I will bury you."

Bridges couldn't help his smile as he replied, "I know, but at least you'll make the grave nice and neat. You're too much of a perfectionist to do anything half-assed."

He chuckled at Romano's exasperated sigh; he loved pushing Romano's buttons, but he never pushed him too far. He just respected him too much to do that. Bridges leaned back into the couch before closing his eyes, and saying, "Alright, tell me what Claire said."

"They'll take Sobek."

Bridges immediately felt muscles he hadn't known were tense relax. A sigh of relief exhaled from him, and he gave a wide smile at the great news. He was just sad he hadn't been awake to hear it. All his effort had been worth it; it was worth it. Sobek was going to be fine, and the world tilted back to its rightful position.

He was going to be fine.

"But we have a bit of a problem."

Bridges raised an eyebrow; he didn't care what the problem was. His dinosaur was going to live out his life on soft Isla Nublar. Sobek would die of old age, and Bridges could take on any problem life decided to throw at him.

The Italian stared at him for a few seconds before simply saying, "They have to build a new paddock for him because of safety reasons. It's going to take a few _weeks_ at the very least."

Bridges pressed his lips; he was kidding about taking on _any_ problem life threw at him. He could work miracles, make profit out of a dying business, and even persuade Wu to yield secrets to him.

But Bridges wasn't exactly sure how to keep Sobek in one spot for weeks. The longest they had ever kept him was a little over two weeks to recover from the surgery to remove the tumors, but Sobek had left the moment he decided he felt well enough to leave.

Sobek wasn't going to tolerate weeks in that recovery room, and Bridges remained silent for a few seconds. Romano leaned back into the couch to let the full force off their situation sink it. Daemon was smart; he would grasp it quickly.

It was quiet for a few more seconds, and Romano was grateful for the peace. He wanted a nap, but work was busy.

"Oh…"

Romano couldn't stop his snort; Daemon was smart. Dangerously smart, and the vet was curious to see what Daemon would come up with to convince Sobek to move his nest here before taking him to a completely new island full of dinosaurs who never fought.

It was going to be interesting to say the least, and Bridges decided to finish his sandwich while contemplating.

Because he knew Romano was serious about force feeding him.

* * *

"Alright, Baby, you good to go for the night?"

Elise glanced around like she was checking to see if everything was in its rightful place before she nodded. Owen smiled at her as he worked the cricks from his neck; they had just completed their last show for the evening, and Elise was ready to head back to her nest for the night. She was tired after today, and Owen still needed to talk to his mother tonight before going to dinner with Claire.

He still didn't have his tie; Barry was unsuccessful in battling for it. The worst part was Elise had been standing right there. They had passed his place up on the way back, and he wanted to see if Barry could kiss the spider's nose.

The spider didn't appreciate kisses apparently, and Owen had asked Elise for some help. He would open the door, and she would steal the tie from the spider; she couldn't get hurt by it.

Elise had flat out told Owen that the spider got to keep the tie if he wasn't brave enough to take it back. She wouldn't disturb this creature's life for a useless article of clothing.

And Barry had laughed all the way back to the paddock after that.

"I'm proud of how well you did today, Baby. You know that, right? I'm really proud of you."

Elise beamed as she pressed her face against Owen; it meant the world to her to hear those words. She was always going to do her best to make Owen proud of her. The man chuckled as he gently scratched the snowy scales; it was odd that he got to be the good parent this time. He was so used to being the strict one with the girls while Barry got all the love.

But Sam was the stricter parent this time, and Owen was fine with that. He was content to just love on Elise, praising her when needed, and reinforcing the right behavior. It wasn't like Sam was harsh, but he didn't sugar coat things either.

Elise needed to quit messing around during training. She had been startled at that criticism, but Owen had assured her everything was fine. She just needed to correct a few things; Elise had agreed to improve next time, and that was all Sam needed to hear.

"You sleep well, Baby, okay? Keep the girls in line please."

Elise garbled at Owen before pulling back; he smiled as she moved towards the thick trees before suddenly turning around. She pointed to herself before crossing her arms over her chest, and then pointing at him.

"Love you too, Baby."

Owen shut the window when the white tail had slipped into the dark trees, and he rolled his shoulders before leaving the empty room. Things were still busy outside, but the guests had lessened; trickling back to their hotels for the night. Owen didn't blame them.

He hoped Claire would be willing to forgive his lack of tie tonight.

It was a quiet walk to the Call Center, but Owen paused at seeing blue hair across the street. He couldn't help his small smile at seeing Jackie talking to an obviously nervous Lowery who was probably done with working on the hologram for the night. The vet was gesturing to the Ben & Jerry's near them, and Lowery eventually nodded before the duo walked over. Owen could only shake his head.

Elise was a good matchmaker it seemed.

* * *

He sighed at seeing the Call Center a little busier than what he liked, but he found a quiet little corner for himself. He made sure to look for any stains on himself before starting the call. He couldn't do anything to change the mess, but at least he could brace for it. Owen rubbed his face in thought; he needed to ask Claire where they were actually going before he made the journey to go change.

He actually had a spare change of clothes ready to go, and Elise had already given him a bouquet to give to Claire; no Angel's Trumpet this time.

"Uncle Owen!"

Owen immediately gave a wide smile at the bouncy curls in the screen, and he said, "Booger! I missed you! What're you doing at Nana's?"

Rosie settled into the office chair before resting her arms on the too tall desk, and answering, "Nana said you were gonna call tonight! I wanted to talk to you again. Did you ride your bike with Blue and Elise?"

Owen could never keep a smile off his face around Rosie; she just made him smile all the time. It was wonderful, and he answered, "I rode my bike with Elise, but not with Blue; I might do that tomorrow."

Assuming Rexy wasn't in Elise's paddock. Owen didn't put that much faith in his motorcycle, and he had no intent of thumbing his nose at the old dinosaur. He was sure Blue would throw a fit at having him upset her newest buddy.

Owen still didn't understand the dynamics of the relationship between the two, and Elise would only do her best to give a shrug when he asked her.

She had no idea either, but it wasn't a concern.

"Oh, okay. I drew you another picture!"

Owen eagerly leaned forward as he said, "Well, let's see it, Booger!"

Rosie gave a wide smile, missing tooth giving an adorable look to her cheeky face, and she held up her masterpiece. Owen smiled as he admire her hard work; she had been improving her drawings. Now she was adding little details that brought the work to life; it still looked like an almost seven year old had drawn it, but she was getting better.

Now Blue had her iconic blue stripe on her side while the rest of her body was a lighter shade. Echo had her scar, and Delta her stripes. Elise remained her pure white though Rosie was getting better about drawing her hands.

"That's beautiful, Booger. You gonna sign it and mail it over to me?"

Rosie gave her toothy grin before shaking her head, and saying, "Nope. You have to come visit me if you want the picture."

Owen couldn't stop his laugh; Rosie had the Grady wit about herself, no DNA tested need. He ran his hand through his hair before saying, "I'll see what I can do, how's that sound?"

Rosie's eyes lit up, and she eagerly nodded. The thought of seeing her uncle again, even if it was a small chance, was always worth entertaining. Owen couldn't wait to see what her face looked like when she realized where she was really going.

She was convinced she was going to Disneyworld for her birthday, and Owen had felt himself go soft when his father told him how hard Rosie had tried to politely convince her family to bring her uncle home for a couple days instead.

Rosie had never demanded anything of her family and was always unusually polite when she tried to argue.

Until it came to the subject of what Disney movie was best; Rosie was a fierce arguer when it came to that. Owen had only pushed her buttons on that subject once; Rosie had been quick to put him in his place, and he found it hilarious.

"You excited for Disneyworld? You packed yet?"

Rosie crinkled her nose before shaking her head, curls bouncing with the movement, before she said, "Uncle Owen, I still got a week before I have to pack."

Owen smiled at the scrunched, button nose, he had a feeling Rosie would have been packed three weeks ago if she knew where she was really going, and that thought warmed him.

Rosie glanced to the side of her when she heard a door open, and she greeted, "Nana! Uncle Owen called."

Owen gave a little wave when his mother's face came onto screen. Her face held a warm smile as she shifted Rosie onto her lap. Owen's mother was quite short actually, but dynamite came in little packages also. Her silvery hair was cut short simply because she lacked the patience to mess with anymore, but she somehow retained a more pale complexion like Owen's despite all the years of digging up bones.

"There's my baby. I thought you had forgotten about calling us."

Owen let out a small laugh before saying, "I just got off work, Mom; I hustled as best I could. I'm going to have to leave soon too."

"Why?"

Owen pressed his lips before sheepishly saying, "I got a date tonight with a beautiful girl; I can't be late to that."

Owen's mother raised an eyebrow, but she asked, "Are you bringing her flowers, Owen?"

"I got the flowers, Mom. They're beautiful, trust me."

Because Elise had picked them; he only had to mention he was going on another date with Claire, and the Indominus had come prepared this time. Owen would not be late because of her. Owen was very grateful for that, and hopefully this time they could end the date on a good note.

His mother smiled gently as she said, "Good, I knew you were raised right. Your father always brought me flowers when we had gone on dates. Don't ever get lazy about bringing flowers."

Owen wondered how his mother would react if he told her the only reason he had brought flowers was because his Co-Alpha and Beta pitied him so terribly that they felt obligated to lend their help.

"I won't, Mom. I promise."

His mother nodded before gently setting Rosie off her lap as she quietly said, "How about you go start those cookies; they need chocolate chips. I'll be right behind you."

"Okay, Nana. Bye, Uncle Owen!"

Owen caught the kiss Rosie had blew to him, and she smiled before leaving. The adults were quiet until the door shut, and his mother said, "She has absolutely no idea, Owen. I hope you're ready to have her attached to your leg the entire time she's there."

"She can't be worse than Blue, Mom. My leg can handle her."

Blue had briefly gone through a lazy phase where she figured out that if she held onto Owen's leg tight enough, she would be carried everywhere. Now she just rode Elise or Rexy. Owen was glad she no longer tried to hitch a ride with him. He couldn't exactly carry three hundred pounds.

Owen's mother smiled before leaning on her arms as she asked, "How is sweet Blue doing?"

Owen couldn't help snorting before saying, "Blue is a lot of things, Mom; sweet isn't one of them. More like ornery, but she's doing good. She's taken to being Rexy's little parrot; I have no idea why. It works though."

The silver haired woman gave a light chuckle, and replied, "Animals are the strangest of creatures sometimes, aren't they? We can learn a lot from them. How is Elise doing? Is she still watching you like a hawk?"

"I'm not allowed near any water that goes past my ankles when she's around."

His mother gave a fond smile, and Owen quietly asked, "So, who's coming here with Rosie? Dad said you guys were still deciding."

"We haven't decided yet; we all want to see you, but it doesn't seem to be working out like that. Your sister can't seem to get the days off though. It will either be me or your father who goes."

Owen nodded; he wished his sister wasn't such a hard worker. She worked so hard to provide for her daughter that she sometimes forgot to spend time with her. Owen knew it made Rosie sad, but the little girl never complained about it.

"Are you sure there's not more I can do to help?"

Owen's mother shook her head gently before saying, "You just stay alive, Baby. That's your only priority, and treat your girlfriend well. I want to meet her someday. I will get grandchildren out of you, Owen."

Owen panicked at the two 'G' words, and he quickly offered, "You got Elise and Blue to spoil. Elise loves a good hug, and Blue will do anything for an Oreo."

His mother paused before saying, "Is that so? Well, I actually have some Oreo Thins I could send over."

Owen blinked a few times before asking, "Oreo what?"

"Thins, do you need your hearing checked again? I can schedule a doctor's appointment for you."

Owen would sooner go deaf then have his mother call the hospital here to schedule him an appointment, but he shook his head, and asked, _"Oreo Thins?_ Do I even want to know what those are?"

His mother raised her eyebrows, but answered, "It's a thin Oreo, Owen. Less cookie, and less filling…why are you making that face?"

Owen could not think of a worse invention to be brought to light in this world. He could feel his eye twitching, and he seriously said, "I can, under absolutely no circumstances, never let Blue _ever_ see an Oreo Thin. Do you know what she did when a worker tried to give her a regular Oreo? We had a job opening after that incident. Don't send those, Mom. I don't even know what Blue would do if anyone tried to give her that."

Owen went quiet as he thought of the possibilities. Blue would fall over dead from shock. She would go on a murderous rampage, refusing to be sated until the terrible creator of Oreo Thins was brought to justice, or worse…

She would think someone had the unfathomable audacity to eat some of her Oreo before handing it over to her; thinking she wouldn't notice. Blue would be offended by that; Owen just knew she would. There was nothing more dangerous than a vain raptor who had been insulted.

"Owen? Baby? You've gone a little pale….are you sure you don't want a doctor's appointment?"

Owen shook himself before shakily laughing, "It's nothing, Mom. Just keep those Oreo Thins please. Don't let Rosie near them just…just throw them out, okay?"

His mother blinked, but Owen only hid his sheer terror behind a tight smile. He needed to ask Claire if such an atrocity had snaked its way to this island. If Blue came across an Oreo Thin…

They would have to evacuate the island again.

* * *

"What? Why would I have those here?"

Owen nonchalantly shrugged though he was internally relived that there were no Oreo Thins on Isla Nublar. Only the mainland had been infested; this land was still pure.

"I was just wondering is all."

Claire raised an eyebrow, but she glanced down at her menu. Owen was happy to know she had been pulling his leg about going to the most expensive, formal restaurant here. She had decided to pick something nice, but casual. Owen was glad for that.

Because Mr. Spider was an unyielding creature when it came to possessions.

"Are you happy to see your niece again?"

Owen immediately brightened as he nodded. He rested his arms on the table as he said, "She'll be here next week, but I don't know who she's coming with."

Claire frowned as she glanced up before asking, "Your parents aren't coming?"

"It's expensive, Claire. I know they tried, but the important thing is getting Rosie here. I don't think my sister will be able to come though; work is pretty brutal with her, and she had already used up her vacation days."

Claire pressed her lips in thought before saying, "At least Rosie gets to come; I know Zach and Grey were pretty relieved to come here without their parents."

Owen nodded in agreement, but Rosie's situation wasn't the same. His sister had never married Rosie's father; she didn't even know who the father was. It was a drunk one night stand that had broken his mother's heart, and almost caused his father to go on a man-hunt. It was fine now, Rosie didn't ask questions anymore, and Owen had done his best to fill the empty spot.

"Has your Planning Team made progress with Sobek's paddock?"

Claire nodded happily before answering, "And we're currently working on the types of fish to use for him to hunt; it's challenging to say the least…"

Owen could only imagine it.

* * *

Blue snorted to herself while watching her sisters hunt the fast, furry creatures scattering across the plains. She was perched next to Stern One, content to simply sit here. White One was grooming her scales, and Stern One was helping out. Blue was content with the peace here. She flexed her claws through the soft dirt before relaxing again as she half listened to White One and Stern One rumbled at one another. Blue still didn't know how to communicate with her, but they got along well enough that it worked for the both of them.

Life was good. The pack was strong, the territory large, and prey plentiful; Blue couldn't ask for more besides another Oreo, but she was happy with life.

And Stupid Alpha was recovering from his wounds he received from Swimming One. Blue was glad he didn't feel the need to go there again, and White One was intent on keeping him from all ponds.

Blue wouldn't complain.

The blue scaled raptor was content to clean her claws before glancing up when Echo gave a furious shriek; the prey had escaped again. Delta tried to calm her, but Echo threw back her head to give the cries for help. Blue would never not hunt with her sisters, and she rubbed against the forest scales before taking off.

It was a little habit Blue had started to do before she would leave Rexy. It was like reassurance that she would be back as soon as possible, and Rexy seemed content with the affection. It was better than Blue simply taking off.

Elise gave a small rumble before resuming with her scales. She leaned into Rexy's nibbling teeth while watching the raptors reign terror over the poor rabbits, but at least they ate what they killed this time.

Elise wondered if Owen had given Claire the flowers on their date; she hoped he did.

She had worked hard to pick them.

* * *

Owen had concluded that the third date had been a complete success. Nothing chaotic happened, Claire had loved the flowers, Elise hadn't picked any poisonous ones, and Claire had even given Owen a kiss before she left.

Owen was happy with life, and the week had passed with little incident. He talked to Rosie almost every night, and had the hardest time containing himself the night before she was supposed to arrive. She had Skyped with him at the hotel near where the cruise ship would pick up guests. He had been so excited that he had forgotten to ask Rosie who had come with her.

Elise seemed to be amused by how energetic her human was, but she was making progress in her training. She had searched for Timmy, Sam, Scott, and even Claire. She was doing well, and Owen couldn't have been prouder of her. She worked hard to make sure she did the right thing, and she was an attentive learner in everything.

Blake had yet to train with Elise, and Owen was secretly glad for that. He felt like not saying anything about it would be best; it seemed to slip Claire's mind. She was focused on other things, and that was a good thing. Sam wouldn't push it because it wasn't like he could get angry with Blake for doing his legitimately hectic job.

Construction had already begun on Sobek's paddock much to Bridges' delight and utter relief. Claire knew it was going to be a long few weeks on Isla Sorna when the blonde had outright offered to bring in more construction workers to speed things up.

Claire swore she had heard a Spinosaurus roar during their calls, but Bridges poorly assured Claire that Sobek was just playing Cat Mouse with Romano.

She didn't know that Bridges demanded a text from Romano every time the old Spinosaurus gave a furious roar. If Romano died, they were doomed.

Owen was less happy about the location of Sobek's paddock, but the board had absolutely insisted on it. Sobek's paddock was located directly behind Elise's, and in the giant loop of the tall monorail. It shared some of the thick jungle, but more importantly it had a river that went through the center of it. The board had felt safer with Elise in between the Spinosaurus and the heart of Jurassic World. She would be the closest carnivore who could be right there in case Sobek decided he didn't like his home. It would also butt up against the Gyrospheres, but Claire had decided to put their strongest fence there; an incredibly solid, cemented, fence. John Hammond had always preferred something that would deteriorate over time in the event of another park incident; he wanted the animals to have a chance to live naturally in case humans weren't there to take care of them.

This time, Claire would go against the man's wishes; Sobek needed a solid fence, and she hoped the Spinosaurus would pay it little attention. The river never went near that fence, and her crew was working around the clock to provide a steady amount of large fish to keep the Spinosaurus happy.

A new stop on the monorail was being created for Sobek's attraction though Claire had decided not to advertise this new arrival with gusto like she normally did. She didn't want guests to overcrowd Sobek's area; she would let word spread by itself, and hope Elise could continue to entertain as steadily as she did. Without the powerful binoculars, guests would be able to see Sobek in the distance, and they would be on a high cliff to avoid tempting the Spinosaurus from trying to eat them.

Owen had told Claire to dig a trench of some sort below the guests as well; he had no idea if all this careful planning had gone into other paddocks; it seemed like Jurassic World would stop at good fences, but he was glad to see Sobek was being taken seriously.

It was driving Rexy and Blue up the wall with all the construction going on, but Elise did her best to keep them away. The fence Elise and Sobek would be sharing was being replaced with a much stronger fence that would stun rather than simply burn.

* * *

Echo gave a small sigh that tickled Owen's arm before she shifted closer. Today was a quiet day, and Owen had no idea how he managed to relax enough to take a nap.

Rosie was supposed to be coming today, on the noon cruise ship. They had just finished their first show, and Rexy was feeling a little cranky today. Blue and the girls decided to give her space in favor for a quiet nap with the two Alphas.

Elise was half curled around her family while Blue had smooshed herself on the body pillow that was Owen. Delta had claimed Owen's leg, and Owen was just dozing. He had been good about keeping the girls exhausted enough to simply ignore the construction going on, and Elise had drilled it into their heads to leave that side of the fence alone. No hunting was permitted there.

Blue had been defiant at first; Elise had caught her trying to hunt down a worker a little too close to the fence, and Elise had really exerted her authority that time. Echo and Delta were afraid of her temper, and Blue had given another slash on Elise for daring to order her around.

Blue had eventually given up in favor of hunting down wild boars that were numerous in the jungle; they were more fun to hunt. Elise was fine with that, but she remained on guard with the raptors. They mostly stuck close to Rexy in her paddock, and Owen was once again grateful to the old lady for that.

Owen cracked open an eye when a flutter of plastic crackled. He sighed while staring at the wrapper; he knew he needed to pick it up. It would drive him crazy to see trash in his girls' home, but he was so comfortable right now. He wanted to fall back asleep.

But the damn crackling was irritating.

Blue glared at Owen for having the audacity to move, but he simply snorted at her. She was tired from running, and simply plopped onto the warm dirt Owen had left under him. Elise hardly shifted in her own sleep, and Owen sighed as he picked up the wrapper. He knew it wasn't his trash; he didn't eat Snickers.

Owen ran a hand through his hair, and didn't hear the window above him opening. The peaceful silence in the air was suddenly shattered by a high pitched shriek.

From an excited niece who couldn't remember the last time she saw her beloved uncle.

" _Uncle Owen!"_


	61. Chapter 61

**A/N**

 **Hey guys! I'm sorry you didn't get a chapter yesterday; I had no idea the site would be down all day.**

 **Kim K's Butt, I'm glad you love Sobek; I think he's hilarious, and I'll look up the Leaellynasaura if I get the chance.**

 **ReginaDC21, I'm glad to hear you finally got some AC!**

 **RainbowKittyRune, you'd probably freak Blue out.**

 **Nightmare Moon, I could see Blue getting Rexy to go steal the vending machine for her.**

 **Unknown, it's good to see you again; I'm glad you didn't get eaten by the bear.**

 **Amanthya, I intend to finish this story so no worries, but I don't think you missed much on the third movie.**

 **Schaduw, I'm sorry, but I love cliffhangers! Forgive me!**

 **Guest, you OC sounds like he'd get eaten pretty quick, and Jackie and Dr. Gerry are not who I am. I have no idea where I got the inspiration for Jackie, and Dr. Gerry is heavily based on my own vet. He's passed away, and I wanted to preserve his memory in a way.**

 **Most importantly you guys, thank you for your reviews and comments. I love them and I love you guys. I hope school is going great for you, I know it's stressful for me. For those of you not in school, well, I hope you have a wonderful day. All of you!**

* * *

"Ohana."

Owen didn't exactly process the shrill shriek, but he yelped loudly as he snatched his hand away from the wrapper like it was the one screaming at him. Blue leapt out of her skin before landing on Elise's snout as she looked around quickly. She was in react mode, and all she needed to see was Stupid Alpha startling away from the shiny thing fluttering to the ground.

Owen nearly fell over when the flash of blue scales suddenly attacked the intruder, and Blue made a furious cry for death as the leaves around her scattered into the air. She was thrashing her head back and forth to snap the nonexistent neck, and Owen stumbled back. Elise snapped her head up with a startled clap of her teeth while Echo and Delta shot up at Blue's shriek. The two raptors were ready to maul the stupid trespasser, and Owen flinched back when Elise rose with a dangerous growl bubbling from her throat.

"Owen!"

Owen jumped at having his name yelled again, and he paled at his girls mauling whatever it was they had caught in the bush.

Whoever they had caught.

That was enough to force Owen to give a sharp, shrill whistle for their attention. Echo and Delta snapped their heads up at his order, but Blue continued to shake her head before she made a startled chirp. Owen raised an eyebrow as she slowly lifted her head before allowing the silver shreds of the wrapper to fall from her mouth.

Her look said it all.

Stupid Alpha had been startled by plastic, and Elise gave Owen a hard look for causing such chaos. Owen stared back at Elise; he had no idea what to say to her, but the Indominus flinched back at another delighted shriek.

"Uncle Owen!"

Blue did not care if she wasn't supposed to hunt the humans; this human had scared the life out of her, and she curled her lip at the hatchling bouncing around delightedly. Elise stared at the bouncy curls as the child focused only on Owen. Elise had never had a child ignore her in favor of Owen before, and she tilted her head.

This hatchling was far too excited, but Elise snapped her gaze down when Owen yelled, "Rosie!"

The man dove onto Elise's hand, and she paused for a second before assuming Owen wanted up. She didn't even get the chance to put her hand very close to the rails before Owen simply made the jump over. Elise gave a reprimanding garble at the man for being unsafe, but she blinked when Owen scooped the child up into a tight hug. Owen made a small circle as he smooshed the girl close to his chest, and Elise blinked when she heard quiet sniffles from Rosie.

Elise felt the raptors quickly scramble up her side as they stared at their Alpha quietly holding Rosie with all the tender love they all knew so well. Blue perched directly on Elise's head as she tried to make sense of this situation, and she gave a chirp at Elise for an explanation. Elise only made a soft sound.

She wasn't sure either.

Elise turned her gaze to see Claire giving a sincere smile while she watched the reunion, and Elise made a soft croon. Claire looked at her before gently smiling, and Elise turned her gaze to the other guests she had never seen before. Rosie pulled back just the slightest with tears of joy spilling over before she gave a fierce kiss on Owen's cheek, and declared, "I missed you, Uncle Owen!"

Owen only smiled as he gave another tight squeeze on his niece, and murmured, "I can't believe how big you got, Booger…"

Elise blinked before she realized that this was Owen's family who was coming to visit. Owen had always referred to his niece as Booger, and Elise knew she was coming today; she had just expected her a little later.

The Indominus relaxed tremendously as she chittered to Blue. The pack was never in danger, Alpha was just reuniting with his hatchling. Elise didn't have a word for niece, and Owen had said he did his best to act as a father to Booger. Blue paused before giving a sharp bark at Owen for keeping any pack apart. This was the second member Stupid Alpha had kept from the main pack; his hatchlings needed to be raised in the safety of their watchful gaze. Blue wasn't going to be very welcoming of more human pack members, but this was Stupid Alpha's hatchling. This one was important.

She was far too loud, and was very lucky White One was here to frighten away any predators. Blue had no intent of personally training this loud hatchling, but she had faith in White One to make a respectable pack member out of the Loud One. Blue flared her nostrils to catch the scents while Delta and Echo kept a watchful gaze from Elise's shoulders.

Owen finally set his niece down but laughed when she immediately latched onto his leg hard enough to cut off circulation; she still had nothing on Blue's grip. It took all of Owen's willpower to not cry either, but he startled at hearing his mother softly say his name.

He blinked at her for a few seconds before blurting, "You got shorter, Mom…"

It wasn't until he heard a snort that Owen realized that his father was standing next to her. Owen startled at seeing him, but his mother was overjoyed at seeing her son again. She would ignore the short comment in favor of wrapping her arms around her son. She stood at an imposing four feet and five inches, but Owen never doubted she could still kick his butt if ever needed.

He laughed when he had to bend over to give her a hug, but winced at the sharp tug on his ear as his mother lovingly said, "That is not the first thing you say to your mother after how many years of not seeing her."

Elise tilted her head when Owen only chuckled, "I missed you too, Mom."

Blue wasn't sure what to make of the adult humans she didn't recognize, and she chittered at White One for more explanation; White One understood these garbles. Blue didn't smell a threat in the air, but she knew better around clever humans. She knew they could be just as tricky as herself. Blue listened intently as Elise made her chitters and barks before Delta and Echo stood taller to get a better look.

The little old human was Owen's mother.

Blue scooted forward to get a glimpse of this human female. Stupid Alpha was their parent, and this little human was Stupid Alpha's parent? Blue couldn't comprehend the thought of raising Stupid Alpha; this little human was something else if she could keep Stupid Alpha alive through childhood.

Blue would admit Stupid Alpha was a good parent himself, so this human had done well.

But that didn't mean Blue would exactly allow her to roam this territory without supervision. She was a stranger, and Blue didn't like strangers in her home; it was an opportunity for danger to sneak in. Loud One would be permitted only because she was still young and able to adapt easily to their rules. If she was to stay with them, she would stay close to the nest until she could defend herself like Stupid Alpha.

Adult humans were not trustworthy; they always held weapons, made attacks, and gave Blue unpleasant feelings. She had learned to ignore them when hunting the goat with Stern One only because they were not in her reach.

And Stern One ignored them so Blue would do the same.

Rosie continued to hug Owen's leg tightly, but she finally turned her head to blink at the dinosaurs curiously staring at her. The pack's gaze focused on her when Rosie trotted over to the edge of the railing, and she gave a wide smile before exclaiming, "You're all so much prettier than Uncle Owen had said!"

The Beta of the pack gave a firm glare when Rosie focused her gaze on her, but Rosie only said, "Wow…Blue, you have the prettiest scales I have ever seen!"

Blue recognized her name, but she also knew the tone. It was admiration, but it was still nice to get confirmation from White One. Owen couldn't help his snort when Blue gave a knowing chirp; she knew she was beautiful.

He turned back to give that ornery grin to his father, and a quick but tight hug before saying, "I thought only one of you guys was coming."

His father snorted, but gave a fond look at his granddaughter as he quietly said, "Your very lovely girlfriend brought us here. She said you saved this park; you deserved to see your family."

Owen blinked but turned his gaze to Claire, and she gave a smile with a shy shrug of her shoulders. It was such a relaxed movement, but it was so unlike her to shrug, and Owen found himself smiling at her. He didn't know how to describe how much it meant to him to see his family again, and Claire had gone out of her way to make it happen.

Owen loved Claire.

Elise surprised when she melted under the adoring smile Booger gave her. Did Booger have any idea of how she smiled just like her uncle? Booger was giving her the smile that made her feel good about herself.

Elise knew she had just discovered another, precious treasure, and she would protect this one with her life.

Rosie turned back to her uncle when he walked over, and a hand on Rosie's shoulder as he said, "Booger, this is Elise, Blue, Delta, and Echo."

Elise tilted her head when the small child nodded with a smile, and pointed as she repeated what her uncle had taught her during their calls.

"Elise is the Co-Alpha, and is in charge when you're not around. She loves kisses and drawings; Elise is good. Blue is the Beta, Betas keep the pack in line when the Alphas aren't around. Echo is the youngest, but she's the only one brave enough to tell Blue when she's overreacting. Delta is close to Blue, but she keeps the peace in the pack."

Owen felt a swell of pride as he smiled at his niece; he didn't have the words to describe how happy it made him to know Rosie had remembered everything. She had memorized everything she could about his girls.

But she had always been the most interested in Elise.

Blue shifted on Elise's head when Owen's mother walked over before saying, "There's the two guardian angels."

She gave a warm smile as she looked over the raptors before chuckling, "I can't believe my baby actually has a Velociraptor pack. I remember when the skeletons gave you nightmares."

Owen gave a crooked grin as his father looked over each attentive raptor. His green gaze seemed to memorize each pattern, each sickle claw, and he finally said, "I never pictured them as anything other than fossils, but now that I'm seeing them…they are beautiful."

Owen beamed proudly, and Elise tilted her head at him. Claire was reminded of a proud mother hen showing off her fluffy little chicks. Owen was a mother hen sometimes, and Claire couldn't stop her smile from growing; she wondered if the girls had followed Owen around like little chicks when they were babies.

Blue snapped her gaze towards the thick trees when she heard Rexy's roar. She knew that one, and she gave a graceful jump before landing on the ground. Owen's father whistled quietly, and Blue snapped her gaze to glare at the man. She had a feeling Stupid Alpha was related to this human as well; he looked very much like Stupid Alpha.

It didn't mean she would listen to him though. Stupid Alpha had to prove himself. He had to prove he was willing to meet her without barriers between them, he had to give her his trust, and she had finally accepted him fully when he had put himself in between her and White One so long ago.

But Blue wouldn't forget that, and she accepted that Stupid Alpha, as stupid as he was sometimes, was a good Alpha. That was all this pack needed.

Blue glanced up when Owen pulled out the resonating chamber before giving a low chittering sound. It was still rough around the edges, but Blue understood, and she made a graceful turn as she chittered the sound back to Owen. Delta and Echo were eager to get back to a quiet paddock, and Elise curled her lip when the raptors made to leave. They paused when she gave a stern snarl that caused Claire to raise an eyebrow. Blue shrieked at Elise, challenging her order just because it was what Blue did, and Elise gave a sharp snap of her teeth before lowering her head to Blue's level. Owen sighed quietly; this was a normal occurrence with the construction going on, but Elise did it every time the girls left.

It was working so far; Blue only physically fought Elise over this once, and no worker had been attacked. Granted they were on high alert at all times, but Elise did her best to keep the girls away.

Owen frowned when Blue seemed to bunch her muscles under herself, ready to launch an attack, and Elise made a deep, dangerous hiss with a shiver of her jaws. Elise dared Blue to challenge her authority.

Echo and Delta ducked their heads submissively, but Blue was feeling fiery at the moment. She was feeling good, but she snapped her teeth instead of barreling into Elise's nose. Blue had learned that never worked out completely after being pinned for the fifth time. They stared each other down, both refusing to back down before Owen finally cleared his throat, and firmly said, "Blue."

The Velociraptor huffed, but broke the staring contest. Owen had learned very quickly just how important it was that he and Elise were always on the same page when it came to decisions or orders. When he made an order that Blue was feeling like fighting, Elise would support Owen, and Blue would back down more easily. Owen did the same with Elise; they were a team, and Blue had yet to fight both Alphas over anything.

Owen was not looking forward to the day where Blue decided she was going to challenge both Alphas, but he was glad that day was not today.

He wished Rexy would allow the gate to stay closed; to keep the raptors on her side of the paddock while the construction went on, but Blue decided that was not going to happen. Rexy had smashed through the gate twice in one week before the Repair Team gave up.

Blue was not going to allow anything to keep her pack's territory divided nor would she risk the chance of being separated from Rexy during a patrol. Elise had stepped up with a firm order, and no one was going to complain.

Until someone got eaten, but the overhanging threat had pressured the workers to get done faster. They had learned very quickly that Rexy would not tolerate late night construction. She didn't care about early morning for whatever reason, but the construction crew went home the moment the park's speakers shut off.

Or else.

Owen repressed a small shiver at the memory; he had heard the furious roar all the way from his own bungalow. It hadn't been a happy roar.

Elise gave another firm chirp, and Blue lashed her tail as she garbled in response. The Indominus seemed satisfied with the answer, and she gave her permission to leave. Elise trusted Delta and Echo to make sure Blue wasn't tempted, but that's wasn't what concerned Elise.

It was Rexy losing her temper, and Blue being right behind her. Elise didn't think she would be able to fight Blue and Rexy; that was a hellish team that couldn't be stopped. Elise had never given an order at Rexy; she had relied heavily on her natural charisma around other animals. She had yet to figure out all of the humans' language, but she would get there eventually. She was determined to learn.

Rosie intently watched the girls dart into the brush before she asked, "Where are they going? I thought the pack stayed together always."

Owen couldn't stop his snort; this pack went by different rules, but they worked for him.

"They're off to go visit Rexy, Booger. She's part of the pack too, but I don't have any authority over her."

Owen glanced at Elise before adding, "And I don't think Elise does either."

Claire smiled when the Indominus gave a rumble to confirm this; no living creature held authority over Rexy. Claire found herself wondering how Sobek and Rexy would react to one another. She knew it would happen eventually even if Rexy never patrolled Elise's paddock.

One bark from nosey Blue would change all that; it was the main reason for the stronger fence being put up.

Claire had talked to Owen about it, and the man seemed to lick his lips nervously whenever the subject came up. Sobek was rightfully the Big Boss on Isla Sorna. He was that island's Rexy. Owen had wondered how Isla Sorna would fare after their head honcho retired to this island. Owen really couldn't imagine this island without Rexy.

It felt wrong.

He wondered if Isla Sorna would be that sensitive. Maybe it was because there wasn't another Tyrannosaurus on this island. Claire had yet to give the order to create a new one. They had the embryos ready to go, Claire just wasn't ready to give the word.

Because it would mean Rexy was nearing the end of her life, and no one wanted to acknowledge that.

Owen just hoped Rexy would be willing to ignore Sobek because of the strong fence.

A tug on his pants cleared all troubled thoughts, and Owen grinned widely as he scooped up his niece. She gave a delighted laugh, but shrieked when Owen suddenly fell over the railing. Owen's mother paled to a bone white, but Claire shook her head.

Elise garbled quietly as she lifted her catch for the others to see, and Rosie blinked at the hands around her before she gave laughed loudly. Elise liked this laugh, and she liked this little human.

Owen adjusted himself comfortably in the scaled palm, and he sighed contently while playing with the large fingers protecting them. Rosie showed now fear as she smiled widely, and Owen finally looked up at Elise as he said, "Elise, this is Rosie. She's my niece."

Rosie immediately tackled the long finger with her hands, and pulled it down in a shake as she said, "Nice to meet you, Elise. I like you, and I'm really glad you make sure Uncle Owen doesn't die."

Elise couldn't stop her snort; that was an important job in her life. She had to make sure Owen didn't die. Claire quietly giggled at the truth of it, and Elise turned her gaze to Owen's parents when he said, "That's my mom, Charlotte, and my dad, Ted."

Elise wasn't sure how to greet them because they were Owen's family. She felt a little shy; she didn't want to give them a bad impression, but Charlotte walked onto the railed platform before she sincerely said, "I can't thank you enough for saving my son from Lilly. I know you two had a rough start, but I'm so happy you're watching over him."

Elise supposed that was a good start, and she was warmed by that sincerity. She gave a small croon before leaning a little closer. She wanted to catch Charlotte's scent, but she wasn't sure about shoving her nose onto the woman. She looked little for a human, and Elise knew they had a thing called personal space. She didn't care most of the time because it was the little ones she was interacting with, but Elise paused when the elderly woman stretched out her palm.

Charlotte smiled at the scales under her hand, and she sighed, "What a creature you are, Elise. I've never seen such a pretty shade of red before; I can't imagine how hard it is to keep these snowy scales so clean."

Owen poked Rosie's side, and the child giggled loudly as he said, "We try to give her a bath at least once a week, Mom. She likes being clean."

Charlotte raised an eyebrow as she retorted, "Well that certainly proves she isn't your child. You insisted a bath could be taken in the largest puddle outside, _without soap."_

Elise blinked before cocking her gaze at her human, and Owen grinned sheepishly as he defended, "Hey, I'm a guy."

The Indominus turned her gaze over to Claire and wondered if that was another reason why they didn't have boy dinosaurs on this island. It seemed like males were messier; she wondered if Sobek was a messy creature or if he liked to keep himself respectably groomed. Elise hoped so; she didn't want a smelly neighbor.

Elise was pulled from her thoughts when Rosie peered over the edge of her hand, and that child asked, "What's in the box?"

Owen stared at his niece before shifting to follow her gaze. He pressed his lips carefully as he tried to think of a way to word his answer in a tasteful but truthful way. He didn't want to sweep Elise's sister under the rug like she wasn't important, but Owen wasn't quite sure how to explain it to his seven year old niece who still believed her goldfish had gone to the ocean through the toilet instead of the neighbor's nosy cat's belly.

Owen didn't get a chance to explain because Elise decided to take matters into her own hands. Rosie kept an attentive gaze on the dirt while Elise carved her words out. Owen glanced at his parents when he father breathed, "She can write…my God… _she can write."_

Elise either didn't hear that or ignored it, but she gently set Owen and Rosie onto the ground to add her finishing touches on the words. Rosie blinked a few times before staring up at massive Elise towering over her. The size difference was massive, but Rosie quietly asked, "Your sister is in the box?"

Elise gave a single nod, and Rosie turned her gaze back before walking over. Elise kept a careful eye on Rosie, but the girl was very quiet as she stared at the plain, wooden box. She turned her brown gaze to stare at the fragile plant still growing strong in its jar. Owen hoped Rosie would be distracted by a pretty flower or something, but he winced at the innocent child.

"Is your sister sleeping? Because I can't hear anything; maybe we should check on her."

Owen slowly glanced at Elise, but she wasn't staring at him. She had an unreadable expression on her face as her gaze rested on the small child next to the coffin. Rosie was waiting for an answer, and Owen felt his heart break at the long sigh that quietly exhaled from Elise.

Elise knew a small child like Rosie probably wouldn't react very well to seeing a skeleton; she did not know Death. Something always broke in the little ones after their first meeting with Death. Elise knew she herself had been broke, and she knew she would have still broken even if she had Owen to comfort her when her sister had died.

Elise didn't want to break Rosie.

* * *

"I'm trying my best, Mr. Bridges; I really am, but these records take a lot of time to work around. Especially if you don't want any loopholes in them."

Bridges kept his face neutral as he stared at the balding lawyer; Hart was losing weight, and Bridges knew it was from stress. He didn't like it when people he had to rely on didn't work well under stress.

It made them the weak link.

He relaxed into his chair gracefully as he quietly asked, "But you will get me the results I want, correct?"

The lawyer looked like he really didn't want to promise anything, but he was relying on Bridges more than he really wanted to. The man pulled out a clean handkerchief and wiped his forehead as he sighed, "Yes. I will certainly do everything that I can, Sir."

Bridges waved his hand as he purred, "You know there's no need for that kind of formality, Mr. Hart. We're both just two people doing our best to survive in this harsh world. I need a good lawyer who is willing to bend a few things for me, and you need my finances to pay for very hefty expenses."

Hart internally grimaced; it was always the green money that got him into these kinds of situations, but he nodded quietly before sighing, "I am grateful for everything you've done, Mr. Bridges. This just takes time is all, and I don't want you to think I am…putting this off."

Bridges shook his head before assuring, "Not at all, Mr. Hart. I know you wouldn't put this job off."

Hart seemed to grimace at the underlying threat, and Bridges was fine with that. He wanted the people working for him to be afraid of him, but he didn't want them too afraid. There was a little balance that needed to be kept because people who worked in fear grew resentful. Resentful people would get sloppy in their work, and Bridges didn't need any more slop.

He leaned on the desk with a relaxed posture as he added, "But I know you need breaks sometimes to be with your family. I know I'm a little harsh sometimes, but I think of myself as an understanding person."

Bridges felt he was a very understanding person. He understood when someone wasn't working as they should be, he understood that sometimes messier measures had to be taken to get his point across, and he understood that Hart was not someone who needed to live in complete fear of him. Bridges would prefer Hart to think of him as a close friend or even family.

Because a lawyer who was fond of someone would always be willing to work a little harder for that person.

The balding man blinked before saying, "Of course, Mr. Bridges. I'll do my best to get the legalities taken care of; I just wish I had some records to help back it up."

Bridges felt his smile lessen slightly; he wasn't getting any more out of Wu for a very long time, and he had promised he wouldn't ask for more records.

Bridges was a man of his word; when he made a promise, he kept it.

Hart stared at the man for a few seconds before getting the message, and he wiped his forehead again as he asked, "Dr. Wu continued to remain diligent in taking his secrets to the grave?"

Bridges glanced behind him when he heard Carnifex pacing under the railing; the fiery male was on edge today, and Bridges didn't care for it. He wasn't about to tell Hart that Wu was willing to take his secrets to the grave, just not to Carnifex's paddock, but he answered, "Even my persuasive methods are pretty much useless."

Hart pinched his nose before tiredly asking, "Judge Knight still wants Dr. Wu; the longer we keep him, the harder it's going to be to cover your tracks."

Bridges wasn't thrilled about that either, and he replied, "I have men already hired into the labs; it's just a matter of time before we find one who knows what they're doing. I am hoping that in all the chaos of hiring new geneticists there might be a new prodigy. Someone who can easily catch up to Wu as opposed to us finding someone willing to give up his secrets."

Hart raised his eyebrows as he asked, "And if we do happen to find someone like that?"

The lawyer pretended not to notice the way Bridges' eyes went flat, and the perfect smile flashed brilliant white teeth as he purred, "Then we do the right thing, Mr. Hart, and turn Dr. Wu over to the authorities, but we seize the laptop first. If we find a prodigy then he or she will be able to make sense of Wu's research. I know he purposefully writes it in a way that is incredibly difficult to understand, and I'm sure Miss Dearing will be ecstatic to have her park running the top research labs again. We can stop with this hybrid nonsense for a while, and discover more dinosaurs."

Hart slowly nodded as if he hadn't heard correctly; Bridges was one of the top supporters of genetic hybrids, but he paused when Bridges added, "Because clearly we lack the correct dinosaurs to create something easy to work with. We have Elise, but we'll never touch her. I have no intent of creating anymore Indominus."

Hart frowned as he quietly asked, "Does Dr. Wu have more Indominus embryos? Because if we get caught with those, Mr. Bridges, that is a hole I cannot dig us out of; especially if they're like Elise. If they have human DNA, it is my professional opinion to strongly encourage you to get rid of them."

Bridges would agree with Hart on that one, but he said, "I don't know if he has Indominus embryos, but I do know he has a few, smaller genetically modified hybrids. Pointless little things that we have no use for. He was the one in charge of making sure the proper embryos were sent back to Jurassic World. No hybrids were sent back."

"But are there _Indominus_ embryos, Mr. Bridges? That's what Judge Knight is really asking for; she wants them if there are any, but I suggest we just get rid of them before someone discovers them."

Bridges raised an eyebrow before saying, "They're embryos, Mr. Hart. I have no idea if we have any, but I don't see why Judge Knight would get all flustered about. Embryos are easy to get rid of."

"Judge Knight is pro-life, and if those embryos have human DNA… She won't allow them to be terminated on the chance that they'll turn out like Elise. She might even go as far as handing them over to Elise to decide on bringing back the population."

" _Bring back the population?_ Mr. Hart, there was never a population to begin with. Elise is a fluke, everyone knows that, she even knows that. The Indominus is a highly aggressive, dangerous animal who doesn't fit into any ecosystem because of the massive size."

Hart opened his mouth, but Bridges waved his hand as he said, "Look, I'm just as _sentimental_ as the next guy, but is the world really ready for another Indominus? A massive animal with the ability to communicate with humans and others? We're struggling enough as it is with our own population, but we think we can support our own while adding this massive, highly intelligent creature to the equation? It may not matter now, but one Indominus turns to two, and so one and so forth. Before we know it, the human race will be competing with a population that can easily rival us in strength and intelligence. That's not thinking rationally."

Bridges didn't think that would happen for a very long time; he imagined a population like Elise's would be slow to grow, but it was his argument. He just didn't want to deal with another Indominus Rex.

Bridges raised an eyebrow when Hart gave him a deadpan look before pulling out a cylindrical tube from his briefcase. He handed it over wordlessly to Bridges, and the blonde was confused as he opened it. He peered inside before pulling out the rolled lithograph paper. He unrolled it to reveal the simple serenity before him, and Hart dryly asked, "Do you really think the world is going to deny _that_ a child? Because I don't."

Bridges pressed his lips; he was struck by this photo. It was stunning. Elise's snow white scales had caught the sun just right, and there was something about the way she wasn't aware of her photo being taken that made this so much more precious. The quality was incredible, and even the tiny praying mantis standing proud on Elise's ebony talon was easily seen. There was something about her smile that seemed to take away from her ferocity; she looked gentle.

The world would not deny her a child.

Bridges sighed quietly, and Hart nodded; he was glad he was able to get his point across, and the blonde said, "I will make sure we do not have any Indominus embryos; Elise, as much as I adore her, she can adopt like Rexy does. She can raise the next Tyrannosaurus; it will probably be easier for her as well. Who knows what kind of health problems those embryos have."

Hart nodded in agreement, but both jumped when Bridges' door suddenly burst open. Jack was wide eyed and terrified, but Bridges snapped, "For the love of privacy, Jack!"

" _Sobek cornered Romano!"_

Bridges froze before a furious roar shook the windows. All he had to hear was the gunshots before he bolted out of the office with a speed Hart had never seen before. Jack was smart enough to move to the side, but he gave a terrified look at the lawyer before following. Hart sighed quietly as he shook his head.

He wasn't brave enough to run out there, but he would wait by the safety of a sturdy building. He collected his things while Carnifex gave a furious roar, but Hart decided to leave the lithograph photo for Bridges; the blonde seemed to like it. He was going to need something pretty to look at if Romano died.

Romano was the only one brave enough to tell Bridges when he was wrong.

* * *

"Elise?"

Elise looked down at the curly haired child before she tapped her talon against her chest in thought. She knew Owen was uncomfortable with how she always talked so much to Small One all the time, but Elise knew no other way to keep her sister alive until the sapling could be planted.

Owen watched the Indominus beckon his niece over before she carved into the dirt. Rosie remained attentive before she asked, "Why is she sleeping in the box then?"

Elise loved children's curiosity, but this was a subject she wasn't so sure about giving all her truthful answers to. Elise glanced to Owen for some help, and the man internally sighed as he walked over before sitting on the ground. Rosie crawled into his lap when she felt the seriousness in the air, and Owen carefully said, "Rosie, Elise's sister isn't sleeping. She was born really sick, and…her body just stopped working. She…died."

Rosie glanced up at Elise, but the Indominus had tuned Owen out. She wasn't listening to this, but was staring at the little box like her sister was just sleeping in the box. Rosie glanced back as she asked, "So why did Elise say her sister was sleeping?"

Owen stared at Elise; he knew when she was ignoring him. He wanted to say it was because Elise hadn't wanted to upset Rosie, and he was sure that was a reason. But he had a feeling she just wasn't ready to completely acknowledge the fact that her sister was dead and gone. She wasn't here anymore and she wasn't coming back.

Owen also believed Rosie, as innocent as she was, shouldn't be lied to. She was a smart girl, and Owen wanted to treat her like that. She had a good head on her shoulder and a heart of gold to brighten the world.

Owen squeezed Rosie's arm gently as he stared at Elise, and quietly said, "Because Elise had a hard life, and her sister was all she had for family. Elise…"

Owen paused to really think about what he was going to say because Rosie was going to remember it for the rest of her life. Elise could be half listening, and Owen didn't want to hurt her. He finally looked at Rosie as he said, "Elise is still hurting, and she just really misses her sister. She does what she can to make herself feel better, and that's why she keeps her sister nearby."

Rosie glanced at the box before whispering, "Shouldn't her sister be buried? That's what Kylie said happened to her dog when he was put to sleep."

Owen risked a glance at the Indominus before he said, "See that little plant over there? Elise wants it to grow before she buries her sister. We're doing everything we can to help Elise not feel so sad, but we probably shouldn't touch the box, okay?"

Rosie nodded as she crossed her heart; she wouldn't touch the box. Owen chuckled, and made to stand before Rosie suddenly asked, "Does Elise have other family? You're her family, right?"

"Of course. Elise has lots of family now. She has me, Claire, Rexy, Blue, Echo, and Delta. She has other family too; she's not alone."

Rosie was satisfied with that answer, and she stood before walking over to the Indominus fearlessly. Owen glanced at his parents to see them attentively listening to Claire as she gestured to the box. He turned back when Rosie suddenly patted the massive leg as she called out Elise's name.

The Indominus carefully stepped away as she lowered herself to the child's level, and Rosie smiled before she suddenly said, "Ohana."

Elise blinked at the child, and Rosie proudly said, "Ohana means family, and family means nobody gets left behind or forgotten."

The Indominus continued to stare at Rosie before Owen suddenly smiled. He could see Elise trying to understand the sudden wisdom from such a little child, and he quietly said, "Booger, Elise hasn't seen that movie. She's never seen a Disney movie."

Owen immediately clapped a hand over his mouth, but the blasphemous words had already fallen from his mouth. Elise grew confused at the utterly crestfallen look Rosie gave her; she didn't know what a Disney movie was. Was it really something so important? It obviously was to this child, and Owen pressed his lips when Rosie turned on her uncle before putting her hands on her hips angrily. Elise blinked at all the stern sass oozing from Rosie, and the child scolded, _"Uncle Owen! It's no wonder she's so sad!"_

Owen grimaced at seeing his mother's sharp bite in Rosie's temper, but the child turned back to the dinosaur to assure her she was in good hands now.

"Don't worry, Elise. You're my ohana now, and I won't leave you behind or forget about you. I'll make sure you see _all_ the important movies before I leave. I think we can be sisters."

Rosie suddenly brightened before she exclaimed, "I always wanted a little sister! Want to be my little sister?"

Elise continued to stare in confusion. Rosie was bouncing around from subject to subject a little too quickly; Elise was still trying to make sense of this ohana word. Why would she be the little sister? She was bigger and stronger; by all rights she would be the bigger sister, but Elise glanced at Owen when he chuckled, "Rosie is a year older than you, Elise…"

Elise snorted; it was very clear that Owen would not be going out of his way to correct or deny Rosie what she desired. She adored this little girl and her resemblance to Owen. Rosie had a heart of gold, and Elise would always protect that.

If it meant she had to be the little sister, then so be it.

Rosie gave an excited gasp when Elise nodded, and she made a happy little dance in a circle. Claire glanced up when Ted sighed, "Oh boy…"

Charlotte smacked her ex-husband playfully as she dryly said, "Don't be a stubborn fossil in the mud, Ted. Rosie always wanted a sister, and now she has one. Elise is someone good to look up to."

The elder snorted before saying, "I know, but that's not what I'm talking about."

Claire raised an eyebrow when Ted plugged his ears, and said, "Brace yourself; Rosie likes to scream when she's really happy."

Claire turned her gaze back to the ground, but Owen had already covered his ears to brace when Rosie took a deep breath.

* * *

The piercing shriek echoed loudly, and Bridges grimaced as he ran past the panicking people. Security wasn't sure what to do except keep people out. Bridges slid to a stop when the Commander hoarsely said, "Sobek already killed two of my guys; I don't know how Romano keeps dodging him."

Bridges didn't flinch when Sobek smashed into the thick walls that shuddered but refused to give. He only pushed the Commander aside before bolting into the massive room; Bridges knew his men were too afraid to follow him, and the blonde was momentarily struck by all the blood on the wall. It looked like a massacre, and the two, fallen men had been tossed aside in favor of a better chase. The wood shavings were disturbed from running, and the blood soaking it didn't help. Bridges didn't understand where so much blood could come from until a furious roar grabbed his attention.

Sobek snapped his jaws onto air as the Italian made another dodge. Bridges could see Romano was hurt, but it was Sobek who was bleeding; there was a slash on his nose. It wasn't a lot of blood for the Spinosaurus, but it was still a lot of blood.

"Daemon!"

Romano made another quick turn before Sobek could snap him up, and Bridges gave a shrill whistle to grab the Spinosaurus' attention.

Sobek snapped his gaze onto the blonde before slowly rising to his full height; Thief had angered him for the last time. This human was not welcome here, and Sobek let out a long, low growl to warn his human to go away.

Bridges knew how to really keep Sobek's attention. Anything loud always aggravated Sobek, and Bridges gave another shrill whistle. The Spinosaurus seemed to pause, as if astonished that Bridges defied him, before the carnivore charged in all his fury.

"Find a door!"

Romano glanced around desperately; there were four doors in total here, and the two closest to him were broken from Sobek crumpling them; Romano didn't want to waste time trying to clear the door away. He just had to hope that he could get to the one across from Daemon. If Daemon could hold Sobek's attention long enough at the other door, then Romano could get out.

It would help if his damned leg hadn't been slashed by the grazing of lethal claws. His was running out of stamina quickly, and adrenaline was going to wear out.

Bridges held his ground for as long as possible; he knew how to play chicken with Spinosaurus. He was great at it, and it was a thrill. He just needed to keep Sobek focused on him as long as possible. Bridges could see Romano running for the half ajar door out of the corner of his eye, and Sobek lowered his head before Bridges dove through the door. He landed with grace just in time to see Sobek smack his snout into the open door. People flinched back in terror, but Bridges darted forward to give a fierce smack on the nose. He knew it wouldn't hurt, and he felt terrible for riling his dinosaur like this, but he had to keep Sobek's attention.

The Spinosaurus was livid over the fact that his lesser prey had the audacity to actually fight back. Death was not permitted to intervene here; this was between him and Thief. The man had aggravated him for the very last time, and Sobek turned his attention back to the injured man.

He was so close to his exit, but Sobek was closer, and he snarled with a swing of his tail. His tail didn't hit Thief, and Sobek cursed his bad eye for ruining his aim. If he had both his eyes, Thief would have been smacked square in the center, and flung back.

Romano stumbled in his haste to duck under the tail, and he heard his ankle give a painful pop when it twisted wrong. Romano let out a cry of pain as he landed hard on the ground before doing his best to get back up. His ankle wasn't taking any weight, and Romano let out a shaky breath when his stumbled onto his knee. He glanced up to see Sobek standing proud in all his rightful glory. Old age had only given this king experience in surviving in the world, and Romano cursed himself in thinking Sobek was still sick. He cursed how this building was built to be longer than it was wide in the case of an emergency like this; it wasn't built as wide to give people a chance to scramble to doors, but it also meant Sobek wouldn't have to chase as far either.

Sobek ruled an island where there were no sick creatures; only dead or alive, and Sobek was very much alive.

Romano wiped his face; he was so close to the exit, but there was no way he could escape in time with his ankle. Sobek lowered himself to charge, but a shrill whistle startled the dinosaur before a flash of red light bounced off the scarred snout.

Sobek roared in fury in his haste to back away from the red fire. He remembered the red fire that burned his legs so terribly. It had seemed like a harmless thing, but it had exploded into raging flames when it hit the water. It would do the same here, and Sobek would not be caught in the flames again.

Sobek's good eye caught sight of Death bolting through the door and towards Thief. Sobek had hesitated to stare at the hissing, red fire before realizing this flame would not explode.

Death had faked him, and Sobek would not forgive that.

"Get up, Romano! Get! Up!"

Romano could not believe Daemon was actually running across the room, but Sobek's shrill roar forced the man into pushing himself up. He wobbled, and tried to stumble towards the door as the earth shaking steps drew nearer, and he yelped when Bridges suddenly tackled him. The duo slid on the cement when they landed on the ground, and Bridges looked up in time to see Sobek smash into the wall. He held his breath as the Spinosaurus charged a few more times before giving an unforgiving roar, and Bridges let out a sigh as his head rested on the cement.

He was getting a little too good at this, but Romano was quietly gasping in pain. Bridges let go of the man though he kept a hand on Romano's shoulder. Security rushed over, but Bridges waved them off; he wanted a few seconds to catch his breath.

" _Sei matto, Daemon!"_

Bridges couldn't stop his breathless chuckle as he slowly sat up, and replied, "You know I don't understand Italian, Romano. I told you to watch yourself around Sobek; we all know he wants you dead before anyone else."

Bridges sighed at the swearing the aggravated Italian was spewing, but he rose with a calm grace that he knew his workers needed to see. The only reason they tolerated sharing a building with Sobek was because Bridges was so calm around the dinosaur. He had to prove that he was a capable handler, and he turned to Romano before helping the man up.

Bridges glanced at his Commander as he said, "Go put sedatives in a good chunk of meat, and give it to Sobek. Once he's down, we can collect the bodies."

The man nodded gravely, and Romano hissed in pain before putting his weight on Bridges. He was still grumbling in his native tongue, but he finally wheezed, "Sobek decided he was ready to go, Daemon. There's no way we can keep him here any longer."

Bridges nodded in agreement as he walked Romano over to a smaller jeep; he would get Romano to their little hospital. Romano heaved a sigh when he sat down, and Bridges frowned at the bleeding leg before shaking his head. The vet glanced down when he felt the pressed jacket being tied around his leg to slow the bleeding, and he jokingly said, "You are going to ruin that jacket, Daemon. Tell me it was a cheap jacket."

Bridges shrugged as he sat in the dusty jeep chair before answering, "It's Ermenegildo Zegna, but I got it for cheap."

Bridges was just talking to keep the Italian awake, and he was glad the hospital was nearby. Romano blinked at the name before asking, "What's cheap for them?"

The blonde ran a hand through his hair as he tried to recall the price before answering, "I think I got this suit for around three grand; that's a good price for them."

Bridges couldn't help chuckling when Romano tried to shake the expensive bandage off his leg. Bridges knew how much of a penny pincher Romano was. This wasn't Romano's first trip to this hospital; he had been slashed by a younger raptor across his arm. Bridges remembered seeing the white bone, but the Italian had fought it. He had tried to say he would do his own stitches until Bridges had pointed out that he didn't have those supplies at the moment.

Romano had then tried to duct tape a sock onto his arm to stop the bleeding. That was the first fight where Bridges had won after he dragged a swearing Romano to the hospital. It wasn't until Romano found out that he wouldn't have to pay anything that he started to cooperate.

The jeep pulled to a stop as Romano held the expensive jacket away from him with ill hidden disdain, and Bridges teased, "Easy, Romano; you won't have to pay for that one."

"I will chop off my own leg before I pay for that!"

Bridges snorted; he loved pushing Romano's buttons, but he needed Romano's help in figuring out how to convince Sobek to stick around here for a little while longer. Bridges had a few ideas, but for now he just needed to make sure Romano didn't die.

It wasn't really a joke when he said that Sobek wanted to kill Romano before anyone else.


	62. Chapter 62

**A/N**

 **Hey guys! How's life going?**

 **Guest, I try to update every other day because of school, work, and to make the chapters longer.**

 **OREO, I have not actually; I was told about them, and I really want to try one.**

 **The Only Potato, thanks for the ideas :)  
**

 **Guest, I have not actually been to the National Dinosaur Monument before, but it sounds pretty awesome. Ian probably will not make an cameo.**

 **Kim K's Butt, you make me laugh a lot, and I thank you for that.**

 **JustAnotherGuest, Sorry for the scare.**

 **Guest who keeps asking me for the Carnotarus, I know they are in the novel; I'm sure they're roaming around the island doing their own thing. I don't add those others because I'm not familiar with them, I don't feel like spelling those names, and I don't have a purpose for adding them. In all sincerity, you truly seem passionate about them, and I encourage you to create your own story that could incorporate those dinosaurs.**

 **Now here comes the part where I really get to see who reads the A/N. I touch up with the paintball guys in here, and I want you to know that this is NOT the last time I write about them. I do intend to have Bridges clarify his reasoning a little better later. I haven't forgotten about Blake either you guys, I promise.**

 **I don't own the song 'O Death', or any Disney/Pixar Movies.**

 **Most importantly, I sincerely thank you guys for your reviews and patience.**

* * *

"I Am Bad, and That's Good."

" _O Death, O Death, won't you spare me over 'til another year?"_

Bark flinched at the loud sound, but she tried not to startle the silver fish below her. She liked fish because it wasn't loud prey, and the river's chuckling kept her calm. A piercingly loud responding call from Anne caused Bark to move further down the river. She really didn't like loud sounds; it scared her and hurt her ears.

The quiet croon from her gentle human made Bark feel better; it was the soft call that didn't hurt her ears, but she could hear easily. She liked her little human even if her human never tried to get close to her. Bark remembered cuddling with her human when she was smaller, but Bark didn't want to be touched anymore.

Unless she was sick, then Bark liked the soft strokes along the back of her neck, but she didn't get sick very often.

The Suchomimus shivered her jaws in response before growing very still. She could see her human out of the corner of her eye; doing her own sort of fishing. Bark didn't understand it, but the humans seemed to fish just as well as them.

" _Well what is this that I can't see? With ice cold hands taking hold of me."_

The only good thing about Anne and her human's loud wailing was it scared all the fish down river to Bark. The navy blue dinosaur waited patiently while Ed and Anne continued to sing with one another. Kate only shook her head in amusement as she watched Bark fish. She was a good girl, Kate just wished she wasn't so skittish. Bark seemed to be a little braver at night though.

Kate cupped her hands together before blowing the low whistle. Bark flicked her tail in response, and Kate smiled. It was the only way she knew how to assure Bark everything was fine. She didn't think Suchomimus were social creatures, but Bark liked a lot of reassurance.

" _O Death, come take this soul, leave this body, and leave it cold."_

Kate rolled her eyes at the howling, especially when Anne threw her head back to give a long, mournful cry as a background singer. Bark glanced up from her fishing, and Kate snapped, "Hey, Ed, you wanna at least pick a nicer song? It's no wonder Bark gets so nervous."

The Suchomimus took another step further down the river to confirm this, but Ed only grinned widely as he retorted, "My Queen Anne won't sing along with any other song besides 'Drunken Whaler'. I tolerate your bird calls, you get to sit through my singing."

Kate sighed quietly, but Anne made a turn as she waited patiently for the song to continue. Ed threw his line into the waters as he finished, _"O Death, O Death, won't you spare me over 'til another year?"_

Queen Anne threw her head back as she gave her long, loud cry, and Kate rolled her eyes. She had no idea how neither she nor Bark had gone deaf from this. It was nice to fish though, and it tasted good. It was how they kept in touch with their animals.

The handlers wouldn't trade this for any other job in the world.

* * *

Bridges sighed quietly as he stood near the sedated Spinosaurus. He had found a cheaper jacket to put on; appearance was everything. He knew it would calm people to see him looking normal even if the task was gruesome.

At least Sobek had the decency to leave the bodies whole. They were just kinked a little funny from where the old dinosaur had snapped his jaws.

The blonde resisted the urge to put his palm to his forehead when a sick snap was heard. The two men paled when the body simply folded at the spine before flopping onto the ground. Cleaning up was never pretty, and Bridges watched the Commander grimly growl at the two. Bridges sighed again when the blessed sound of the body bag's zipper finally pulled up, and the faces had been covered.

He glanced behind him when Sobek breathed a loud sigh before stilling. It wasn't good to keep a large animal like this sedated for very long. It was stressful, Sobek didn't like it, and it wasn't healthy for him to be down for long periods of time.

Bridges wondered if he did need to send more construction workers to speed things up. He had hoped they would work around the clock, but Rexy wasn't having any of that apparently. Bridges had to roll his eyes at that one, but he was amazed that no worker had been snatched up by a Velociraptor yet.

Bridges was actually more surprised that the Beta over there hadn't somehow used Rexy to help hunt down the workers. It sounded like the two were joined at the hip, and Bridges was curious how that came to be.

Jurassic World was odd sometimes, at least none of the animals here were making odd friendships.

Bridges was pulled from his thoughts when the Commander walked over before quietly saying, "We're done, Sir. Everyone has been picked up."

Bridges nodded as he watched the black bags wheel out before the door was half shut, and he sighed before pinching his nose as he asked, "The last of those four?"

"Yes, Sir. I…I accept full responsibility. I thought those could would have been able to handle it since they had the most experience. They had helped dig Sobek out, and…escaped Elise without a scratch."

The blonde waved it off as he snapped, "You can't be held accountable for every idiot who dives head first into death. I still have no idea why Jackson dove into the lagoon, but he's damn lucky Lilly got him before I could. I should have named them the Suicide Squad. Jackson gets eaten by the Mosasaur, Dave was swarmed by the compys, and now these two were done in by Sobek. Is it really that hard to be attentive to surroundings? Or am I not fully comprehending just how dangerous this job is?"

The Commander pressed his lips; Bridges was the most hands on CEO he had ever worked for. He really didn't know any other boss who would willingly dive into the room with the Spinosaurus in it for the sake of a vet. The Commander glanced at Sobek before offering, "I assure you I have gone through every single one of my men, and we have none that will ever make mistakes like that."

Bridges made a disgusted face as he growled, "It's called natural selection; the idiots sort themselves out."

The two paused when Sobek shifted slightly in his sleep, and Bridges snapped, "At least it's done and over with; we learned what we needed to learn from the 'Paintball Incident' as Dearing has taken to calling it. I never had a good feeling about that Jackson character; he looked like a squealer from day one, but Lilly took care of that for me. I want you to make sure there are no talkers on your team, Commander. I never want Dearing to find anything on those men, am I clear? I want records wiped, belongings destroyed, and families quieted by money, lies, or threats. As far as I am concerned, those four never existed; they already helped out by getting themselves killed."

Bridges turned to leave, but the Commander stopped him from asking, "Do you want the bodies returned home?"

The blonde shoved a hand in his pocket to twirl the lighter in thought as he stared at Sobek sleeping soundly. He was quiet for a minute or so before answering, "Jurassic World never found anything on those four. No fingerprints, no usable security footage; the only thing they found was the gun Elise snapped from Jackson. You can return them home; it'll look suspicious if we try to cover that. Besides, they died in unrelated accidents; no one will look further than Sobek's bite marks in the autopsy. Dearing is convinced those four were either extreme animal rights activists or family of Elise's victims'; she won't look here for answers."

The Commander nodded his head before leaving to finish everything. Bridges sighed when the door shut and he looked around him. The room was a mess, and he didn't even try to humor the thought of sending a cleanup crew in here while Sobek was still present. The Spinosaurus was clearly feeling well enough to cause hell, and Bridges rubbed his forehead in thought. Why was it that the little demons in his head always seemed to go quiet when he needed a good idea? They were great with warning him about danger, but they weren't always helpful.

He sighed before walking over and began to gently scratch behind the scarred jaw. Sobek cracked open his milky eye, and Bridges sighed, "I suppose I should keep up my end of the promise, no? I promised you could leave when you were ready; it would be wrong of me to force you here."

Bridges noticed the way Sobek's lip curled at his voice, and he didn't doubt the dinosaur was still furious about the flare. Bridges had no idea why the flare gun would scare Sobek, but he never tried to figure out why. Sobek was the only one who knew why.

And he couldn't talk like Iudex. Carnifex hardly spoke, but he was much less intelligent sounding and rougher. Iudex always talked intelligently if not a tad bit cruel with using dark secrets the shadows told him.

Bridges still didn't know the relationship between Mr. Growls and Iudex, but it seemed the tall shadow was always willing to be a docile shade in the corner of the room when Iudex talked.

The blonde shook himself from the thoughts as he continued to focus on the massive problem before him. His first thought was to keep Sobek here, but the living conditions were not to Bridges' liking. The blood was going to attract flies, and the wood shavings needed to be replaced. Bridges glanced at the shut doors before taking a step back to look Sobek over. The infected gash on his leg had calmed tremendously, and the scales were starting to shine again. The sail was growing colorful again, and the sapphire 'O's were coming back.

Bridges scratched his head in thought; he didn't think Sobek would struggle to defend himself provided Bridges was on top of things with security. They would probably need to reactivate the island's motion sensors and work with the ones that were still functioning. If they could prevent poachers, then Sobek would be safe. He was feeling far too fiery for the raptors to try and attack. Bridges wasn't concerned about any other carnivores on the island; their size couldn't compare.

Sobek's problem was food. The majority of his food came from the herds in the valley.

Bridges licked his lips before making his decision; they had men skilled enough with rifles to down an animal in the valley. It wouldn't kill it, but Sobek would certainly finish the job off. Bridges knew the Spinosaurus was a proud creature, but surely he wouldn't turn his nose up at a free meal.

Bridges just had to make sure the hunters would have a quick getaway. Sobek would probably investigate the shot before coming back to the kill, but he would provide silencers.

Content with his decision, Bridges walked over to the massive doors at the far end of the room before messing with the controls on the wall. He pressed the intercom button before asking, "Is everything clear?"

He waited a few seconds before the guard answered, "Yes, Sir. No sign of life; you're clear."

Bridges nodded before unlocking security. There was an emergency button that would immediately open the doors, but the alarm was loud. Too loud, and Sobek was aggravated enough as it was.

The massive doors slowly slid open, and a cool breeze graced the room with fresh air. Bridges hadn't realized how stuffy it was in here until now. They hadn't really opened the doors, but maybe Sobek would feel a little mellower now that he knew he could leave. Maybe they could give the room a quick cleaning if Sobek was willing to eat his dinner not far from here. The dinosaur didn't care much for traveling in the dark. They could clean the room, get a new bed, and Sobek could be enticed to spend another night here.

Bridges rubbed his jaw in thought; it wasn't a bad idea. He just wasn't sure how willing Sobek would be. He was usually done with people when he felt better. Bridges sighed before walking back; he would give the order for silence here. No danger would dare come here with the scent of two Spinosaurus here.

Sobek could stretch his legs little at the front lawn here in the day and sleep in the room at night. Bridges could provide the food and security until Jurassic World was ready.

Or Sobek would be his independent self, knock over some trees to show how livid he was with Bridges, and storm back to his nest to chase all the trespassers out. Bridges would have to send skilled men to help the dinosaur hunt, and it would be a very long wait on Claire's construction crew.

Bridges pressed his lips as he walked past the drugged dinosaur, and Sobek gave an angry hiss.

Sobek would be clearing the jungle before nightfall, and Bridges wouldn't be able to do a damn thing about it. He had to weigh the safety of his men in this equation, and with Romano down, there was no way he could justify this. Sobek was feeling good, and Bridges would help were he could.

It was going to be a very long few weeks, but at least he would have time to talk to Dr. Wu this afternoon.

* * *

Owen was not comfortable in his current location, but he had promised to take Rosie wherever she wanted to go. He mentally smacked himself for not realizing where they would go first.

The Petting Zoo.

Owen was actually surprised none of the employees had tried to shank him or send one of their animals on him while he was leaning on their fence; he wasn't going inside the pen. He supposed it would be pointless to send an infant dinosaur to attack him; Owen really had been convinced these animals were adults with stunted growth genes.

He thought it was really cruel to put these babies through all that chaos, heaven knew Blue wouldn't have put up with this shenanigan for one second. Owen was pretty sure she would have been a nightmare if she had been put in here as an infant. He could just picture Blue leading all the infants out of here.

It was too loud and crowded, but Rosie was having a good time. That was all that mattered; his parents were almost as excited as Rosie had been. They had taken off to the Visitor's Center to see what knowledge Jurassic World had to offer.

Ted was intent on seeing a Stegosaurus before he left, and Charlotte wanted to see the Pachy Arena. Owen had to laugh when Rosie simply said she wanted to see all the dinosaurs. Planning vacation with his family had always been incredibly difficult, the vacation itself was always amazing. Everyone went their own separate ways before meeting at a designated spot for food. Owen had always found that funny considering all the family vacation commercials he had ever seen always portrayed the family sticking together like glue.

That was not his family.

Owen was pulled from his thoughts when Rosie gave a particularly delighted laugh. He smiled at seeing her gently stroking the face of a baby Apatosaurus who was over the moon at meeting a very gentle human. Owen had been watching the kids here; he actually hadn't seen anything concerning, but still, kids would be kids, and some just weren't as gentle as they needed to be. The babies had just grown used to it.

Rosie was really good with animals, and Owen was pretty sure she would end up working with them somehow. She bounced around from vet, zoo keeper, and even dog grooming; nothing really held her attention for very long.

But she never seemed to get tired of dinosaurs. Owen wasn't sure if that was because it was what he could talk about all day, or if Rosie was truly interested in them. She hadn't said anything about working here.

Owen couldn't help but to chuckle when Rosie trotted over to him with the Apatosaurus right behind her. The baby wasn't going to let this kid leave her so easily. Rosie had come back to him a few times before; she liked to meet a new dinosaur, learn a few things about it, and then come back to tell her uncle what she had learned.

"Uncle Owen! This one is really nice!"

Owen chuckled when the baby bumped her nose into Rosie's back, wanting more attention, and Owen said, "I can see that. What'd you learn about her?"

Rosie shrugged as she turned around to gently run her hand down the long neck before saying, "I didn't ask this time, but we can go see the adults, right? Are they really big, Uncle Owen?"

The baby Apatosaurus became interested in Owen, and he stayed still as the baby poked his hand with her nose. She was carefully sniffing his hand, and he really hoped she wasn't going to panic at the scent of the raptors. He had washed his hands and arms as best he could before coming in here. It would only be the icing on the cake if he managed to panic all the babies here into stampeding away.

Owen was just glad he hadn't seen Debra yet.

"The adults are pretty big, Booger."

"Have you seen them before?"

Owen nodded; he had seen six Apatosaurus before, but apparently those had been younger ones. He had never seen a full grown one that was standing. He just remembered how scared that one straggler had been; the one Elise had left to live alone. Traumatized and scarred.

He mentally shook himself, but couldn't stop a smile when the baby decided to see what his fingers tasted like. She was a gentle chewer, and Owen reminded himself that there was nothing he could do to change the past. Elise was remorseful for what she had done, and she was working to make sure she was a good edition to this park.

It was all Owen could expect of her.

"What do you think her name is?"

Owen shrugged as the baby continued to chew his fingers before answering, "I don't know, it's probably something cute and easy to pronounce."

Owen knew it was just easier for kids to remember, and he wondered how the keepers here actually kept track of all of them. It seemed like there were enough to keep track of everyone, and Owen applauded them for that. He felt his hands were full enough as it was with just Elise and the girls.

"Ready to go, Booger? We can go visit one more place before I have to go back to Elise. Nana and Grandpa will meet us there, and then you can go see more while I do my show."

Rosie immediately shook her head before saying, "I need to know her name first; it's polite, Uncle Owen."

Owen resisted the urge to snort at the tone. Rosie seemed almost offended that Owen was actually rude enough to visit this place without first learning the names of its inhabitants. He wiped his face before startling when a voice answered, "Her name is Love."

Rosie smiled at the curly hair keeper before she said, "That's a pretty name, I like it."

Debra smiled at the child while ignoring Owen. He was more than perfectly fine to pretend he didn't exist, and he really wished his mother had brought Rosie here instead of him.

But he had been really afraid of Rosie saying the wrong thing around Debra, and he had stepped aside with her for another talk. He hated serious talks with Rosie; it ruined things for him, but he felt like something had to be said. He had promised details later, but all she needed to know was Elise had hurt Debra and it was probably best not to mention her.

Love continued to chew Owen's fingers, and Rosie gestured to her as she asked, "Does she have a favorite food like Gizmo over there?"

Debra glanced at the Triceratops before answering, "Carrots, she loves carrots."

Rosie beamed before turning to Love as she said, "That's my favorite vegetable too! I bet you'll have really great eyesight when you get really big. You'll be able to see all the little bugs when you get really tall."

Owen glanced at Debra while Rosie continued to chat with Love like she could understand her. He honestly couldn't read anything on the woman, but she refused to look at Owen.

Owen was perfectly fine with that. They were mature adults, and they were going to act like it.

"How big is Love going to get?"

Debra was used to that question a lot, and she answered, "Love will be longer then Rexy, but a little shorter."

Debra always used Rexy for a size comparison; she was the biggest one here, and almost all the kids were familiar with her. Rosie stared at her before asking, "But like, how many feet? Rexy is forty feet long…"

Owen was very glad his niece was smart enough to use Rexy for size comparison. He knew a white dinosaur who was a few inches away from being forty-one feet long. Her most recent growth spurt had made a difference, but she was getting bigger. Owen had wondered if she would outdo Sobek, but he didn't think she would.

Debra blinked at the question, but she answered, "Well, our oldest Apatosaurus is seventy-five feet long, and she's fourteen feet tall."

Rosie was satisfied with that answer, and she turned to Love before saying, "No sharp turns for you, Love."

The dinosaur paused from her newest chew toy to give a soft cry before claiming Owen's hand again. He couldn't help his snort, but Rosie turned back to Debra as she politely said, "Thank you, Ma'am."

Debra gave a nod, but Rosie glanced at Owen as she said, "I'm gonna go say bye to Sunny before we leave, Uncle Owen."

Owen watched her disappear into the little herd, and he glanced to the side when Debra dryly asked, "Not afraid of Love taking your fingers?"

He shook his head when the baby decided to chew his thumb, and he said, "Blue is the one I have to watch my fingers around. She took the tip of my pinky once; I was lucky she decided to chew it instead of eating it. Love is fine."

"So that's your niece?"

Owen stopped himself from giving a sarcastic remark, and he answered, "Yeah, I haven't seen her for a while; she came to visit for her birthday."

Debra nodded as they stood in silence, and it was clear Rosie had every intent of saying her farewell to all the new friends she made. Debra glanced at Owen as she said, "She's good around animals. Is she interested in working here?"

Owen shook his head before answering, "I don't know; she's going to work with animals, but I don't know if she'll work here. With my luck she'll want to care for Rexy."

"You don't think she'll want to work with Elise?"

That was the dinosaur Owen was pretty sure Rosie was going to work with if she ever picked one, but he sure as hell wasn't going to mention her. He just shrugged before answering, "I'm not sure actually; she does her own little thing."

Debra nodded, and Owen changed the subject by asking, "Where'd you learn to punch like that?"

The woman suddenly laughed, and she said, "It was a good punch, wasn't it?"

Owen gave a small smile with another shrug as he said, "That was a really good hit. I wouldn't get in a bar fight with you."

Debra snorted but she answered, "I take boxing classes."

Owen raised his eyebrows while looking at her before looking at the animals in the zoo.

"Box what? There's nothing here to box. Do parents here get that rowdy?"

Debra pressed her lips, and Owen took it as a yes. He wondered if Debra actually had to beat down a parent who wouldn't take responsibility for their little kid. More than once Owen had to deal with a kid who had parent unwilling to be parental. Elise was usually the one to straighten them out, but he found it funny that Debra might get into fights with parents.

Instead the woman answered, "Sometimes I need to knock sense into people. Did I knock sense into you?"

Owen let out a short laugh before saying, "Blue knocked all the sense out of me; there's nothing to knock back in. Rick was the one who…talked some sense into me."

Debra raised her eyebrows as she stared at him; Owen really hoped he hadn't said the wrong thing. He really wanted to avoid fights with Debra because she did have legitimate excuses for being upset with Elise, and he just didn't want to get in a fight in front of Rosie. He wanted her to have happy memories here, and he just didn't want her to see his temper.

"I thought he was kidding when he said you would knock it off. Is that why you've been avoiding the Break Room?"

Owen pressed his lips before quietly saying, "I just want to avoid causing you anymore grief. I…"

Owen trailed off before lowering his voice even more as he said, "I thought you had just hated Elise because of what she was…I didn't know you raised the babies here. I thought they were genetically modified…midgets."

Debra raised her eyebrows before she glanced at Love still chewing Owen's fingers, and she quietly asked, "You thought these were…? Why would Jurassic World have these mini animals?"

Owen shrugged before saying, "I don't know; I was always in the Restricted Area. I just assume things. I've never seen any baby dinosaur besides Velociraptors. I'm so used to sticking by my girls that it didn't make sense to me to see you always cycling in new animals. I thought the adults raised their babies."

Debra shook her head as she gave Owen a look that clearly said she thought he was an idiot. Owen wouldn't get snappy with her, and he mentally sighed in relief when Rosie decided to walk back. He wanted to pinch his nose when the seven year old was distracted by another baby.

"I hear Elise is getting good at writing."

Owen blinked at the question before slowly answering, "Yes, she's doing pretty good. She can get some basic sentences out."

"Do you ever ask her what was going through her head when she decided to kill those dinosaurs?"

Owen glanced at the tight lipped woman before he quietly said, "Debra, I don't think this is the place for that conversation. We can talk later, or-"

"I just want two answers, Grady. I want to know what was going through her head when she killed those Apatosaurus, and I want to know if she's sorry for that. After that, we can go our merry ways."

Owen paused when Rosie went to another dinosaur, and he realized she was avoiding the tense adults. She knew something was off between him and Debra, and he sagged. Rosie would glance over at them every few minutes to see if it was okay to go over, and she moved to another dinosaur when she knew it wasn't. He sighed before giving Love a soft stroke on the head as he said, "I did ask Elise about it, even before she could write."

Debra crossed her arms as she leaned on the fence; waiting for the answer, and Owen paused to word his answer carefully. He and Elise had a long talk about this. He had wanted to know all her morals, her thoughts, and it had been a tense conversation at times. He wouldn't let her leave until he had his answers; they had been late to their show because of it.

She didn't remember a lot right after breaking out of her paddock, but she remembered attacking ACU by the river. She hadn't planned to ambush them, but she took the opportunity.

She wasn't sorry for winning that fight, and Owen realized that was her dinosaur side. If she was challenged to a fight, she would fight, and she wouldn't regret winning.

She remembered attacking Zach and Grey; she wanted to terrorize them because they were humans. She had intended to kill them.

She was very sorry for doing that, and she made it clear she would never hurt another child again. Owen believed that.

She was sorry for attacking the Ankylosaurs for no good reason.

Elise hadn't known the Aviary Assets were going to attack Masrani; she had just thought it was funny to scare the birds. She was sorry for that as well.

Owen remembered how hard Elise had tried to avoid the subject of her convincing the girls to try killing him; she had been terrified of Owen getting angry at her. She had been afraid of ruining their relationship, but Owen wasn't angry for her reasons.

He had been very sad.

"Grady?"

Owen snapped out of his thoughts before answering, "I don't think Elise is ever going to forgive herself for attacking those Apatosaurus. She is incredibly sorry for killing them. I know that's the first thing she'd take back if she could."

Debra blinked a few times, as if she was surprised to hear that, before asking, "What about ACU?"

Owen rubbed his forehead as he said, "She saw it as a challenge. They came armed and prepared to fight; she's not sorry for that. She's sorry for attacking animals who weren't looking for a fight."

Debra wasn't sure how to respond to that, and Owen glanced around before finally saying, "Elise was angry and hurt; she's doesn't try to excuse her actions, but that's how she was. She still can't comprehend why she and her sister were so isolated from everyone else. She never had a caregiver, she was on her own, and all she saw when she got out here is how wonderful Jurassic World treats the other dinosaurs. They get to roam in big plains, they aren't alone, and they're happy. Those Apatosaurus got to live in a huge paddock while Elise was being suffocated by the plants in her paddock."

Debra pressed her lips before quietly asking, "How big was her paddock?"

"I could run from one end to the other; it's still sitting there unoccupied, you can go see for yourself."

Debra shook her head before she asked, "So…why did she kill? She was just pissed?"

Owen could easily hear the bitterness in the tone, and he gave Debra the same answer Elise had given him.

"She wanted everyone else to be just as miserable as her. She wanted everyone to know what it was like to be completely alone."

The curly haired woman seemed to hug herself more tightly before bitterly asking, "So, what? Now that she has a family the world is sunshiny again and wonderful?"

Owen pressed his lips before saying, "Elise never tried to deny what she did, she doesn't make excuses for herself. She knows she did some really bad things, Debra; she doesn't think she's a good creature."

Debra raised an eyebrow before saying, "The kids here always say she's so happy and colorful all the time. I didn't think she'd have a guilty conscious."

Owen snorted; he had realized he and Debra shared the same audience, but he asked, "Have you ever heard that cheesy quote where it's something like the saddest people always smile the brightest? Elise is a lot like that."

Debra raised an eyebrow before correcting, "The loneliest people are the kindest, the saddest smile the brightest, and the most damaged are the wisest."

Owen blinked at her before saying, "Elise is a lot like those actually. She doesn't like seeing anyone alone or sad, and she's pretty wise beyond her six years. You should hear the things she has to say."

Debra only quietly said, "I'm not sure I'll ever try to have a conversation with her. I got my answers, and I'm glad she's sorry. It won't bring my babies back, but I feel just a little bit better."

Owen nodded as he rubbed the back of his neck before offering, "Look…I…about the laxatives and taking that stuff. I'm sorry about that; I get a little extreme sometimes."

"You think? I lost five pounds because of you."

Owen wasn't going to ask if she was happy about that or not, but he added, "And for making your anniversary shitty…no pun intended."

Debra snorted again, but she said, "We weren't going to do anything anyways. We played poker in the bathroom all night."

She caught Owen's look and dryly said, "Yes, that is what marriage is like, Grady. I'll accept your apology, but I don't know if I'll forgive Elise."

Owen nodded before finally waving Rosie over. He wanted out of here, and he awkwardly said, "So…I'll just keep to my side of the park after this, and…yeah…"

Debra raised an eyebrow as she asked, "You going to draw a line in the park? Do we get to choose what buildings belong to who to really avoid each other? Because Ben & Jerry's is mine."

Owen pressed his lips before asking, "Well…can I have it on Tuesdays? I like them…"

Debra almost laughed at the tone, but she said, "You're funny, I almost wish I liked you more because I know you're not a bad guy, and I know Elise isn't the same Indominus who rampaged through the park. Maybe I'll talk to her someday, but for now, I just don't want to see you or her. No offence."

Owen raised his hands as he said, "I get it; that's fine."

Debra watched Rosie trot over before she asked her, "Are you going to work here when you grow up?"

Rosie shrugged her shoulders like Owen was fond of doing before answering, "I haven't decided yet, but I might because I really like it here. I really like the Apatosaurus."

"You're not going to work with Elise?"

Rosie shook her head immediately before answering, "No, Grandpa says it's a really bad idea to work with family, and I'm Elise's big sister. My friend Kylie has a sister, and they annoy each other a lot. I love Elise, but I'm sure we'll annoy each other if we spend too much time together. I'll visit her a lot, but I think she likes her space too."

Debra blinked at the girl, and Owen laughed as he pulled Rosie over the fence as he said, "Alright, Booger, we need to get going because Elise's next show is pretty soon. You two haven't annoyed each other yet, and I'm sure Blue is causing trouble."

"Okay, Uncle Owen. Can we go see the Mosasaur after this?"

Debra smiled at Owen's paled color, and he said, "I think I've seen enough of Lilly for a really long time, Booger."

Rosie thought about that before saying, "Oh yeah, Nana fainted after that video on YouTube, then she lit _a lot_ of candles, but she wouldn't let me make s'mores with them."

Owen laughed loudly before he gave a final pat on Love's head. The Apatosaurus gave an indignant cry at her favorite chew toy leaving, but Owen gave a little wave to Debra before leaving. The curly haired woman glanced at her baby for a second before calling out, "Grady!"

Owen turned around to stare at her, and she finally said, "You can have it on Tuesdays!"

The man pulled his lips into a crooked grin before giving another wave. Debra didn't wave back, but she sighed as she glanced at Love. She was pretty sure Love was smelling a familiar scent on Owen, and she was really glad that the man still didn't know about Elise meeting Love. Either the Indominus was much more private than she thought or Elise hadn't deemed that meeting very important.

Debra wondered what would happen if Love grew up around Elise. She briefly pictured the Indominus wandering around with the herd, but she didn't want to really think about it. She only gave the baby another carrot before allowing her gaze to wander the zoo. Love made no move to go anywhere else, and Debra wished her baby would pick a dinosaur to be best friends with. They always did better if they had a close companion when they were introduced to the herds, but Love was alone a lot. She did her own thing.

The loneliest was truly the kindest; Debra had never met a sweeter baby. Maybe someday she would let Love meet Elise again; if the baby hadn't picked a buddy, but that wasn't going to happen for a very long time.

* * *

Owen glanced down at his niece when he realized she hadn't bombarded him with questions, and she wasn't leading him somewhere else. Her brows were furrowed slightly, and Owen knew that look; it was her thinking look.

"What's wrong, Booger?"

Rosie glance up at Owen before pulling him off the sidewalk. They found a quiet, little section near a building, and he kneeled to her level before she asked, "Does Elise really think she's bad?"

Owen held his breath before breathing, "You weren't supposed to hear that."

"Well, you talk kind of loud, Uncle Owen. I didn't hear everything, but Elise thinks she's bad?"

Owen once again refused to lie to his niece simply because she was smart, and he nodded. It had broken his heart when Elise had written that, and he had grown incredibly frustrated when she wouldn't be swayed.

"She's done some bad things because her life was hard, Rosie. She knows better now, but there's some things she can't take back, and she's very sorry for that."

Rosie nodded, and Owen was always surprised by how serious his niece could be. He squeezed her arm gently as he added, "I'm helping Elise as best I can, but I don't want you asking her about this stuff. She's trying to heal as best she can, and she can be hard to read sometimes, okay? You can help by being her big sister."

Rosie nodded again as she remained serious. She grabbed Owen's hand as they began to walk through the streets, and Owen glanced down when Rosie sighed, "She's gonna have to watch Wreck-It-Ralph, Uncle Owen."

Owen blinked at his niece, and she met his gaze evenly as she added, "And a lot of other movies. Does she like any movies?"

Owen would admit he spat out his water when Elise had told him she found Joker to be a reasonable role-model. He almost fell over in his haste to correct her; he couldn't think of a worse person to look up to, but Elise wasn't swayed. She never explained why she thought Joker was incredible, but Owen would admit it scared him.

"She likes Batman."

Elise hated Batman, and Owen knew it. She rooted for the villains in those movies.

Rosie scrunched her nose before saying, "No, she needs good movies, Uncle Owen. We have a lot of work to do. We're gonna have to do a movie marathon."

Owen tugged his niece towards the Rex Kingdom as he sighed, "Yeah, I had a feeling you were going to say that."

Rosie brightened when she recognized the area, and she led the way while saying, "Oh good because I don't know where to get a TV to show Elise the movies. I got my favorites, but I don't have a TV."

"Did Grandpa bring his laptop for you to watch the movies on?"

Rosie nodded, and Owen said, "Claire has a projector we can use, and the weather isn't going to be very good tomorrow. She might let us do movies in between shows. It'll give the guests a spot to be, maybe we can let other kids decide what movies to watch."

Rosie gave Owen a look that he knew to be her debating face. She did not want other kids to decide, and she simply said, "Uncle Owen, they're gonna chose Frozen, and I don't think Elise needs to see that. There's more important ones like Lilo&Stitch, Tarzan, Lion King, Monsters Inc., Beauty and the Beast-"

Owen grinned; he loved pushing his niece's buttons, and even if he had never seen Frozen; it had gotten enough attention that he knew the gist of the story.

"But Frozen can teach Elise about family."

"So can Lilo&Stitch, Tarzan, Finding Nemo, and-"

Owen had to try really hard not to grin as he pushed, "But it's not a romantic movie like a lot of Disney movies are."

Rosie lowered her brows at Owen, and he knew he was treading thin ice when she said, "So is Brave, and Toy Story, and Mulan. Uncle Owen, Elise doesn't need to see Frozen."

"But I hear it has some really great songs, and I'm sure Elise would like to see snow."

Rosie sighed quietly, and Owen knew he was going to get her final argument. She pulled her hand from his to pat his hip as she solemnly said, "Uncle Owen, I'm tired of watching Frozen. We watch it a lot in school, and I don't want to see it anymore, okay? I don't even have the movie with me, so we can't watch it."

Owen finally started laughing as he hugged Rosie close to his side. She smiled when he said, "Ah, Booger, I'm just messing with you. Besides, Elise really gets irritated when she has to listen to songs with words in them. She likes classical music."

Rosie blinked before saying, "But…a lot of Disney movies has singing in them…"

"Yeah, you're going to be limited in what you decide to show her. I don't think she'll stick around when she realizes how much singing is in the movies."

Rosie huffed as she tried to sort through the daunting task ahead of her. Elise's preferences had just wiped out half the good movies. Owen glance down when Rosie finally said, "She's gonna have to get over it."

Owen couldn't stop his short laugh; Rosie was adorable.

* * *

"Dr. Wu, you look a little under the weather today."

Wu didn't even try to hide the glare he gave the blonde, and he stiffly said, "It's. Classified."

Bridges rolled his eyes as he shut the door behind him, and snapped, "I said I wouldn't ask for more records, and I'll stand by that. I need a simple yes or no answer."

"No. Get out. I'm busy."

The blonde raised an eyebrow before dangerously saying, "I sincerely hope that is the answer you'll give me when I ask my question because we might have a problem if it's a yes, but this is an easy fix, Dr. Wu."

The geneticist continued to glare over the top of his laptop, and Bridges could see he was still babying his injured hand. Bridges knew the man wasn't visiting the hospital as often as he should, and he had withdrawn from his work recently. Bridges knew Wu was toeing on the fine line between still wanting to be cooperative for the sake of staying alive, and simply not giving a damn because he was done. Wu was going to be a liability if he toed over to the latter.

But Carnifex loved liabilities almost as much as he loved pests.

Bridges relaxed his posture as he said, "I know you and I are in a rough patch, but that's fine because we have things figured out between us. I just want to know if you created additional Indominus embryos because those are not something any of us need to be caught with."

Wu seemed to lift his eyebrows briefly in agreement before lowering them again as he snapped, "The Indominus was a prototype; I had no need for creating more."

Bridges raised his eyebrows in mild surprise as he slowly said, "Dr. Wu, I want to be very clear that if there are Indominus embryos, the only thing I will do is destroy them. I just don't want to be caught with them; especially if they have human DNA like Elise."

The blonde paused before asking, "Whose DNA is in her anyway? Is it yours?"

Wu really wanted to roll his eyes as he said, "I did not create more Indominus, and that is classified."

Bridges waved his hand as he said, "Of course, that question slipped. I just don't want to be surprised by an unwilling donor coming forward-"

"I'm not _that_ bold, Mr. Bridges. The donor was willing."

Bridges nodded quietly before saying, "If there are no more embryos-"

" _No._ Now, please."

Wu gestured to the door as politely as he could, and Bridges despised being told when to get out.

But Wu was on that fine line, and Bridges needed him to stay on the right side. It wouldn't do him good to have the man go off the deep end before they could find someone to replace him. He reluctantly let Wu have this battle, but paused when the geneticist said, "I had heard Sobek lose his temper; I had thought he would be leaving for Jurassic World by now."

Bridges blinked; he could have sworn Wu had made it very clear that he didn't pay attention to any of his creations once they left the lab. He couldn't see why Wu would care about Sobek, and that made him suspicious. He tucked his hand in his pocket as he said, "Miss Dearing needs to build the new paddock for Sobek, and it'll be a few more weeks before that happens. Sobek is staying her for a little while longer."

Bridges carefully watched the man for his reaction, and internally huffed when the man didn't betray himself. Wu was always the master as hiding his emotions, but it didn't mean Bridges wasn't going to watch him much more carefully now.

The geneticist nodded, and Bridges took that as his cue to leave. He shut the door behind him quietly before rubbing his chin in thought. He needed to put eyes on Wu at all times because the man had been just snappy enough to try something bold.

Bridges wasn't going to tolerate that, but he would first let Hart know that they were in the clear with the embryos. It was good to know that he wouldn't need to worry about it.

Wu let out a loud sigh when the door shut, and the shadow left. He went back to his laptop before muttering, "Arrogant idiot…"

The man took a long drink from his tasteless tea before sighing. He had really hoped Sobek would be leaving sooner, but he would power through it. He just had to have one last laugh with Bridges, and now he had an opportunity for another one.

He could right a few wrongs at least in his spare time here.

* * *

"Alright, Elise. Uncle Owen and I did the math; we won't be able to watch all the movies I want to because we don't have the time."

Elise blinked at the child sitting before her. Rosie was very much like Owen, and the man snorted quietly from his pile of ferns. Elise was comfortably curled up in front of her sister's box, and Owen was sure the plant was getting close to being planted. He just wanted it to sit in a sheltered spot before it would have to face the weather on its own. Elise had been slightly agitated about it, but she would have rather it grow a little stronger before being planted.

Rosie held a stick in her hand like a teacher before she said, "So I decided I would at least teach you a few important lessons from movies that we won't watch because they aren't as important."

Elise was fine with that, and she rumbled at Rosie before the girl said, "Uncle Owen said you think you're bad for some reason, and I'm not sure why you think that, but I'll respect your privacy. I just want you to know I think you're good."

Elise flicked her tail at the child as she humored her with her attention. She knew Rosie was older than her, but Elise had experience to age her. Still, it was amusing to see the small child act so serious about this subject. Apparently this Disney business was serious business.

Rosie held her hand up as she said, "This one is from the movie called Wreck-It-Ralph, and it's about a bad guy who doesn't want to be a bad guy. He wants to be good, but he can't because he is the villain in his game. He has to learn to love himself as a villain."

Elise tilted her head, and Owen smiled at her confused expression; she had no idea what video games were. Rosie didn't seem to notice, and she said, "The bad guys say this to remind themselves that it's okay to be them."

Elise glanced at Owen with a dry expression, and he rolled over in the ferns to hide his quiet laughing. Elise was very much in her adult mood, and being taught by a child was something else. The Indominus lowered her head to stare at Rosie, and the girl cleared her throat before saying, "I am bad, and that's good. I will never be good, and that's not bad because there's no one else I would rather be than me."

Elise blinked at the accepting wisdom, but a little part of her said that didn't quite apply to her. It was liberating though, and she liked it.

She was bad, but that was fine. She knew she would never be good even if she did her best, and that wasn't bad. She just needed to love herself. It was something Elise wasn't aware she needed to hear, and she felt a tension in her chest dissipate the more she thought about it.

She wasn't sure why it was good to be bad, but she wondered if it had to do with the balance of things. She would be bad because Owen was good. Elise was satisfied by that, and she chittered at Rosie for being wise beyond her years. Elise felt much better; it was what she needed to hear.

She was bad, and that was good for the balance of things. She was never going to be good, but that wasn't bad because she could still do good. There was no one else she needed to be besides herself. She didn't need to be Owen, she needed to be herself because Owen was already here.

Owen smiled when Elise half rolled onto her back to expose her underbelly to Rosie as she made a low croon. He relaxed back into the ferns before sighing. Claire had thought it was a good idea to do a movie marathon tomorrow; it would give Elise and Rosie time to bond, and guests could come in if the weather wasn't kind.

Rosie really did have a large collection of movies, but Owen wasn't going to complain. He really needed to see Elise's face when she realized just how musical the movies were. She was wrapped around Rosie's finger, and there was no way the Indominus would just ditch Rosie.

Rosie wasn't going to let her do that.

He couldn't help his ornery smile as Rosie went through her list of movies to have Elise watch, and the Indominus was listening attentively as the seven year old explained the plots.

"Hey, Elise."

The Indominus lifted her head, and Owen couldn't help asking, _"Do you wanna build a snowman?"_

Elise tilted her head to where she almost looked like an owl, but Owen started to laugh at Rosie's deadpan look. The child sighed before assuring Elise, "You and Uncle Owen can watch that one some other time. I'll ask Nana to send it to him for his birthday; I think I can by him an Elsa tiara too. Boys can be pretty too, Elise."

Elise glanced around as she began to tap her claw on the ground; too much information at once. She didn't know what a snowman was nor did she know who Elsa was. She didn't know the word tiara, and she didn't understand why Rosie had said like it was bad for boys to feel pretty.

Owen only snorted from his ferns, but Rosie was scratching her list in the dirt. Elise quietly read the words as Rosie talked aloud, and Owen kept a sharp ear out for signs of the girls. He frowned as he glanced at his watch before the quiet thudding of feet reached his ears. He sat up before Blue suddenly burst from the brush as she raced towards Elise. The Indominus made to scoop Rosie close to her, but Blue and the girls screeched to a sharp halt when Rosie put her hand up, and firmly said, "Whoa!"

Owen blinked when Blue actually backed up; he was pretty sure she had backed up more out of surprise then anything, but he couldn't stop himself from feeling incredibly proud. Rosie had remembered what he said about training his girls.

Rosie beamed happily as she praised, "Good girls."

Elise scooted much closer to Rosie in order to hover over her protectively. Blue made a confused chirp while the other two stepped about, and Owen finally started to laugh. Blue had no idea what to do with a child barking orders at her.

A child _being protected by an Indominus_ while barking orders at her.

But Blue knew what to do with an irritating Stupid Alpha who laughed at her. Elise snorted when the raptor tackled Owen in a playful fight, and she growled at the other two to keep their space. Elise knew the raptors would be fine so long as Rosie didn't try to touch them, but she had been around enough children to know how touchy they were.

But Elise just wouldn't give Rosie the opportunity to get touchy feely on the raptors. She glanced down when Rosie patted her as she said, "Ohana."

Elise glanced back up when Owen somehow managed to get an upper hand on the raptor, but she chittered and barked the rest of the phrase as best she could to Rosie. The child giggled when Owen yelped indignantly as Blue pinned him, but the raptor let out a startled chirp when Owen managed to flip them. The two weren't going to back down, and Elise scanned the trees for Rexy just in case. It seemed the Tyrannosaurus wasn't here at the moment, and that was fine. It was one less carnivore to watch.

Delta took a few steps closer, and Elise warned her to give them space. Owen let out a victorious laugh when he managed to pin Blue, and raptor indignantly shrieked. Rosie paused before suddenly saying, "Uncle Owen, I got a boyfriend!"

" _What?!"_

Blue was an opportunist, and she flipped Owen over in his shock. The man let out a grunt when he was pinned in the dirt, and Blue was almost smirking victoriously. Owen was still focused on Rosie, and she added, "I mean a stuffed pony. I thought it was really pretty."

Owen blinked before exclaiming, "You little dork, you were helping Blue!"

Elise made her sucked in laugh when the child only giggled at the accusation. Blue chirped smugly, and Owen rolled his eyes before saying, "You get to watch Frozen while Elise and I watch all the good movies."

Rosie was quick to correct, "It was a good movie, I'm just tired of watching it."

"Sure thing, Booger. Alright, Blue; off."

The raptor seemed to give a slight pause before she allowed Owen up. He grunted when she plopped next to him before leaning on him heavily. He rolled his eyes when he realized why Blue was feeling so playful and touchy.

She wanted her back scratched again.

The raptor pressed against Owen to confirm this, and he sighed before complying. Blue immediately relaxed when the calloused fingers got all the hard to reach itchy spots, and Owen only snorted at her.

Rosie remained close to Elise while she admired Echo and Delta. The two raptors were incredibly curious about meeting this hatchling, but Elise was feeling very protective. She wasn't in the mood to risk Rosie.

The duo glanced over when Owen said, "Booger, we can probably watch a movie tonight if you want. Pick a really good one, and we can watch it after dinner, right Elise?"

The Indominus nodded, and Rosie immediately said, "Lilo&Stitch! I think Elise is a lot like Stitch."

Rosie glanced at the Indominus before saying, "I think you'll like that one; Stitch is the really smart alien who crashes into Hawaii, and he's funny too…"

Owen smiled as Elise attentively listened to Rosie. Blue's leg twitched when he had hit that right spot, and he continued to lightly scratch in between her shoulders before going down her back.

Owen just wanted to see Elise's face when she would be forced to watch her first musical.


	63. Chapter 63

**A/N**

 **Hey guys! Holy moly this is a long chapter, but it had to be. I didn't feel like making cliffhangers here, and it was really hard to write.**

 **Anyway, ReginaDC21, I'm glad to hear your sister is getting better!**

 **Kim K's Butt, you have to eat the 105 black licorice jelly beans through the straw first, and I love you too.**

 **Guest, I probably will not add the OC, but I am really grateful you offered him.**

 **Unknown, I'm a sly creature!**

 **The Only Carrot, you can also add a meteor crashing to the list just because. I'm glad you liked Bark's point of view.**

 **CMCMC, thanks for the idea! It's hilarious, and I'll try to remember it.**

 **I know you guys are eager to get Sobek here, and so am I. He'll probably show up after the next chapter because I really want his tail over here. Elise shall be watching more Disney movies, I just wanted to wrap a few things up with Blake before doing another time skip over to Sobek.**

 **Thank you much and mighty for your reviews and patience; I really appreciate it. Oh, before I forget, I am a woman. I never said anything before because I never thought it was important and I think it's hilarious to see the mixed between you guys. I really don't care if you call me Sir, dude, bro, etc, but I know a few of you were curious.**

 **Anyway, enjoy; love you guys. You're all beautiful!**

* * *

"Ghost."

Bridges leaned against the back of his chair until the satisfying crack popped in the air. His office was silent, and even Carnifex had mellowed out by the late afternoon. He glanced at his watch before sighing; he was sure most of the workers had already left for home by now. Several had opted to stay in the sheltered bunkers for tonight.

There was a storm coming in and Bridges had a feeling it was going to rain incredibly hard tonight before turning into a lazy drizzle all day tomorrow. That made him nervous; he knew it was going to be a bad storm.

Sobek had gone back into the Recovery Room after it had been cleaned. The Spinosaurus had disappeared for a few hours before coming back to wait by the closed door, and Bridges took that as two signs.

Sobek was far sicker than he realized or another storm was coming in that his nest wouldn't be able to handle.

Given that Sobek had knocked over three, thick trees in his rage when he left, Bridges was willing to bet the second option was more likely. It wasn't the first time Sobek had taken shelter here from a storm, second time this year though.

Bridges had learned that watching his animals gave him far more accurate predictions than any useless weatherman he had watched. It was odd how they somehow knew what was coming, but Bridges would always watch the animals. He usually depended on Carnifex for that, but Sobek seemed to be a little more fine-tuned to just how bad the weather would be.

A sigh fell from his lips as he made sure the windows to his office were shut tight before he turned the lights off. He liked to sleep in his office a lot, the couch had cushions to die for, but he felt like going to his home tonight. It was still on the island, but his home was in this populated area. He intended to double check everything tonight just in case his workers had missed anything. It was simply what the boss did, and he didn't feel like dealing with flood damage if he could help it.

Bridges stepped outside and he could already smell the rain in the air. The clouds in the distant looked dark and angry, but Bridges intended to check up on his personal weatherman before making a round on the other buildings.

The vets had cleaned up and left, but a few security guards were posted and nervously eyeing the barred wall. The animals were mostly quiet save for an occasional chitter or bark, but it wasn't annoying. It was better than the silence.

The keycard slid through before the door was cautiously opened. Bridges didn't hear the irritated growl nor could he hear the breathing. He poked his head in before spotting Sobek against the wall furthest from the open doors. Bridges pressed his lips before surveying the clean room. It looked much better without the blood splatters on the wall, and there was a new bed of wood shavings to cushion the ground.

Bridges glanced at Sobek when he was already given the warning glare, but it was better than the dinosaur outright charging him. Bridges had given his best apology by having very good meat waiting for the Spinosaurus when he left.

That was enough for Bridges, and he took a few more steps into the room to stare at Sobek. He was getting the full on glare, but Bridges tucked his hand into his pocket to toy with the lighter as he frowned at the ground.

A lot of the shavings had been scraped under Sobek. Bridges wasn't surprised that the Spinosaurus had made a nest, but he was concerned with how high the dinosaur had tried to make the walls.

"It's going to be that bad, Sobek?"

The Spinosaurus didn't even blink at Bridges; he just kept his lip curled while glaring at him. The dinosaur had found his comfy position, and he was not willing to move. He was going to be very upset if he would have to move, but Bridges glanced towards the open doors. There was already a light breeze blowing in and ruffling the shavings.

Bridges pressed his lips as he kept an eye on Sobek while walking towards the doors. If Sobek didn't move then Bridges was pretty sure the storm was going to be something of a downpour. He kind of hoped the Spinosaurus was going to move, but Sobek only continued to glare at him.

Bridges was careful about poking his head out of the room, he really didn't feel like getting snatched up by something feeling brave, but hardly anything really tried to invade ground with Sobek's scent still fresh. The trees were rustling with the wind, and Bridges paused when he heard some thunder.

"The doors shut tonight, Sobek; I'll open them first thing in the morning."

Sobek gave no indication of understanding him, but the emerald gaze watched the doors slowly shut with a soft sound. Bridges calmly walked over to the nearest door before pausing at it. He really didn't like how high the wood shaving walls were supposed to be, and he sighed; he would have to make sure the drains were working properly. He always had workers routinely check them, but they hadn't had a heavy downpour for a while; the workers could have gotten lazy.

"Thank you for the warning, Sobek."

The dinosaur relaxed his lip when the door gave a quiet click. Sobek glanced at the closed doors before giving a quiet sigh as he curled up in his nest. He missed his other nest, but he didn't want to sit in the rain tonight.

It wasn't going to be a gentle storm.

* * *

"And that's Owen taking a bath in the sink. Didn't he have the chubbiest butt?"

Owen sighed quietly when Elise gave her sucked in laugh. Charlotte found the Indominus' laugh to be one of the funniest things in the world, and she just couldn't stop herself from trying to get Elise to laugh more.

She had brought pictures of Owen, and Elise loved them. _All of them._

And there was nothing Owen could do about it except try to get the projector up and running. Rosie was sitting in a pile of blankets right next to Elise as Charlotte flipped the page. Owen internally groaned when the mischievous look filled Charlotte's blue eyes. Rosie burst out laughing, and Charlotte turned the book to Elise as she said, "And _this_ is when Owen decided to perform an experiment during Halloween, Baby. It's something a lot of humans celebrate where we get to dress up and basically walk around in costumes. Children love to go trick or treating which is where they go to others for candy. Owen took Halloween very seriously."

Owen pressed his lips at Elise's smile, and his mother continued, "He was five when he had a bet with his father that girls got more candy because they were prettier, and he decided to test that theory. I think he makes a very cute Snow White, don't you?"

Ted quietly chuckled when Elise nodded her head, and he leaned over to his son as he whispered, "And you only got half the amount you should of because you couldn't get the lipstick right. Wasted too much time on your makeup."

Owen rolled his eyes before saying, "At least it gave me a leg up with girls because I knew how long it took to put that shit on."

Charlotte glanced up from her book as she sternly scolded, "Watch your language, Owen. It's inappropriate to swear in front of ladies."

Ted snorted when Owen winced at the biting tone, but Elise only laughed again. She was resting her head on the concrete, and Owen was actually surprised by how much she got along with his mother. It was a pleasant surprise, and Owen wouldn't complain. He was very happy with how life was going right now, and Elise had outdone herself in finding Ted during her training today. Sam was feeling ready to move her onto actually searching for illegal substances as well.

Owen couldn't have been prouder of her.

Their only problem was getting one of the Commanders to actually work with Elise, but Owen had finally decided he would just step up if anything ever happened. Elise was learning to work with different people; she was learning when to listen to others and when to go with what she thought was right.

Elise was becoming confident in herself, and Owen could already see the amazing leader she was going to be.

"Uncle Owen, you need to hurry up. I don't want Elise walking home in the dark, and Rexy is gonna get mad."

Rosie had absolutely adored seeing Rexy, but Owen had been less enthusiastic. Blue had managed to spot him, and he swore Rexy paused to glare at him before crunching the poor goat up. Owen hadn't stayed there for very long, and Rosie had scolded him for breaking her nest.

Ted snorted at her, but Owen asked, "So did you figure out if you wanted to work here or not?"

Rosie nodded as she leaned against Elise before saying, "I want to go work the Apatosaurus because they're so nice and calm."

Owen was glad for that, but Rosie asked, "Uncle Owen, who is gonna work with the Velociraptors after you? Are you teaching anyone?"

"No, Booger. Raptors are picky about who they let into their pack. Barry and I have been around them their entire lives, but they never took kindly to any other person in their home. Derick raised his raptors, but they escaped."

Ted raised an eyebrow when he recognized that thinking face on Rosie, and he sternly said, "I hope you're not thinking about working with Velociraptors, Rosie. They are incredibly dangerous creatures."

Owen hadn't told his parents how up close and personal Rosie actually got to see the girls. Granted Elise hadn't let them come close enough to do anything, but it was much closer than what his parents would have allowed. Blue had actually been very neutral towards Rosie; she didn't pay much attention to her when Elise was hovering protectively.

Rosie wasn't affected by her grandfather's tone, and she said, "I haven't decided yet because I like the raptors, but I also like the Apatosaurus. Maybe I'll do both."

Owen smiled when the screen finally came up, and he said, "You just focus on good grades in school, Booger. Claire won't hire you if you have bad grades."

Rosie nodded; she was good in school, and always tried her hardest. English wasn't her strongest subject, but she was incredible in math and science. Owen was proud of her for that, and he sighed before putting the DVD in. Rosie was almost bouncing excitedly as she offered popcorn to Elise. The Indominus relaxed when Owen leaned against her jaw, and he winked at her when he buried himself in the piles of blankets.

It had been fun explaining the concept of cartoons to Elise, and the Indominus had been interested in it. Owen had shown her how the pictures were drawn on a notepad, and his father had created a simple cartoon with stickmen. Owen had laughed at how amazed Elise had been by it.

Elise was good at reminding him not to take even the simplest of technologies for granted.

The Indominus made a low, soft croon at Owen, and the man chuckled when Rosie shushed her. Rosie was the only person on the planet who could probably get away with shushing her. Elise merely snorted at her, but focused when the movie started. Claire had promised to drop by with snacks.

Owen wouldn't trade nights like this for the world.

* * *

"…Commander."

Blake glanced up from his empty bottle to stare at his fellow guard. The brown haired man had a good head on his shoulders, but Blake didn't care for the look in his eyes. The one that made Blake feel like he wasn't doing his job correctly.

"Yes, Lopez?"

Lopez seemed to pause before quietly saying, "I think you had enough, Sir. Let me get you home before Dearing shows up."

Blake felt perfectly fine; he wasn't drunk. He was just a little buzzed, but he was still fine. He could drive a car and everything. Blake couldn't remember which beer this was, but the room wasn't spinning too much.

Blake only frowned as he snapped, "I'm fine, Lopez. Mind your own, and let me enjoy my drink."

The man glanced at the table before quietly saying, "You've had enough, Sir. Please, just let me get you home."

Blake sighed as he pulled the bottle closer to himself protectively; he was just nursing a few wounds that didn't know how to heal over. Alcohol was good for wounds; it disinfected them. Blake knew he was fine, and he was getting better at filling Hamada's shoes. They hadn't had too many mess ups, and no one had died on his watch. Sure he yelled a lot more than Hamada did, but Blake wasn't going to tolerate any disrespect or questions from his men. He needed their absolute trust.

The brown haired man sighed in frustration before opening his mouth to threaten Blake, but stiffened at seeing the white jacket. Blake followed his gaze before swallowing at seeing Claire walking into the restaurant area, but she could easily see into the bar if she turned her head.

Blake knew he had enough to drink when he was afraid of Claire seeing him; he was already on thin ice with her. He had been doing everything to avoid Elise; she had been nothing but difficult for his job.

Elise had humiliated him in front of his entire team when she faked escaping her old paddock.

Blake had no intent of working with Elise, and he was always glad when a dinosaur had conveniently gotten loose for him to avoid training with her. He knew Hamada would have already made her part of the team, but Blake just couldn't bring himself to do it. He was so afraid of messing up with Elise; she was too much.

Too big, too powerful, too weird, too freaky, and too lethal.

Deep down Blake knew Hamada probably wasn't angry at Elise for killing him; the late Commander had even confessed that he had accepted that he would probably be killed on the job, but he didn't care. He had loved his job, his men, and the animals he worked with.

Blake couldn't see it like that.

"Sir…?"

Blake shoved the bottle back just a little too roughly, and pretended not to notice how loud it sounded. He did his best to leave quietly, silently cursing the barstool that had purposefully stuck out to hit his hip, but he was glad Claire hadn't noticed him.

Blake sniffed quietly as he slightly tripped over the curb of the sidewalk. He muttered another curse while getting into his vehicle before the keys had been snatched from his hands. Blake glared at Lopez when the man firmly said, "Absolutely not, Sir. I don't think you should be driving. Let me drive you home."

Blake finally rolled his eyes before snapping, "Lopez, stop mothering me. I'm fine, I can drive, and I'm not drunk."

Lopez licked his lips before leaning close as he quietly said, "You are drunk, Sir, and you need to get help before something happens. Please just take some time off because getting drunk at every opportunity you can take is not healthy."

Blake tried to swipe the keys back as he retorted, "I know damn well Freak is going to get put on the team while I'm gone. I'm not going to let that happen."

Lopez tucked the keys into his pocket as he said, "Blake, I need you to listen to me. I know you really don't want to work with Elise; a lot of the team feels the same way, but you have to get it into your head that we're hardly ever going to work with her. She's for emergencies. She's not going to be with us every time a dinosaur gets lose, and I doubt we'll even use her every time a guest gets lost. Maybe if the search has to go until dark or the weather is really shitty, but even then she is so big that I doubt we'll ever ask for her help. You heard Dearing, Elise is being trained for research. Go get help."

Lopez sighed at Blake's stubborn look, and he finally said, "If you don't go get help by the end of this week, I'm going to say something. I'm tired of covering for you."

"You have never had to cover for me, Lopez."

The man threw his hands into the air as he said, "Every time you go drinking, I have to come wake you up. The team is wondering why your eyes are bloodshot, and I tell them you just don't sleep that often."

Blake clenched his jaw, and Lopez said, "I'm going to go get my jacket, you are going to let me drive you home, and we are going to get you help. We'll pull through it, Commander. Everyone has faith in you, okay?"

Blake didn't acknowledge his comrade, and the man sighed before disappearing. Blake waited until he was out of sight before sliding out of the driver's seat. He leaned on the off-road vehicle as he walked over to the back wheel before sticking his hand over the tire to search along the muddy metal. He huffed in frustration before scraping the metal box out of the small holder, and grinned victoriously.

He slid the lid back enough to pluck the silver key out, and chuckled to himself. There was no way he was drunk.

He would have forgotten about the spare keys if he was, and he clearly hadn't forgotten about it. He would make it home just fine, and Lopez could shove it.

The Commander started the car with ease before freezing when Claire walked past him. He carefully watched her before Claire glanced at him, and she gave a nod of her head as she continued on her way with her food. Blake blinked when she went around the corner, and he felt his confidence grow. If he could slide by Claire then he was perfectly fine.

He was just buzzed.

And Blake pulled out with ease before driving off. He always drove carefully with these vehicles; they were tanks, and he would get home fine. It was a far drive, but he would get there. He could drive slow.

After he was far away from Lopez.

Blake was long gone by the time Lopez walked back out, and the man swore when he didn't see his Commander. He hadn't been gone very long; three minutes tops because the waitress had moved his jacket. Lopez sighed at the keys in his pocket before smacking himself for not remembering the spare keys. He should have known, and he had a bad feeling about this.

He wanted to go get help, but he was afraid of getting Blake fired.

Lopez stood there for a few minutes as he contemplated his next move before pocketing the keys. He would go to his own truck, drive to Blake's home, and wait for him. He would wait a half hour at most before he would start searching. If he couldn't find Blake…

Lopez wasn't sure what he would do if he wouldn't be able to find him, and he shook himself mentally. The Commander would be fine, and he was probably worrying over nothing. The man hadn't slurred his speech at all, and maybe he was just a little tired.

Lopez immediately felt the shame as he walked along the sidewalk. He knew damn well Blake wasn't in any shape to be driving, and he was convincing himself it was fine to turn a blind eye. Lopez zipped up his jacket with determination.

He needed to get Blake help regardless of how angry the Commander was going to be.

* * *

" _Aloha ʻoe, aloha ʻoe, E ke onaona noho i ka lipo. One fond embrace, A hoʻi aʻe au. Until we meet again."_

Elise did her best not to tilt her head, but she was confused by this. She didn't understand why Lilo was going to be taken away from her elder sister. What was a social worker? They didn't look very nice, and she wondered why humans would try to break apart other packs. Did they think Nani was a poor guardian? Elise wanted to know where the parents were.

But she found this movie funny even if some details were disturbing to her. Owen had said the movie took place on an island called Hawaii, and it did look beautiful; it looked a lot like here. Owen had said Hawaii was far away though, and there weren't dinosaurs there.

Claire had said she vacationed there, and the food was wonderful. She had even brought Elise a pineapple to share with her. She said they always tasted amazing in Hawaii, and Elise was all for trying the cheery, gold fruit.

Until Rosie had decided to share a fun fact from science class. Elise didn't catch all the gibberish words, but she did catch that the juices in the pineapple basically ate you while you were eating it. Elise didn't want fruit to eat her, and Owen had laughed when the fruit was tossed into the jungle. Claire had tried to assure the dinosaur that the fruit was perfectly fine, but Elise wasn't swayed. She wanted food to stay dead after she killed it, and she wasn't sure how to kill a fruit.

Elise found Stitch to be a hilarious creature in his own way. She found his way of being refreshing, and their sense of humor seemed to be similar. She had found it funny when David had set the stage on fire.

Humans were dumb when it came to entertainment sometimes; he should have been more careful when it came to fire.

Elise had also found their similarities striking, and a few details had come to her attention. They had both been created by scientists for the purpose of destruction.

Owen had theorized that she had been created for the purpose of fighting in battles, and Stitch had been created for the sake of destroying. Even Stitch's creator had admitted there was no greater purpose for him.

Elise wondered where her creator was. She didn't even know who he was. Was her creator a he? At least Stitch's creator was proud to stand by him, and he knew Stitch even if he didn't understand him. Their relationship wasn't the best, but they at least had one.

Where was hers?

Elise was troubled by that, and she intended to ask Owen when she got the chance; when Rosie wasn't around. Owen was more careful about what he said around her, and Elise was fine with that. It was important to be a good role model around hatchlings; she knew she was supposed to be extra patient around Rosie. Elise knew Owen was afraid of Rosie asking her the wrong thing, and Elise had almost been offended that Owen actually thought she would snap at a hatchling.

But she would admit Rosie had a tendency to ask questions that were sometimes hard to answer.

Like who created her, and why she was created. Did she like to destroy things like Stitch? What was her sister like?

Elise wanted to know why her sister had been created sick or if it had been a fluke. Surely her creator would have known Small One hadn't been as healthy, and they had been expensive to make.

So why hadn't anyone tried to check on Small One?

Elise had answered Rosie's questions as best she could, and Owen had done what he could to try and steer Rosie away from the hard to answer questions. Only one had really scared Elise.

Did she have a picture of her sister?

Elise didn't of course, and she wished she had one because Rosie's next question had touched on an old fear that would never leave her.

How did she remember what Small One looked like?

With all the new family, her shows, and training, Elise didn't spend as much time with her sister as she would have liked. She didn't talk with her as often. She didn't reminisce in old memories of just the two of them as often as she used to.

Elise had briefly forgotten what Small One had looked like, and that had terrified Elise. Owen had quietly told Rosie not to ask that question, and Elise was pretty sure she had missed important parts of the movie because she had been so focused on recalling her sister's looks.

Grey-tinged scales, and scarlet eyes with gold flecks in them. A thin, fragile frame with claws that looked tougher than what they really were; milky teeth that had a hard time breaking through bone.

Elise intended to write that down somewhere so she would be less likely to forget. She wished she could draw, but she wasn't very good at it.

Her letters were still crude.

" _You ain't nothin but a hound dog!"_

Elise blinked as her attention was brought back to the wall, and she cursed herself for zoning out again. She had quickly learned that this movie would not get violent; it was made for little ones.

Elise's attention wasn't kept as long when the movie wasn't destructive, and she hoped the other Disney movies would allow for more destruction, but she didn't think so. She would admit it was funny to see Jumba and Stitch argue with one another. Would she be argumentative with her own creator?

She wanted just one conversation with him; she had questions he needed to answer.

A loud booming startled Elise into snapping her head up, and she yelped at the hard smack. The log was definitely solid, and Elise made a low moan at the sharp pain. The humans startled away, but Owen was the first to comfort her as always.

"Easy, Sunshine; it's just a little thunder."

Elise tried not to glare at Owen as she pulled her head back; she knew what thunder was, she just hadn't expected it to be so loud. It had been a long time since it had been this loud. An old habit forced her to lower herself to Small One's level to make sure she and the oak hatchling were both fine. Once she was assured all was well, she raised her head again, and Owen lightly scratched her jaw as he said, "You're alright, Baby."

Elise garbled at him; it wasn't her jaw that hurt, she wanted her head comforted. She wondered if she had shifted the false log when she hit her head.

The Indominus blinked when a drop of rain hit her head, and there was a brief pause before the clouds decided to dump the water. Elise continued to stare before she seemed to frown deeply, but Rosie couldn't help but to laugh, "You look like Stitch!"

Elise glanced at her, but she was glad someone had found humor in this. Claire covered her smile, and Owen chuckled, "We might have to finish this movie tomorrow, Baby. There's not a lot left, but I don't want you to get sick from standing in the rain, okay? I'm sure Rexy wants you home too."

Elise heard a thunderous sound, but she wasn't sure if it was the sky or Rexy roaring. She didn't want to chance it, and she wanted to go home. Rainy nights made Rexy extra cuddly, and Elise loved it. There was something precious about just being tucked tight into the warm nest as the rain made soothing sounds.

Elise pressed her face against Owen gently before puffing air onto the rest. She made to leave, but Rosie demanded a kiss goodnight.

The seven year old had been very confused when Owen dove out of the way, but Elise was more than willing to give Rosie a kiss goodnight. She remained gentle as she pinned her, and Rosie shrieked at the slobbering tongue covering her.

" _Ew! Elise!"_

Elise couldn't stop her sucked in laugh when she released Rosie. The child sounded very much like her uncle when she was startled. Rosie held her arms out as strings of saliva dribbled from her clothes. She glanced at Owen when he laughed, "You said you wanted a kiss, Booger; that's how she kisses."

Rosie looked like she wanted to grimace, but she was afraid of hurting her new sister's feelings. Rosie didn't know that Elise was perfectly aware that humans didn't lick each other; it was just funny to see their reactions.

Ted chuckled quietly though he said, "Better give Elise a kiss before she has to leave, Rosie. We'll see her in the morning."

Rosie nodded as she walked over with her clothes sticking to her oddly, but she confused Elise by wiping the scales on her snout. Elise didn't think her snout was dirty, and she blinked when she didn't feel a kiss on her nose.

It wasn't how she was used to humans kissing her nose, and Owen quietly asked, "Did you just lick Elise, Rosie?"

Rosie put her hands on her hips defensively as she answered, "It's how Elise kisses! What was I supposed to do?"

Owen fell over laughing, and Elise shivered her jaws affectionately at the child. Elise was very amused by how Rosie was willing to do dinosaur things around her. Elise knew it wasn't a human thing to smell one another, but she still did it, and she had been startled when Rosie had gone through the same motions. Elise had scraped some dirt to build a little something of a nest, and Rosie had copied her; it had been great to teach the child the finer details of nest building. Rosie had done very well actually; even Blue had been impressed with the fern nest.

Elise puffed another bit of air onto the child before she crooned a farewell to the others. Owen was still laughing by the time Elise had melted into the jungle, and Rosie crossed her arms defensively at the man.

Owen didn't care; Elise's face had been priceless.

* * *

Blake was pretty sure he had the windshield wipers on the fastest setting, and they still couldn't seem to keep up; he wasn't going very fast.

At least he didn't think so.

He just wished his home wasn't so far away, but the roads never seemed too bad. They weren't paved, but he didn't like how slick they felt.

Maybe he needed to slow down.

Blake risked a glance at his speed, but couldn't really read the numbers; he had to be around thirty miles or so. It didn't seem like much, but all this rain was sort of scaring him. He had no idea where it came from either; he could have sworn the news had said it would be a drizzle.

This was not a drizzle.

A flash of movement caught Blake's eye as something darted in the road. Instinct kicked in to hit the brakes, but the beer forced him to mash them down. Blake let out a curse when his car began to slide, and his rear fishtailed. He overcorrected, and it happened before he could react.

The tires managed to grip a less slick spot, and the tree practically ran at him. All of a sudden the car stopped, and his face smacked into the none too gentle air bag. His seatbelt locked up, and refused to let him move.

Everything hurt, and Blake groaned as the bag slowly deflated. He was alive though, and conscious. He slowly leaned back before wincing when his wrist gave a sharp pain; a little voice in the back of his jumbled mind scolded him for not holding the steering wheel at nine and three. He knew he was lucky his face hadn't smacked into his wrist when the airbag had deflated.

Blake gave another hiss as he reached for his radio before his hands scraped nothing. He cursed the dark as he realized the radio had probably fallen onto the floorboards. His wrist communicator was busted; it wasn't meant to take those kinds of hits.

Damn airbag.

He could get the spare radio, but his seatbelt wasn't letting him move around. He struggled with it for a few minutes before sighing when the restraint finally went limp. His pelvis hurt like hell, but he forced himself out into the pelting rain. He wished he had brought a thicker jacket, but it wasn't like he had planned on crashing this very expensive vehicle. He carefully wiped his eyes to survey the damage.

The tree won.

He had hit it just right, and the front had crumpled quite nicely around the thick trunk. Had he been going thirty? He swore that's what it had been, but now he wasn't sure. Blake didn't focus on it right now because he knew he was in deep shit. He was in the raining dark with only one, dim headlight to work with. Claire was going to kill him if she didn't fire him first, and he still had to get home.

Blake sighed as he winced at his complaining body; he probably needed to get medical attention. He knew how serious a car crash could be, but he just wanted to go to his warm, dry bed. It would probably be a half hour walk in the mud, but he limped over to the passenger's side of the car. He gave it a fierce yank before the door suddenly opened, and Blake stumbled back. His feet slid in the slick mud, and Blake yelled when his back crashed into the hard ground. He laid there for a minute or so before letting out a groan as he rolled himself up.

He hadn't realized just how close he was to the ledge of the hill until he started to slide down it. Blake dug his fingers into the loose mud only to leave deep gouge marks the faster he slid down. It wasn't even a dramatic fall; he just slid down. The plant he snagged didn't keep their roots deep, and Blake couldn't shift himself into grabbing a tree.

The Commander blinked when he finally came to a halt before glaring at the tall hill. His car seemed so far away now, and all he could do was let his forehead gently rest in the mud as the water continued to pelt him. He knew there was no way he would be able to walk back up that; he was going to have to find another trail and walk it until he found civilization or his house. The Commander didn't want to do either, and he simply sat there for a few minutes. This wasn't happening; this was not happening to him. Blake did the only thing a man in his position could do.

He let out the most articulated F-Bomb he had ever shouted in his life. It was beautiful, but it didn't help him.

Blake shoved himself off the ground; he could get through this perfectly fine, so long as his body cooperated with him. He knew this island like the back of his hand.

So why did everything look so different in the dark with pelting rain? He swallowed; Blake knew he would be almost blind here, but he had to get moving. He was freezing and he had no idea if anyone would come looking for him. He wouldn't tread too far from his car; he just needed to find a way back up the hill.

Blake sighed as he zipped his jacket up a little higher; he could do this.

Rain was miserable.

* * *

And it was cold.

Elise admitted she had grown used to ignoring it when she had to, but now she didn't have to make sure Small One's cave didn't collapse. Now she could sleep in a dry area, and she was eager to be back in a dry area.

Already her plains were growing wide puddles that would end up looking deeper than what they really were. She had slipped a few times, and had to remind herself not to walk so fast, but she was eager to be back under the sheltering trees in Rexy's territory. Elise let out a roar, and Rexy immediately responded. Elise shook more rain from her scales as the thick trees acted as her natural umbrella; Rexy had picked a good spot for her nest.

The clearing was hardly wet when she stepped in; a little damp, but much better as compared to outside. Rexy and the girls were already tucked into the nest, and Blue chirped at her. Elise gently butted her head against Rexy's warm jaw as she stepped into the nest before curling close to the elder. She would never take the older dinosaur's warmth for granted, and Rexy was content to rest her head on Elise's shoulder while the girls found their own spots to curl up.

This family was happy, warm, and safe.

* * *

"I don't think you should be driving home, Baby. Not on your motorcycle."

Owen nodded in agreement; he was normally good about beating these storms home, but not today. Claire had quietly offered a place in her home, but Owen's mother had burned a literal hole into his back when he had briefly considered it.

Charlotte didn't care how old her son was; there some things she wasn't going to encourage, and Ted had found it hilarious how Owen had quickly declined. Claire had only rolled her eyes before leaving with a goodnight kiss.

Rosie had teased him for that one.

They had decided to get a late dinner after Elise had left, and it was ten o'clock right now, and they were catching the last monorail back to the hotels. Owen didn't feel like slipping through the mud on his bike if he didn't have to. He was fine with taking the couch in the hotel room his parents had. Rosie was thrilled to have a sleepover with her uncle, and Owen would never complain about making her happy.

The monorail was quiet, and almost empty save for a few last minute guests who intended to get their monies worth. The monorails were the fastest way to the hotels, but it wasn't the only way. Owen had left his bike in the safety of a garage, and he was eager to get some shut eye. He had to smile at how Rosie had immediately latched onto his side; she was already close to falling asleep, and he didn't doubt she would be out cold by the time they would get there.

"How long are you guys staying here?"

Ted began to polish his sharp glasses as he answered, "Three days total; we'll leave in the late afternoon the day after tomorrow. I wish Rosie could have spent more time here, but I don't want her falling behind in school."

Owen wrapped his arm around her a little more tightly as he quietly said, "I'm surprised she didn't get her homework done ahead of time."

"She did; she just didn't plan on missing more than three days. We tried to get tickets for the weekend, but those were always really busy."

Owen believed that; the middle of the week was usually the slowest even if it wasn't slow at all. There was never a slow day in Jurassic World. He glanced up when his mother softly said, "I can't believe how much Elise adores you; she's such a funny creature. She is happy where she is, right?"

Owen nodded, and his mother asked, "Does she ever want to see the world outside of this island?"

He shook his head as he answered, "She's a homebody, Mom. Elise asks about it, but a good YouTube video is more than enough for her. She just wants to explore the island."

"Does she like the ocean?"

Owen frowned as he scratched his jaw before answering, "I don't know actually; I've never taken her to the beach. I'm not sure she'll let me near that much water."

Ted chuckled quietly, and Charlotte smiled as she playfully smacked his arm. Owen was glad to see his parents getting along; it made things even better. He tilted his head to watch the rain hit the windows; he actually couldn't see anything out of there, but that was fine. Jurassic World had good drains, and it would be better in the morning. His girls were in good hands; if anyone knew how to survive the harsh weather, it would be Rexy.

* * *

Lopez shook his head at the rain pouring down; it seemed like it was getting harder, but he hoped this meant the storm would be shorter. That was how it usually went, but he had been wrong before. There were a couple different ways to get to Blake's home, but Lopez knew which one the Commander would usually take.

He really hoped Blake would be fine, and he hated how he had to drive slowly to get through this. The roads were too muddy, and the wind was starting to pick up. He wished Jurassic World would invest in paved roads, but everything was built in mind that this island could be abandoned again.

Lopez continued to drive along the road before he was forced to stop his car, and he let out a curse. A tree had fallen into the road, and there was no way he could drive around it, but it didn't stop him from getting out.

The man made a face at how he sunk into the mud, but he swore he saw the faint tracks from another vehicle. Now he knew Blake had gone this way, and it looked like he beat the tree. Lopez rested against the tall trunk as he contemplated his next move; this was the safest road to take. All the others would surely be too flooded to try; even their off-road vehicles had limits that he wouldn't be pushing without reason.

Maybe Blake had gotten home by now, or he would be close to it.

Lopez slid back into his warm car before he grabbed his radio.

"Commander Blake, it's Lopez. Did you make it home?"

Lopez frowned when he didn't get a response after a few seconds, and he asked, "Blake? Respond. Did you make it home?"

The man sighed before pulling back his wrist communicator; it was expensive, but Blake used it more often than not. Maybe he was already in the house, and forgot about the radio in his car. Blake always kept his wrist communicator on though.

"Commander, it's Lopez. Did you make it home?"

Lopez swallowed when he only got a broken static as a response. He sat in the car for a few more minutes as he glanced at his clock. It was eleven right now; it took a while to drive anywhere on this island when the weather wasn't kind. He wasn't sure what to do.

His first instinct was to contact Control; all the vehicles here had GPS trackers on them. If Blake's car was at his home then Lopez would go home, and beat the crap out of Blake in the morning. If Blake wasn't at his home, then Lopez would deal with it.

Lopez sighed as he pulled his radio out again before saying, "Control, this is ACU Lopez."

He waited a few seconds before the radio crackled, and the man responded, "Security here, what's wrong?"

Lopez tapped the radio against his head in thought; this was going to reach Claire's ears eventually, but he decided that this was the last straw. Blake needed help, and he asked, "I need the location of Commander Blake's vehicle. Can you ping it for me? I just need to know if he got home fine; the roads aren't great out here."

Lopez listened to the rain drumming on the top of his car while he scanned the thick trees. It was always creepier out here at night, and he was glad hardly anything happened at night. It was usually things that could wait until dawn.

He frowned when he didn't get a response, and asked, "Control? Are you there?"

Lopez waited a few seconds before the crackling voice came in broken spurts. He couldn't catch anything, and said, "I'm not reading you, Control. Is Commander Blake's vehicle stationary at his home?"

The static was too much, and Lopez heaved a large sigh before he made the decision to go back. He wouldn't be able to drive through this, and he didn't like sitting here in the dark. It would be a long drive, but he didn't know what else to do. He would go until he could get better reception.

Damn weather.

* * *

Blake had no idea where he was, and he was sure he had gotten turned around somewhere. His car headlights had died, and he lost track of the car. He was grateful to tuck his hands into his pockets; he had found a small flashlight that was better than nothing.

He had taken his wrist communicator off; his wrist was hurting too much, but he had dropped it accidentally. He lost it in the mud, and that was one more thing Claire could get mad at him for. Blake knew he needed to find a landmark of some sort; a river or maybe even another road.

He just hoped he hadn't walked into a dinosaur's territroy. The smaller animals were controlled with the shock trackers. It replaced fences that would have been built, but it was more dangerous for wandering people.

Usually ACU came and got them before anything could happen. Usually guests didn't wander off because they weren't that dumb. They knew how to get back, and they weren't lost in the dark with rain to make seeing even harder.

Blake knew he needed to find a tree or something to rest in, but he hadn't found one he was willing to climb. He had been trying to follow the base of the hill in hopes that he would be able to get back up it, but he wasn't lucky tonight. Rocks and trees had forced him away, and he was getting cold.

It was the little sounds that had kept Blake moving. Jurassic World was dangerous at night; a lot of carnivores were nocturnal here. They felt braver at night, and Blake only had his combat knife, and a stun gun on low battery.

He left his pistol in his car.

The Commander gave himself a shake; he knew this island. He knew the animals, at least the ones that escaped a lot, but he knew what was where. He just couldn't remember the last time he had been out here in the dark without his men.

The beer hadn't helped either. It made it harder to walk and focus; he felt sluggish, but wide awake. He was a cold, wet, but wide awake drunk.

The Commander paused to catch his breath as well as wipe the rain from his face; it was like standing in the shower. He knew it was a little dramatic, but his mood was sour, and his body was hurting. He was worried about internal damage from the wreck, and he was worried about getting eaten. He knew very well he wasn't at the top of the food chain here.

Blake took a deep breath as he tried to gather his thoughts. He wondered if it would be better for him to find shelter where he could dry off, but no one knew where he was. He had no idea if he was far away from his car, but he had a feeling he was. He didn't want anything to snatch him.

He was worried about compys.

Their population had definitely taken a hit, but they were coming back. The prion infected ones had been wiped out, and they weren't finding anymore corpses. The compys were scattered across the entire island, and they were very brave at night. Especially in groups.

He wasn't in a group, and compys were venomous. He had heard it was like falling asleep, but Blake didn't want to die. He could die in his sleep when he was old and wrinkled.

Blake decided he would keep walking until he found a tree he could climb without hurting himself even more.

He shivered when he heard a hooting sound echoing in the distance. He really hoped it was an owl he had heard because he knew a certain, nocturnal carnivore's territory was located around here.

He should have let Lopez drive.

* * *

Lopez was not happy by the time he stepped into the quiet Control Room. It wasn't as full at night, and people were messing around more than anything. It was the nightshift; all the animals were doing their own thing, and people were in bed. It was almost midnight, and the drive had taken longer than he wanted.

He flashed his badge at the security guard before storming his way over to the Security section. The man jumped at the mess Lopez was, but he growled, "I want you to ping Commander Blake's vehicle like I had asked almost an hour ago."

The man blinked but turned to the computer as he said, "I couldn't understand you through the radio; the weather is too bad. I tried talking to you afterwards, but you wouldn't respond."

"Just get me his location."

The man nodded as he clicked at his keyboard before pressing enter. They waited a few seconds as the map loaded before the red dot came up. The man zoomed in, and Lopez let out a breath.

Blake hadn't made it home.

The man frowned before he said, "Let me get the camera on screen; all the vehicles have it."

The screen was brought onto the front of the room, and Lopez gripped the back of a chair when chirping was heard in the car. He couldn't see anyone in the car, but the camera was at an odd angle. He could see both doors were open, and the lights were still on. Rain was pouring in, and little, chicken-like dinosaurs were content to take shelter in the back seat.

"Are those compys?"

Lopez swallowed before he said, "The airbag deployed; Blake crashed into something."

The man quickly went through more windows on his computer as he quickly said, "Whoa, no, we should have gotten a notification if that happened. Where's the notification?"

Lopez shook his head before firmly saying, "Forget the notification; get me a medic team over there right now."

The man snapped his fingers at Lopez to bring him back as he said, "Take radios from the drawers over there. They're heavy as hell, but they'll work."

Lopez nodded as he said, "Search the cameras, and tell me the best roads to take; the one that's a straight shot to Blake's is a no go. A tree fell down, and I doubt Repair is on standby."

"Got it."

The elevator closed, and the man said, "Alright, Control. We have a rescue mission in progress; quit your Facebooking and Tweets; let's get the best route to Commander Blake's car."

* * *

Lopez did his best not to bite his nails on the bumpy road. He was glad the medic knew how to drive with ease in these conditions, but it was still too slow for them. He was grateful there was another road that they could take; it crossed with the one Blake had been taking on the way back to his home.

"I think it's starting to rain harder…"

The medic agreed before she said, "At least the wind calmed down a little; we'll get there."

"I should have gone with him. I knew he wasn't in good enough shape to drive."

Lopez was grateful for the medic's comforting pat, but he felt his heart drop at seeing the red lights glowing in the dark before their ambulance's headlights caught the car. Lopez was out before the vehicle had stopped, and he cursed when he slid through the mud.

"Blake!"

Lopez flinched back when the compys poured out of the car in a chirping swarm, and he glared at them when they looked like they were sizing him up. The compys backed off when the two other cars pulled up, and the medic was next to Lopez.

"He's not here."

"Yeah, no shit."

She rolled her blue eyes before she began to look it over.

"The windshield is cracked, but it's not busted; that's good. I think he was wearing his seatbelt too."

Lopez was glad for that, and his fellow ACU gave a small whistle before saying, "I think Commander walked over here; I can see his boot prints, but they're faded."

Lopez growled when he saw the prints, and he tried to follow them. He wasn't very happy when they led to the ledge of the hill. He flashed his light down the hill before asking, "Think he slid down this?"

"I don't know where else he could have gone. I don't think Commander would have left his car."

They glanced over when another ACU guard said, "He sure as hell wouldn't have left without his pistol."

The woman held it up, and Lopez turned back to the hill as he said, "Someone get me some rope; I'm going down there. I have a feeling he fell down there."

It was a slick slide down, but Lopez was careful about picking his way. Three others had come with him, and he said, "Spread out, but stay within hearing. I don't need to lose any others. Keep an eye out for anything."

Lopez could already tell that any signs of Blake were probably long gone if he had even come down here. They searched as thoroughly as they could for twenty minutes before one gave a whistle.

"I got Commander's wrist communicator!"

Lopez wiped his eyes to clear the rain as he looked it over. It was busted and covered in mud. He gritted his teeth before squinting into the dark jungle. The rain was loud, and he said, "I bet he walked along the hill to find a way up."

"I saw some smooshed plants going that way."

Lopez nodded as he continued along the way before flicking his radio on. It was a heavy, large thing, but it worked in the crappy weather.

"This is ACU Lopez, I need to know where I'm headed."

The ground here was lush with tangling plants that were heavy with water, and the radio crackled, "You aren't in any paddocks although compys seem to like that area. If you keep following that direction, you'll eventually hit the Dilophosaurus territory. Be careful; they're nocturnal, I'll let you know when you get close to their territory. They're on shock trackers."

Lopez internally groaned as he picked up his pace. He knew Blake had walked this way, but he motioned for the others to say close. The radio crackled again, and the Security asked, "Do I change this to Search and Rescue?"

Lopez pressed his lips before answering, "Yes, change the mission. We're searching for Commander."

* * *

Blake had found a hollowed out trunk to shelter himself from the rain. It was cramped, and he was tired. He getting too cold, and he wanted to push himself to move; he just needed to rain to lighten up a little.

It sounded like it was finally slowing down, but the thunder was really starting to kick in. He wasn't sure what was worse. Not being able to see anything through the rain, or not being able to hear anything through the thunder.

At least the hooting had stopped as far as he knew. It was cold, and Blake couldn't stop himself from curling up. His head lolled a little before he snapped awake. He couldn't fall asleep here; he needed to get moving.

But he felt like he was starting to finally warm up a little; it was better in here than it was out there.

He just needed five minutes to rest, and then he would get moving.

Just five minutes.

* * *

"You guys are getting really close to the territory."

Lopez halted at the invisible line as he gritted his teeth. He knew Blake had gone this way; they had managed to find a footprint here and there.

But he couldn't risk going into that territory without the proper gear. Dilophosaurus knew their territory, and they were good hunters. He had the tools to deal with scavengers and some slightly less aggressive carnivores, but Dilophosaurus always required a different set of gear.

They had great aim with their spitting.

He put the radio close to him as he asked, "Are there any nearby?"

The radio paused for a second before answering, "Yeah, they're not too far away, but they're definitely around there. I…it's your call, but I don't recommend you going in there without the right gear."

Lopez sighed as he took a few steps back as he chewed his lip. He just wanted to dive in there, but he knew that was way too risky. He didn't even know if Blake was still alive, and it pained him to think like that. He glanced at his group before asking, "What do you guys think we should do? Should we risk it?"

They shook their heads after some thought, and one said, "It won't do any of us any good if we get eaten by Dilophosaurus. We need to head back for the gear."

Lopez agreed with that, but another guard snapped, "And let the rain wash away even more of Commander's tracks? The rain isn't letting up, and if we waste more time then we might as well wait for morning."

"Commander could very well be dead by then; we can't just leave him, but we can't be stupid about this. How is it going to help anyone if we get blinded?"

Lopez sighed when the man retorted, "Do you have a better idea? We would have to get a search dog out here by the time we got back, and last time I checked, we didn't have one. Do you want to go get one of those raptors? Because it worked out great last time."

Lopez opened his mouth to snap at the arguing men, but paused when he heard a quiet suggestion.

"What about the Indominus?"

Lopez blinked at his comrade, and she said, "She is trained to search, and I doubt the Dilophosaurus would actually try to fight her…"

The four stared at the silent tree line, and Lopez nodded as he began to trot back to the vehicles. He didn't have a better idea than that, and none of his companions would deny that Elise had an incredible nose on her. They were desperate, and Lopez didn't want to kill anymore time. He pressed the button as he said, "We are declaring an Emergency Search and Rescue. I want the Indominus' nose out here right now. Get her best handler and get those two here. I want equipment for this paddock sent with them."

Control blinked at the screen before the man said, "Someone wake up Claire; she has to know we're turning Elise loose. Send someone to get Grady, and I need notes on how to get Elise's attention; I know Lowery left something at his station."

* * *

Owen bolted straight up at the hard pounding on the door. He was confused, and didn't recognize the room. It wasn't until Rosie sat up and mumbled something that he realized he was at the hotel. Another hard knocking forced Owen off the couch, and over to the door. He had no idea who would be up this late, but he startled at seeing an ACU guard sopping wet in the immaculate hotel.

Owen did not have to look at the man's feet to know he had tracked mud in here.

"Mr. Grady; we need you to come with us. We have an emergency."

Owen paled, but nodded as he shut the door. His mother was standing by the couch in her robes with a sleepy Rosie by her side. Charlotte pinched her nose with concern as she quietly asked, "Baby, what's wrong?"

Owen slipped on his jacket and boots before tucking the resonating chamber into his pocket. He walked over to the door as he said, "I don't know, but I need to go."

"Are you coming back?"

Owen paused at the small voice, and he quickly walked over to Rosie before squishing her to his chest as he said, "You know Elise won't let anything get me. I'll come right back as soon as I have things figured out. Blue probably found some Oreo Thins."

Rosie nodded, but she gave a firm kiss on Owen's cheek before reluctantly letting go. Owen smiled as he waved before shutting the door behind him. The ACU guard tossed him a rain jacket as he said, "We need you and Elise to search for a missing person. He's possibly injured, and most likely in the Dilophosaurus territory."

"Jesus Christ; how the hell did he get there?"

Owen blinked at the rain still going strong, but the man answered, "It's Commander Blake. He crashed his vehicle before sliding down. We can't ping him, but he's been out there awhile. We don't know what he has for defense; we just know his pistol was left behind. We can't track him; it's raining too hard."

Owen grimaced internally; water always stumped Elise. Even if she was getting better, she still took longer than what Owen wanted.

And now she would get to search in the dark, in the heavy rain, for a man who she wasn't very fond of.

* * *

Elise startled from her sleep when Rexy gave a low growl. She blinked her eyes through the dark; it sounded like it was still raining, but there was another sound continuously going through the dark. She frowned before realizing it was what Lowery had called an alarm. It meant something was wrong, and help was needed. He had said it would go off if the doors were opening, but he would also activate it if he needed her to go to said door.

Elise slowly rose from the nest as she assured her mother everything was fine. Rexy didn't know what the sound meant, but the raptors were getting agitated by it. Elise gently nuzzled Blue with a lie that she knew how to shut the alarm off. The humans were dumb, but she knew what to break to make it quiet again.

Elise wasn't sure how to explain her role amongst humans to creatures who saw most of them as only prey. There was no way Rexy would allow her to go possibly do something dangerous alone, but the old dinosaur rumbled before resting her head on the ledge of the nest. Blue seemed slightly suspicious, but she wasn't about to leave her warmth without good reason.

Elise made a soft shiver of her jaws as she melted into the jungle before trotting. It was easy to weave through the trees before coming to the trail where she could really pick up her pace. She just hoped Owen was fine.

Last time an emergency happened, he almost got eaten by Lilly. Elise decided to trot a little faster at that thought; she really didn't want Owen to get eaten.

She would never be able to look Rosie in the eye if Owen had died because she couldn't save him.

* * *

Owen pulled the slick hood over his head a little tighter as his breath left in a small fog. The lights were incredibly bright over here, and the guards around him were shifting nervously. He had been given a radio, and Control had said Elise was headed this way. The alarms had finally shut off, and Owen prayed Blue hadn't felt like going with Elise. He just didn't want to waste time trying to get her back into the paddock.

He really hated how much time had been wasted before they came to get them. He knew they were the last resort, but still.

He glanced at the tall lights to see the drops of rain falling before he heard the telltale thuds of his tough baby. He wanted to whistle, but he didn't want to call the girls over as well. Instead Owen crossed his arms as he stood in front of the barred door. It was tall, and he glanced at his radio when Claire said, "We're opening the door."

The redhead had not been happy about being woken up, but she had immediately gone over to the Control Room to help oversee the mission. Owen was proud of how quickly she had gone over.

She had only bothered to put on shoes and a jacket over her pajamas.

The men tensed when the blaring alarm sounded again as the orange lights flashed in their circle. Owen didn't take a step back when the door slowly rose, but the thudding steps drew nearer. He couldn't stop his proud smile when his tough baby parted from the thick trees like a ghost. He could see she was ready to go, and a puff of white fog exhaled from her nostrils as she focused on him. Even after being woken up, Elise walked proudly with a learned grace that only could have been taught by one creature on this island.

He walked backwards as she continued to look around, and he heard someone quietly say, "She walks like Rexy."

Elise briefly flickered her gaze at the man, but Owen said, "Alright, Baby. We get to go search for someone, and it's for real this time. Ready to go?"

Elise gave a single nod before she scooped Owen onto her shoulders. He patted her neck as he said, "I need you to follow that truck, Baby. We'll get his scent there. Don't rush, but don't piddle."

Elise snorted; she knew what pace to run or walk, but she had no intent of screwing around today. Someone could actually die, and she wasn't going to get a redo this time.

She could prove herself to this park tonight.

* * *

Lopez had chewed off all his fingernails by the time he saw the white dinosaur trotting through the rain. He glanced to the side when a comrade shivered, "Jesus, she looks like a damned ghost just popping out of nowhere like that."

Lopez had to agree with him on that, but it meant they could actually get shit done. He was impressed by how quickly they had gotten here, and Elise gracefully stopped. Lopez couldn't help but to stare at how her foot just sank into the mud. He had never seen her up close, but he knew a few people here who had.

He really hoped he had made the right call; he didn't feel threatened by her. She was calm, and clear eyed, but he could see a few of his own were looking around nervously. Lopez put his hand up to assure them, and Elise immediately walked over to him.

She had assumed him to be the leader here. Lopez wasn't sure what to do with that; he was just here to get Blake home.

Owen slid off Elise as he whistled at the car.

"Damn. Probably driving too fast in the mud."

Lopez heard the mutter, and he was honestly glad that everyone was assuming Blake had just driven too fast. No one had asked him if Blake had been drinking, and he was fine with that. Owen pulled his hood up slightly as he asked, "You have something with the scent on it?"

Lopez nodded as he handed the jacket over to Owen. The man took it before offering it over to Elise as he said, "We're looking for Commander Blake, Baby. You remember him, right? He's been out here awhile, and probably hurt. We think he might have wandered into Dilophosaurus territory, but we aren't a hundred percent sure."

Elise flickered her gaze over to the crashed vehicle before she focused on all the scents in the jacket. She knew what Blake smelled like, but she startled when it had changed from the last time she had smelled him.

The sharp smell was part of his scent now. It was the stuff from the brown bottle that overpowered his normal scent, and she sagged slightly. Blake was still hurting inside, and now he was lost. She knew he wouldn't want to see her, and she hoped she could get him to safety.

She would have to make sure he lived; she had hurt him without good reason. She had taken family from him, and now he needed her help. She would help him by returning him to his pack.

It wouldn't make up for what she had done, but she would prove that she would help.

Owen pulled the jacket back when Elise began to smell the ground, and she curled her lip. The rain had washed away a lot of the scent; now it smelled very faint, but she focused. That sharp scent was still there, and that was all she needed. She had learned to sort through the scents.

She wanted the sharp, bitter scent. Not the earth's sweet smells.

Elise followed the scent to the ledge of the hill before glancing at Owen to get his butt moving. Owen was proud of the determination in her crimson eyes, but he paused when a helmet was handed to him. It looked like something a SWAT officer would wear with the clear shield protecting his face. He glanced up, as the man put his own helmet on while saying, "I'm Antonio Lopez by the way."

"Owen. You riding bitch with me?"

Lopez snorted; he had absolutely no intent of riding on Elise, and he motioned to the small team of six as he said, "No, Ghost leads the way; we'll cover the ground around her. You just keep her focused."

Owen raised his eyebrow at the name, but an impatient snort from Elise grabbed his attention. He clambered on when she flattened herself to the ground, but paused at the human closest to her. She recognized him.

She had seen him at the river, and he stiffened as the disdain filled his dark eyes. She made a soft sound, but he stiffly said, "Bring our Commander home alive."

Elise would do that; she wouldn't hurt this pack anymore. Even if she wasn't sorry for killing them in the fight; she had no reason to hurt this pack anymore. She gave a single nod before rising when Owen patted her neck. She carefully inspected the sloping hill.

She knew how to slide down these; she had done it all the time with Small One when it had rained. Granted the hill hadn't been this large, but she just had to be careful about doing this. She just had to lean correctly, and everything would be fine.

It would only go wrong if she panicked. She wasn't going to panic. Joker rolled with it, and so would she. This was small chaos, but chaos regardless. She needed to keep her head calm, and she would find Blake.

Owen squeezed his thighs on the neck tightly as he quietly said, "Easy, Baby Girl. We got this."

He gripped her a little more tightly when she began to slide, but she was smart about how she dug her claws into the mud. She left deep trenches behind her, but it was a short slide for her. She began to smell the ground before opening her jaws to taste the air. The team slowly slid down behind her with Lopez leading them, and Elise found the sharp scent clinging within the leaves of a drier bush. Owen continued to murmur words of encouragement when she needed it, and she was careful about her surroundings.

Humans couldn't see well in the dark, and they were going to depend on her to see danger before it could see them. She had never worked with a team of humans before, but it was like working with a pack.

And she was leading it even if Lopez was technically the Alpha.

* * *

Blake snapped his eyes open as he tried to get his bearings about him. He was freezing, but he was alive.

And something was wrong.

He swallowed while slowly reaching for his knife with his good hand; he didn't want to risk anything hearing the charging hum from his stun gun. He tried to keep his breathing even and quiet before freezing at the hooting sound.

It was way too close, and he could see the glowing eyes in the dark. He was glad he had the sense to shut of his dim flashlight, but the eyes creeped him out to no end.

It was two Dilophosaurus, and they were way too close for comfort.

He hoped the rain had masked his smell, and it seemed like they had no idea he was there. He knew they didn't know he was there.

They would have eaten him if they knew.

Blake scrambled his mind as he tried to recall everything he knew about these dinosaurs. ACU hardly ever dealt with these dinosaurs; they weren't ones who liked to stray far from their territory. The only time they really had to deal with them was when it was time to help the vets give them a checkup.

He took a slow, deep breath as he went over the facts in his head.

They could accurately spit their venom over twenty feet. They hunted in very small packs, though the juveniles seemed to stick together more often than the adults. He knew there was some sort of pack order, the leader was the only one allowed to do the disabling while the other would corner the prey. It wasn't as elaborate compared to how Velociraptors hunted, but they did just fine.

They were fast runners, and Jurassic World had yet to figure out all the kinks in displaying them safely. Jurassic World had more faith in turning raptors into safe attractions than they did these carnivores.

It didn't help that Dilophosaurus was much more active at night. They didn't do much during the day.

But they were cowards when it came to Rexy's roar, and quick to leave when a smoke bomb went off. But he didn't have either of those tools nor did he have anything to cover his face; he had been smacked by their spit before. It was terrifying to have the warm, goopy venom smack his protective covering.

Blake swallowed when another, smaller Dilophosaurus ran by the two; he knew they had seven in total. He had no idea why they had so many, but Jurassic World wouldn't put down an animal for no good reason. These animals were too dangerous for displaying, but they could be managed with the right mindset.

He tensed when the other two suddenly followed the smaller one, but he let out a breath. Now was his chance to get the hell out or to bury himself in the mud in hopes of concealing his scent.

Blake wasn't in a gambling mood, and he needed to get out of here. He could be quiet. Blake waited a few seconds before carefully crawling out of the trunk. He continued to grip his knife though he double checked to make sure his stun gun was where he could get it.

He needed to find a tree to climb now, and Blake held his breath while silently limping through the drizzling jungle. The rain had definitely lightened up; that was good and bad. Good for him because he could see easier, bad because it meant the same thing for the Dilophosaurus.

* * *

Elise curled her lip when she lost the scent. She had lost it plain and simple. A small stream had rained through here, and it washed away Blake's scent. She had searched the surrounding area, but she couldn't find that sharp, bitter scent.

Only the earth's clean, refreshing one.

Owen bit his lip in frustration before he calmly said, "Refocus, Baby."

Elise huffed before she sat on her haunches to clear her head. Joker wouldn't panic, and neither would she. If she couldn't find his scent, then she would try a different tactic. She would give this one more try though, and parted her jaws to simply allow all the different tastes of the world to flow into her mouth. She could taste the rain, the trees, _a lot_ of water, and something else. It was too close for her liking.

Elise snapped her jaws shut before flaring her nostrils. The world shifted into the oranges and blues, and she stiffened at the warm body too close to Lopez.

Lopez jumped when Elise lashed her tail into the thick brush, and a shrill shriek was heard. He blinked at seeing the Dilophosaurus bolt up before running away, and Elise let out a long, dangerous growl as she crouched defensively.

Lopez brought the team closer together as he waited near Elise's head before whispering, "You just tell me where they are, Ghost."

Elise scanned the jungle before gesturing to the silent brush. Lopez aimed before pulling the trigger, and another startled shriek was heard. He smiled when Elise pointed again, and another pop was heard.

They were firing non-lethals of course, but it hurt like hell to be pelted by them. It was Jurassic World's version of a bean bag gun; it still hurt like hell, but it didn't damage as badly. Lopez knew; he had been hit by both kinds, and he would definitely take Jurassic World's bean bag guns over SWAT's.

Elise startled at hearing the loud rattling, and she snapped her gaze to the side of her. She had never seen dinosaurs like these before, but she remembered Gray talking about them. They spat venom at the prey's eyes in hopes of blinding them. She knew the humans had protected their faces, but she still swiped her tail over the human to her right. The man yelped, but it had startled the Dilophosaurus into retreating as Elise let out a warning snarl. She rose tall before rumbling like Rexy, and she was satisfied to see the dinosaurs retreat.

She lowered herself onto all fours before Lopez asked, "They gone, Ghost?"

Elise nodded before she opened her jaws again to taste the air. She wasn't getting much, and she remained silent. She just needed a little help from Wind, but this was good in a way. If she couldn't smell Blake, then it meant the Dilophosaurus couldn't either.

She knew she had the best sense of smell.

* * *

Blake sighed quietly when he paused by another tree. He had moved as fast as his sore legs had allowed him, and he was glad when nothing had decided to hunt him. He actually knew where he was right now, and he knew where to go. He remembered Hamada marking this tree by sticking a sharp dagger into it. If Blake walked in the direction the handle was sticking towards; he would hit the trail that would lead to the fastest way out of here. The rain was finally letting up, and Blake felt like he was going to make it.

He stiffened when he heard distressed chirping, and he pressed himself as close as possible to the large trunk. He held his breath as the small pack of Dilophosaurus ran past him. He paused at seeing a few limping, but he didn't care so long as they kept going.

But it also scared him a little bit; it meant that something had scared this pack badly enough to retreat. Blake paused; he wondered if that meant ACU had realized what happened. Blake wasn't sure if he should allow himself to be that hopeful. What if something had gone wrong with the trackers, and a larger carnivore had snuck into this territory. Blake didn't think so though; these guys were somewhat isolated from others.

Blake was so busy contemplating his next move that he hadn't seen the two dinosaurs pause to stare at him until one made a low hoot. Blake stiffened as he held his knife more tightly. He cursed under his breath as he flickered his gaze between the two animals who had cornered him. He needed to figure out which one was the leader; that one would spit at him while the other would charge.

He assumed the larger one was his safe bet, and his bared his own teeth before hissing, "Back off! You really don't want to fuck with me!"

The two hunters only tilted their heads like owls with a burning curiosity. He had briefly hoped they were more curious than hungry until the larger one hooted.

They were hunting him.

Blake slowly gripped his knife with his injured hand before cautiously reaching for his stun gun. He would only get one shot, and he needed to hit the leader. He aimed at the larger one, but he paused when the dinosaur gave another hoot before flickering its gaze to the smaller one.

The small one was the leader in this hunt.

Blake ducked under the flash of black spit before pulling the trigger. The larger Dilophosaurus startled from its attack when the smaller shrieked in pain. It fell to the ground in a heavy thud before kicking the ground violently. Blake gritted his teeth when it managed to snag its feet on the wires before yanking them off. The animal heaved as it lied there stunned, and Blake knew he wasn't going to get a chance to reload the gun.

The larger one hadn't taken off. It had only sniffed its fallen companion before flaring its frills at Blake. The Commander dropped his gun in favor of his knife before dodging another splatter of venom. He cursed when his foot slipped on moss, and he stumbled to the ground. He whirled around just in time for the dinosaur to lunge at him, and Blake rolled as fast as he could before slashing.

He wasn't going to die without a fight.

* * *

Elise had a feeling Blake had gone this way, but she was still searching for the scent. It would occasionally tickle her nose; like it was purposefully teasing her. Blake had been difficult for her when she helped clean up Rexy's paddock, and he was being difficult for her now.

She didn't blame him for being difficult, but she wished he wasn't so hard to find. Owen leaned over her gently as he murmured more words of encouragement. Elise felt like the team had relaxed, and it made it easier for her to focus. They weren't so distrusting of her.

Elise snapped her gaze up when she heard a shrill shriek, and Owen softly said, "We should probably avoid that spot, Baby. They're probably fighting one another. Unless you think Blake went that way, but you have to be really sure before we go following them."

Elise tilted her head as she flared her nostrils. It hadn't been a furious shriek; it had been startled, and pained. It wouldn't have been cut off so quickly either. Pack didn't fight pack like that; the opponent would have made a sound as well. A battle cry, a cry of victory, even anger. She didn't hear anything.

Elise was willing to bet that's where Blake had gone, and she nodded before walking over as silently as she could. Lopez motioned for his team to follow, and Elise paused at another pained snarl; maybe it was just a fight.

Then kind Wind decided to dance through the jungle, and Elise caught the scents. The coppery smell of blood, the rain, the earth…

And the sharp, bitter scent.

* * *

Blake pushed himself up as he breathed heavily. He had hurt his ankle, but he could put weight on it. He could still move, and the Dilophosaurus hissed as the blood trickled down its side. Blake knew Claire was going to really kill him for hurting an asset, but he didn't want to die.

Claire would understand that, wouldn't she? Even though she really hated him? She would understand that he didn't want to die.

He could see the animal contemplating continuing to fight him or not. He had no idea if Dilophosaurus took these fights personally like Velociraptors. He had heard they didn't take kindly to being beaten in fights; it angered them.

This one definitely looked angry, and Blake licked his lips; he could fight one. He didn't know for how long, but if he fought long enough it would hopefully leave. The other one had stumbled up before lurching into the jungle; it had enough.

Blake yelped when the warm goop splattered onto his chest, and he cursed himself for not moving. The dinosaur gave another hiss as its frills rattled to life. Blake backed up as best he could before suddenly falling over backwards.

He had tripped over a large root. Blake hissed in pain before glaring at the dinosaur. The Dilophosaurus gracefully stepped onto another root before bunching its muscles underneath itself. Blake knew he was going to cut it close, but if he angled his knife just right; he could get the carnivore before it got him.

Blake clenched his jaw as he sucked in air when the Dilophosaurus made a high leap with jaws splayed wide. Even in the dark he could see the sharp teeth racing to meet his throat, and Blake braced.

He didn't expect to see the ghost of a white tail sail over him to meet the Dilophosaurus head on. The animal let out a shriek when it smacked into the ground gracelessly, and Blake jumped at the livid roar. The Dilophosaurus scrambled up before bolting into the brush as fast as it could, and Blake blinked at the crimson gaze piercing him. He slowly sat up as the Indominus made a soft croon while she gently lowered herself to the ground.

Blake flinched when the people were suddenly around him, but Lopez was in his view.

"Blake! Shit man, are you hurt? Talk to me, Blake; you're going to be fine, okay?"

Blake blinked at the man before wincing when a dry jacket was wrapped around him. He glanced around at the familiar faces before breathing, "I'm fine."

Lopez helped Blake up as he asked, "Are you sure? You're fine? You got the spit on you."

Blake nodded; he couldn't show weakness around his men, but he startled when Lopez gently gripped his shoulders as he calmly said, "Good, because I am going to beat the shit out of you when we get you checked out."

The others chuckled in relief, and Blake wiped his face tiredly as he leaned his weight onto his comrade. Lopez pulled out his radio before saying, "We got him; he's alive. We're headed back right now."

Elise made a soft shiver of her jaws, and Owen said, "You really shouldn't be walking Commander. Get on here."

Blake blinked at the scaled neck before shaking his head firmly. He didn't care if his vision was swimming because he would not be going anywhere near Freak. Lopez sighed quietly before walking them over as he said, "Tonight, you get to ride with Elise. She saved your life, Blake."

Blake gritted his teeth, but he really didn't want to walk all the way back. He was exhausted, and freezing. The white scales were much warmer than he realized, and he quietly hissed in pain when Owen pulled him up.

"Easy, Commander; we'll get you back alive. Right, Baby?"

Elise gave a firm nod as she slowly rose; she promised she would get Blake back to his pack safely, and she always kept her promises. She glanced at the team below her, and she felt good to see their relieved faces. She wasn't sure if this would make them like her more, but she wasn't concerned about that. She had proved she was a good Alpha on this island, but Elise reminded herself to stay focused.

Sam had drilled it into her head that the rescue mission was never over until the person was either in the ambulance, or in the hands of a medic. There wasn't a medic here, they were still in a dangerous dinosaur's territory, and Blake could still die if she messed around.

Elise wouldn't let Blake die; she had hurt him enough.

* * *

 **Another A/N**

 **No, this does not mean Blake and Elise are going to be buddies. I had gotten most of my information on the Dilophosaurus from the Jurassic Park Wiki in case you were wondering. I hope you guys enjoyed it. Have a good night/day!**


	64. Chapter 64

**A/N**

 **Hey guys, how's life? I want to thank my editor for getting me sick! Many thanks Nazo!**

 **Kim K's Butt, don't touch the butt.**

 **Guest, thanks for the website, and I know Jurassic Park/World Dilophosaurus aren't accurate compared to actual Dilophosaurus, but I felt like it would be better to write about the Dilophosaurus this park actually has, if that makes sense.**

 **The Only Potato, I am trying to update every other day. _Trying._**

 **Imtomzizle, I'm glad you like the plain truth, and I'm glad you don't find Frozen annoying because I do, and I've never even seen the movie.**

 **Alright guys, I really wanted to do more in this chapter, but the movie marathon took up a lot of the focus. I have one more thing that I really need to wrap up with Blake before the time skip to Sobek, and I feel like it is important enough that it needs to be in the next chapter so it can have its own spotlight. I will have Sobek in the next chapter because he needs his butt over here.**

 **Also I know I kind of kick Blake around, and it is why I was so torn about pushing it to the next chapter, but just bear with me on this.**

 **Thank you much and mighty for your reviews! I really appreciate them! Have a good day/night and don't get sick!**

* * *

"So Obvious It Hurts."

Elise sat tall as she ignored the drizzling rain. Owen was standing next to her while the ACU team saw their Commander off. Blake looked rough, but Owen didn't doubt he would live. He had been incredibly lucky, and Owen had no idea how he had managed to fight off a Dilophosaurus.

Elise lightly flicked her tail while watching the medics ease Blake into the ambulance. The Commander looked tired, but he briefly flickered his gaze over to her. She wasn't surprised to see the disdain darkening his eyes, but she wouldn't be angry at him. She had put him in a difficult position by greying their lines.

How was he supposed to hate her when she had save his life?

Elise was just happy the rain had lightened up, and she hoped she hadn't hurt any of the dinosaurs too badly; she didn't want to give Dr. Gerry more work to do. Maybe she could learn to hit them less hard.

She finally relaxed when the vehicle drove off; she had completed her first mission, but she wasn't going to get playful just yet. She didn't want to be playful round these strangers; she would play with Owen later, but she glanced down to see he kept his stern face on as well.

They both knew to be serious right now.

Lopez gave a small sigh before turning around as he ordered the group to pack up to leave. They would get the car in the morning, but it was time to go home, and Elise was glad for that. She was happy she helped, but she missed her warm spot with Rexy, and she was sure her mother was probably searching for her right now.

Elise knew she was going to be in trouble when she got home.

ACU began to work, and Elise watched Lopez walk over to them. None of the other members had tried to approach her or Owen, but she was fine with that. She knew she had some respect from them, but she didn't expect them to like her. Lopez seemed nice though, and Elise did like him. He was a smart leader, and probably Blake's Beta.

Elise personally felt that he needed to be the Alpha; Blake needed to go heal. She was pulled from her thoughts when Lopez sighed, "You, Ghost, I'm never walking into Dilophosaurus territory without you again. This is the first time I haven't been smacked by their spit."

Elise snorted before she carved her talon into the dirt. Lopez went wide eyed as he quickly said, "Whoa, whoa, no, no. Are you writing?"

Elise gave a dry look before she wiped the dirt, and wrote, _'NO NOT WRITING'_

Owen couldn't stop his snort before he patted Elise's leg. She was getting tired of this reaction, and now she was getting sarcastic about it. Lopez blinked at the words before he chuckled. He wiped his forehead as he said, "I'm buying you a drink for getting us through that. You can expect a good bottle of whiskey by tomorrow from me, Ghost."

Elise didn't know what whiskey was, but she was perfectly fine with her water. It tasted good to her, and she found the other drinks humans had to be funny. She didn't like milk, soda, or juice. She liked water, but she would accept Lopez's gift because it was polite.

She nodded her head, and Lopez made to leave, but startled when Elise gently snagged her talons around him before pulling him close to her. Owen crossed his arms while leaning against her, and Lopez raised an eyebrow when Elise wrote in the dirt, _'BLAKES BETA'_

She drew an arrow pointing at Lopez, and the man blinked before slowly saying, "I guess I am; we don't have anything like that officially, but I guess I am. We're a team."

Elise had guessed that much, but she wiped the words away as the others began to get into their cars. Lopez stiffened when Elise wrote, _'BLAKE IS HURT NEEDS HELP'_

Owen raised an eyebrow before he answered, "He's going to a hospital, Baby. Blake will be fine."

Elise wanted to roll her eyes as she gestured to her chest. Lopez furrowed his brows, and Elise wrote, _'INSIDE HURT HE IS SAD BITTER ANGRY BROWN BOTLE SENT IS HIS SENT'_

Lopez quickly stomped on the words, but Owen stiffened before hissing, "What brown bottle?"

Lopez gave Elise a warning look, but she glared at him for trying to cover Blake's wounds without helping them. She moved the man out of the way before writing, _'SHARP SMELL WHAT I SMELL FOR OUT THERE BROWN BOTLE SENT HIS SENT'_

Owen blinked at the words before slowly swallowing. He scratched at his jaw before flickering his gaze over to the crashed vehicle. He didn't want to assume anything, but he quietly motioned for Elise to crouch as he softly asked, "Where did you see a brown bottle, Baby? Was Blake...drunk?"

Elise tilted her head; she didn't know what drunk was, but she knew Blake hadn't smelled like the bottle so strongly last time she had seen him. She moved to a better section of dirt before she wrote, _'BY MADRE BLAKE HAD BROWN BOTLE HE WALKED FUNNY DID NOT TALK RIGHT'_

Owen stared at Lopez, waiting for an explanation, and the man caught his gaze. Lopez turned defensive as he snapped, "The Commander has the right to enjoy a drink. He never drinks on the job."

Owen would give him that, but there was something wrong if the beer had become part of Blake's scent. Elise had been following the smell of beer not Blake. Owen pointed at the dirt as he quietly asked, "Was he drinking tonight? I hope he wasn't driving drunk."

"Did he look drunk to you?"

Owen wasn't one to tolerate drunk driving. He had lost one too many friends to the bottle vehicle combination. He always had a personal two beer/two shot limit with food, but even then he was more partial to the Coke in glass bottles.

And he knew what a person trying to cover for their friend looked like.

"What are you doing?"

Lopez startled when Owen immediately walked over to the vehicle. A few stragglers were taking pictures for insurance purposes, and Owen opened the door.

"Sir, please don't touch the car."

Owen ignored the irritated woman as he began to shift the seats around. He knew where to look because he remembered trying to cover for an old drinking buddy.

Before said buddy had gotten himself killed because of buzzed driving. Owen just didn't enjoy beer as much after that. He didn't care if people drank, but nothing got him fired up more than a person who drank and drive.

Lopez was immediately next to him; blocking the view of the cameras as he quietly hissed, "I'm trying to get Blake help, alright? Don't go snooping around."

Owen glared at the man before snapping, "Blake crashed his car, got lost in the Dilophosaurus territory, and you had to risk more lives, mine including, to go save him. I understand crashing because of this shitty weather, I really do, but if he was buzzed, then there was a chance he wouldn't have crashed."

" _It's the weather."_

Owen glared at the man before pushing the passenger's seat as far back as he could while saying, "We had how many vehicles out here? Not one crashed; one got stuck, but everyone here knew to drive slow. Rainstorms aren't something new here, Lopez. We all know how to drive in rain."

Lopez darkened, but Owen waved his hand in irritation when he found the culprit. He snagged the camera from the woman before making a click, and he pulled the brown bottle to show Lopez. Owen clenched his jaw while looking at it before quietly saying, "There's still a little bit left at the bottom. Does Blake drink on the jo-"

"Absolutely not. _Commander_ Blake is always completely sober when he works. He is fully aware of the dangers of this job. I make sure he's sober when he works. He never touches a drop when he's clocked in."

"So is this from tonight or last night?"

Lopez refused to answer, and Owen put the bottle back into the car as he said, "We are lucky no one got killed, Lopez. This is the wakeup call that Blake needs help. This is not a habit the Commander of ACU needs."

Lopez knew it was a habit, but it hurt something inside him to see Blake's reputation getting tarnished. He glared at the bottle before growling, "It's not a habit, Grady, and I am doing the best I can. I can't force him to get help, but I do intend to get on his ass."

Owen snatched the bottle up before walking over to Elise. The Indominus flared her nostrils, and Owen sternly said, "Elise, I want no lies. Is this what you were smelling on Blake? You said you were following a sharp scent to find Blake, is this the scent?"

Elise lowered her head before carefully sniffing the bottle. Lopez internally sagged when her lip curled before she nodded while wiping her nose. Owen turned to Lopez as he slowly said, "I am going to interpret this as two things, Lopez. Either Blake was drunk enough tonight to have the beer be part of his scent, or he has been drinking enough for who knows how long for the beer to become part of his scent."

Lopez snatched the bottle back as he snapped, "Commander Blake is not drunk! He had a few drinks tonight, but he is fine! Do you really think a severely drunk person can fight off a Dilophosaurus?!"

Elise wasn't sure what drunk was, but Owen had held the brown bottle like it was poison. Had Blake been drinking poison? That made Elise incredibly sad, and she wondered why no one had stopped Blake from hurting himself. Lopez was his Beta, why wasn't he taking care of him?

Owen chewed the inside of his cheek before quietly saying, "I know you're trained to recognize problems with your fellow guards. Is Blake an alcoholic?"

Lopez glanced around, and he was glad most of them had left. He was much less glad with the look on the woman's face as she searched the car with more vigor. Lopez had thought he found all the bottles. It wasn't like Blake drove drunk; he just let the bottles pile up in his car.

He briefly glanced at Elise before he quietly said, "I don't know because Blake is really hard to read. I think the job is just stressful, but he won't talk to me. He's all work, but I'm from the Emergency ACU; I'm still trying to learn how to read him. He functions fine at work; ask anyone."

Lopez knew Blake got drunk just about every chance he got, but it wasn't like Blake got drunk to the point of passing out. Lopez knew Blake was headed towards serious alcoholism, but he felt like he could still catch Blake before it became a huge problem. Lopez really felt like the weather was the reason this time.

This time.

Lopez glanced at Elise once more before adding, "But I know he didn't crash because he was drunk; it's the weather."

Owen gave a huff of frustration because he had done the same thing with his own friend, and he sure as hell never let a stranger know his friend was an alcoholic; not when a reputation could be ruined and a job lost. He knew how easy it was to cover for an alcoholic when no one was looking, but Owen wouldn't tolerate this. He walked back to Elise as he said, "If I don't see Blake signed up for a program by this morning, I will personally make sure Claire hears about this. He's not a damned janitor here, Lopez; he is the _Commander of the Asset Containment Unit._ I will not allow Jurassic World's main defense to be led by an alcoholic."

Elise helped Owen climb onto her shoulders as she gave Lopez one more look. He looked stressed and angry; Elise didn't understand why, but she wished things would have ended better. She knew what alcohol was, but she didn't understand what an alcoholic was. She would ask Owen in a spot where only the two of them could talk. She felt the pat on her neck, and she glanced at Lopez once more before she stared at the woman who was talking on her phone while holding the brown bottle of poison.

She turned to walk trot back down the muddy road before giving one more glance over her shoulder. Lopez was running his hand through his hair, but Elise continued her way. She had done her job, and Blake wasn't her pack. It was Lopez's job to make sure Blake stopped being an alcoholic.

Whatever that was.

* * *

Elise gave a wide yawn as she walked towards the shut door before lowering herself to let Owen off. She hadn't heard anything on the other side, and she wondered if she was lucky enough that Rexy could still be sleeping. Owen pulled out his radio as he said, "Alright, open the door please. Elise is ready for bed, and so am I."

Owen was serious about telling Claire about Blake's drinking problem. He was more than willing to understand why Blake would hate being around Elise, the Commander had even squirmed on the ride back to the medic, but Owen wouldn't tolerate this.

Not when ACU had so many resources to take care of themselves. Masrani never messed around when it came to the health of his security. He had always wanted his men to be in top shape; physically and mentally.

How an alcoholic managed to slip through the cracks was beyond Owen, but he knew no system was perfect. Anyone who could get the 'I'm fine' illusion down usually could slip by. It happened all the time, but Owen rubbed the back of his neck as the door slid open. He really hated how loud the damned alarm was, but he would prefer it over a silent door.

That would be a terrible surprise to see when walking around the corner because it would be his luck to see Rexy and not Elise.

He sighed when it shut off, and Elise took a step in before Owen said, "Hey, Baby?"

Elise glanced at him, and Owen smiled as he said, "I am so proud of how you handled yourself tonight, and I know Sam and Derick will be too."

The Indominus melted under the smile, and she was mush when she garbled softly at Owen as she pressed her face close to him. Owen squeezed her nose tightly as he said, "I am so proud of how far you've come, Elise; I really am."

Elise made a soft sound, and Owen suddenly chuckled as he pulled back; he was grinning when he asked, "Remember the first time you came to my bungalow? And you kept poking the lights with your nose?"

Elise thought about it before nodding; that had seemed so long ago, but she remembered the lights. They weren't too bright, but they had reminded her of stars for some reason. She couldn't help smiling when Owen chuckled again as he sighed, "You scared the shit out of me, Elise. Did you know that?"

Elise couldn't stop her sucked in laugh before she wrote in the dirt, and Owen flashed his light on it.

' _BEFORE YOU SAID STOP'_

Owen laughed again as he asked, "That obvious, huh?"

Elise nodded, but she was happy Owen wasn't afraid of her anymore. She knew he had been terrified of her right when they had very first laid eyes on each other.

When she thought he was a trespassing human with no respect or compassion for those unlike him, but now she knew better.

Owen gently stroked the jaw as he softly said, "You better go get some shut eye, Baby. Rosie is serious about that movie marathon. Those movies can get a little repetitive, but she has good taste, alright?"

Elise puffed air on him gently before she allowed him to leave. She sighed when the loud alarms blared again, but she ignored it in favor of going back to the nest. She was tired, and she missed Rexy.

She didn't think Echo would be able to get her up at five tonight because she had a feeling five was soon.

It wasn't until the door had sealed shut that Elise realized she hadn't asked Owen what an alcoholic was, but she wasn't going to worry too much over it. Her pack was fine, Blake was in the hospital, and he had a good Beta to take care of him.

* * *

Lopez drummed his fingers nervously as he waited in the hospital. Blake was sleeping right now, but Lopez was afraid of Owen saying something to Claire. He had to get Blake to quit cold turkey; he didn't want the man to get fired.

He knew this job was stressful, but Lopez didn't understand why Blake had taken to the bottle for it. Lopez could understand why Blake wouldn't want to work with Elise, but he truly believed working with Elise would be a rare thing. They had a lot of action on Jurassic World, but hardly anything that required the assistance of something as big as Elise.

He could really only see dire emergencies; even then Elise was limited on what she could actually do to help them. Bringing her around other animals would just scare the life out of them, and it wasn't like they needed her protection. Tonight had been an exception, but tonight wasn't something Lopez intended to ever repeat.

Tonight had been a wakeup call; Blake had a drinking problem. It wasn't something incredibly hindering, and it had been relatively easy to cover, but Lopez didn't want the problem to get bigger.

He knew Blake was on thin ice with Claire.

Lopez sighed as he leaned back into his chair; he was tired, and he wanted to sleep. He would be here for Blake when the man woke up, and they would get shit done. Blake was going to be fine, and Lopez would be right there to help him through it.

* * *

Claire was not happy as she marched towards the hospital with the folder tucked under her arm. She only had to see the picture of the brown bottles in the car before she made her decision. Blake was the only one who drove that car, she had seen him last night, and she had gone over the camera footage from the bar last night.

She knew Blake probably hadn't been legally drunk last night, but she knew he shouldn't have been driving. She had also seen the camera footage from his car, and she had seen how he had swerved so hard to avoid hitting the animal, but the bottom line for her was Blake had been driving when he shouldn't have been. She had seen enough to piece together what had happened.

Lopez had tried to interfere and Blake had slipped away when he wasn't looking. Claire had gone over the records, and she had specific changes in mind to make. This was the last straw with Blake. She had gone over everything to be absolutely certain of her decision.

A loud crash caused Claire to yelp as she almost dropped her folder. She had heard this sound before, and she immediately ran down the street as she prayed it was something else. This was not the time for it, and Claire groaned when she rounded the corner to Main Street.

Madre Del Diablo had collapsed again.

Claire chewed her lip as she nodded in irritation; this Spinosaurus had been nothing but trouble since she first came here. Claire was done. She was done with Blake, and she was done with Madre. She wasn't putting this skeleton back up; she was going to grind it up into little bits before throwing it in the garbage. She was tired of the smell and the complaints from everyone. It was going to be a relief to put something else there. Sobek could replace Madre as an attraction.

Claire turned on her heel to go back to the hospital as she resisted the urge to ruffle her hair in irritation. It had been a long night, and she was cranky; there was a lot to clean up from the storm, and a drain had clogged in the middle of the night. A street would have to be closed down until it could get fixed.

Claire just wanted to go tell Elise how proud she was of how she carried herself. Claire had made sure cameras were recording from a few ACU's helmets, and she was so proud of how well Elise had done. She hadn't killed any of the animals, she had kept the team safe, led with a calm head, and saved Blake's life. If Claire hadn't spent all night glaring at the bar camera footage, she was pretty sure she would have tackled Owen to gush over how well Elise had done.

Claire just felt happy at seeing Elise succeed at this, but her mood had been soured by Blake.

The hospital was quiet as always, and Claire already knew what room Blake was in. She was angry, but she knew she would have to do this in a professional manner; that was always the hardest part when it came to firing people she was done with. She had butt heads with Blake since day one, and she never knew why. Hamada had never said an ill word about him, and had strongly recommended Blake to take his place should the need ever arise.

Claire missed Hamada; he had been a wonderful Commander who got his job done. He had always carried himself in such a way that one just wanted to respect him. Claire knew she was never going to get another Commander like him, and that was one of the worst parts.

The redhead was surprised to see Lopez, but she was less surprised to see Blake rubbing his forehead tiredly. She couldn't believe she hadn't realized what the bloodshot eyes had meant. She had assumed lack of sleep, but she had gotten busy with other things. She didn't like to hold anyone's hand through anything, and that was why she had invested so much in providing resources to her ACU; there was a catch though.

They had to go there themselves. They had to realize they needed the help, but Hamada had put Claire under the impression that the guards knew how to read one another; they took care of each other.

They had lost a lot of guards after Elise's rampage, and Claire was starting to realize that this team wasn't as tight knit as it used to be.

"Blake."

The man immediately winced at the tone and lack of title; he was already bracing himself. Lopez looked completely caught off guard, and he was going to kick Owen's ass later; he had been so close to convincing Blake to quit cold turkey. He had been so close.

Blake did his best to sit up a little straighter; he was sore as hell, but incredibly lucky to sit here without serious injury. Claire looked him over before calmly, and almost softly, saying, "I have decided that last night is considered a traumatic event and as protocol dictates, a paid leave is to go into effect to make sure you fully recover from this mentally and physically."

Blake gave a single nod, and Claire stood a little straighter as she continued, "However, it has also come to my attention that you were operating a company vehicle under the influence of alcohol."

"I. Was. Not. Drunk. Miss Dearing. I wasn't drunk."

Claire kept her expression neutral as she said, "I can't prove that you were legally drunk because no tests were performed, but I did watch that video footage from the bar. Mr. Lopez had felt you had drank too much too drive, and I saw how much you drank; you were leaning more towards drunk than sober."

"Lopez's definition of drunk and the legal definition aren't the same thing, Miss Dearing. I was not driving drunk."

Claire put her hand on her hip as she said, "I decided to look over the security footage, and I'm seeing a pattern of you slowly starting to drink a little more almost every time you visit. You've gone from little to no drinking, to drinking almost every night. Elise had even said she was following the smell of beer."

Blake immediately darkened, and he snapped, "She and I don't get along; you don't know if she'll lie to make me look bad."

Claire didn't take kindly to that, and she opened the folder she had been carrying before saying, "I had sent people over to take photos of the accident for insurance purposes, and I have pictures of three bottles that had been found tucked in your seats, and what Elise wrote last night."

Blake clenched his jaw as he glared at the photo; the poor spelling mocked him, and his skin crawled at the fact that Elise had saved his life. Now everyone was going to think he was a bad guy because he had no intent of acting grateful to her. It didn't clean the bad blood between them, and it certainly hadn't done anything to chase away his nightmares.

Claire put the photo back as she said, "We keep security footage around for at least two months, and Elise has only seen the Spinosaurus skeleton once. She never told me about your behavior that night, but I will not tolerate the way you had hit her, Blake. That was unprovoked."

" _Unprovoked?"_

Claire narrowed her eyes before icily saying, "Yes, unprovoked because she didn't provoke you in any way at that time."

Claire held up her hand when Blake stiffened, and she firmly said, "This was your last strike, Blake; I had warned you after you tried to fight Mr. Bridges. I had made you Commander because of Commander Hamada's recommendation, but this isn't working. Jurassic World will make sure you recover from the Dilophosaurus incident, but you will need to turn in your badge and uniform after you've been released from the hospital. You have a week to gather your things before leaving for mainland."

Claire had expected Blake to lose his temper, but he only clenched his jaw as tightly as possible before giving a single nod. She tucked the folder under her arm as she added, "I am sorry it didn't work."

Blake didn't acknowledge her before she left, and Lopez blinked in shock. Owen hadn't told Claire anything. Blake was fired. Who was going to be their new Commander? Lopez didn't think anyone from their team had the right stuff for it; Blake was a good Commander. He really was; he just needed help.

"…Commander…"

Blake sank back into the pillows as he bitterly snapped, "It's just Blake now, Lopez. You better get going to make sure the damned team doesn't fall in on itself."

Lopez sagged when Blake withdrew back into his shell, but the man gave a hard look for him to get moving. Lopez stood with a sigh before briefly squeezing the shoulder as he quietly said, "It'll be fine, Blake. We aren't going to abandon you; we'll get through it, okay? I'm here if you need anything."

Blake gave a stiff nod before his comrade left. Blake remained still for a few more seconds as his chest began to quickly tighten painfully; the realization was dawning on him.

He was fired.

He had failed his team as Commander, he had nowhere to go, and he honestly had no idea what to do from here.

He hadn't been able to fill Hamada's shoes, and Blake scrunched his face in pain. He was done; the Indominus had defeated him once and for all.

* * *

Elise was currently licking her claws clean of what was now her most favorite food in the entire world. It was gooey, sweet, sticky, but she loved it. Owen's mother had brought it over, and Elise was in love.

Honey.

She was amazed that the little bees could create something so wonderful, and now she had another reason to go out of her way to protect and thank the little bugs. How had she lived her life without honey before? Even the color was amazing; she was in love with the gentle gold.

Love, love, love; Elise was simply in love with it.

Owen couldn't stop his chuckle as he smiled at the enamored Indominus Rex. Elise glanced at him as she continued to clean her claws, and he quietly said, "You're going to turn into a bee if you don't quit eating so much honey."

Elise garbled at the man to say she was perfectly fine with becoming a good bee who worked so hard to not only better the world by keeping plants alive, but also acquiring the ability to make this delicious treat. She didn't think she had eaten a lot of honey; Owen had slathered it on her claws three times, but it went fast. She knew he didn't have any more honey after this, so she was taking her time.

Because she also didn't want to really stick her head back into the log.

Elise loved Rosie, she really did; she wouldn't hesitate to lay her own life down for the child, but Elise simply couldn't handle a few things.

Lots of singing. There was so much singing in Disney movies, and Elise had glared at Owen for the trap he had set for her; he didn't even have the decency to warn her about all these random…outbursts of songs. This movie hadn't gone three minutes before the first song started, and Elise did not like what that meant.

It meant there was plenty of more time for more singing.

She had no idea what to do when all the villagers decided to break out into song while Belle minded her own business in the streets.

Elise could not comprehend the…reasons behind why all those people somehow sang a loud song mocking Belle for her oddness. She wanted to know why Belle hadn't heard anything, but Elise would not deny the movie was beautiful, and she was interested when the needless singing was over. It was a pattern, she would pull her head out when the songs started, and Owen would signal her when it was done.

Beauty and the Beast was the first movie to be watched on this long day after Lilo&Stitch had finished. Elise was very happy that Stitch had found his family, and she saw a lot of herself in him. It took family to quell that desire to destroy everything. She had found her family; it wasn't little or broken, but it was good.

Owen made the gesture with his hand, and Elise gave a final lick on her claws before poking her head back into the packed log; it was another surprise she hadn't expected. These Disney movies, despite the pointless singing, were very important. Elise had realized they taught important lessons, but there was something even better that she treasured.

Humans, no matter how old they got, always had a Disney movie they would willingly watch. The viewing log wasn't filled with little ones like Elise had expected, but there were several young adults, parents, and children here. Apparently many of the young adults grew up watching these movies, and they still loved to see them again. Elise adored that because it made them seem younger. She liked seeing these humans quietly piled on the comfy blankets as they attentively watched the movie.

Elise would sit through the pointless singing just to witness this new kind of peace. She loved seeing all the different kinds of people all sitting here to enjoy this movie.

Elise knew the movie wasn't close to being over, but she was judging the enchantress. Elise was pretty sure the woman had a serious grudge against the prince because a few details just weren't adding up for her. Elise had gotten a better concept of time; she had a better understanding of what years were, and she also knew that a human adult was eighteen years old. The rose the prince had been given was supposed to be done by the time he was twenty-one, and the movie had said years had passed.

So how old was the prince when he had been cursed? A youngling? Elise didn't think it was right to curse a youngling, and she was pretty sure the enchantress had gone out of her way to make sure the prince didn't succeed. That was a harsh punishment that had gotten results that Elise thought were obvious; of course the prince had grown hopeless and angry. That wasn't going to teach him love.

Owen gently nudged Elise, and she gave a faint huff; she had been thinking hard again apparently. She couldn't help it, and she wouldn't be satisfied with this movie unless the enchantress had been brought to justice. It was wrong to pick on the younger ones.

The enchantress was a bully hiding behind a good cause; Elise could think of several different ways to curb that prince's behavior without being so cruel.

Owen smiled gently as he leaned on her; he was fine with this lazy day. Derick and Sam had been over the moon to hear how well Elise had done last night, and Claire had dropped by to make sure Elise knew she was proud of her.

He just wished Claire could have an easy day, but Madre's skeleton had set a bad tone for the day. Elise had told Claire to bury the skeleton, but the Indominus hadn't been pleased with Claire's answer.

She was going to sell the bones.

Elise had been quiet after that, but Owen did what he could to comfort her; Elise had cheered up after discovering honey. He was pretty sure Elise was going to have another talk with him about the bones in hopes of finding some peace for Madre, and Owen wasn't looking forward to it.

Elise had some good points even if Owen was perfectly fine to ignore them. Madre hadn't been given a decent burial, and she sure as hell didn't consent to being put up as a display. He just didn't want to make a big deal out of it, and he was fine with the bones being sold; they could go cause trouble elsewhere.

The Indominus glanced at Owen, and he couldn't stop his smile; he was thinking too hard apparently. Elise made a soft sound when Owen leaned on her, and Rosie shushed her. It was always funny to Owen when Rosie could get away with that stuff.

She was the older sister, and Elise gave the child a dry look.

* * *

Elise gave a wide yawn as she rubbed against a sturdy tree. It was noon, and they had gone through three movies. Beauty and the Beast, Tarzan, and the Lion King. Elise honestly preferred Tarzan the most; she adored Jane and her father, but there was something so refreshing about Tarzan's adopted mother. She loved how Tarzan had made himself fit into a world where most humans wouldn't survive, and Elise wondered if that could happen.

There were so many creatures on this earth that Elise never knew existed. Elephants looked incredible, and Owen said they were very large, very strong, and intelligent.

Elise wanted to see an elephant; maybe someday.

She also wanted to meet gorillas, and Owen had said some were smart enough to learn basic sign language. Elise felt good about that; she was happy she wasn't the only non-human who could use it.

Leopards looked beautiful, and hippos were odd creatures, baboons seemed like the modern version of Velociraptors in their aggression and facial expressions. Elise was glad for these movies; they allowed her to see different worlds without having to travel.

Elise was glad Beast had gotten his happy ending with Belle, but Elise still wanted the enchantress to suffer repercussions for being a bully. It was still a wonderful movie, and there was something touching about how the two had come to love each other.

The Lion King took place in a dry land called Africa, and Elise was amazed to see how different these animals could be. Zebras were amazing with their stripes, and Elise was happy to finally see what a giraffe looked like; now she understood what Jackie had meant about them always keeping their heads up.

Giraffes stood tall and proud; Elise wondered how tall they really were. Antelopes looked like fun to chase, and lions seemed like graceful creatures. Elise thought hyenas looked ugly, but Owen had said they were very good to their pack; they took good care of their young. Elise didn't see that in this movie, but she saw a lot of family love. Timon and Pumba made for very good parents to Simba; raising him like their own, and even going to fight a battle that wasn't theirs simply because they weren't willing to abandon Simba. Elise liked Rafiki the most out of all the characters she had seen so far.

He paid attention to Wind, and Elise felt better about talking to Wind; the baboon would have never known Simba was alive if he didn't pay attention to the wind. He was incredibly wise in his own way, and Elise found his laughter hilarious.

Mufasa's death had been incredibly sad to watch, and Elise wasn't sure what was worse. Watching Simba try to get his father up, or hearing the young adults quietly sniffle. Elise didn't like that part of the movie; it was too close to what happened when Small One didn't wake up. Elise remembered lightly shaking her, talking to her, curling around her, and even roaring at her to scare her awake. None of it had worked.

Elise glanced into the room to see most of the little ones had left in favor of exploring the park because Lowery and Jackie somehow lucked out into having the same day off. It was amazing to see how much the tech-geek had opened up; he was still Lowery, but Elise loved how a happy smile just seemed to be stuck on his face all the time. She knew the two made for a cute couple; she didn't care if they weren't a couple yet because she could already see the adorable hatchlings they would have.

It turns out both of them were fans of a thing called Pokémon, and Jackie had a DVD she wanted Elise to watch. Elise didn't get a chance to decide if she wanted to or not because a lot of the young adults here had grown incredibly excited over it. The little ones had no idea what was going on, but the young adults and younglings voted to watch this Pokémon movie.

Lowery had strongly insisted Elise watch it because she closely resembled one of the main characters name Mewtwo. Elise thought it was an odd name, but she was sold when Lowery said there wasn't singing. She had no idea what a Pikachu was, but she was sure she would find out soon enough.

Because there wasn't any singing, and Rosie had left with Owen to go find lunch and honey. There were a few people just sitting and talking; they would come back after lunch, but Elise was glad for the space. Rexy had silently come by to make sure she was fine, and Blue scolded the Indominus for not checking in sooner; even a good roar would be appreciated.

"Well, you look very beautiful today, Sweetheart."

Elise blinked at the sultry purr, and she rumbled quietly when Bridges walked over to the railing. He glanced over the ledge to see no raptors, but he said, "I came over to congratulate you on your first successful mission. I have heard nothing but praise on your behalf."

The Indominus flared her nostrils; she was surprised the smell of death hadn't reached her before Bridges showed up. It was actually another scent that was muddling the reeking corpse, and Elise couldn't stop herself from moving her snout close for a better smell. She had never smelled anything like this before, and Bridges chuckled as he said, "I doubt you care about my cologne; I think you might be smelling Sobek. I have been around him quite a bit lately."

Elise paused before gathering the scent with more interest. If this was Sobek, then he smelled very different. It was very musky, and Elise couldn't place it; she could smell the fish and meat though. Sobek didn't smell bad, and Elise was glad for that; it meant he wasn't a male who didn't keep himself clean. Elise didn't want a smelly neighbor, and it seemed she wouldn't be getting one.

"I also came by to see the progress on Sobek's paddock. It wasn't too damaged by the storm, was it?"

Elise paused to remember; she had patrolled by there this morning, and a few things had shifted around. She didn't think it was anything important though, and she shook her head. Claire would have been in a worse mood if the fence had been damaged.

Bridge flashed a white smile that didn't seem so practiced; Elise was surprised to see it was a little more relaxed than what she remembered, and Bridges purred, "Wonderful."

The man glanced at the projector along with the pile of movies before he turned back to Elise as he said, "I didn't think you to be a Disney kid, but I suppose you are entitled to watch what you please."

Elise paused when a look passed over Bridges' face, and he casually said, "You're hard to read sometimes, Elise, but I like that. I like to think I am very good at reading people just from the little things they do and like. I'm curious if you're human enough for me to read. So, after watching all these movies, who is your favorite character?"

Elise had no idea why Bridges wanted to know how to read her, but she liked keeping him on his toes. It was the little game they were playing with one another. They had both silently agreed that provoking one another was wrong, and Elise felt like she was winning. She understood Bridges better than he understood her. He asked a lot of questions.

The blonde raised an eyebrow as he waited for his answer, and Elise shivered her scales to take on the colors of her most favorite character. Bridges blinked at the ebony splotches and crimson scales pulled into a painted smile before he let out a laugh.

"The Joker, and the one from the Dark Knight I see. I was not expecting that, Sweetheart, but I must say that says quite a bit about you."

Elise just hoped it said enough to warn Bridges not to hurt her family or this park. The man seemed to look her over before quietly saying, "I really want to know why he's made such an impression on you."

Elise had a long list of reasons why the Joker was someone to look up to, but this was their game. She wasn't going to give away too much about herself because Bridges would win. They tip toed around one another, and she thought about it for a few seconds before deciding to give an answer without giving an answer. What she truly admired most about Joker was his need to destroy the illusion of control in society. He purposefully destroyed and caused chaos for others just to see everything fall apart.

Bridges leaned over the rails as Elise wrote, _'CHAOS IS FAIR'_

The blonde chuckled as he stared at the words for a few seconds before saying, "You do seem to do very well in chaotic situations. I can actually see you becoming something of a Commander for ACU if needed; it's clear you have no problem with taking the lead."

Elise nodded; she didn't want to lead another pack, but she had taken the lead last night. She knew she was leading Lopez more than anything, and he had been leading the others. She didn't care though; Blake was getting help.

She was pulled from her thoughts when Bridges sighed, "At least you seem to get along quite well with Mr. Lopez; I mean Commander Lopez. He's taken Blake's place after Blake was fired; it's a pity so lives were endangered for the sake of a drunk."

Elise startled. Blake was fired? What did that mean? Had he been set on fire? Elise didn't want him to be set on fire. She was glad Lopez had taken the lead as Alpha, but only until Blake got better.

Bridges didn't seem to notice Elise's distress, and he patted the rails once more as he said, "It's done and over with; Blake wasn't meant for the job. Chaos is very fair, Sweetheart, because everyone's true colors are shown in chaos. Blake obviously didn't take well to it. Oh, and by the way…"

Elise glanced up when Bridges glanced around as a shadow crossed his face; Elise didn't like it, and the man quietly said, "I'm more partial to 'Everything burns'. Joker is a little refreshing isn't he?"

Bridges didn't wait for an answer as he began to walk out of the log, but he paused to say, "I do intend to come back another time; I want to talk to you about Sobek because you should have a good feeling on what he's like before he gets here."

Elise nodded at that, and the blonde gave a wave as he said, "See you, Sweetheart; keep up the good work."

The Indominus waited until the footsteps stopped echoing before she let out a long, low growl. She was not happy, but it wasn't Bridges who had aggravated her; it was the fact that Blake was set on fire instead of being helped. She was not happy with this, and she intended to have a word with Owen or Claire about this. She was an Alpha on this island, and she felt like she held enough power to say her peace. She kept the Velociraptors in line, she was an extra eye on Rexy, and she was a protector like ACU.

Blake was part of this island, and even if she didn't like him, he had to be protected as well. She did not want to think Blake had been set on fire after everything they went through to save him.

Elise was not happy.

* * *

And Owen immediately knew it when he walked into the room with Rosie holding his hand. He could just feel that burning gaze on him, and he raised an eyebrow at the angry glare.

"We didn't forget the honey, Elise. I promise."

Elise flickered her gaze to the bottle before shaking her head, and Owen frowned as he walked over. They were supposed to start the movie in ten minutes, and he really didn't want her to be in a bad mood for this one. It was good, and it had been forever since he had seen any Pokémon movie.

He still had his first card; a Snorlax.

"What's up, Baby? Did Blue do something?"

Elise shook her head again before beckoning Owen over quietly; the man pressed his lips. Elise wanted a serious talk, and he glanced down at Rosie as he said, "Make sure no one takes the honey, Booger. You stay close, and don't walk off, okay?"

Rosie nodded before she plopped down next to the computer, and Owen allowed himself to be put on the soil next to Elise. He blinked when she didn't hesitate to start carving in the dirt, and he was startled by the question.

' _WHY BLAKE PUT ON FIRE'_

"Um…he wasn't, Baby. No one set Blake on fire, that's…illegal. Where did you hear that?"

Elise knew Bridges hadn't been lying; she had smelled the fresh air on his breath as compared to the reek of deadly lies. She was amazed by how much Sobek's scent had overpowered the smell of death on Bridges, and Elise wondered what Blue would think of that. Dead One didn't smell so dead for a change.

Owen raised both eyebrows at the name; he hadn't known Bridges had stopped by for a visit. Elise only tapped the question again, and Owen sighed. He had heard the news, but he said, "Blake wasn't set on fire, Baby. He was fired; it means he was let go from his job. He's not a Commander here anymore, and he has to leave the island because Claire doesn't think he's right for the job."

Elise tilted her head before writing, _'NO LONGER PACK'_

Owen nodded at it as he said, "Basically, Baby. He's not pack anymore, and he has to leave because he's not doing this park any good. He's an alcoholic, and we can't have that for a Commander."

He saw the questioning look in her eyes, and she started to right the 'A' before he answered, "An alcoholic is someone who has a problem with drinking alcohol, Baby. They can't control how much they drink, and they have to keep drinking for whatever reason. Blake obviously can't handle the stress of this job so he drinks to make himself feel better, but drinking too much alcohol really damages a person physically and mentally. We can't have someone like that as a Commander; it's an accident waiting to happen."

Elise tapped the ground in thought as she absorbed all that information. She knew alcohol was meant to disinfect wounds, and she wondered if that was the reason why Blake drank it. He was really hurt inside so it made sense to her; he was trying to disinfect his inside wounds by drinking alcohol.

But she knew she had caused a lot of that pain by killing his pack. Was she the reason why Blake was drinking so much? Elise didn't like how that made her felt; she had cost him his job, and she wanted immediate reassurance from Owen.

' _MY FALT'_

Owen shook his head before saying, "There's a 'U' after 'A', Baby, and it is not your fault. You were telling the truth; you were following the smell of that beer. Blake had been drinking enough for it to become part of his smell; that is not your fault. I don't know why Blake decided to start drinking, but it's his fault for not getting the help he needs. Mr. Masrani had started an amazing program that takes really good care of ACU."

Elise tilted her head because now she was confused. She was pretty sure Blake was drinking because of her, but she really didn't want to think she had so wrongfully destroyed this man's life repeatedly. She was the one who directed Owen's attention to the beer, and she had killed a lot of his pack.

She was distracted by Owen patting her leg as he assured, "Baby, my Sunshine, you really do worry too much about everything. I'm starting to wonder if you're white because you've gone grey too early. We take care of our own, we really do. Anyone who goes through a traumatic event here gets the help they need; even I got a few sessions after what happened with Lilly. Claire is going to make sure Blake gets the help he needs to recover from the Dilophosaurus, but we can't help it if he's become an alcoholic; not when he doesn't have a good reason for turning to it."

Elise flicked her tail in thought as she tapped the ground, and Owen nudged her as he playfully asked, "So, does Blue have name for me?"

The Indominus nodded, and Owen grinned when he asked, "What does my best girl call me? Bringer of Oreos? Almighty Alpha? Handsome One?"

Elise snorted before she wrote in the dirt, _'STUPID ALPHA'_

Owen pressed his lips, and Elise had to laugh at his expression. He looked offended, and yet not surprised before he sighed, "Do I get any other terms of endearment from her?"

' _VERY STUPID ALPHA'_

Owen snorted at it, but Elise was quick to write, _'SHE RESPECT AND LOVE YOU SHE KNOW YOU GOOD ALPHA JUST STUPID SOMETIME'_

"I am considered pretty intelligent you know."

Elise couldn't help her loud laugh that caused Owen to cross his arms with raised eyebrows. She tenderly scooped him up before pressing him close to her chest as she let out an affectionate rumble. Owen couldn't stay mad at her, and the massive heartbeat was always incredible to hear.

"Hey lovebirds."

Elise glanced up to see Lowery leaning on the railing as he said, "It was cute to watch you guys smother each other at first, but can we watch the movie now? You can love each other later."

Elise dropped Owen into the log as he retorted, "I don't think you should get smart with the two people who pretty much set you up with Jackie."

Lowery all but tackled Owen in his haste to shut him up, and Elise gave another laugh. She didn't see the vet here yet, but she knew it had almost killed Lowery when she had told Jackie that he liked her.

Vivian had said it had been very funny.

The tech-geek glanced around before hissing, "Shush! Because I am actually really happy with what's going on between us; I have no idea what's going on, but I am happy with it. So, shush!"

Owen snorted, but Rosie looked up from her popcorn to ask, "Are you gonna marry Miss Jackie, Mr. Lowery? Elise and I think you guys are cute together."

Lowery blinked at the seven year old before quickly saying, "I, um…"

Rosie beamed at the flushed look, and Elise crooned at the adorableness, but Lowery quickly said, "Too soon! Okay? Let's just…watch the movie please. I think Elise will really like it."

Rosie shrugged her shoulders before Elise tucked her head close to the child. Rosie leaned on her contently as the other two began to set the movie up. People began to trickle in, and Elise was happy to see this again.

She just wished Blake could get help with his alcohol problem.

It wasn't long before blue haired Jackie bounced in with a comfy pillow, and a smile on her face as she gave Elise a loud kiss on the cheek. Rosie giggled when Jackie stuck a bright blue hair extension in her curly hair before sitting next to her. Rosie had immediately warmed up to Jackie when they first met, and Elise was glad to see how well they got along.

Owen decided to wait a few minutes for stragglers, but he was impressed with how many people had shown up. There weren't very many little kids, but plenty of Pokémon generation kids; it was nice to see. He made to sit down, but paused when his niece's loud voice innocently asked, "Miss Jackie, when you marry Mr. Lowery, can Elise and I be the flower girls, please?"

Lowery buried himself under three blankets, and Owen burst out laughing at Elise's face when she tried to stop her laugh. She closed her eyes tightly as she scrunched her nose while baring her teeth in her infamous, ferocious grin. The air escaping through her nose in a repressed laugh only made Owen laugh harder, and Lowery snapped, "Will someone please turn on the movie?!"

Jackie smiled widely at the pile, and she leaned close to Rosie to whisper, "If we get married, I'll let you both be the flower girls."

Elise eagerly awaited the day.

* * *

"I see now that the circumstances of one's birth are irrelevant; it is what you do with the gift of life that determines who you are."

Elise blinked; she adored this movie, and most of the characters in it. This world of Pokémon was something else entirely, and she actually loved it. The creatures were fantastic, original, and the powers were entertaining. She had no idea such a wisdom could be found in something created for little ones.

Lowery had been correct; she saw a lot of herself in Mewtwo, although she felt like it had taken her much longer to come to the same conclusion as about humans this creature. She wished she had been born with the power to prevent the hurt the humans had caused her in the shiny labs; now she knew what she had been born in. A lab. Elise was amazed Mewtwo had come into the world fully understanding the language of humans, but more power to him as far as she was concerned.

What really impressed her was the castle he had built, and she was amazed by how powerful he was. His rampage had been more destructive than hers, but she wondered if she had caused more death than him. Mewtwo had intended to flood the earth; Elise hadn't tried to accomplish something like that, but she hadn't been fighting for anyone like Mewtwo had been. He wanted clones to live free from human harm; Elise had just wanted to spread the misery as much as she could before dying.

Ash annoyed her, but his dedication to his Pokémon made up for it; he just did dumb things. Elise knew it could be hard to control a temper, but if she was faced with the most powerful creature on this planet…

She didn't think she'd try to punch it.

It made her feel better about how she came to be; she was glad this idea of something genetically modified wasn't a new idea to humans. Even if Mewtwo wasn't something that was real; his character was, and that was enough for Elise. There was wisdom to learn from all these created characters; teachers to help the little ones get through life, and it obviously stuck with them. She was with humans of various ages who remembered what Mewtwo and Meowth had so plainly taught them. All these movies had taught something incredibly important.

It didn't matter how she had been created in a lab, nor did it matter that she had been created to fight wars she had no intent of joining. What mattered to her character was what she did in life. Her actions in this world would reflect who she was.

Elise wondered what a world it could be when one chose to focus on what they had in common with others rather than what was different. Everyone did have plenty in common with one another. The same sky, stars, air, the same sun, and the same world. What would humans be like if they chose to start there?

The past could be very painful, but it was important to learn from it and move on; there was no need to worry for no reason.

Anyone could love; even the most beastly looking of beings. Elise decided she was more scary looking than Beast, but she was just as capable of love as adorable Rosie. It mattered what was inside.

A family was what mattered the most, and a family came in all different kinds. Be it a broken family brought together by a destructive, blue monster programmed to steal everyone's left shoe, or an orphan adopted by a mother who had lost her child. It could be two oddball friends who took in something that could eat them; they had taken in a cub, and raised a king.

Or even a stubborn human who butted heads with his Beta raptor while they managed an oddball pack consisting of two sisters, a Tyrannosaurus who could, and had, raise hell, and the glue of an Indominus Rex created to win wars. Elise liked her family best; she wouldn't trade it for the world.

Elise knew it was a bit cheesy to see it like that, but she was astonished by the simple brilliance of the wonderful wisdom. They were good lessons taught to make the world better.

Elise would try to live by those lessons; she would try to make the world better as best she could even if she would probably never leave this island. She would do good here, and hope the effects would ripple to the rest of the world. She had done bad, but she would do good from now on; she just had to keep telling herself that. She hadn't known better when she had done what she had done, but Owen had taught her better.

Elise was grateful for this, and she glanced at Lowery before resisting the urge to smile.

He was holding hands with Jackie, and Elise would consider that a good thing she had done.

It was a start, and she had the rest of her life to do more good.

* * *

 **Another A/N**

 **Nobody panic over Blake, okay? Okay. I know he's a hot button for some of you, and I got this. Have a good day/night!**


	65. Chapter 65

**A/N**

 **Hey guys! How's life?**

 **Anyway, this chapter is a little all over, but I like how it turned out. We finally got Sobek in, and the next chapter is going to definitely include a lot more of him; Elise and Blake's conflict took up a lot more than I realized.**

 **Guest, I don't know if Owen and Rexy will meet face to face again; perhaps.**

 **OREO, it's been too long my favorite cookie. I know Claire and Owen can be frustrating when we know what's wrong with Blake. I feel like sometimes the plainly obvious is easy to miss until something happens. I hope you never get a nightmare of Oreo thins.**

 **Kim K's Butt, I love you lots as well, and college is college.**

 **Anonymous, it's nice to meet you. I'm glad you loved the writing, and best wishes for the wedding.**

 **A lot of you guys wanted Elise to watch Land Before Time, and I have to say, I bet it would crush Elise to watch Littlefoot's mother die. Shame on you, I love you guys, you have no idea. Oh, and the title of this chapter is Dr. Gerry's ringtone for those of you who want to type it into YouTube.**

 **Thank you much and mighty for the reviews, I read them, I love them, I love you guys, and I hope you have a wonderful day/night!**

* * *

"Nokia Tune 3310"

Elise was a little sad today; Rosie was leaving, and she didn't know when she would be back. The movie marathon had been more fun than Elise had realized, and she truly wished she could remember everything from every movie. Rosie had promised to do another marathon with her when she came back; she pinky promised she would save up her allowance to buy a ticket for the summer. She would be back as soon as possible.

Ted and Charlotte promised to try their best to send her over when they could.

But Elise had braced for this farewell, and reminded herself that it wasn't goodbye. Rosie would be back, and she gently puffed air onto the small child with a crestfallen look on her face. Rosie gave a half smile as she quietly said, "I'll be back, Elise, okay? It just might be awhile, but I'll send you pictures, and we can write letters to each other."

Elise nodded; she would do her best to keep in contact with this one because it was what sisters did. Owen looked sad as he stood next to his mother, but he would cover it whenever Rosie would look at him.

The child looked unsure of what to do, and Elise softly snatched her into her palm before bringing her closed hand before Rosie. Elise had understood the gist of the song Nani had sang to her little sister.

They would part, but they would meet again.

Rosie glanced at the scaled hand when it gently opened, and she smiled before crawling over. Elise had found two flowers very similar to what Nani and Lilo had; she wasn't sure if they were the same, but they were close enough for her.

Rosie placed her small hands over both the flowers gently before she turned to Elise as she said, "We will see each other again."

Elise gave another puff of air on Rosie, and the girl let go of the flowers before they floated down. There wasn't wind to carry them away, but they would disappear into the trees as they danced around one another.

Until Blue and Echo tackled the flowers with vigor. Owen startled laughing, and Rosie giggled when Blue sneezed a petal away.

"Blue, I love you."

The raptor chirped simply to let Loud One know she heard her. Blue wasn't happy about the hatchling leaving the safety of their pack, but she needed to be raised by her own mother. Blue was not feeling motherly, and Loud One had the basics of pack down well enough.

Blue was in charge, and she could take the nest Rosie made; the hatchling didn't need to know anything else until later. If Stupid Alpha could learn their language, then a hatchling like Loud One could be acclimated into the pack later. Blue would remember her scent, and voice; there was a bond there that the raptors were aware of. Loud One respected them like Stupid Alpha did, and they would remember that.

Rosie said her farewells to the other girls before smiling at the thick brush. The fiery, golden eyes hardly burned her, but Rosie somehow always spotted Rexy when she came around. Rexy was liked her so long as she didn't touch her.

Rosie gave a wave at the thick jungle, and Ted asked, "Who are you waving to, Rosie?"

"Rexy."

Owen's parents quietly laughed, but Owen couldn't help but to lean over as he searched for sign of the old lady. Rexy didn't feel like moving, and Owen pressed his lips as he leaned back; he wasn't sure if Rexy was really there or if Rosie was just waving at the general direction of where Rexy could be.

Blue hardly strayed from Rexy…

Owen shook himself; Rexy wouldn't come over here to do nothing, and Elise nuzzled Rosie as tenderly as she could before setting her down gently in the log. Rosie gave her a fierce hug before running into her uncle's arms. Elise glanced at Owen's parents, and Charlotte walked over with a gentle smile before kissing Elise's cheek as she said, "Thank you for taking such good care of Owen. I'm glad you're finding your way in this world; don't feel afraid to turn to a higher power for help when you feel lost."

Elise garbled at the woman before Charlotte held out a picture of five year old Owen in his Snow White costume as she said, "I think you should keep this, Elise. I'll tack it to the wall for everyone to see because I know how much you love it."

"…Mom…"

Elise laughed at the embarrassed tone, and Charlotte smiled as she walked over to the wall full of drawings. Elise still loved all of them, but the photo was the best one now. Owen sighed quietly as he held Rosie, and Ted chuckled quietly. Elise knew the elder wasn't one for mushy interactions, and she merely puffed air onto him. Ted gave a crooked grin that was very much like Owen's and he said, "I'll make sure Rosie gets to visit in the summer, Elise. Don't let Owen get near any water that goes past his ankles."

Elise nodded; she would do that, and Ted smiled before giving a gentle pat on her scarred snout as he said, "We'll come back, okay? Stay good."

The Indominus promised she would, and Rosie gave one more hug before the family left. Elise felt sad that they were gone, but she reminded herself that they would come back.

She made to shut the window, but startled at the loud running in the tunnel before Rosie rounded the corner. The seven year old scrambled over the rails, and Elise caught her before pressing her close to her chest as she rumbled gently. Rosie sniffled quietly before she said, "Don't forget about me, okay?"

Elise held her hands in front of her as she trilled a promise; she would never forget.

"Because we're ohana, okay?"

Elise nodded; family never got left behind or forgotten. Rosie wiped her face before Elise turned when the trees gently rustled with the wind. She lowered herself close to the ground while keeping Rosie in her hand as she wrote, _'I SEND LOVE WITH WIND YOU FEEL WIND IT LOVE FROM ME'_

Rosie wiped her eyes once more before quietly asking, "Like Pocahontas?"

Elise nodded, and Rosie thought about that before she felt better, and nodded. Elise had adored the little things in that movie; she didn't care much about the love plotline because she had grown tired of it by the end of the day, but the details made it worth it.

Elise had almost died laughing at John Smith's expression when Grandmother Willow had started to talk to him. Elise liked how in tune to nature Pocahontas and her people were. They listened to the wind, respected their fellow animals, and stayed in touch with the earth.

Elise only wished Small One's tree would do that to Owen; Elise so badly wanted to see Owen's face when a tree would talk to him, but that was for later.

Elise allowed her to go back into the log, and Rosie trotted over to the exit before pausing. She smiled at Elise before copying Pocahontas' version of a farewell; a graceful wave of her arm like she was creating a circle. Elise did her best to mirror the motion, and Rosie smiled before leaving for real this time. Elise waited for the footsteps to fade, and then she shut the window gently before nuzzling Rexy through the leaves. The Tyrannosaurus rumbled at her, and Elise tucked her head under the warm jaw.

* * *

"…That was cheesy…"

Vivian gave a smack on Lowery's arm, and he added, "But it was sad…it really was. Poor kid, I hope Rosie can come back in the summer; she did have a lot of movies with here. They were pretty good."

Vivian smiled as she continued to type while saying, "Maybe we can help chip in to help pay; I think she does Elise a lot of good, you know?"

"And we can show DreamWorks some love next time; they have good movies. A lot less singing too; I can't believe nobody complained about how many times Elise kept pulling her head out when a song started."

Lowery glanced up when someone asked, "How do you think she'd react to dubstep?"

The tech-geek snorted before he answered, "She'd probably react like most people; it'd scare her before irritating her because it sounds like a bunch of nails thrown into a blender."

"Not the bad dubstep! We'll show her good dubstep."

Lowery rolled his eyes as he flipped through the cameras, and said, "Bring me good dubstep, and I'll shave my mustache."

Vivian smiled when several people glanced at each other before silently agreeing to find a good song. They would do it, and Lowery would lose his mustache.

But the tech-geek didn't seem concerned; he knew there was no such thing as good dubstep.

* * *

"I love you, Uncle Owen."

Owen squeezed Rosie to his chest as tightly as he could while murmuring, "I love you too, Booger. We'll make sure you can come back in the summer, okay?"

Rosie nodded when he set her down, and Owen wiped the tear away as he playfully said, "Hey, no crying; we don't want Blue to come chew us out, do you? You know she's going to bring Rexy with her."

The truth was Owen didn't want to see his niece cry simply because he probably would start crying too. Rosie simply gave a watery giggle as she quietly said, "Rexy comes by a lot; she's nice, just a little grumpy."

Owen glanced over to see his mother busy with tickets, and he whispered, "Rexy is a little more than grumpy, Booger. Remember not to tell Nana that I broke Rexy's nest."

"Because Nana might accidently burn down the house from her prayer candles?"

"Exactly, Booger. Let's help Nana keep her house for a little longer."

Rosie giggled again before she gave Owen a tight squeeze around his neck. He really didn't want to let her go, but Rosie was called over to help with her bags. Ted sighed as he walked over before giving a bear hug to his son. Owen appreciated these kinds of hugs, and his father said, "Please stay safe over here, Owen; let's not push our luck with Elise's God given talent of saving you from death."

Owen let out a short laugh before he replied, "I'll try, Dad; I'm sure she gets tired of running out of her paddock in a panic."

Ted snorted as he pulled back, he put a hand on Owen's shoulder before turning serious, and saying, "Whatever you do with Elise, please don't ever forget how much you mean to her. It doesn't take a genius to see you are her rock. She's always looking to you for some reassurance, and I know you're the first one she goes to for help."

Owen nodded in agreement as he said, "She's a good kid, Dad, really. She's smart."

Ted poked Owen's chest as he firmly said, "But _you_ are the one she looks up to. As much as I hate to say it, but I really hope she doesn't outlive you, because I don't know what she's going to do without you."

"She'll have Rosie, Dad; they're practically sisters."

Ted glanced over at his granddaughter fondly, and he said, "Rosie is like your mother, but with the twist of your little orneriness and ability to get along with these animals. Rosie is a lot like you, but she's not you. Elise needs you to live as long as possible."

Owen wasn't comfortable with this, and he waved his hand as he said, "Alright, alright, I'll drink more water and eat more veggies, Dad."

Ted frowned before snapping, "Don't do stupid stuff like that, Owen. For God's sake, we're men not rabbits; we thrive on good steaks, cold beer, and dirt. I meant just don't go pissing Rexy off or try to reenact Free Willy with the Mosasaur."

Owen burst out laughing as he gave his father one more hug before his mother came over. He bent over to hug her as he playfully said, "I think you got taller, Mom."

Charlotte rolled her eyes as she retorted, "Or you're starting to get old like me, and you're shrinking."

Her son laughed, and Charlotte softly said, "You keep yourself safe, Baby, and you make sure Elise gets a kiss from me every night. Maybe your sister will come with Rosie next time; she met a nice boy you know."

Owen had heard about that one from less than happy Ted, and he grinned at his father when Owen said, "Yeah, you can send him with her too. I think if he can get Blue's approval, then I'll give my blessing."

Charlotte rolled her eyes when Ted added, "I like that idea, but I think we need to get Delta's word too."

Ted knew which Velociraptor had the most human kills under her belt, and it wasn't ornery Blue. The Beta may have been the one to grab the unfortunate victim's attention, but Delta was incredible with snagging people when they weren't paying attention.

Or outright tackling them when they attempted to form a bond with her.

Owen repressed the shiver before his mother let go, but she handed him a wrapped present before she said, "I think it's my favorite, Baby. I know your girls are dangerous, but I think you need to see how they look at you."

"Oh I see how they look at me when we're late with feeding; Blue acts like I'm trying to kill her."

Charlotte gave a playful smack on his shoulder before they turned when the announcement to board was called. Charlotte sighed sadly, but gave a tight hug to her son before kissing him on the cheek. Owen watched as they boarded, and Rosie was immediately by the railing so she could wave at Owen. She looked incredibly sad, but she bit her lip to keep it together.

Owen gave her a wave as the people boarded, and Rosie refused to move so she could stay as close as possible to her uncle. Owen wasn't in a hurry to go anywhere, and he intended to stay right here until his niece couldn't see him anymore.

He promised to Skype with her tonight; she made him pinky promise to Skype with her as often as he could. He would also help Elise write letters to Rosie because he really did want them to keep their relationship.

Rosie blew Owen a kiss, and he caught it before blowing one back; he didn't care how sappy it looked.

He was going to miss Rosie like crazy.

* * *

Elise sighed quietly as she sat in her clearing. She had wanted a few moments to herself simply to think and enjoy the silence. Blue was feeling talkative today, pushing to hunt the construction workers, but Elise had been quick to reprimand her. Rexy had found that amusing although she was getting irritated with the construction as well.

Elise wasn't sure how to break the news that they were getting a Spinosaurus neighbor in a month or so. She didn't know what would be less harmful on Rexy.

Surprising the old lady with this giant, dangerous carnivore all of a sudden and hoping she didn't suffer a heart attack, or telling Rexy ahead of time and hoping she didn't stress herself out until Sobek finally arrived.

Elise paused to open her eyes when she felt something off with the air; it didn't feel right, and she glanced at the viewing log before blinking.

Blake was there.

Elise had no idea why the man was there, but he looked…dead. Elise was concerned about that, and she wondered why Blake was here. She thought he was supposed to be gathering his things to leave, and she certainly knew he wasn't here to thank her for saving his life.

She waited a few seconds for him to do something before sliding the window back; the girls and Rexy were gone, and she had no intent of hurting Blake. The man smelled very sad, and alone; Elise didn't understand that. Where was Lopez? Did he abandon Blake as well? Elise didn't like that, and it was odd to see Blake wearing what Elise had come to realize were normal clothes humans generally wore.

It wasn't the ACU armor she was so used to seeing him wear, and that made her sad for some reason. Blake didn't look like Blake anymore.

"Hey, Freak."

Elise blinked; there was just the slightest hint of anger, but Blake's normally sharp voice didn't hold any edge at all. It was flat, and lifeless.

Elise didn't like that either, and she was getting slightly concerned.

She made a soft sound to hold up her end of the conversation, and Blake glanced around before asking, "Where's Papa Owen?"

Elise flickered her gaze to the camera; she really wanted Lowery to send some help because this was not how Blake was supposed to talk to her. He was supposed to hate her, not be this. He was acting like he was so tired; he should have felt better after leaving the hospital.

The Indominus gestured to the direction of where she assumed the guests left, and Blake gave a nod before they fell into a silence. Elise didn't know what to do, and Blake seemed to be teetering on some fine line.

Blake scratched his jaw before he suddenly said, "I…really hate you, and I just wanted to let you know that."

Elise nodded; she wasn't going to get angry at Blake for hating her. He was entitled to hate her because she had hurt him. If hating her made him feel better, then she would let him hate as much as he wanted.

"And you don't even care if I hate you, do you, Freak?"

Elise didn't care if Blake hated her, but she cared about Blake being so hurt. She was a little torn in her answer, and she lifted her hands to make something of a shrug. The man stared at her for a few seconds before he darkened.

"I want the honest to God truth from you, Freak. Did you want me to get fired? Did you want me to lose my job? Because I heard you blabbed about the beer."

Elise immediately shook her head, and Blake glared at her before he snapped, "I'm still blaming you for it because I have no idea what I'm going to do when I get off the boat tomorrow. I have absolutely no purpose in life because of you. You have taken away _everything_ that made me happy, and you want to know the best part?"

Blake didn't wait for an answer, and he startled Elise by giving a broken laugh before he gestured to the picture covered wall as he said, "You still look like a goddamned saint, Freak. You put Joker to shame, and I really want to congratulate you on your fan-fucking-tastic performances because I have never seen such an obvious monster like you hide so well in plain sight."

Elise glanced at the pictures before Blake suddenly said, "I will not leave this island until I hear everything I need to hear from you. I want to know what was going through that sick, twisted head of yours when you shamelessly murdered every single one of those men."

Elise didn't think Blake needed to hear that, but the man asked, "What was it like to snap Craig's spine on that tree branch? You threw him right into it. Did you want to see what would happen? What about when you crushed Lee with that log? He looked like a _fucking pancake_ when we rolled it off him; some of his teeth were actually stuck in the bark."

Elise winced, not because she felt guilty about how she won the fight, but because Blake was teetering off that line. She wanted to stop him, but Blake only raised his voice as he snarled, "What about Miller? You didn't even slow down when he was shooting at you. Did you know he was buying time to save a fellow guard? Because of him, two of my family members made it out alive. Two. Out of eight. That's it."

Elise rumbled quietly before splaying her palm towards Blake before quickly flipping it towards herself. The man curled his lip as he sneered, "Stop? What, you can't handle me asking you these questions? I think I'm entitled to know, Freak. You took my family, my job, and my life. I deserve answers."

She immediately nodded, and beckoned Blake close to the edge of the rails. The man looked like he didn't want that, but he peered over when Elise began to write in the dirt. She needed to grab his attention because he wanted details she didn't think were healthy for him. Had he been more stable, she would have given them.

And she intended to in her own way.

' _I KNOW THEM BETER THAN YOU'_

Blake almost paled at the words, and Elise felt bad for being twisted towards him. But there was a little voice in her head that told her Blake wasn't going to believe anything she said unless she acted how he really saw her.

A monster, and a freak. There was only one other freak Elise would be willing to take notes from on how to get someone's attention, but this time she wouldn't be using Blake's emotions against him. It was only irony that she and the Joker had both killed six friends of the guards they were each pitted against. She killed six of Blake's pack, and Joker had killed six of the guard's friends.

Elise glanced up when the man gave a disbelieving laugh as he almost breathlessly said, "I knew you were a freak. I knew it from the moment I saw you. I'm not playing this little game with you; no one knows a brother or sister in arms better than their siblings. No. One."

Elise glanced at the white knuckle grip Blake had before she wrote, _'I SAW LAST MOMENTS NOT YOU I KNOW THEM BETER'_

Blake sucked in his breath like he had been punched in the gut, and Elise wondered if she had pushed him too far, but he needed to hear it in a twisted way. She flared her nostrils to see the agonizing pain exploding in Blake's chest, and she was quick to add, _'WANT TO KNOW THE COWARDS'_

"I saw those videos! I saw their last moments!"

' _NOT SAME THING'_

Blake was taking deep breaths, and Elise knew she was one more comment before he lost his temper. She wondered if it would actually do him some good to lose his temper; she felt like he was bottling something. It wasn't good to bottle emotions, and she wanted him to let it all out. If it meant he would scream, curse, and insult her then she would allow it because no one was helping him. Elise really didn't understand why Blake wasn't being helped.

Elise startled when Blake lurched, and she thought she would have to catch him from falling over. Instead the man let out a loud laugh before yelling, "You sonofabitch! None of those guards were cowards! Do you hear me?! None!"

Elise immediately nodded as she cleared the dirt; it was good that Blake was yelling. Even she felt better after giving a loud roar; it was a way to vent frustration. Humans, as talkative as they were, didn't yell as much as they needed to. Roaring felt good, and she hoped yelling would make Blake feel better.

' _NO COWARDS I SMELL NO FEAR AT RIVER WHEN I FIGHT PACK'_

Blake frowned as he paused while reading the words, and Elise truthfully added, _'NOT 1 STEP BACK IN FEAR NEVER FEAR ME'_

The man was silent as he continued to stare at the words; Elise wasn't sure why it was taking him so long to process it, but Blake quietly said, "I still want to know what was going through your head when you ambushed my family."

Elise sighed; she knew Blake didn't want to hear the answer. She had a feeling he wanted to believe she had some sinister plan to destroy them.

That his pack members' deaths weren't for nothing, but she respected Blake enough to give him the truth. He needed to hear it.

' _I WANT FITE THEY WANT FITE WE FITE I WIN'_

Blake was growing frustrated, and he finally snapped, "If I had been there, I can guarantee you would have lost. My family wouldn't have been killed because I would have been there, and even if I would have died, I would have made sure Commander Hamada would have lived."

Blake seemed to momentarily forget Elise was there, and she heard him mutter, "It's my fault they died…it's my fault…"

Elise startled at this, and she flared her nostrils to catch the bitter smells around Blake. He was so angry, bitter, and ashamed; she never realized that last emotion that seemed to always be present.

Guilt; Blake felt guilty for something he couldn't have prevented. Elise didn't understand that. Did he really think he would have made a difference at the river? She didn't think so, he was so easy to catch off guard, pin, and even bury. Elise knew he wouldn't have made a difference, and she puffed air onto him before she wrote, _'NOT YOUR FAULT'_

Blake let out a humorless laugh as he retorted, "You want to know where I was? In bed sleeping because I called in sick. I was being lazy and didn't feel like working. It's my fault, Freak because I could have done something."

Elise didn't want to sound arrogant or anything, but she didn't think one more human would have made a difference there. She was pretty sure Blake would have been killed, and she shook her head. Blake stiffened like she had insulted him, and she wrote, _'FITE ME'_

"I don't have my gear, Freak! I am not fighting you!"

Elise thrust her snout in Blake's face in an attempt to scare him; to show him just how weak he physically was. He wouldn't have made a difference, and he was lucky to be alive. Fate had saved him.

Elise hadn't expected to hear a dull thump before a slight pain on her gum, and she blinked when she pulled back. There was a small clatter when something hit the ground, and the two silently stared at her glistening tooth.

Blake had knocked out a tooth; Elise was honestly impressed with his ballsy move. No one had ever punched her in the mouth.

She was looking at the real life Ash Ketchum right here; Blake had punched her, but she wasn't going to pull a Mewtwo and throw him back out of rage. She still knew it wouldn't have made a difference if she had really wanted to eat Blake, but she made an impressed trill; it took guts to punch instead of flee.

It was stupid, but brave.

She felt like she wasn't getting anywhere with him, and she pushed her tooth closer to him before turning back to the dirt to write, _'GO GET HELP FOR INSIDE HURT'_

Blake scoffed at the words before he snapped, "I think I remember you saying something similar to that last time we talked. I have no idea what you're talking about with 'inside hurt', Freak."

Elise huffed; she knew Blake was hurting, and he was being difficult for her. She wiped the dirt away as she tried to think before writing, _'WHY DRINK BROWN BOTLE'_

Blake raised an eyebrow, but glared at Elise as he coldly said, "Because I like how it numbs me, okay? I drink because I just don't want to deal with everything you did to me."

Elise felt herself sag; she knew she had hurt Blake. She was the reason why he drank the alcohol; she had slashed him with wounds that would never heal over, and he was forced to drink this stinging alcohol to keep the raw wounds from festering. But Owen had said it damaged a person if they drank too much; alcoholics had no place on this island.

Elise was the reason why this man's life had been destroyed, and she wanted to know why he hadn't gotten help. Owen had said there was a program to help people recover, but Blake hadn't gotten help; he wouldn't have taken to the alcohol if he had been given help. She was a dinosaur who had hurt and clearly traumatized this human who was not only not getting help, but being punished for not being able to heal on his own.

Elise startled Blake by puffing air through her nose, and she cleared a large section of dirt before quickly writing her question. It was long, but she needed to know why Blake had been abandoned. She glanced at Blake to see he was carefully reading what she wrote, and he seemed confused.

' _ACU GET HELP AFTER BEING HURT BY ANIMAL I AM ANIMAL YOU ACU I HURT YOU WHY YOU NOT GET HELP'_

Blake narrowed his eyes at Elise before speaking like he was talking to an idiot.

"That program is for those directly involved in the incident. I didn't get help because I wasn't there, Freak. You have to be involved in the incident."

The man took a step back when Elise sucked in her breath, but she didn't care. Blake had been passed over because he wasn't there, but she had hurt him. The ripples of her actions had gone far enough to hurt him, but he didn't get help because he wasn't there. Blake needed help; she had hurt him.

Now she understood why no one seemed to understand Blake's internal injuries; they didn't know about them because he _hadn't been there_. It was why he was getting help from the Dilophosaurus though, and Elise was overwhelmed by the predicament she was in.

Blake never got the help he needed because he was never involved in an incident with her. She wanted to wait for Owen to get back to help Blake, but she was afraid.

He had to be directly involved in an incident with her; did that mean Blake wouldn't qualify for help if she just told Owen about Blake's wounds? Would Owen just tell her that Blake still wouldn't get the help because that was how the program worked? But Blake smelled so sad and tired; he didn't have a purpose anymore. What would happen when he got off the island? Would he give up and simply die like she would have if she had succeeded in her rampage?

Would Blake let himself succumb to the wounds she had so cruelly slashed on him? His death would be on her hands, and Elise didn't want that to happen.

Directly involved in an incident. With her. Elise stared at Blake with an unreadable expression that made him glare at her because he didn't know what else to do. Elise was appalled by her thoughts, but she wanted Blake to get help. She knew she was going to be in so much trouble, and she wondered if her position as Alpha would be threatened; she knew there was a strike system. She didn't know how many strikes she had after her rampage. She would be going against everything Owen had taught her, what this park stood for, and her promises to her family.

But she felt her duty as Alpha was to make sure everyone on this island was taken care of. Blake had lost his place in this park because of what she had caused. Unfortunate circumstances had caused him to be passed over, but she had made the slashes on him. She would not be a good Alpha if she didn't do everything she could to make sure Blake got the help he needed. She would never sleep nor look Owen in the eye if she didn't try.

Elise let out a long sigh; she was going to help Blake because that was what truly mattered. Not the consequences she would suffer, but that Blake would get help. She would accept her consequences of involving him in an incident because it would surely lead the healer to the old wounds she had caused. It was the right thing to do.

Blake needed help.

"…Freak?"

And it would have to be convincing otherwise it wouldn't be an incident.

* * *

"How in the name of everything do you pronounce this last name?"

Vivian glanced at a bewildered Lowery staring at his screen, and she asked, "Spell it out for me."

Lowery raised his eyebrows in concentration before he said, "I have no idea if that would even help you. I don't even know what language this is; come look at it."

Vivian rolled her chair over to stare at the screen before blinking at the name:

Blake Wojciechowski.

She frowned at it, and Lowery nodded in agreement as he said, "I know! It's a train wreck; no wonder everyone calls him by his first name. I could never figure out why Claire never used his last name; I mean look at it."

"…Google it because I want to see how that's pronounced. Why are you looking at his records anyway?"

Lowery shrugged as he began to type while answering, "I was curious because it's not like Claire to be informal. I figured he might have had either a terrible last name or something really hard to pronounce. I just wanted to find out before the records were…you know…"

Vivian nodded in agreement before a loud alarm went off. The Control room jumped when the screens in the front automatically went to the camera feed in the viewing log.

Elise had smashed in the thick window before snagging the shrieking man. Lowery felt his jaw drop when the Indominus let out a furious roar before snapping her jaws on the man. The audio feed managed to pick up the muffled shrieking as the legs kicked feebly from in-between the large teeth, and the white dinosaur raked her claws through a tree before storming off into the jungle.

A silence Lowery had never known hung heavily in the room.

He couldn't comprehend it; Elise had just eaten a person. Lowery wasn't aware of how his body somehow forced itself to follow the Indominus through the cameras, but he could still hear the yelling. One person finally asked, "Was that Blake?"

Lowery froze when Elise smashed another tree like it was nothing, and he stared at the camera. He had cuddled next to this dinosaur all day yesterday, she was the reason why he and Jackie met. She was his goddaughter.

This wasn't Elise.

Lowery pressed his lips before diving onto his radio while Vivian immediately contacted ACU.

Elise had snapped.

* * *

Owen smiled as he stared at the framed picture while still standing on the docks long after the ship had left. He loved it, and he intended to hang this one in the log as well. It was him and all his girls; Rosie had obviously taken it, but the humor in it was incredible.

He was sitting in front of Elise with the resonating chamber in his hands as she sat like a young queen; his teacher. She looked regal and elegant with the white scales, patient eyes, and hands folded over one another. He was sitting cross legged before her with an ornery grin on his face while Delta and Echo were sitting on either side of him. Elise looked older than what she really was, and it was amusing to see the two raptors staring at her like they were students as well.

Then there was Blue in the background; Owen remembered how he had accidentally insulted her that day while trying to praise her. It had taken him a few minutes to figure out why his best girl was staring at the trees attentively.

Rexy could just barely be seen, but she looked so calm. Her golden gaze was clear as day when he had finally spotted her in the picture, and he was amazed he never saw nor heard her. Blue was standing before the old Tyrannosaurus, and Rexy was staring at her. Owen truly believed he had found the world's oddest couple.

But it was a picture of his entire pack, and he loved it. He only wished Charlie could be in it, and he intended to place a picture of her next to this one. Gone but not forgotten.

"What're you smiling about?"

Owen glanced up to see his favorite redhead, and he showed her the picture before she softly said, "Aw, now that's a beautiful family photo."

"Rosie might have to become a photographer if she doesn't want to do anything else. She can learn from Jesús. He takes amazing pictures."

Owen loved the photo of Elise and the praying mantis along with the one with Blue and Rexy glaring at the camera.

He glanced up when Claire kissed his cheek as she said, "Let's go show Elise this one; I think she'll like it."

Owen nodded in agreement before the two froze at an alarm going off. Owen hadn't heard one like this before, but Claire breathed, "Oh God…a viewing log window has been broken…"

Owen jumped at hearing the furious, shrill roar, and he paled before saying, "That's not Rexy."

Claire looked startled, and Owen's radio suddenly had a panicking Lowery yelling, "Owen! Owen! Elise snapped! She attacked Blake, and she's going on another rampage!"

Owen glanced up when Claire was already running, and he bolted after her as he asked Lowery, "Where?!"

"She's headed to the paddock doors! I…I think Blake is still alive! I don't know how, but ACU is pretty close to getting there!"

Owen knew he couldn't let ACU beat him there; it was going to be a blood bath if they beat him there.

* * *

Owen had rounded the corner just in time to see the last ACU guard ducking under the door. It wasn't open very high, and he gritted his teeth when it began to shut even more. Claire was still behind him, but Owen slid under the door before it shut. He darted to the front of the team readying their weapons, lethals, and he quickly said, "No! Hold fire! Don't you dare shoot!"

Lopez startled at seeing him, but growled, "Are you insane? I'm not going to let Blake die just because you won't let us shoot at that thing."

Owen stood in front of him as he snapped, "I think we all know how badly things went the last time guns were fired at Elise. I can guarantee what you have will only piss her off. Let me talk to her because this isn't normal."

Lopez gestured to the silent trees as he retorted, "That thing isn't normal! It's a miracle she hadn't snapped sooner!"

Owen glanced at the armored vehicle ready to go, and the distrusting faces with weapons at the ready. They all froze when a branch snapped, and a hushed snarl sighed through the thick brush. Owen swallowed as he scanned the trees before calling out, "Elise, I need you to step out here. Now."

Owen had to admit he was afraid when the leafy head emerged from the brush before the scales bled into a stark white. Elise had a hard look on her face, and Blake's legs were still kicking from the front of her mouth. He had managed to get them wedged in between the ivory daggers.

That rattling breath Owen had only heard from Elise was made again before she eyed the armored car critically. Owen saw her nostrils flare before yelping when she suddenly swung at it. Guards stumbled back before a loud crash was heard when the car landed in the tree. The horn blared loudly and continuously while Elise curled her lip higher.

But she never made any move to hurt Blake, and Owen paused. She was purposefully avoiding any movement of her jaws like when children hugged her so fearlessly.

"Elise. Spit. Him. Out. Now."

The Indominus curled her lip higher as she rose tall; she had no intent of spitting Blake out, and she suddenly knocked another tree over that landed in front of them. Elise withdrew into the brush again, but Owen snagged Lopez's arm as he hissed, "She isn't hurting Blake! Don't. Fire."

"What the hell is she doing then?!"

Owen flickered his gaze towards the shivering trees; Elise was making ACU incredibly nervous with the sounds. He was losing track of where she was exactly, and Blake's muffled yelling wasn't helping anything.

"I don't know."

Another tree suddenly fell over before Elise burst from the trees. She startled three men into firing their guns at her, and Blake yelled when he was dropped onto the ground. It hadn't been a long fall, and Elise took a deep breath before letting out a shrill roar. She darted back into the trees when more guns were fired, and ACU immediately retreated with Blake.

Owen was left there wondering what had just happened. Elise was gone, and so was ACU. Owen had made to go after Elise, but he froze when he heard a furious roar from Rexy that was way too close. He wasn't going to risk it because he wasn't sure if Elise would protect him.

Owen darted after ACU before running into a pale Claire. She looked terrified, and Owen shook his head before they glanced at a furious Blake wiping slime off himself as he snarled, "I want that thing put down! Do you hear me?!"

Owen darkened before he snapped, "What the hell do you think you were doing over there?! That's what I want to know! Did you go over for a fight?!"

"I wanted to know why she killed my family! I deserved answers!"

Owen stormed over as he yelled, "You deserved to be fired after the shit you've pulled! She didn't know better that day! You went over there looking for a fight, and you are damned lucky she didn't kill you!"

Blake suddenly swung, and Owen staggered back when his nose made a crunching sound. The man growled when the blood gushed over his hands, and Blake dangerously said, "You should see the shit she wrote down; she's fucked up! She is a sociopath!"

Blake didn't see the fist swinging at him until his head snapped back. Owen's aim was off, but he was perfectly fine with the black eye Blake was going to have. The two glared at each other murderously until Security immediately pulled them apart. Claire was in the middle firmly saying, "Mr. Grady! You will not continue fights! Don't escalate the situation!"

Claire turned to Blake as she snarled, "And you! I have had it with you, Blake! You had absolutely no business in that log, and I just might press charges for antagonizing Elise."

Blake gritted his teeth before snapping, "You are the worst CEO I have ever seen! You play favorites with that thing because she makes you money! You don't give a damn about any of those men who died at the river!"

Claire immediately pointed to the direction of the docks as she lost her temper.

" _Get the hell off my island!"_

Owen made to throw another swing at Blake, but they all froze when a thunderous roar shook the ground before Rexy smashed her head into the door. It shuddered under her blow, but it didn't give. They swallowed nervously before Claire immediately cleared the area, and she gave Owen a look.

Find Elise.

* * *

Owen couldn't find Elise, and Rexy had decided to stay in the Indominus' paddock. Elise's shows had been put on hold until Owen would be able to figure things out. He hadn't seen her for three days. In those three days, he had been chased by Rexy four times, Blake had immediately gone to therapy for this incident, and Owen had just about lost his mind. He didn't know what to tell Claire, and the media hadn't been kind to Blake nor Elise. Even with the camera footage from the log before Elise had attacked Blake.

It was controversial because there was no right answer. It was a grey line trying to be made black and white. Elise was at fault for attacking a man; she had a violent history, but she had been cruelly abused most of her life. Blake was at fault for being an alcoholic, a less than stellar career history as Commander, but he had served his country with honor; he had lost his family to Elise. What had used to be a funny story with Elise burying Blake was now a serious issue. A warning sign that hadn't been heeded.

On day five after the incident, Owen had managed to pull a good chunk of his mustache out with worry; a phone call had been made to Claire from mainland. It was from a respected psychologist who took very good care of his patients, and he had made a discovery.

Blake had slipped through the cracks, and now knew the root of his alcoholism. The only thing Claire needed was Elise's side of the story. She had ordered Rexy to be sedated, and Owen had gotten his bike ready to find Elise. He had to smile smile at his best girl knowing when to show up at his side. Blue knew exactly where Elise was.

Blue was not going to let her pack fall apart, and she wanted the Alphas to work together.

* * *

Owen stepped off his bike by the pond where his tough baby was mindlessly staring at her reflection. His heart hurt at the sight. She didn't look like she had been eating, and there were infected cuts on her dull scales. She looked so sad, and Owen wasn't going to stand for it because he had a feeling Elise had managed to diagnose Blake before any of them. He had watched that video over and over again while listening to the conversation; he felt Elise was naïve enough to pull what she had.

"Hey, Baby…"

Elise startled from her thoughts before quickly averting her gaze. She was surprised by how bad she felt after causing the incident. She didn't feel good; her tummy hurt, and nothing made her happy. Food didn't smell good, and Rexy was getting aggravated by her loss of appetite. It was enough for the mother to forget about the construction in favor of getting food into her youngling.

Elise focused on the ground as Owen sat next to her while Blue contemplated staying here to keep peace, or go find Rexy. Her sisters had been faithfully by Elise's side this whole time, and Blue decided this wound needed to be healed first. Stern One was not happy with Stupid Alpha because White One had given up. Blue was getting tired of Stern One chasing Stupid Alpha.

Owen placed his hand on the white scales, still a little dirty with crusted blood, and he softly said, "You and I are going to have another serious talk about what happened with Blake."

Elise couldn't stop her whimper; she would have rather Owen just yell at her, and call her a monster for everything she had done. She had hurt Blake so badly, but that wasn't what had really scared her.

Her actions had rippled across this island, maybe even further, and she knew she had killed a lot of people. How many families had she wrongfully destroyed; families who never knew she had even existed until they were told of her murderous deeds. How many had lost a parent? A sibling? A child? What holes had she torn in others' hearts? Holes that would never be filled ever again. How many nightmares had she caused? How many people weren't going to heal because they hadn't been involved in an incident with her? She had made herself sick at thinking of all the people destroying themselves by drinking too much alcohol.

Elise had her own nightmare the night she caused her incident. Blake's words had stuck by her; she was a monster, and she had to act like one again to get him help. She had dreamed her core was rotten, and her reeking innards had spilled in front of Owen.

He kicked her out of his pack, and left her alone forever. That had scared Elise more than anything in this world. Owen abandoning her because she wasn't good for his pack. It wasn't even the worst part.

She hadn't been able to save a honey bee from drowning in this pond; it had devastated Elise.

"Elise, Baby."

Elise couldn't help curling a little more tightly just to make sure her side wouldn't split open. She didn't want Owen to see her rotten core; the movies hadn't been made for her. She had a lot of time to think about everything; the movies were made for little ones.

Little ones who hadn't hurt the world yet. It wouldn't matter if she tried to be good for the rest of her life because of all the bad she had done.

Owen gave a quick whistle, and Elise flinched. He sighed before quietly saying, "Elise, look at me. I'm not mad at you, I still love you, and I'm just trying to figure out what happened back there. Just talk to me, Baby. I missed talking to you, I need my Co-Alpha by my side, okay? I'm not going to yell or get mad at you."

Owen had talked it over with his parents how to start this conversation, and both had been very helpful. Owen couldn't get mad, he had to assure Elise he loved her, and things were going to be fine. It was situations like these where Owen had to remember Elise was six.

The Indominus whined again, but sat up as she began to carve through the dirt. She wanted reassurance, she wanted to know Owen still loved her even when she was bad. She wanted to be part of this park, and she wanted Blake to get help.

She told Owen why she had attacked Blake, why he drank the beer, and why she had been avoiding Owen. She told him about her nightmares, the people she may have hurt, and how badly she wanted to stay here. She didn't want to be kicked off this island, and she was sorry. She told him about the dead honey bee sticking to the leaf to the side of them, how she failed to save it, and how she had been worrying Rexy. She talked about wanting to meet the one who made her, promises to be good, and that she loved him a lot. It was an outpour of emotions that Elise didn't know how to shut off until she had nothing left to write, and she simply slumped to the ground when she was done. She was so tired, and she just wanted to sleep.

Owen only stared at the hurt, desperate words before running a hand through his hair. This was the most Elise had ever written in a long time, and Owen felt so ashamed of himself. What kind of a parent was he when his child couldn't come to him with her problems? He thought she knew she could talk to him about anything, but he would prove it right now.

"Elise, look at me."

The Indominus complied though her eyes were glazed over as she remained slumped on her side. Owen had never seen such a defeated creature.

There was no punishment crueler than a guilty conscious. Elise had torn down her own self-esteem in only days. No other person could do that, and Owen was determined to rebuild it.

He sat close to her as he said, "I love you very much. You are my Baby, my Sunshine, and my daughter. I'm not mad at you, and you're not rotten. _We_ are going to get through this, one step at a time, okay?"

Owen intended to say more, but that was all Elise needed to hear at the moment. She immediately curled around him, pinning him close to her as she whined quietly. Owen did his best to assure her of everything he could because it all made sense now. Elise had been trying to work a system she didn't understand but had a solid grasp of the faults. She knew Blake had slipped through the cracks, she worked the system like it was supposed to, and Blake was getting the help he needed.

Owen was amazed by Elise's bravery and selflessness to help a man who had never given her a kind word. He was blown away by how Elise was so dedicated to righting her wrongs; she had legitimate reasons for her actions, but she had never faulted in doing what was right after she was taught better.

Owen was so relieved, and he couldn't wait to throw this in Jackal News' face; he was going to ruin Alexa Higgens' reputation with this after all the garbage she had spewed.

An Indominus Rex had not snapped and attacked a victim of survivor's guilt because she didn't want to hear the insults.

Elise had risked tarnishing her own reputation to help a man who had slipped through the cracks of a system built to prevent these problems.

Owen smiled when Elise finally stilled before simply falling asleep. It was good because she needed sleep, and he decided to talk to Claire while his girls curled around him. Owen would wait until Elise woke up, and they would get her help.

* * *

Elise had taken well to therapy so long as Owen was always present to assure her. Elise just didn't open up to the stranger no matter how often she came around, and Owen had always been confused by it. He had assumed Elise wasn't comfortable talking about her feelings with non-pack.

Until she had actually started to talk to Bridges about her sessions. Owen had been incredibly wary about it, but Bridges never faltered in this department. Bridges and Elise had formed a relationship stranger than Blue and Rexy's. Owen had no idea what to make of it, and he certainly never encouraged it. He didn't want Bridges to manipulate Elise, but the blonde had bluntly said several times that Elise's health was the most important thing to his investment; Bridges had also said he liked Elise.

Bridges understood the feelings of therapy, but he knew Elise had a good woman. Bridges also knew that woman would be gone the moment the money stopped coming in, but he knew Elise needed the help. He visited often to offer what comfort he could without ruining their game of dancing around one another.

They were two Jokers stuck on the same card; swords always at the ready, but never slashing.

He taught Elise all he could about Sobek while the Spinosaurus resided much closer to the new labs than anyone really wanted. Owen had notice how Bridges would seem to stiffen whenever a loud roar was heard.

Bridges never told anyone about the four grey hairs Romano had yanked off his head; the Italian had found a new hot button.

The media had lost interest in Elise and Blake in favor of other controversial, grey subjects that would never be made black and white. Claire was very happy for that, and she had done her best to do right by Blake.

The board had decided Blake's actions could have been prevented had they caught the survivor's guilt sooner. Claire had retracted her firing of Blake for the sake of his records, and would treat him like an employee. If Blake could recover, Claire would offer his job back, but she wouldn't give him title of Commander. Lopez had excelled in that position, and Blake seemed happy with it. He was recovering, and he had the support of his family. He still had his bad days, but he felt like he was climbing out of his hole rather than digging it deeper.

The new Commander had made sure to have a good relationship with Elise after he realized everything Elise had done to help Blake, and sent her bottles of raw honey frequently; his parents ran a honey farm. They trained together, and ACU had taken to calling her Ghost. They were still wary, but Lopez was Elise's buddy.

After much talking, and pleading on Elise's part, Claire had decided to bury Madre's bones after molding a replica of it. Claire wasn't one for superstition, but it felt like Sobek's paddock had progressed much more smoothly after Madre had been buried. The replica skeleton never smelled nor never threatened to fall. Guests loved it, and Claire felt better.

Elise had picked the spot for Madre's bones. It was in a particularly beautiful spot in the plains where the honey bees could always be found. Elise had roared with joy when the bright flowers had begun to sprout over her grave, and there was nothing but peace.

Small One's overdue burial had finally happened. The Swamp Chestnut Oak was on its way to becoming a strong, proud tree, and Elise had picked the spot with Owen. It had been hard to pick because Elise wanted it somewhere special. The tree needed water, but it didn't need to be near other trees. Elise had been torn between close to the pond, or on a large hill with a breathtaking view of the park. She and Owen had finally agreed for the spot near the pond. Owen felt the tree would be better protected from the wind, and Elise loved how the fireflies danced over the shimmering waters at night. Elise felt lighter when her sister had been returned to the earth to become a tree, and she made sure to talk to her sister as often as she could.

The therapist had said it was unhealthy for Elise to animate her sister so vividly, but Owen had fallen over when it was Bridges who pointed out that Elise's views weren't all that far-fetched. She was viewing death as a transition into something else. Owen was pretty sure Bridges butted heads with the therapist more than Elise did, but Elise needed it and she was getting better.

Blue and Rexy had given up on doing anything to the construction workers after Elise had continued to unwaveringly defend them. Owen had found Elise carrying a pouting Blue in her mouth away from the construction more times than he ever thought possible. The new fence was first to be finished, and Bridges had approved of it. Little by little, the new paddock was built in a timely, but not rushed manner. It was solid, well-built, and safe for guests and Sobek. The river had been a pain to work with, lacking the fish Sobek would hunt, but Elise's first trip to the beach had yielded a bloody solution. Elise was now afraid to swim in the ocean, and Sobek's river had bull sharks along with many smaller fish. The river had been modified to include two, larger ponds at both ends of the fence where the fish could be fed, and get a break from Sobek. The fence had been built to allow the river to continue its flow, but the fish could not go through. Claire had made sure to carefully watch the patterns, and the sharks, though not very many, were content to swim up and down the length of the river.

She was sure that had a chance of changing with Sobek being introduced, but she would deal with it if it came to that. Owen had once asked Bridges if he was concerned about Sobek fishing highly aggressive sharks in his old age, and Bridges had sincerely laughed till he cried before patting Owen on the shoulder for asking a silly question.

When the paddock was complete, inspected, and given the green light, Bridges had wasted no time in getting Sobek over there. The Spinosaurus had been a monster of a neighbor, and people were terrified to even talk loud near the fence. Carnifex's paddock smelled terrible from the territorial inhabitant spraying all around the border.

Bridges blamed Wu for that, but the scientist hadn't cared. He was still toeing on that fine line, but Bridges had been content to make sure he was watched carefully. Judge Knight was still persistent in hunting Wu down, but Hart was an incredible lawyer who had no troubles with getting her off Wu's trail. Bridges thought himself to be an incredible puppeteer of men, Hart was his marionette, and Clementine the strings. InGen was slowly earning its reputation back, and the investors were growing more relaxed with Elise's progress.

Bridges knew they were going to get tired of watching the snow scaled dinosaur eventually, and Bridges pushed for advanced training with Elise. Their relationship put each other in a position to challenge one another; first one to back off lost. Elise would also push for more advance training, and she was scheduled to train in detecting explosives after illegal substances.

* * *

Commander Lopez shifted next to Elise as the massive, solid cage slowly slid to a stop at the gate. Claire had felt paranoid enough to order the cruise ships to wait at the mainland docks before coming over. Workers were waiting in the evacuation buildings, and the entire ACU team was braced. Elise was to only react if Sobek lost his temper, but the cage was eerily silent. She couldn't see into it, and Bridges had done that for a reason.

He didn't want Sobek to see anything; mainly people walking within snatching reach. The Spinosaurus was due to wake up soon, but Bridges had a feeling the Spinosaurus had fought it.

It had been a rough ride on the ship; the waves hadn't been kind, and a few sailors had commented on hearing growls.

The blonde had also strongly insisted on making this as quiet as possible; Sobek aggravated so easily around human sounds. The gate's alarm had been disabled, and the Spinosaurus would be given a few hours to explore his new home before the guests would appear. Elise would be available to react if needed, and Owen had secretly snagged a flare of his own.

Just in case he needed to get Rexy's attention because she knew how to fight a Spinosaurus. Owen had no idea if he would be able to get Rexy's attention on time, or if she would even follow the flare, but he had it in his pocket just in case; right next to the resonating chamber. Owen knew how to call for help,

Owen held his shotgun for comfort, and he glanced at Lopez when the man quietly said into his wrist communicator, "Open the gate."

Elise flared her nostrils when the gate silently slid up before Lopez made the motion for the workers on top to open Sobek's door. They weren't aware of how everyone seemed to tense as they waited for Jurassic World's newest addition to react to freedom. Bridges and Claire were in Control; the blonde repeatedly lighting his lighter, and the redhead rubbing her fingers on the hems of her sleeves. Elise tasted the air, and ACU held their weapons tightly.

Nothing happened.

They waited in silence for several minutes, and Owen quietly asked his radio, "Shouldn't he be awake by now?"

There was a pause before Bridges answered, "Sobek knows how doors work. He might either be waiting for someone to come to him, or he hasn't taken well to the ride. If you don't hear growling, or breathing near the gate entrance, it's the latter."

Lopez grimaced before Elise pressed close to the cage. It was thick and sturdy, but she could smell Sobek inside. She really couldn't hear anything, and she twitched her claws at Lopez; motioning him over.

Lopez glanced at Owen before they walked over, and pressed their ears against the walls.

They couldn't hear anything really. No growls, no movement, and Lopez paused before asking, "He…he is in there, right?"

They glanced at Elise, and she nodded; she could smell Sobek. He was in there. Owen frowned before he said, "Wouldn't he have done something by now? He can smell Elise, can't he?"

Lopez pressed his lips before answering, "We have to check on him. Maybe he rolled wrong in the cage; we had that happen with a Triceratops not long ago."

"Triceratops won't eat me."

The Commander rolled his eyes before glancing at Elise. She gestured to Owen, and the man said, "You're coming with me. It'll be a quick peek around the corner."

Owen raised an eyebrow as he followed to the smaller door while asking, "Do you want to know what Echo taught me about peeking 'around the corner'? It's a dumb thing to do."

Lopez snorted before he opened the door. Owen made sure someone was holding it, and he quietly followed. It was so quiet here, but the trees shading the place were nice, and the river could be heard. The darkness in the large cage was odd to look at, and Owen couldn't see any signs of the Spinosaurus. The two glanced at one another before slowly walking to the front.

* * *

Sobek was not happy, and he couldn't remember the last time he was so confused. He was just grateful the ground had stopped rocking, lurching, and moving. The back of his neck really hurt.

He was going to kill Death and Thief. They were going to die for putting him through this, and he didn't care how much prey was offered to him. They were dead; he would hunt them down to the ends of his island.

He had no idea where he was either, he didn't know these smells. They were new to him, and an odd scent was tickling his nose; the one he couldn't quite place. Too many new scents, and Sobek lacked the patience to sort through them. He could hear a river, but his head hurt.

Thief was going to die, and then Death.

"…Hey, Sobek. You alright, Buddy?"

Sobek cracked open his eyes at the soft voice; he vaguely remembered that voice. He blinked at the two figures at the mouth of this moving cave before focusing on the lighter skinned one.

It was the stranger who ran with the pack hunters. Sobek focused on him because there was nothing else to distract him from the fuzzy feeling plaguing his mind. Sobek puffed air through his nose before letting out a sound; he watch Stranger glance at his companion before softly saying, "I think that ride knocked the shit out of you, Buddy."

Sobek didn't understand the words, but he liked the soothing voice. Stranger needed to teach Death how to speak like this. It wasn't too loud or annoying; Sobek decided if he wanted to hear a human chitter, he would find this one. Stranger talked quietly with his companion before he left. Sobek didn't care where that one went, but he was still curious about Stranger.

The smells that had meshed with Stranger's were intriguing; he could smell the pack hunters, and something else. Something twisted, blended, and strong.

Sobek blinked a few more times; the twisted scent was very strong. It was close, and Sobek shifted his head to smell the walls of this cave before raising his head slightly. The twisted one was very close, and Sobek parted his jaws to taste the air.

Owen raised an eyebrow before he said to his radio, "I think Sobek can smell Elise; tell her to move away."

The Spinosaurus seemed uncomfortable, and Owen could only assume it was because Elise was on his blindside. He hoped Sobek would get up and out; it wasn't good for him to be down for so long, and they had made the call to bring Gerry in. Sobek didn't look good, and Owen just wanted to be safe.

"Why not come explore your new home, Sobek?"

The Spinosaurus turned his gaze to him, and Owen could honestly say he had never had an animal stare at him like Sobek did. The Spinosaurus knew humans were below him, and Owen found himself in another staring contest with Sobek. He didn't think he was irritating the Spinosaurus, and Bridges had said Sobek usually growled as a last warning.

Sobek wasn't growling; he was just staring. Owen crossed his arms as he looked Sobek over; the Spinosaurus looked like hell. Traveling on ship did not sit well with him, and Owen was sure the floor wasn't very comfortable. He wanted Sobek to get up.

"Come on, Buddy. We got a river full of sharks just for you, and I hear you're pretty good a hunting them."

Owen pressed his lips when Sobek had started to shut his eyes; he could have sworn Bridges said talking irritated the Spinosaurus, but Owen was putting him to sleep.

"Sobek, Buddy, let's go. You really need to get up."

Sobek cracked open his eyes when he detected a slight sharp edge to Stranger's voice. Did this human really think he could use that tone with him? Sobek raised his head to give Stranger his warning gaze, and he was interested when Stranger gave him no ground. Death always gave him ground, but not this human.

Sobek actually found it amusing; this little thing refusing to give ground. He could so easily rip this human apart, and Sobek was sure this human seemed to know that. Stranger knew his place in this world, but he still refused to give ground.

Sobek had just found his new favorite human; this one was going to be fun.

Owen scratched at his jaw while maintaining his staring contest. Sobek was something else to say the least. He really wouldn't bother with humans until they bothered him, and Owen was very curious when Dr. Gerry finally hobbled over before looking Sobek over. The Spinosaurus was definitely growing more alert with the new people coming in, and Owen wondered if Bridges should have been here.

The blonde had said he and Sobek weren't in a good spot at the moment, and Owen crossed his arms before asking, "What do you think, Doc?"

Gerry raised an eyebrow before growling, "You know the movie the Hobbit?"

Owen blinked a few times as Sobek kept his emerald gaze on Gerry, but he answered, "Yeah…"

"Sobek reminds me of Smaug."

Gerry sniffed as he began to fiddle with his flashlight, and Owen scrambled his brain to put a face to a name. He could have sworn Smaug was the dragon, and Gerry glanced at Owen before clarifying, "Benedict Cumberbatch plays his voice."

Owen blinked until he remembered, and he nodded his head. He hadn't seen the movie in forever, but that had been a good one. He remembered the dragon now, but he didn't see it in Sobek. The old Spinosaurus seemed far too calm to resemble the hot tempered dragon.

Owen supposed they had the same, piercing gaze. Sobek's eyes just needed to glow when he got mad.

Owen yelped when a shrill ring went off in Gerry's pocket before he sighed, "Doc, you really need a new phone."

"I'll feed you to Smaug over there."

Sobek had been content to simply sit in his little cave while observing the humans. The older one was definitely something else; he lacked fear but not respect. He respected Sobek, and that was all he needed to tolerate the old human. Sobek liked older humans, and this one had bite to his growl.

Sobek also found that amusing.

He shifted into a more comfortable position as the humans talked quietly with one another. They stared, but he would stare right back this time. He wasn't ready to leave this cave just yet.

Until Sobek's hot button had been mashed down by an aggravating, shrill sound that just naturally pulled his lips up. Sobek remembered that sound, that damned sound that had followed him everywhere; the sound those humans had brought with them.

It had scared prey away, all his prey away with its shrill screams from inside his gut. It had cost Sobek so many carefully calculated hunts that he had gone out of his way to hunt down those filthy humans who had the audacity to invade his home in the loud, metal bird. It had been so easy to tear apart that bird.

The humans who had tried to hurt him with their shiny weapons, and the red fire.

The red fire that had exploded on water, leaving his legs injured for days; Sobek did not forget that because this old human was making the same exact sound.

Owen glanced back at Sobek when he heard the claws raking on the ground, and he took a step back. Now he was seeing Smaug, and Owen licked his lips before saying, "Shut the phone off. Shut it off."

Gerry snapped his gaze up, but Sobek had already rose to his full height. Owen could see all the teeth on this old king, and he had plenty. The sharp talons seemed to flex, and Sobek had found his old fire.

Owen immediately snatched Gerry's phone before throwing it into the jungle as far as he could. The vet forgot about his hobble as the duo darted away, and Sobek let out his roar that was its own clap of thunder. It didn't sound like Rexy, but it was just as loud and terrifying; echoing just as far.

Owen was just glad that they were quick enough to get through the door before Sobek could round the corner. It was immediately shut, and the people flinched back when Sobek tried breaking through the walls a few times before giving a furious roar.

Elise had never heard something so large; Sobek did sound bigger than Rexy. It was incredible, and she was really eager to meet Sobek even if he sounded furious. He hadn't broken through the wall, and she trusted the fence to be strong enough.

She was quick to give Owen a reassuring nuzzle, and the man patted her snout gently before saying, "Well, Sobek is out; I think we can shut the gate."

Lopez snorted; he was already on it, and Gerry patted his pockets before growling, "Why did you throw my phone?"

Owen winced at the biting growl, but couldn't help dryly answering, "I was hoping Sobek would go answer it while we ran off; I'm sure he had one of those as a kid."

The old vet gave a harrumph before snapping, "Well guess who gets to go get my phone after Sobek is done with it? It's not Elise or Commander Lopez."

Owen pressed his lips, and Gerry poked his chest as he added, "I want my phone back by five so I can talk to my daughters."

"We have a Call Center."

Elise snorted when Owen realized that was the wrong answer, and she quietly watched everything around her. She had given Rexy a tiny warning about Sobek's arrival, but she was pretty sure the Tyrannosaurus hadn't fully comprehended what she had said.

Because Rexy had only given a rumble before going about her day.

* * *

Claire let out a breath before quietly asking, "Why did Sobek get so angry at the phone?"

Bridges shook his head as he pinched his nose while answering, "I have no idea; I have never seen him lose his temper over one call. I know he likes Owen, I know he does, but I don't get that…"

The blonde sighed quietly when Sobek knocked over a tree in rage, and Lowery raised an eyebrow as he asked, "How mad is Sobek?"

"We're fine if he doesn't knock over more than three trees. You're only in real trouble if he knocks over more than three."

Lowery blinked as he followed the Spinosaurus through the cameras, and he quietly said, "Well…at least we know how to get his attention."

Bridges lowered his brows, but he kept his gaze on the moving dot on the map. Sobek had been given a shock tracker, and he was pretty sure it would only anger the old dinosaur to get shocked. He just hoped they would never have to find out.

Claire chewed on her lip quietly for a few seconds before saying, "Let the workers get ready for the day, but keep Sobek on that screen at all times. He's priority, Control. He stays on screen, and so does the fence between Elise and Sobek. Keep an eye on Rexy."

Control began to go about their work, and Claire scanned over the camera that was focused on her ACU team. She tapped the side of her hip in thought until she decided, "I want Elise back home near the fence, and send a few men to the Observatory Cliff to see if Sobek heads over there; I want Owen to do a double check of the area."

Bridges nodded in agreement before wincing when tree number three went down. One more and he would advise Claire to keep the ships at mainland, but the good thing was the Spinosaurus was headed towards the river.

* * *

Sobek let out another roar before he started to take the time to look at his surroundings. He was not happy with what he was seeing; he didn't recognize this place at all. He knew his island; its smells, trails, and the very air. This was nothing like his island, and he was furious. He couldn't smell his swamps, his river, or his valley full of plentiful prey.

This island reeked of human, and Sobek was furious when he realized Stranger's scent was this island's scent.

Sobek was the stranger now, and he was going to smash Thief into the ground for this. Death would die slowly, and Sobek would chase off every single human he saw until none were left.

The Spinosaurus paused when he stepped into the open, and blinked at the clear river rushing past him. He glanced around, looking for life, prey, humans, bugs, anything; he didn't like not hearing things scattering in his presence. It made him feel alone, he wasn't a lonely creature, he just didn't want to be stuck here with humans. Sobek had thought he had caught a whiff of fat prey on the wind.

The Spinosaurus walked over to the river before dipping his sensitive snout into the waters. Even the water tasted different here, and he wasn't sure if he was going to kill Death for that too. Sobek continued to drink quietly before his attention was grabbed by a tingling from his nose. There was food in the water, and Sobek didn't think a little fishing would hurt. He loved to fish.

The Spinosaurus stood at the ledge of the water before he caught sight of a familiar shape. Sobek had never seen that prey in a river before, but he grew excited. If his favorite food was in this river then he would consider forgiveness.

* * *

Owen chewed the inside of his cheek as he peered into the high powered binoculars. The only thing he would complain about was how often he would have to put in quarters to see. After the third quarter had been popped in, Owen had just tied a thin string he had found around his fourth quarter.

It worked, and he didn't care.

He could clearly see Sobek, and the Spinosaurus seemed to be getting ready to fish. Owen was amazed that he could see into the river, and he still wasn't sure if it was a good idea to put bull sharks in it. It was hard picking a fish though, everything large seemed to only tolerate salt water, and Claire hadn't wanted to invest all her money into a hatchery that wouldn't be able to keep up with the Spinosaurus. Bull sharks would have to work, and Owen hoped Bridges' faith in Sobek's fishing skills weren't misplaced.

Owen deemed the area safe enough for guests, and if Sobek didn't see them, then it would be fine. He watched the river when a dark shadow seemed to lunge at the Spinosaurus, and Owen startled when Sobek gracefully launched himself at the brave shark. Owen could see the teeth and claws sink into the slippery skin, and Sobek effortlessly tossed the shark onto the shores where it flopped on its side.

Sobek had no problem hunting sharks, and Owen was satisfied with what he was seeing; he would wait a little longer just in case though.

* * *

Sobek let out a triumphant roar at his easy catch before pinning it with a clawed foot. The shark stopped moving after a swift bite, and Sobek began to claw at the thick flesh before stripping it off. He was over the moon at seeing these creatures in the river, and they tasted amazing.

The Spinosaurus continued to pick his kill clean until another shadow caught his eye. Sobek saw the fin skim through the water's surface, and he let out a pleased sigh. This river was now his because of its delicacies. He didn't care who he would have to fight because this was his. This island didn't feel as threatening, and Sobek decided he would hunt Thief and Death when these creatures had all been hunted from the waters. He could seize a respectable territory here, fish for these creatures, and maybe see Stranger again. He liked Stranger; he was a calm human.

Sobek vigorously tore off a healthy chunk of white meat; he was content with his decisions.

* * *

Bridges nodded as he tucked his lighter away; Sobek was content, and he handed the thick Manella folder to Claire.

"This is everything I have on Elise, Miss Dearing."

Bridges glanced at the screen again before he quietly said, "Thank you for taking him in; you know where to send the bills."

Claire nodded happily as she tucked the folder under her arm. Bridges turned back to the screen; he seemed content to watch his dinosaur fish, and Claire would let him. It seemed to calm him down, and she could relate; watching Rexy do her own thing calmed Claire down as well.

Sobek was happy with the world, and Claire said, "We'll give him another hour before bringing the ships in. We're good to go, Control."

Lowery made a quiet 'whoo' before he went back to typing. Claire raised an eyebrow at him, but she was very happy to see Sobek immediately go to his fishing. He actually looked quite peaceful, and Elise could be seen sleeping in her clearing under the false log. Her attendance had taken a hit after the incident, but she was earning the parents' trust again. Children continued to love her, and Elise never gave a reason for them to fear her.

Claire smiled at her folder; things were going better than she thought in Jurassic World.

* * *

Dr. Wu sighed quietly as he stared at his laptop screen; contemplating his next move. He had been keeping tabs on Elise because it gave him something to do. It had actually made him sad to see the slanderous news, even after Elise had proven her real intent with Blake. The more the geneticist got to know Elise, the harder he found it to believe he had created her. This odd creature with a heart of gold was something he made.

He remembered when she had been DNA sequences on the screen; that had been so long ago.

Wu was ecstatic to see Sobek finally go; the dinosaur had been nothing but trouble. Wu still got backlash for an inaccurate Spinosaurus, and no one wanted to listen to the facts. Wu felt like he had done incredibly well considering they had little to no evidence of what the Spinosaurus truly looked like at the time of Sobek's creation.

Sobek was still a pain in the ass, but his departure meant Claire would get the records. He just hoped those records would be put under an attentive eye; Wu hadn't spelled it out for them.

Wu tapped the desk in thought as he flickered his gaze around. He had heard the gossiping from others. Elise had wanted to meet him, and Judge Knight had been considering it if he ever showed up alive. Wu wasn't sure how that made him feel. He had created something so brand new, and she fully comprehended how she came to be. She knew he made her, and she wanted to meet him; Wu had a feeling Elise would have several questions.

He wanted to answer them; he just felt like Elise would actually care what he would have to say about how dinosaurs were created. It would take time to explain it, but all Wu would need was her attention.

Wu sighed again when he acknowledged the harsh realities. He would never see Elise or leave this island alive, but he could do something worth a damn for the only creation who wanted to meet him.

He glanced at the door before adjusting the laptop, and clearing his throat while the program was brought up. Wu had already planned everything else out, but this was something personal. Elise was going to see him, hear his voice, and hopefully understand his reasonings. He would answer questions he hoped she had, and he clicked on the red record button.

The thought of Elise and her rainbow of colors, the Indominus she had turned out to be, pulled Wu's lips up into a sincere smile. He paused for a second before deciding to simply talk; it was what John Hammond would have done.

"Hello, Elise. My name is Dr. Henry Wu…"

* * *

 **Another A/N**

 **Thanks again for reading guys! Next chapter will be Sobek meeting his neighbors! Have a good day/night!**


	66. Chapter 66

**A/N**

 **Hey guys! I am alive, and I am sorry for not posting. I have been sick, and I'm not a very good writer when I am sick and tired.**

 **Imtomzizle, thank you :) Rowling is one of my favorite authors; I'm humbled by that.**

 **Unknown, it's good to know you had fun at the wedding.**

 **The Charred Dragon, it's perfectly fine to be lazy, but that's amazing you got through all this in six days :D This is a lot to read. Please don't beat yourself up too bad, and I do appreciate reviews like that. School is school for me, but I hope it is wonderful for you.**

 **Linge, your comment made me laugh; I had forgotten about the Tostitodon.**

 **The Only Taco, I'm sorry if I came off as cranky, I didn't mean to. I'm sorry about your head too *hands over band-aid***

 **Kim K's Butt, I love you too, and thank you for the Oreos.**

 **AnOreoThin, I think Bridges is my favorite to write, but it's a close three-way tie between Bridges, Elise, and Rexy.**

 **OREO...don't panic...but we have an Oreo Thin in the family now...it'll be okay. And I'll try to keep these chapters long; it is classified for now.**

 **TheFourthOreo, I can't remember, I think around midnight or one in the morning. It's 2:30 A.M. right now. Thank you for the oreos!**

 **Unnamed Guest, I'm sorry! I tried, I truly did try to post sooner. Forgive me.**

 **I also want to thank Marq Fyori-Josdyas Auricor for pointing out to me a movie mistake Jurassic World made with the Indominus' name; I am going to touch up on the mistake in later chapters.**

 **Also, Mad Library Scientist came up with the Blueberry Beta flavor!**

 **Thank you guys muc** **h** **and mighty for all your reviews and criticism. I do read them, and I appreciate them; truly I do. I give you all Oreos! By the way, go check out the Tropes page for this story, you'll find the link in my profile; it's turning out really awesome over there, and there's discussions to join! I love you guys, and I sincerely hope none of you get sick.**

* * *

"Indomitus."

"Is that Elise?"

Owen looked up from his ice cream to stare at the child pointing behind him. He glanced over his shoulder to see the massive dinosaur in the middle of the large, rectangular fountain. Owen turned back as he answered, "It's just a really realistic statue."

The child continued to stare at the massive dinosaur, not really sure if it was real or not, but no movement was made. Owen went back to his ice cream before the child was tugged away by her mother, and a slight exhale was heard from behind him.

Owen couldn't stop his snort; he couldn't keep count of how many times he was asked if Elise was sitting in the fountain, but he never said yes. It was incredibly hot today, and it was miserable even in the normally cool false log. Everyone was feeling sluggish, and even Rexy had allowed four goats to get away in favor of cool shade.

Sobek had arrive three days ago, and he was a bigger hit than Claire had anticipated. The redhead had thought Bridges had been exaggerating when he said Sobek would be content to fish all day if he could.

The Spinosaurus had hardly strayed from the river. Elise had said Rexy never gave any indication of hearing or smelling Sobek, and Owen was perfectly fine with that.

Owen continued to ignore the several guests who had taken an extreme liking to the 'hyper-realistic statue' in the long fountain because they never tried to touch her. It was on a street parallel to Main Street, and made a beautiful arc with the crystal streams of water. The arched streams of water were currently splashing into the tall back before the cool water drizzled down the white scales; the Indominus just barely fit in it. Elise was incredible at remaining still, and that was the deal between them. She could sit in the fountain if she didn't move because Owen wasn't in the mood to deal with a crowd.

At least the ice cream was good, and it was luck that this hot day had fallen on a Tuesday. Ben & Jerry's was swarmed for good reason, and Owen felt he was lucky to have beaten the crowd. This particular Ben & Jerry's held exclusive flavors for Jurassic World only, and Owen's favorite was the Blueberry Beta; after his best girl. Barry had suggested it less than a month ago, and it was a hit. It held fresh blueberries, Oreo crumbles, and a wonderful cheesecake ice cream.

"Is that Elise?"

Owen didn't bother to look up as he answered, "It sure looks a lot like her, doesn't it?"

The child nodded, but was again pulled away by a parent. Owen was actually very grateful towards the children here. He had dealt with several concerned parents who had no problems with being rude in front of his tough baby. Owen had almost gotten into a few fights just because he didn't understand a few details.

If they were so concerned about Elise munching their munchkin, why did they even bother to go in during the shows? Owen had been flabbergasted on one occasion.

A particularly stuck up mother had voiced her concern about Elise suddenly attacking her son. Owen would have understood that if the kid hadn't been the most enthusiastic about hugging Elise's cheek. The mother never tried to drag her kid back, and Owen had died a little inside when she had been serious about Elise attacking the boy.

Owen was pretty sure she had been looking for a lawsuit.

Owen had definitely noticed how the children overall had grown a little more wary after the incident with Blake, but it was more because of the parents' wariness. Elise had been patient, and she was being rewarded by the children's loyalty. He was also surprised to see more older kids showing up to see her. It was a nice change, and Owen was glad for it.

"Why is Elise in the fountain?"

Owen scooped up a blueberry as he answered, "It's a statue."

He glanced up when the girl, close to Rosie's age, put her hands on her hips as she proudly said, "I saw Elise this morning, and I didn't forget what she looked like, Mr. Owen. I know that's Elise."

Owen paused until Elise gave a sigh that caused the water running down her snout to mist out. The girl covered her mouth to hide the giggle, and Owen allowed a smile to tug at his lips as he looked for a parent. When he didn't see one, he put his fingers to his lips as he said, "Shh."

The girl blinked brown eyes before catching on, and said, "Ohh, I get it. Elise wanted a break from her mama, huh? And her sisters. I like breaks too."

"Elise actually just wanted somewhere cold to sit in; she's not for this kind of heat. Just don't tell anyone; she doesn't want to be touched."

The girl promised, and Owen smiled. He was glad for the support system Elise had in these guests. It always warmed Elise when a parent or child would come in to say they always stayed on her side.

The brown haired child tucked her hands behind her back as she seemed to think about something before asking, "I can come back to later shows, right? Elise is going to be there?"

Owen nodded, and she added, "Because I have to do a paper on a dinosaur for school, and I wanted to interview Elise if that's okay."

Owen nodded again as he said, "Sure thing, you can stay after the show and talk to her if you want."

The girl beamed before she waved at the 'statue' while thanking Owen. He watched her leave, and he stretched his arms out. He had managed to sneak Elise in here when it had been temporarily shut down to fix the misters in the streets; a pipe had broken, and Owen had taken his opportunity. He didn't care how people would react when they went back, but the animals were behaving today; ACU was hardly doing anything. Lopez had promised to come make sure people stayed back when it was time for Elise to go back. Owen could actually see the Commander sitting under a mister as he talked into his wrist communicator.

Today was a very lazy, hot day.

* * *

Sobek had decided it was about time he actually explore his territory in daylight. He had taken quite well to this place, and felt young again. His bones didn't seem to crack and, even without a marshy land to build a nest, he felt good about where his new nest was. He wasn't sure if he wanted to go back to his other home, this river seemed to never run out of his favorite prey. He could smell humans strongly here, and he had seen some metal human carriers around, but they were quiet.

This land was quite peaceful.

He hadn't actually seen any humans here, or any other dinosaur aside from the small, chittering scavengers, but it was a little unnerving. He wanted to know where the prey grazed in case the rivers stopped being so generous. He just wanted to know this land.

Sobek swore he had heard faint roars of the powerful ones. He hadn't seen one for a long time, but he knew of one who still roamed free. It was a respectable male who minded his own, and walked with the slightest limp even if he wasn't hurt; like an old injury that had healed long ago.

Sobek actually missed those; they made for great fights, and he had grown a little bored without them. It seemed like they all disappeared after Death had arrived. Sobek had always been torn between liking Death and simply tolerating him. Sobek knew no other human like him, and it was nice to have a place to go to.

But Sobek didn't like him anymore; he didn't like smelling dead things that could walk, and he felt like the island had been disturbed with the loss of the powerful ones. A balance disrupted.

Maybe it was why this place was better, there was balance, and Sobek had finally come to the conclusion that this place was the faraway land he had smelled on strong, windy days. He had once tried to swim here, but had turned back to his own home after realizing he didn't need to leave his home.

This was his home now.

Perhaps this was the better island if Stranger resided here; there was a calm peace in the air he liked. Sobek had liked the few humans he had seen when he left the moving cave aside from the old one who carried the shrill screaming thing. Stranger had been quick to throw it away though, and Sobek would remember that.

The Spinosaurus paused when he had reached a solid, towering wall before giving it a snort. Humans created the oddest things, but he wasn't going to try and break this one. In his younger days he would have, but Sobek had learned better. He could determine if a fence was weak or not with a few minutes of mellow inspecting.

It was cooler in this jungle, and Sobek liked that; it had almost been too hot to fish. He hadn't felt like sitting in the sun for all of that, and he continued to follow the wall in hopes of finding a way through. He wanted to see the ocean again, but he paused when the wall turned into a strong fence. He carefully smelled it before curling his lip.

This was a hot fence, and he did not like touching the hot fences. They left burns, and jolted his muscles in ways he didn't like. He wouldn't be breaking through this fence, and he continued along.

Sobek would pause to glance around every few minutes, he liked peering through the fence, and he could smell a very strange combination of smells here.

He could smell a powerful one, pack hunters, that twisted smell, and Stranger. Sobek had no idea what to make of that, and he was intrigued by it. Pack hunters rarely trespassed into his own territory, but these scents mingled. The powerful ones he had seen only paired off to bring hatchlings into the world, but he could only smell one powerful one.

Was this one not powerful enough to keep the pack hunters from her territory? This one smelled like a female, and Sobek knew how territorial the females could be, especially with hatchlings in the nest.

Sobek glanced around as he tasted the air before deciding this hot fence could not be broken. There didn't seem to be a place for anything to get through it, and he wanted to see what happened around here. He wanted to see Stranger with his pack hunters, and maybe he would see the powerful one.

They could have a good fight, and Sobek could possibly figure out what the twisted smell belonged to.

* * *

Blue was not happy with this hot weather, and she didn't know where White One had gone to. Blue had thought she would be by the pond, but she wasn't there; the raptor assumed both Alphas were off doing their own thing.

Stern One had started to patrol this territory with her, but today she had stopped in the cool shade of a lone tree. Stern One just didn't want to move around as much in this heat; it was even hot in the nest. Days this hot didn't happen very often, but they were a pain to deal with.

Blue paused when Delta gave a chirp, and the three stared at the pig trotting into the jungle. It was too hot to give chase, and Blue knew where to find the prey Stern One had allowed to escape.

But White One had spoken of a possible new dinosaur moving close, on the other side of the new fence. Blue didn't like that, and she intended to inspect things for herself. She didn't want a new dinosaur unless it was small and easy to eat; White One had danced around the subject enough that Blue had grown suspicious.

If she didn't like this new dinosaur, she was going to call Stern One immediately, and they would deal with the problem.

Blue made a sharp bark before she began to lead the way in a gentle run; her sisters followed without question, and Blue curled her lip when she smelled something different. It was musky.

She didn't like it.

* * *

"Grady….is that Elise in the fountain?"

Owen blinked at the curly haired woman before he carefully said, "No…"

Debra raised her eyebrows in shock as she continued to stare at the unmoving dinosaur. Elise was content to simply doze here as she just vegetated. Some days she would just be tired and not in the mood to do a lot. Training wouldn't lift her spirits, and she wouldn't be in the mood to talk to the therapist. Today was one of those days, and she was glad Owen understood that. She wouldn't mind being around the little ones, but this was a good medicine the therapist had suggested to her called meditation; Owen called it vegetating. The therapist had said it would do Elise good if she did it right.

She would sit, and simply be. It was soothing to listen to the sounds of the park being muddled by the fountain. The waters rushing over her felt good, and Owen sitting nearby made her feel like she could sleep without being disturbed. This kind of nap could be enjoyed without the weight of her responsibilities on her shoulders. Owen called it a day off, and Elise liked to take those. She could take a day off from everyone without actually being away from everyone.

It warmed her whenever a child would teeter over to ask Owen why she was in the fountain. Some would be excited, others concerned, and some simply confused. This was a nice way to be with humans without being under a spotlight.

Owen adjusted the large sun hat on his head when Debra dryly said, "Grady, I walk past this fountain every day, and I think I would notice construction putting something like this in the fountain."

Owen glanced at his dinosaur again before shrugging as he turned to his book; they still had a half hour before her next show, and Elise gave no indication of wanting to leave yet. She had been stressed about Sobek and Rexy fighting; she hadn't seen the Spinosaurus yet. Owen had agreed that Rexy's lack of reaction was more stressful than her simply blowing up.

It was like the jack in the box; they had no idea when the little bastard would pop up, much like they didn't know when Rexy would realize the presence of their newest neighbor.

Owen realized Debra wasn't going to leave until she got her explanation, and he offered, "I thought the fountain was on my turf."

Debra blinked, but she continued to stare at the dinosaur before asking, "She doesn't have a big pond or something to sit in?"

Owen resisted the urge to scratch the back of his head as he quietly answered, "Elise just needs a little break, you know? I'm sure you get tired of the Petting Zoo every once in a while, right? We all like our breaks."

"Well…yeah, but I go hide in the quietest room in my house, not a busy street fountain."

Owen couldn't stop his chuckle; he knew it was something really odd to do, but Elise liked to sit in the fountain. She normally did it late in the day when guests weren't around, but today was one of her down days. She didn't get them very often, but Owen had begun to notice them the more he got to know her. It didn't surprise him, and he was glad these little sessions in the fountain helped her; it was like a spa day.

Elise just needed to mentally check out once in a while, and Owen found that perfectly fine. He was guilty of needing days off as well. Owen had started to make it a point to let Elise just sit here at least once a week; she would get her days off like he did. She was starting to wander the park a little more when she could. Elise liked to explore the Restricted Area, but she liked to tip toe around this area when everything had been closed.

Owen and Claire never saw a reason not to allow Elise this freedom. They just had to use common sense around her. Elise didn't need to be wandering around when guests were present simply for safety. Elise had come here when the street was empty, she wasn't moving when guests were around, and ACU was here to keep guests back when it was time to go back. Owen had thought this one through, and he made sure it was fine to do this. He didn't just walk around with Elise in public as he pleased.

Owen looked at Debra as he said, "Elise likes the background noise, and it is really hot today."

"I had thought Rick was kidding when he said Elise sat in the fountain last week."

Owen quietly chuckled before a kid walked over, and he answered, "Nope; just a statue. You can see Elise at her next show."

The boy suspiciously stared at the dinosaur before nodding; Debra raised an eyebrow and waited until the kid was out of reach before she asked, "A statue?"

Owen couldn't help dryly asking, "Can you imagine how crazy the kids would go if they realized Elise was sitting out here? I don't think half of them realize just how big she is. Claire would have my head for all the kids playing in the fountain. Not to mention all the 'concerned' parents asking about safety."

Debra gave a small nod as she watched Elise for any signs of life; she was impressed by how still the white creature was, and she said, "Yeah, I noticed a slight increase in attendance in the zoo after that."

Owen snorted; he wasn't sure why Debra had decided to strike up a conversation with him. He hadn't talked to her since Rosie left, and he had thought that was fine. Ben & Jerry's was his on Tuesdays, and their attractions were on opposite sides of Main Street; they just never crossed paths.

He was about to go back to his book, but a thought struck him. He couldn't help smiling slightly as he asked, "It's too damn hot at the Petting Zoo, isn't it? All the misters are over here."

Debra rolled her eyes as she adjusted her hat before answering, "I'm on break, and I was going to jump in the fountain, but Elise took the spot."

"I doubt she'll care if you get in."

"…Even after what I said before she flipped me off?"

Owen shrugged as he glanced at Elise before saying, "You can talk to her, Debra. Just…please don't pull a Blake, okay? I really don't want to go through that again."

Debra pressed her lips before her gaze was caught by a white suit. She crossed her arms while asking, "Does Claire know Elise is out here?"

Owen shook his head as he watched the CEO give investors a tour of the park, and he said, "No, but I went through protocol. Elise is fine."

He raised an eyebrow when Debra took a seat nearby, and she answered, "I want to see you convince those investors of Jurassic World's newest addition to the fountain."

The man snorted as he went back to his book; he was an amazing salesman when he wanted to be, and Elise briefly cracked open her eyes before shutting them again. She felt good right now, and was teetering on that fine line between falling asleep and being aware of what was going on around her.

She had liked the ocean at first, but she didn't care much for the creatures who called it home. She liked the fountain because nothing would try to bite her.

* * *

"And we just revealed our newest hologram of our Indominus Rex. We will go see it if you have no more questions about our Main Street."

Claire was secretly dying inside. She could just picture her organs swimming in a puddle from the heat. Of all the days for a heat wave to hit, it had to be today, and she was dealing with investors who seemed very good at ignoring the heat. One of them was a hard to impress lawyer, and Claire was ready to feed him to Rexy.

But Rexy was probably in the coolest spot she could find as well.

Claire paused to give her best smile to the group, and internally groaned when the lawyer commented, "I'm interested in how you intend to up the wow factor around here, Miss Dearing. I had thought genetic hybrids would have been all the rage here; ones without human DNA of course."

Claire faked her smile as she said, "I have decided to take a lesson from our founder, Mr. Hammond. While we had thought the wow factor would have been in genetic hybrids, Jurassic World took the time to ask our guests what they really wanted to see. What the guests want is more dinosaurs of course, but ones they know. It would be interesting to see a hybrid of an Ankylosaurs and a Triceratops, for example, but guests want normal dinosaurs; not hybrids. Jurassic World has decided to focus more money on the amber mines while improving the overall quality of our park. There's no point in what we show if we're not high quality; spare no expense."

Claire had been serious about this; Sobek had been a huge hit to the park. She had also been stressed about where to really lead Jurassic World since hybrids seemed tainted to her. Wu had been the leader of hybrids, and he wasn't here. She had decided to send out a small survey just to see what her guests wanted; Hammond had always said there was never harm in just asking.

People didn't want hybrids; at least the majority didn't. They wanted dinosaurs that weren't so well known, and Claire was all for it. She had also taken the time to focus on the complaints about the quality of the park itself; she knew it would never be perfect, but she had managed to bring the guest satisfaction percentage up; it looked good to investors.

The lawyer only gave a small snort before he said, "I suppose Elsa is doing just fine for being the only hybrid here."

Claire was about to correct the man, but another, quiet investor suddenly said, "Oh my, I don't remember that beautiful statue in the fountain last time I was here, Miss Dearing. It looks stunning."

Claire raised an eyebrow as she turned to the fountain before blinking. Owen was carefully watching them over a book Claire knew he was just holding so he didn't look weird while sitting there. Claire was going to tell them that wasn't a statue, but the lawyer said, "For one who isn't encouraging hybrids, you certainly are making the most money you can off the one you have, Miss Dearing. I would have expected something a little more classic, like a Tyrannosaurus, to be put there. That's not a very fearsome statue."

The female investor turned to the lawyer as she said, "Oh, quit being so picky; look how peaceful her expression is."

The woman turned to Claire as she said, "I know we have other things to see, but…may we?"

Claire wanted nothing more than to see the man's face when he realized it was the actual Elise, and she smiled while leading the way.

"Of course."

Owen groaned quietly, and Debra grinned, "Look alive, Grady."

The man only sighed as he hid behind his book; he didn't even know what it was about. He just took it off a table and hoped the owner wasn't going to find him. Debra seemed amused and relaxed today, Owen just hoped these investors would be quick to leave.

Owen internally sighed when Claire stopped in front of him, and he put his book down while pushing his hat off as he greeted, "Morning, Boss."

Claire smiled just the slightest, but the lawyer whistled at the dinosaur as he said, "Goodness, that had to be very expensive, Miss Dearing."

"She did cost a lot, but she is very much worth every single penny."

Owen smiled at the redhead, but the lawyer raised an eyebrow as he said, "I know you said you wanted to up the quality, but I don't see how a statue of a sleeping Indominus Rex is going to improve things. I would have suggested using that money in the labs instead."

The man didn't wait for a response as he walked closer while asking, "What is this made of? It's not marble, is it?"

He stretched his hand out, and Owen quickly said, "Please don't touch her."

The man raised his eyebrow before dryly saying, "My hands are clean, Mr. Grady."

Owen internally sighed when Elise suddenly curled her lip before harshly puffing air through her nose. She accidentally sprayed the lawyer with water before lifting her head high to glare at the disturbance. Claire couldn't stop her smile at how pale the lawyer became as Elise sleepily blinked at him; trying to figure out why she had been bothered. Owen quietly reached over to pat the shimmering scales as he said, "I'm sorry, Baby. I tried to tell him."

Elise continued to glare at the man before she made a low rumble that sounded very much like Rexy. The lawyer swallowed, and Elise gave a wide yawn before snapping her jaws shut with a loud clap. It startled several people, but the wet lawyer only mumbled, "Oh, Christ, oh, Christ…"

Claire clasped her hands in front of her as she watched the man run away. She wanted to roll her eyes, but she wasn't super concerned; he was just an advisor for the investors.

And they only seemed happy to see Elise up close and personal.

* * *

Blue slowed to a cautious trot as she began to smell around the fence. She had been very glad when the humans had left because she was getting tired of avoiding the temptations of a good hunt. Humans were very easy to hunt, except for Alpha and Barry. Blue wouldn't hunt them to kill, but she did like playing with Alpha. He was good at hiding.

Barry would bring them treats as he gave them gentle touches on their face, but Delta loved him the most.

Barry hadn't met Stern One yet, but Blue always assured the older dinosaur as best she could that Barry was a very good human. Blue was glad Barry came to see them often.

The wind shifted slightly, and Echo curled her lip before giving a hiss. Blue was right next to her bronze sister as she began to smell the air. That musky scent was much stronger here, and Blue knew this new creature was sitting just behind the brush. It was incredibly quiet here, and Blue noticed the birds weren't singing here; like at Stern One's nest.

Was this new creature just as big?

Blue curled her lip as she tensed when she heard a low snarl whispering from the trees. She didn't like this one bit, and her sisters took a step back when a few trees shook when something very large shifted. Blue didn't want to get Stern One up for nothing, but she didn't want to ignore this problem either.

Delta jumped when Blue made a piercingly loud shriek that echoed across the plains. She wanted this new neighbor to come out right now; she knew she could outrun anything. She was the fastest one here. Nothing could catch her out here, and her sisters shifted slightly behind her. Echo made a soft chitter before Delta gave a quiet bark; this wasn't the time to look like a weak pack.

There seemed to be a brief pause before a thunderous roar shook the air, and Blue flinched back. This was louder than Stern One's roar, and just as commanding.

This new creature sounded bigger than Stern One, and Blue didn't like that.

The trees shivered again, but Blue caught sight of the rusty grey scales moving through the emerald leaves. She would have to go get Stern One and even White One before they would try to take on this creature.

Blue gave another shriek before she made to leave, but she paused when the familiar, commanding roar responded. Blue threw her head back as she gave her barks, and the raptors quickly left to go meet the older dinosaur. Blue would bring Stern One here, and she could roar fear into this creature.

* * *

"If I tried to sleep in the fountain like Elise, I'm pretty sure I would be fired."

Vivian smiled while Lowery rolled his eyes at the screen. The Indominus had gone back to her nap after the investors left, and Debra had returned to her zoo. Owen was still sitting on the ledge of the fountain, but he would probably need to leave pretty soon.

The tech-geek stretched as he leaned back in his chair before smiling at the screen that held the Holoscope. Elise's hologram had been a huge hit, and Lowery couldn't have been more proud of it. The detail was incredible, and the kids went crazy at just how big Elise really was. She was certainly taller than Cherry, and hologram somehow kept the presence Elise had about herself.

That wasn't even the best part of today; he had an actual date with Jackie tonight. Lowery was nervous enough to throw up, but he was grinning for no reason; he was just so excited. He couldn't wait to tell Elise he had found the courage to ask Jackie out.

Life was good.

"Hey guys? I think Rexy is about to see Sobek."

Lowery immediately lost his smile as he flipped the cameras around to catch sight of Rexy gracefully walking with an especially stern expression on her face. The tech-geek grimaced when the cameras on the fence caught sight of Sobek peering through the trees, and he groaned when the Spinosaurus decided to step out of the jungle.

"Should we call Elise?"

Lowery sighed as he glanced at the Indominus sleeping peacefully in the fountain before he said, "We'll give these two a chance, and we can call Elise when Blue goads the two into Mortal Kombat."

Vivian raised an eyebrow as she asked, "Don't you mean 'if'?"

Lowery shook his head as he pictured the Beta raptor starting the match.

 _Fight!_

* * *

Sobek had thought the pack hunters had been scared away, but he wasn't sure about the blue one. She looked like she would fight, and he found that amusing. Pack hunters could be challenging if there were enough of them, but he found them to be more annoying than anything. He had hoped Stranger would have been with this pack, but Sobek didn't couldn't see how Stranger would be able to keep up with them.

It wasn't until he heard the roar from the powerful one that Sobek decided to part from the trees. He had missed seeing them, and it was going to be amusing to see how the pack hunters would get away from a territorial female.

What Sobek didn't expect to see was this magnificent power coming towards him with the pack hunters trotting alongside her.

A powerful one who belong to a pack? Sobek wasn't sure what to make of that, and he had briefly wondered if this one was weak.

Rexy was not happy with this surprise, and she had thought she smelled one of these finned creatures on the wind; she had thought there weren't any more. Apparently she was wrong, and now there was one living right on the border of her youngling's territory.

Rexy wouldn't stand for that, and she allowed a powerful, commanding roar to spill from her jaws as she stood tall and proud. The ground shook beneath her as Blue made a piercingly loud shriek. Rexy would fight this one if it didn't want to leave.

She didn't back down from fights.

Sobek didn't either, and he rose to his full height as he gave his own challenging roar. This was how it was supposed to be when his path crossed with a powerful one; the limper on his island always backed down from a fight, but now he could fight something that could actually give him a challenge. He had never seen one as big as her, and the only thing in between him and a good fight was this damned hot fence.

* * *

"Oh, no, no, no, no…"

Lowery grimaced as the two carnivores got as close to the electric fence as possible without touching it. Sobek was a couple feet taller than Rexy, but the Tyrannosaur didn't seemed fazed by it. Rexy seemed to be encouraged by the size difference, and the cameras shook when she gave another thunderous roar.

The tech-geek pressed his lips before asking, "Is everything good with the fence right now?"

Lowery didn't appreciate it when he got the comment of, "The time to ask that is not when the Big Boss and the Rival Big Boss are having a roaring match."

"Can I just get an answer please?!"

Lowery huffed when Rexy and Sobek began to move along the fence line while snapping their jaws in an impressive display. Neither tried to break through the fence though, and Lowery supposed it was fine if they only roared at each other.

It would be just his luck that his first date in years would get cancelled because of an island evacuation. It didn't help that Blue was encouraging her sisters to rile the two up. There was a lot of noise going on, and Lowery finally said, "We need to break this up if we can."

Lowery lowered his brows when someone said, "I volunteer you to do that because I don't think asking them nicely will work."

Vivian chewed on her lip before asking, "Should we get ACU?"

Lowery didn't think that would work, and he pressed his lips before he scrolled through the cameras to find Elise. He paused at seeing Dr. Gerry hobbling back into the Vet building while talking on his phone. Owen had gotten the phone back by some miracle, and Lowery suddenly said, "Hey, it really riled up Sobek to hear Dr. Gerry's phone, right? What if we got Elise to call for Rexy while we played the ringtone on speakers in Sobek's paddock?"

Another person from Security asked, "And if that just riles Sobek up into rampaging?"

"We won't play it for very long. Someone find the tone on YouTube or something. I know Elise has to be headed back to her paddock now."

* * *

Sobek had never had one challenge him so fiercely; now he really hoped to find a weak spot in the fence. He wanted a fight with this one, but he wasn't sure what to do with the pack hunters shrieking at her feet. Was she really part of this pack? It didn't make sense to Sobek, and he suddenly lowered his head to give a snap at the blue scaled raptor for sticking her nose where it didn't belong.

The Beta didn't flinch back, but Sobek did when the Tyrannosaurus gave a furious roar. He knew that kind of roar; it was a protective mother defending her hatchling. That only confused the Spinosaurus more, but it didn't take away from the fact that he was going to get a fight out of her.

Sobek was just tickled that he could get his blood pumping again, and this powerful creature was perfect. He could actually smell the raw power seeping from her scales, and her authority was not to be questioned. This had to be her land, he had never seen any other who could be her equal.

Except himself of course, and he intended to be a worthy challenger.

Sobek was so focused on keeping eye contact with Rexy that he never notice how the fence had suddenly became a wall until he bumped into it. The Spinosaurus broke eye contact briefly to glare at what the humans had created, and he made a disappointed sound when he realized he wouldn't be able to break through the fence.

He turned his emerald gaze to evenly meet the blazing, gold fire, and he made a low hiss; he would find a way through this fence. There was no way he couldn't not fight this beauty; he wanted this fight. He had to have this fight.

Rexy misinterpreted the hiss as an insult, and she curled her lip high before letting out a vibrating growl; she wouldn't stand for this. It was obvious she wouldn't be able to get to this one, but now she was going to patrol her youngling's territory more often. She would kill this rude one the first chance she got, but for now it seemed he was stuck on his side of this fence.

She didn't like this threat so close to her home, and she would have to regroup with her youngling in order to deal with Rude One.

Rexy curled her lip higher before she paused; she hadn't seen or heard from her youngling all day. Not even a roar was heard. Rude One had already tried to bite her Blue One, and White One wasn't an experienced fighter.

Had Rude One already gotten her youngling?

Rexy really didn't want to think so; she would have heard something, or even smelled the blood. The Tyrannosaurus flared her sensitive nostrils to catch the scents on Rude One, but she didn't smell her youngling on him.

Maybe White One was still fine…

Rexy let out a low grow before she gracefully turned around. Finding her youngling was more important than sizing up this old, rude creature. He was obviously a fighter, but he looked old. Rexy knew she could beat him in a fight, especially with Blue One by her side. She didn't want to endanger her family without reason though, and for now, this Rude One couldn't get to them.

But Rexy was still going to let the humans know she was not happy about this.

Sobek stiffened when his challenger had the audacity to turn her back on him. Did she think he wasn't worth the fight? Did she not think he was her equal in power? Sobek curled his lip high before letting out a thunderous roar.

The Tyrannosaurus hardly flicked her tail as she continued about her way. She didn't deem him a threat, and Sobek was stunned by that. The only time anything was allowed to turn their back on him was when they were running.

She wasn't running nor was she retreating.

Sobek grew hopeful when the Tyrannosaurus paused, but only to allow the blue raptor to scramble onto her tall back. It was odd to see, and he let out a long, low growl. He wanted to fight, and he didn't appreciate being ignored. He was going to find a weak spot in this fence, find her, and prove he was an imposing male to be feared.

Sobek let out a snort before he began to groom himself of the feeling he didn't like in his chest. He was not a lesser creature, and he was going to go find large prey to take down. He always felt good when he could make an impressive kill, and he would come back here later.

It was a little too hot for a fight, and he was warmer than what he wanted to be right now.

* * *

"…Huh…I thought Big Boss would have tried to bite the fence at least."

Lowery tapped his pencil on his desk as he turned his gaze back to the viewing log. Elise had pulled her head back to give a shrill roar, and the kids cheered excitedly. Lowery wondered why Rexy just ignored Sobek all of a sudden, but he wouldn't complain about it. Maybe it was too hot to be fighting.

Too much heat had a way of making the animals act differently.

The tech-geek relaxed into his chair when Sobek continued to walk further into the jungle, but Lowery startled at a loud ringtone. He glanced over at the culprit, and the man sheepishly said, "Found Dr. Gerry's ringtone."

Lowery scratched the back of his head as he replied, "Well, send it to my computer, and we can use it just in case those two try to fight again. Back to work you guys."

* * *

Wu quietly stared at his tea while swirling it with the silver spoon. The amber liquid was soothing to him, and he could almost ignore the silence in his office. He knew he should have been out there, researching possible new hybrids, but what was the point?

He didn't want to work for InGen anymore; he had only agreed to work for them in the first place because of the unsupervised freedom. Now he was sitting alone with no desire to do more research because it wouldn't go anywhere. He didn't want to give anything to make Bridges more valuable.

Wu just wanted to be difficult for the man; everyone rolled over for Bridges.

His gaze flickered over to the brown box sitting idle against the wall. It held several things that he wanted sent to Elise, but he had to be careful about how he actually mailed it. He knew Bridges was watching him like a hawk, but Wu had thought something would have happened by now. Was no one reading the files? Or had they skimmed over the details? Wu didn't notice how he seemed to stir his tea more quickly as he swallowed.

He needed attention drawn to the records before he went out with a bang, but he wasn't sure how to time this package being sent; it hadn't been part of his original plan. He wanted it sent before he died because a selfish part of him wanted to know what Elise would think.

Wu was also aware he had been selfish most of his life, and it was amazing how much he could pick at it when he had given up. He regretted not asking that blonde geneticist out for lunch, not calling his parents as often as he could before they died, and not taking the time to look up from his laptop more often.

Hammond had always warned him about getting too absorbed in his work, and Wu hadn't heeded it until now. Wu had wasted his life away building up a reputation that was only worth a sentencing to prison. He had used human DNA, and that was a crime even if he had his own reasons for it and a willing donor. He was just glad Elise had turned out for the better, and Wu sighed as he stared at the box.

It was going to have sensitive cargo, and he didn't want to risk rough weather just because it would be his luck for the ship to sink.

Wu sighed before standing; he was tired of rotting in this office, and he needed to quietly watch the docks for a little bit. It wouldn't hurt to see how observant workers were, and he had a feeling Bridges would be busy elsewhere.

The man hardly strayed far from his air conditioning on days like this.

Wu wasn't going to disappoint Elise, and she had certainly matured in the last month. She was getting wiser, yet she maintained that innocence; she saw the world differently, but it was familiar. Wu was glad for the YouTube videos because he was able to come to his decisions.

Elise was wise enough to make a decision he never could; she was earning her name.

* * *

Bridges leaned back in his chair as he admired the purple Skittle in between his fingers. He never cared for the purple ones; they didn't taste as good, and he sniffed quietly before his gaze wandered over to the clock. He was expecting another online meeting very soon, but he had time to kill. Things were running very smoothly, and he had been sleeping wonderfully well.

Except for Clem; she hadn't been doing so well for the past week, and that wasn't good. Bridges didn't like that, and he was getting a little nervous. She was the strings, and Bridges couldn't be a very good puppeteer if his puppet didn't have strings.

A timid knock on the door made Bridges sigh, but he didn't glance up when his assistant walked in. Bridges continued to turn the purple Skittle over as he asked, "What is the good word out there, Jack?"

The man immediately smiled as he answered, "We found one in the labs finally, and she's a safe bet."

Bridges glanced up from his Skittle to ask, "Really? How safe?"

Jack handed over the folder as he answered, "Miss Dearing has a lot of faith in her; the Head Geneticist has taken her under his wing. She's already something of a prodigy over there, Mr. Bridges. I think she's the one."

Bridges nodded before saying, "I'll go meet her myself, just to be sure, and if she really is as promising as we think, then we can get rid of Wu. We just need to be careful about making sure we know where he keeps all of his data; I know Miss Dearing doesn't want anything to do with more hybrids. We need to keep that here, and transfer everything else to this prodigy."

Jack nodded as he stared at the markings in the desk, and Bridges suddenly asked, "Have we gotten any more matches?"

The man pressed his lips before quietly answering, "No…"

Bridges sighed as he sat back even more, and muttered, "I should have taken that offer, but I thought we would have gotten another one."

He rubbed his face before saying, "Tell them the next match they get I will buy, understood? There's no need to push things any further; especially since Hart is close to getting all the paperwork cleared up."

Jack nodded, and he was quiet for a few seconds before asking, "Why did you let the first offer go?"

Bridges began to slowly squish the candy between his fingers as he answered, "Because I don't want Hart to think he has a choice in leaving. It's part of our deal, but I would hate for him to get cold feet. You know how it is with people, Jack. Once they get what they want, they just aren't as motivated to do what they agreed to do; I know Hart is stressing, but he's close to finishing so I need to hold up my end of the deal."

Jack watched Bridges flick the squished candy across the room before it landed in the trash bin with a quiet plunk. The blonde smirked, but he said, "Very good then. We're making progress; things are going very well in my opinion. We just need to keep the investors interested."

"You do realize that, at the end of the day, they still want a traine-"

"What the investors wanted was an animal who could be trained. Elise can be trained, she is doing a wonderful job, and they can't complain about it. That last bit was not part of the contracts; just a bonus."

Jack didn't looked convinced, but he reluctantly nodded. Bridges glanced at his watch before sighing, "Back to work I suppose."

Bridges shook his head when his assistant only left with a nod. Jack was smart, and he could go a lot of places if he wasn't such a pushover; it was almost irritating sometimes.

Maybe Jack knew he wasn't going to get a job anywhere else; his record wasn't the greatest, but it worked to Bridges' advantage. It always did.

* * *

Dr. Gerry sighed as he eyeballed the pile of papers before him. He knew he needed to look at Elise's records, but he had been busy. They had another sick Stegosaurus, and he had no idea why she was getting sick. It was a cycle they were having trouble figuring out, but keeping her hydrated was the most important thing he could do.

Especially on hot days like this.

His office was a fire hazard itself with nothing but files and thick books lining his walls, but he hated storing all his information on one, little, plastic hard drive. He knew how easy it was to lose little things like that, and he knew where everything was in his office.

The vet rubbed the bald spot on his head before taking a sip of his Diet Pepsi. He liked the quiet of his office, and nothing had changed in all his years of being here. He allowed everything outside of his office to be updated, but his office was his home. It never changed with the cracked, square tiles in the light green and black color scheme along with the wood paneling on the walls.

The records weren't going to read themselves, and Gerry had to snort. He had actual records from Wu himself, and he had put off reading them. It wasn't an emergency to him; he had sick animals, and Elise never gave him trouble aside from an occasional sore tooth.

If only all his patients were as cooperative as her.

The vet opened the cover of the folder before he blinked with a small smile. If anything could melt his heart, it was a picture of little Elise, and she looked so in awe of everything. He could actually still see the bits of broken shell on her, and those crimson eyes were wide with wonder while focusing on whoever took the picture; Gerry assumed it was some assistant. Wu hardly bothered with anything he created once it hatched.

She was thinner than what he would have expected, and much smaller; most hatchlings came out with round tummies, but Gerry supposed it was a miracle she survived considering how many things had been mixed into her.

Gerry was sure Owen would want this picture, and he intended to make a copy for himself, this was too adorable to not keep. He just wished he had something on Elise's sister. Owen had asked him for a picture of her, and Gerry had been sad when he knew he didn't have one. Of all the things to deny Elise in her life, a picture of her little sister shouldn't have been one of them.

He set the picture to the side before taking in Wu's record keeping skills. There was certainly a lot of details that wouldn't have mattered, but he scanned his eyes over the first page; it was the shortest.

Species: _Indomitus rex_

Species ID: IR

IR Subject ID: IR-01

Birth Weight: 7.2lbs.

Birth Date: 12/4/09

Base Genome: Species TR.

Donor Species: Subject TR-01 _(Alive as of 2009)_ , Subject SA-01* _(Alive as of 2009),_ Subject VM-07 _(Presumed deceased as of 1993; genetic sample survived)_. Subject HS-1, Deceased.

Amber Mine Samples: _Carnotaurus sastrei, Majungasaurus crenatissmus, Rugops primus, Giganotosaurus carolinii._

Total Dinosauria: 7 species.

Gerry slowly rubbed his forehead as he prepared for the headache. Seven, different species of dinosaurs had been used in Elise. Seven. Different. Species. Four of them they didn't even have on this island, and he wasn't sure if Isla Sorna had them. The labs had several samples of dinosaurs they hadn't created simply because there wasn't a green light to make them.

It was obvious that it hadn't stopped Wu from taking from those samples it seemed. The list of dinosaurs in Elise weren't as long as the modern animals, but none of them were very cuddly creatures.

He didn't see anything about human DNA being used either unless he misread something. Gerry was curious about the donors used, and he even recognized the first one; TR-01. It was Rexy's ID; Tyrannosaurus rex 01. Gerry wasn't familiar with the code SA though, but he knew it had to be in the records if the dinosaur was here.

It was the one good thing about computers that Gerry loves; he could just type in the ID code. He remembered when computers were still fluky things, weighing too much to even think about carrying, and he had used a rolodex instead. Those had been long days, but now he didn't have to memorize codes anymore.

He still did out of habit, and it was why he was so curious about that one. The old vet quietly clicked the enter button before he blinked at the result.

It was their newest addition to the park and most avid fisher. _Spinosaurus aegyptiacus._ SA-01*; it was Sobek. Elise had Sobek's DNA in her as well as Rexy's. Gerry supposed that made sense, but he found life to be very funny sometimes. One, big happy family, but Gerry was curious about the VM-07. He had no idea why Wu would pick such an old sample when they had better ones; ones without the sex changing frog DNA.

Gerry blinked before squinting at the screen. As far as he knew, three of the four donors were dinosaurs created using the tainted frog DNA. Gerry wondered if Elise had the ability to change her sex, but he doubted he would ever find out. She would actually need another female to be present before the change would happen. It was like with Rexy, there was no other female around to cause her to change her sex, and Gerry was fine with that. Tyrannosaur bucks were more aggressive than the females, but they were smaller; Gerry didn't want to deal with a buck of Rexy's size.

He was curious about the mystery VM donor though, and he knew they would still have the records. Jurassic World never deleted records of their animals just in case, but this would be an animal who had somehow died during or right after the Jurassic Park Incident. It was still worth a shot though, but he scratched his jaw at the result.

 _Search Result: VM-07 Not Found_

The old vet sighed when his radio crackled; there was never a dull moment on this park, and he picked up the radio as one of his techs said, "Hey, Doc? We got another Edmontosaurus who's not eating; she needs a ringer too. Can you send someone to us with that stuff so we don't have to drive back?"

Gerry pressed his lips as he thought about who was where, and he was pretty sure he was the only one here at the moment. He sighed as he closed the records again; he would read this when he wasn't distracted, and he said, "I'll head over there now."

His back gave a pop as he stood, but he gave the screen one more glance. It didn't settle well with him that Wu had used a sample like that, and he swept his gaze across the mountains of paper in his office.

Somewhere beneath the Manella folders, hundreds of books, journals, research papers, and files, lied a very dusty rolodex that he knew would hold VM-07's records.

Gerry shrugged as he left the office; he would get to it when he could.

* * *

"Are you sure you don't want to run with us, Baby?"

Elise shook her head as she glanced around; they were done with their shows for the day, and Owen wanted to take the girls for another run now that it was cooler. She could just tell Blue wanted to full out run today, and Elise wasn't feeling very hyper at the moment. Rexy was staying close to a pond in her own paddock, and Elise wanted to go check on Small One.

Elise didn't feel like running today.

Owen pressed his lips before Blue roughly nudged his shoulder, and he said, "Well, alright then. We'll keep nearby, okay?"

He chuckled when Elise gently nuzzled him as she let out a croon; she was never going to outgrow being affectionate with him. Owen had no problems with hugging her tightly as he said, "Don't get into too much trouble, alright? I know Rexy had enough excitement for today."

Elise snorted at the understatement. She had never had Rexy just show up at her show without warning. Elise had been completely caught off guard when her mother gave a firm nip at her tail; Elise had ended up hitting her head on the log's ceiling. Rexy hadn't been too happy with her not checking in all morning, and Blue had been furious at her for not warning the pack about Sobek's arrival.

It had been a little hectic for a few minutes while Owen had silently slid the window shut before Rexy could realize it was open.

Everything was calmer now, and Rexy had made it clear that she wanted Elise to check in more often until the new neighbor could be dealt with. The Tyrannosaurus had made it perfectly clear how unhappy she was at her own show.

The poor goat never stood a chance, and the viewing log window had to be replaced simply because they couldn't scrub the scuff marks off; there were also some very terrified children leaving the park tonight.

Elise was pulled from her thoughts when Owen's motorcycle revved, and Blue gave a delighted shriek as she bounced around. Owen had been doing what training he could with them. They had a set course they would run every night through the jungle, and the raptors truly enjoyed it. It was fun to dart over the obstacles while trying to keep up with Owen.

Elise smiled at the enthusiastic grin before Owen gave a whistle as he took off. The pack was gone in the blink of an eye, and Elise quietly moved along the worn trail. Things were quiet here aside from the delighted raptors racing, but Elise loved the sound.

She never felt alone with it.

She felt good after today; she felt better after her day off. She was almost ready to go to sleep, but she wanted to patrol her own territory tonight. It wasn't that she didn't trust Rexy but she wanted to check things for herself; it irritated her when she sat in one spot for too long. She liked walking around.

She wanted to catch sight of Sobek too. She was sad she didn't get to meet him this morning, but it sounded like it had been exciting. She was glad the fence hadn't broken down because that would have been a fight she wouldn't know how to break up.

Elise continued to walk until she came to her sister's tree, and she decided to sit there for a few minutes to simply talk to her. The tree was thriving here, and Elise was delighted to see how much it had grown once it had been planted.

The Indominus began to quietly talk to her sister. She told Small One about her day, the fountain and the lawyer she had scared. She talked about Sobek, Owen, and how Blue could be dramatic sometimes. Today had been very hot, and Elise talked about how she was glad to have her days off. She hadn't been in the mood to train or talk to her therapist today.

Elise continued to chitter before a loud roar suddenly echoed across the plains. She knew that wasn't Rexy, but she had never heard it so close before. Elise tilted her head as she contemplated her next move; she wanted to finish talking, but she wanted to meet Sobek. The Spinosaurus hadn't hung around his fence as much as Elise had thought, and she finally bid her sister a goodnight before leaving. She wanted to meet Sobek.

Blue had said he was a lot bigger than Rexy.

* * *

Elise was a little confused when Sobek wouldn't stop his loud roars, and she had decided to give her own when she caught sight of the electric fence. It was getting dark, and she knew Rexy would want her back at the nest soon, but she just wanted one peek.

She froze when the old dinosaur suddenly parted from the jungle in his rightful glory with his proud head held high. She couldn't believe how massive he was, and she was sure his presence made him seem even bigger.

He was powerful and he was fully aware of it; the confidence oozed from his rusty scales, and Elise marveled at the scars decorating the old Spinosaurus. He had seen more battles than Rexy, and Elise wondered if how many Tyrannosaurs he had fought in his life; she remembered Bridges telling of one fight he had witnessed.

Sobek had ambushed a Tyrannosaurus before quickly killing it.

Elise felt that Sobek looked like he would put up a good fight against Rexy, and now was her chance to get to know the massive king. She knew she could understand Sobek a little bit, but it was harder than understanding Rexy. It was like Sobek had an incredibly thick accent; she wasn't even sure if he could understand her.

Elise finally realized the Spinosaurus hadn't seen her when his milky eye almost glowed in the dying light. A long scar raked along his muzzle, and his legs looked very scarred; Elise wondered how he had received those scars.

She made a soft sound, and the Spinosaurus snapped his piercing, emerald gaze onto her before he froze.

Sobek had no idea what he was looking at, but he didn't like it. He had never seen such bright scales before, and then the wind shifted toward him. Sobek inhaled as best he could while remaining still.

It was the twisted scent, and he certainly found it befitting of this one. This was the one who reminded him of the crazy female he had met so long ago. This one didn't look crazy, but Sobek just knew she didn't look right.

He wanted the powerful one to come here; he wanted to see her again. She had carried a certain presence about herself that he found appealing; a fellow ruler. This twisted one did not have a presence about herself; she was not a threat to him. She was just odd, and he had no idea how she survived with such an unsavory scale color.

Sobek flared his nostrils as more of the white dinosaur's scent flowed towards him, and he curled his lip at smelling several things. Stranger's smell was very strong on her; as was the powerful one's.

He didn't like that; this one was unnatural, and shouldn't have lived so long. Sobek made a low hiss for her to go away, but she only tilted her head.

Elise knew it hadn't been a friendly greeting, but it was hard to understand Sobek. She could tell he wasn't pleased to see her even if she didn't know why, but Elise still made her own, low croon. Bridges had been helpful in bringing recordings of Sobek's sounds to her. She had a basic concept of it.

Sobek seemed to stiffen before he rose taller, he easily had a few feet over her, and the sail made him look much taller. Elise wondered if he ever got tired of that sitting on his back all the time. She winced slightly when he gave a more aggressive order to go away, and she made her own response; she just wanted to talk.

Sobek only curled his lip; this one could speak his tongue, but she was very poor at it. She tripped over sounds, making them awkward and annoying him. She needed to go away so he could attract the attention of his worthy opponent. This twisted one had size to her, but Sobek knew a weakling when he saw one. She lacked experience, and she was soft.

She wasn't mighty; only twisted. She wasn't worth his time, and Sobek told her so.

He paused when the rage flashed across the crimson eyes, and she let out a long, low growl that sounded very much like her mother. Sobek wasn't sure what to do with that, but he let out another hiss when the white dinosaur tried to insult him.

It was garbled nonsense with a few words to make sense; Sobek wasn't in the mood to try and converse with something who wasn't worth a second glance. She certainly had the potential to be something fearsome, but she lacked experience. Sobek doubted she had ever fought for her life; she was too soft.

Sobek turned away; he was done talking to this twisted one. He wanted to see Stranger and get through this fence. He would chase off this youngling before getting his fight.

The Spinosaurus startled when something smacked into the side of his jaw, and he snapped his head back with a livid screech as the dust filled his nose. It only encouraged Elise to throw another solid clump of dirt at the adult as she snarled insults at him; now she regretted asking Claire to give Sobek a chance. He was arrogant and rude; she hoped Rexy would beat him in a fight. She hoped one of those sharks would bite his nose, and Elise wasn't sure why she was so disappointed that they weren't getting along.

She had wanted comforts about getting too big, and Sobek was much bigger than her. He seemed perfectly comfortable with himself, and Elise wanted that. He didn't have to be gentle around humans though, and Elise gave another snarl before Sobek suddenly let out a roar. Elise was momentarily startled by how big it was, but she only rose to her full height. She curled her lip high as a deep grow vibrated in her chest, and she opened her jaws as wide as possible before she gave her piercingly loud, shrill roar. It was long and loud; Sobek shook his head as he took a few steps back, and he tried to drown her out with his own roar. Elise wasn't in the mood to be passive with him, and she let out another shrill roar that always seemed to hurt everyone's ears. Sobek curled his lip as he shook his head with more vigor before glaring at Elise when she stopped to take a breath. The Spinosaurus gave a furious roar when Elise's third roar was too much for his ears; he would have killed her if there fence wasn't here, but he had to retreat.

Elise growled as Sobek melted back into the jungle with stomping sounds, and she gave a huff. That had gone much worse than expected, and Elise felt a little saddened by it. She wanted to get to know the big Alphas, and she wanted to hear about Isla Sorna. She wanted to know what that place was like; Rexy had never left the island.

It seemed she wouldn't be getting that, and Elise made a low growl as she decided to head back home. She missed Rexy's presence, and she wasn't surprised to hear Rexy's concerned roars on the wind. Elise knew she was loud, but she wished Sobek had been nicer. She didn't glance behind her when she heard the Spinosaurus give a roar, but she had two different ways to describe the arrogant dinosaur.

Owen would have called him an ass.

And Rosie would have called him a butt-nugget.

Elise liked Rosie's word better as she glanced over her shoulder with a smirk.

Sobek was a butt-nugget, and she was going to go out of her way to keep Rexy away from him.

* * *

 **Another A/N**

 **Yes, Sobek shall be seeing Owen again. Have a good day/night!**


	67. Chapter 67

**A/N**

 **Holy moly, Guys! I'm sorry for being gone; it's corn chopping time, and any Ag person knows that means it's time to pull out pipe, this chapter was also hard to write. Let me give a shout-out to every person who walked face first into a spider web while carrying a heavy handpipe in the corn field. I know what it's like. People think paper cuts hurt, let them get cut by corn leaves on their face; I wouldn't wish that on anyone.**

 **Linge, the link didn't work :(, I bet the music was fitting though.**

 **Jimbo, this will not be a crossover; I think it's hard to write a good crossover, but it would be cool to see that mixed with Elise.**

 **discorded-q, that's fine, but it's great to hear from you again! I had assumed she was the last raptor brought in, but I had wondered if she would have been an older raptor since she was big. I can imagine she would have been difficult to move, and she was the last one they had managed to catch. Plus, she was an oddball, so she got an odd number in her record.**

 **Kim K's Butt! I hope you get better soon, I am feeling better now :) Much love to you, and that song did play in my head; shame on you.**

 **Unknown, I never wanted Sobek to be a bad guy; just a cranky dragon who likes a good fight.**

 **Mr. W, yes, Sobek has claimed Owen as his favorite human.**

 **Imtomzizle, I hope you don't get sick! Please stay healthy! I'm glad you love the humor because I loved having Elise just chilling in the fountain.**

 **The Only Potato, I give you duct tape to help the band-aid :3 FNAF scared the life out of me; especially Foxy. I hope you survive all five nights. *whispers* You're the hero who doesn't need a cape. Don't get sick!**

 **AnotherOreoThin, I'm gad you love the characters! I love them too, thank you :)**

 **TheFourthOreo, I thank you for your forgiveness! I have not had unlimited Oreos before; my budget doesn't allow that xD**

 **Anonymous, That's exactly what I was going for! Thank you.**

 **OREO! Gerry is smart and attentive, and he shall have help from another favorite character to analyse the records.**

 **Thank you much and mighty for your reviews, I sincerely appreciate that you take the time to read these much longer chapters, but also review them. Please stay safe, enjoy this chapter, don't get sick, and just in case you don't hear it from anyone else, I love you guys.**

* * *

"Sobek's Warning."

"Sobek is a… _butt-nugget?"_

Bridges blinked at the writing before pressing his lips as he turned his gaze back to Elise. Of all the things he had been expecting from Elise, this was not one of them. Bridges had all kinds of different ways to describe his Spinosaurus; this was not one of them.

Sometimes Elise acted like a six year old.

Said six year old nodded with a hard, offended look on her face. She was still mad at Sobek for his rudeness, she was the only reason why Claire had felt comfortable enough to bring him here; Elise had promised to deal with the Spinosaurus if he got loose.

It didn't mean she was going to put up with his attitude.

Bridges scratched the back of his head in bewilderment; he really wasn't sure how to respond to that, but he truthfully said, "Sweetheart, I can't say I've held a conversation with him before. The only time I've ever really been around Sobek is when he was ill. It's a shame he's rude; I had always thought him to be sophisticated."

Elise puffed air through her nostrils as she flickered her gaze over to Owen; she knew he didn't like it when she and Bridges talked with one another for very long. Elise knew how to deal with Bridges, and he knew Sobek best.

At least Elise thought he did, but Bridges had only handled Sobek when he was ill.

Her attention was grabbed by Bridges offering, "But I know Sobek is picky about what he likes. He grows on you, Sweetheart; he really does. He's just a little rough around the edges, you know? He's not a social creature like Tyrannosaurs apparently are."

Elise thought about that, and she supposed she had judged Sobek rather quickly. It was hard not to; she had never been disregarded so quickly in her life before. Elise was sure she wouldn't have gotten so angry if Sobek had simply ignored her, but he had insulted for no good reason.

She had convinced Rexy to avoid the fence this morning, and Elise could still hear Sobek give challenging roars. She didn't understand why he wanted to fight her so badly, but it was starting to get annoying, and he wasn't fishing as much. It was like he was obsessed with getting a fight with Rexy.

Elise thought he was crazy, but Owen had called it a 'later life crisis'. It meant Sobek wasn't ready to admit he was old. Rexy knew she was old, but she knew she could still fight. Elise wondered if someone needed to tell Sobek it was okay to get old; he just didn't need to feel old.

Bridges gave a smile when Elise nodded; she would try to right her wrong with Sobek. She didn't think she would get very far with the Spinosaurus considering how she had thrown dirt at his face yesterday before roaring him away. Owen had warned her about roaring too loud too often around people; it would damage their hearing.

Elise hoped she hadn't made Sobek deaf; Bridges had said Sobek was already losing some of his hearing.

The blonde checked his watch before smiling at Elise; she noticed how the smile had changed the more she got to know him. It was slightly crooked, more relaxed, and didn't flash all his teeth. Elise still didn't trust Bridges, but she felt there was a mutual respect between them. He bore her no ill-will, and that was enough for her.

"I need to be leaving, Sweetheart; I appreciate you giving Sobek another chance. He really isn't a bad guy, just…a cranky, old dragon as Dr. Gerry puts it. Keep yourself and Owen out of trouble please. I'm sure you can sway him with your charisma, Sweetheart."

Elise paused as she thought about that; it was really hard to understand Sobek, and she wasn't sure if he understood her very well. She didn't think so because of how he insulted her. Talking to Blue, Delta, and Echo felt so natural to her; she never had to really think about it. She talked to them just as she had her sister.

Talking to Rexy had been a little hard at first; it was more basic, and depended more on body language. Rexy didn't understand the chirps or barks Elise would make occasionally when talking to her, but Elise never struggled to understand her.

Understanding Sobek was harder than understanding humans; he made hisses more often than growls. His body language wasn't what Elise knew how to interpret very well, but she knew she would learn.

She just wasn't sure why it wasn't coming to her as naturally.

Elise was pulled from her thoughts when Bridges cocked a playful eyebrow at her as he teased, "I know Sobek is a little intimidating, but don't let that stop you from using your charm."

The Indominus paused, she wasn't sure why she felt the need to say it, but she back up to write in the dirt. Owen and Bridges leaned over the railing to see the words.

' _HARD TO UNDERSTAND SOBEK'_

Owen frowned while Bridges glanced at Elise as he asked, "Like…he's not a very good speaker?"

Elise shook her head, Sobek was very good at speaking in his own tongue; she just wasn't getting it. It was going to take longer for her to understand the language assuming Sobek was even willing to talk to her that often.

She tapped her talon in the dirt in thought before clarifying, _'HARD TO UNDERSTAND LANGUAGE'_

Elise paused to admire the long words, and she couldn't help beaming at herself. Sometimes she would suddenly be hit by how far she had come in her life; she was actually talking to humans in a way they could understand, and it made her feel incredible.

They listened to what she had to say, and she could write big words. That was the best part; she couldn't write a lot of big words, but she felt her writing was getting better. She knew more little words, and her sentence structure was much better.

Elise was pulled from her thoughts when Owen frowned before asking, "Was it hard to understand Rexy?"

The two men shared a glance when Elise shook her head; they stared at the words for a few more seconds before Bridges pushed himself up as he asked, "But you can understand Sobek a little bit, correct? You understand the gist of what he's saying?"

Elise confirmed this, but she tilted her head when the two seemed to change. Owen frowned in serious thought, and Bridges' eyes turned dark. She wasn't sure what she had said, but Bridges suddenly said, "I'm sure you'll be holding conversations with Sobek in no time, Sweetheart; don't let him stump you. I know you're fully capable of learning how to talk to him; tell him I said 'hello', would you?"

Elise nodded, and Bridges gave her the slightly crooked grin before he left after giving Owen a glance. The man scratched his jaw before patting Elise's snout as he said, "Baby, I need to go talk to Doc for a few minutes. You'll keep the girls in line, right? Please don't go throwing more dirt at Sobek; let the fence stay up for a couple more days before it gets busted. People worked really hard on that; it depresses them when that stuff gets smashed."

Elise promised she would through a croon, and nuzzled Owen gently, enticing a warm smile out of him. He gave her nose another pat before shutting the window. Elise immediately disappeared into the jungle, and Owen walked out of the log.

A few things weren't exactly making sense to him.

It was almost as hot as the day before, and there wasn't a cloud in sight; they were getting a lot of sun lately. Owen paused at the entrance of the log when he saw Bridges standing there with his arms crossed and an unreadable expression on his face. Owen crossed his own arms, and the blonde suddenly asked, "May I have your opinion on a few things, Owen?"

"Sure."

Bridges narrowed his eyes at nothing when he asked, "As far as you know, Rexy has lived alone most of her life, correct?"

"Her handler said she raised a juvenile Tyrannosaurus a long time ago, but as far as I know, that was the last one of her kind she was around."

Bridges gave a single nod, and Owen carefully watched him; something about the way Bridges reacted set a bad tone for him. Owen paused when Bridges said, "I know Sobek has been around another Spinosaurus, but I know they don't have pack mentality like the Tyrannosaurus. I would assume their 'language' so to speak, would be a little more basic."

Owen got what Bridges was hinting at, and he carefully said, "It's still a language, and Elise had never been around animals besides her sister for the first six years of her life. She still naturally knew Velociraptor, Tyrannosaurus, and learned a lot of the English language."

The two shared a glance; they knew they really didn't like one another but remained civil towards one another simply because there was very good reason to be. They didn't exactly want to speculate ideas, but Bridges started, "So…for one who should be able to breed with Spinosaurus, wouldn't it make sense…?"

"…If she could at least talk with one."

Bridges gave a single nod, and they stood in silence for a few seconds. Owen chewed on his cheek before asking, "Be honest with me, how much Spinosaurus do you really see in Elise?"

Bridges shoved his hand into his pocket to fumble with something; Owen was tempted to ask what it was, but the blonde finally answered, "I don't see a lot of it in her at the moment; I think she really imprinted on you and Rexy."

Owen didn't appreciate Bridges not clearly answering his question, but the blonde glanced at him as he said, "Go ask Sobek."

"…Excuse me?"

Bridges gave a small shrug before saying, "Look, I know Sobek well enough to get a good read on what he's feeling. I know Sobek has taken a liking to you. _You_ have a very rare opportunity assuming Elise can get along with Sobek."

Owen raised an eyebrow, and Bridges paused before suddenly looking at him as he said, "If I would suggest anything useful, why not go with Elise to see how she interacts with Sobek?"

Owen sighed as he thought about it; if there was ever a time for Elise to act like a Spinosaurus, it would be around another Spinosaurus. Owen blinked when Bridges nodded as he said, "Let me know what you find out, Owen. Remember: the glare before the growl, and then the attack."

Owen nodded at the man disappeared into the crowd, and he sighed while running a hand through his hair. He had a good hour before his next show, and he was serious about talking with Dr. Gerry; Owen hadn't seen the records yet.

But now he really wanted to see them.

* * *

Sobek was furious; he would not be ignored like he was a scampering scavenger. He was a threat to the powerful one's territory, and he wanted to be regarded as such. She should have felt threatened enough to constantly patrol this barrier between them, but he hadn't even seen her today.

One, good fight; that's all he wanted was one fight. They would go their separate ways after that. He had fought all the powerful ones he could on his old island; even Limper, but that had been a very fast fight. Limper avoided him after that.

Sobek paused from his pacing to glare at this hot fence. It was a very strong heat, and he knew it would hurt much more than what he was used to. He would have to be careful in breaking this fence down; he would tear down the barriers here. This was not how an island was to be ruled; he would not be isolated for the humans' amusement. He would put the Twisted One down, fight the powerful one who he hadn't named yet, and then go back to fishing. This island was good, but it needed to be pushed back into what was normal. Powerful ones did not run with pack hunters and rude, twisted creatures.

But Sobek did want to see Stranger again, and he was irritated that he had missed the human early this morning. He had smelled the pack hunters and Twisted One mixed in with Stranger.

The Spinosaurus huffed before bringing his nose close to the buzzing cables. He knew how these things worked; he knew how to break through these. Humans always created these things with weaknesses; it would be difficult on this fence since it seemed new, but Sobek prided himself in breaking down fences.

He would tear this fence down, and he wouldn't let the humans rebuild it.

* * *

"Guys? The fence is running fine, right? Because we all know the first week is the week where we really find all the flaws…"

Lowery grimaced when Sobek paused to carefully smell a sturdy, steel post in the fence, and he asked, "Sobek has a shock tracker, right?"

The man began to chew his lip, and glanced up when someone answered, "He's got one, I don't know what it'll really do, but he has one. The system says the fence is running fine, relax."

Lowery sighed as he went back to the camera while mumbling, "Our crew never built a fence with that much juice before, and I just hope nothing was overlooked."

Vivian stretched her wrists as she asked, "Why would they rush anything?"

Lowery began to nervously tap his pencil on his desk as he answered, "I know they were edgy about working around Rexy and the raptors; I'm just afraid they cut corners somewhere, and we won't find out until Sobek breaks the fence down."

"I don't think he'll do that, Lowery."

The tech-geek paled when Sobek continued to go back to the steel post, and he finally said, "I'm sending an inspector out there tomorrow. Elise can sit with the guy until he's done so he doesn't have to worry about getting eaten. I don't like how Sobek is so obsessed with that fence."

Vivian nodded in agreement before suddenly nudging Lowery as she playfully asked, "So, how did the first date go?"

Lowery didn't want to admit it was nothing short of magical. He hadn't made an idiot of himself, they had a good time, and Jackie still talked to him. He felt like she would go on a second date with him, and Lowery honestly couldn't be happier. Jackie was quickly becoming his best friend, and he really hoped that wouldn't go away when the honey moon phase was over.

"It went pretty good actually. We went and ate before watching a movie at her place."

The tech-geek lowered his brows when Vivian gave him a teasing smile, and he added, "No it was not _Netflix and chill._ We actually watched the movie, and I had fun."

Lowery rolled his eyes when Vivian only laughed, but the man decided to keep a close eye on the Spinosaurus.

Sobek looked like a determined creature.

* * *

Owen sniffed as he knocked on the old door. He heard a couple voices talking, but Gerry called out. Owen wasn't sure if he was interrupting anything, but blinked when he opened the door.

"Dr. Grant?"

The paleontologist gave a grin as he shook Owen's hand while greeting, "Owen, it's nice seeing you again. Come to help with the dig?"

"Dig?"

Owen raised his eyebrows at the mountains of papers piled about the room; it looked like a nightmare, and he wasn't even sure where Gerry was. Owen glanced at the elder as he called out, "I see you're not much of a tree hugger, Doc."

Owen pulled up a yellowing paper with a round coffee stain on it as he showed Grant.

"Look, I found a good specimen from the eighties. It's in great shape too; looks like it was typed using the original typewriter. If we're lucky, we may unearth that specimen as well; we already know the two species held a close relationship with one another."

Grant started laughing when Gerry growled, "Owen, don't make me bury you in paperwork like the last intern."

Owen chuckled quietly as he put the sheet back before the vet walked around a stack of boxes; his sleeves were rolled up, and he dusted his hands off while asking, "What brings you here? I know it's not an emergency."

Owen nodded as he said, "I was talking to Elise about Sobek, and…I was a little confused about some things."

Gerry snorted as he pulled up a folder before handing it over. Owen opened it to see the picture of Elise, and he temporarily forgot about everything as he smiled. He couldn't believe how small she was, and how beautiful. He wished he could have raised her and her sister, but he glanced up when Gerry said, "I think you have the best understanding of her, Owen. She's something else."

Owen nodded in agreement as he asked, "But Elise said she has a hard time understanding Sobek."

Grant leaned against the desk with papers on it as he said, "I don't know how normal that Spinosaurus is to be honest, Owen. He's too aggressive of a large hunter."

"You've met him?"

Grant rubbed the back of his neck as he answered, "I have, but I don't care much for the finer details. I just know he hunts as aggressively as Velociraptors if not worse."

Owen pressed his lips, but he glanced at the records before asking, "What's the little asterisk symbol for? Next to SA-01? None of the other donors have it."

Gerry walked over to peer at the records before sighing, "That's Sobek's ID code, and the symbol is put next to any dinosaur's ID who has changed their sex. Sobek used to be a female."

"What about HS-1?"

Gerry shrugged as he answered, "Since I have never heard of an HS code in our systems, I'm going to guess it stands for Homosapien. If that's correct, then that's our human donor, but that's the only mention of human in the records. I never found anything on him or her; all we know is the donor is dead."

Owen blinked as he continued to read over the records, but he didn't see what he wanted. He wanted to know how much of everything was in Elise, and Grant commented, "Not finding what you want?"

Owen nodded as he said, "I want to know how much Spinosaurus is in Elise."

Gerry cursed when an old folder tore into spilling its contents on the ground, and he sighed, "Enough to breed with one obviously."

Owen found those papers, and was reading them more carefully as he slowly said, "Yes, but don't you think she should be able to understand Sobek if she had that much in her? I don't think Elise struggled to understand Rexy, the girls, or even people unless they had an accent."

He glanced up when Grant snorted before answering, "Owen, the Spinosaurus is possibly the oddest dinosaur we have ever dealt with. We don't even know what one really looked like, but Wu somehow got one out. It might be a good thing if Elise can't understand him; it probably means she's normal."

Owen pressed his lips while going over the papers, and he said, "I just…something isn't right, you know? There's something I don't trust about Bridges, and I'm just concerned about how accurate these papers are."

Owen flipped back to the first page, and slowly asked, "Who is VM-07? Why would Wu use such an old sample?"

Gerry grunted as a large box was not so lightly dropped onto the desk, and he huffed, "I have no idea, but that's what I'm looking for. I can't find her records in the computer."

Grant flipped the lid off as he added, "I told you computers were unreliable. People are so engrossed by their phones that they don't even look at the dinosaurs unless it's through their camera lenses. Give us hand, will you? We're looking for a rolodex."

Owen snorted when Gerry gave him a warning glare, daring him to make fun of him. Owen pulled out a thick folder before flipping through it as he asked, "What're you doing back, Dr. Grant? Miss seeing the dinosaurs that move?"

Grant gave a rough chuckle before answering, "No, I came do some studying on the Triceratops herd now that they're done with the prions, but I was curious as to how you were doing with the resonating chamber. We don't have any skeletons we're digging up, and I just couldn't believe that Jurassic World actually got that Spinosaurus over here without anyone dying. I wanted to see if it was actually the same one."

Owen paused to look at a faded picture of a younger looking Gerry standing next to a tall Gallimimus with her head lowered to inspect the vet's hat. It was a cool photo, and Owen flipped it over to see it the cursive writing.

' _1992, Dr. Gerry & Stella'_

Gerry took the picture gently before smiling as he said, "I remember this girl; she was a beauty. I miss her."

The vet tucked the photo onto his desk before the group continued to rummage through the papers as the old country music drawled in the office; Dr. Gerry seemed to like it, he said it was a singer by the name of Chayton. Owen found another stack of photos, and he asked Dr. Grant, "Do you want to go see Sobek up close? I'm sure Elise wouldn't mind letting you ride with her."

The paleontologist let out a short laugh before saying, "I think I'll stick to the binoculars, Owen. I really don't think, what's his name again? Sobek? Wants to see me; especially if he's got a memory like Rexy. Besides, I've seen plenty of him."

Owen raised an eyebrow as he said, "I had heard you got kidnapped by some deranged tourists searching for their kid…"

Grant waved a hand as he firmly said, "We don't talk about that. I've seen Sobek, and that's all we need to know; I'm sure Sobek doesn't even like to talk about that event."

Owen only chuckled at Grant's narrowed glare, and Gerry disappeared into his closet before coming back out with a grin on his face as he said, "I found the raptors' records. Maybe we won't need the rolodex if VM-07 is in here."

Grant raised an eyebrow at the water stained box before he said, "Assuming the paper isn't ruined."

Owen couldn't help his crooked grin as he said, "And another specimen has been discovered, but with significant weather damage."

The vet huffed before growling, "Owen."

Grant chuckled as he took the lid off while saying, "He did the same thing at our digs. Here-"

The paleontologist handed over a fossilized raptor sickle claw as he said, "Just scare him with that; I never heard a peep out of him after I pretended to slash that across his belly."

Owen nodded in agreement, but Gerry only said, "I'll just ask Elise to tell Rexy to straighten him out again. Owen is afraid of the Big Boss."

"It's true."

Granted started to laugh as he pulled out the water stained pages; it didn't look like they would be salvaging much from this box.

But it never hurt to try.

* * *

Wu shut his office door behind him before letting out a shaky breath. He did it; he shipped the package. He had done everything in his power to disguise the box as best he could. He had realized the same ship delivered mail from mainland to Isla Nublar and then Isla Sorna; there was one really great thing about Owen's recent rise to fame with Elise.

There was a lot of personal information available at the click of a button, and it seemed Mr. Grady was very close to his family despite never really visiting them. It had made it a lot easier in disguising the package. Wu hadn't been sure how to do it at first, but now Owen and Elise would be receiving a package from Miss Rosie hopefully soon. The ship was headed to mainland after this, and then it would reach Isla Nublar.

Wu also knew how carefully he was being watched, and he figured by the time Bridges was made aware of it, the knowledge would be in Elise's claws.

And Wu had sent several diversions; it was what people would have seen. Wu had taken several packages 'from the lab' before delivering them to the ship. He had sent suspicious letters that led nowhere, boxes filled with lab supplies, and he knew Bridges would investigate every single one of them. He had worn something of a big hoodie, and tried to hide his face; it had been nerve wracking. All he could do now was wait. He could end it right now, but he just had to see one news coverage blasting Bridges. Wu had to know this monster InGen had become was going to be slain.

Wu slowly walked over to his desk before sinking into his chair. He sat there for a few minutes as the reality of things started to sink in; his life was going to end very soon, and he was going to come face to face with whatever was on the other side. Wu wasn't sure if he liked the possibilities.

He was slightly afraid, but that was fine, right? Did that mean he was just a cornered animal? Or was he suicidal? Was there a difference? He was afraid of dying; did that mean he still wanted to live? Wu did want to live, but he knew he wouldn't get a better life if he left. Did that mean he was just cutting his losses? Did that make him a coward?

Wu rubbed his face tiredly before pulling open his drawers in search of something distracting. He already knew the entire system of this building; he knew which pipe to break in his office, but he would have to be quick about it.

Wu glanced at the windows in his office to see all the enthusiastic, fellow geneticists working hard, making discoveries, creating names for themselves…

Good people who didn't deserve to die, and Wu had decided he wouldn't be that kind of a man. He would be a murderer if he hurt those people.

He would call for an evacuation before breaking the pipe, and it would only take a few minutes before a single match would chase away every shadow Bridges had ever hidden his skeletons in.

The geneticist went back to his drawers before pausing at a tattered corner of something poking from underneath sticky notes. He carefully pulled it out before sighing in reminiscence. The white clothes without a stain, the perfect teeth flashed in a warm smile, and the snowy white hair blowing the wrong way in the wind. Wu had to chuckle at that memory before he turned the photo over.

' _Never lose that sense of wonder and fearlessness of the unknown, Henry. I will never forget your role in helping me achieve my dream of making the world feel small again. If you ever forget why you're here, go talk to Rexy; she'll remind you of everything you've done, what you can do, and all the things you will do. Never spare any expense in life, work, and happiness. –John Hammond'_

Wu smiled sadly as he turned the photo back over; it was the one time Hammond had managed to drag him out of the labs to actually see the park. Hammond insisted he see the fruits of his labor, and it had honestly scared the life out of Wu.

It showed in the picture; especially when the young geneticist was wide eyed, obviously terrified, and in sheer awe of the Big Boss herself. Rexy stood magnificently in all her rightful glory as she burned her golden fire into Wu far below her. The cable fence stood strong, Rexy still heeded it, and Wu chuckled when he realized Rexy was only fifteen years old in the picture. So young yet she seemed to have a grasp of her place in the world; Rexy had always been a serious creature.

Wu had always wondered how he had managed to tweak the codes just right for that natural royalty to be brought back to life. What sequence birthed this grace and beauty? Wu would never know, but he let a happy sigh fall from his lips when he dug through the drawer to find more photos. All from the only tour he took of the park.

How could he have forgotten about these? Hammond had somehow known he wouldn't leave the lab without reason, and had taken as many pictures as possible.

Wu couldn't help chuckling at how small he was compared to their Brachiosaurus; thirty feet at the neck, and she arced her neck so gracefully in the photo.

The next pictured himself standing warily next to a smaller Triceratops as Hammond fearlessly scratched behind her crest.

He and Hammond had taken pictures with a group of compys, a baby Parasaurolophus, even Jr. their juvenile Tyrannosaurus.

So many happy memories, and Wu smiled as the pictures progressed more into the tour. The young geneticist lost the fearful look in favor of awe and happiness. This was who Wu wished had become the Head Geneticist rather than the arrogant man who forgot Hammond's wisdom.

Wu sighed again; he wished he had sent these to Elise, but he hadn't been sure if she had been angry with him for how her life had turned out. Would she want pictures of him? Wu wasn't sure, but he knew Elise would have liked to have a picture of Hammond with her much younger mother.

Wu wasn't sure how he would get these pictures to her; maybe he could get away with sending a manila folder disguised as records for the lab. Wu eyed a fire proof safe in his room; maybe he could wait on fate to get them to Elise.

Wu wasn't sure, but he continued to go through the pictures before finally sighing. He bowed his head before he unintentionally began to pray to a god he never believed in. It wouldn't hurt to pray once, right? No one was here to see him like this, and maybe there was someone up there listening. It was no skin off his nose if there wasn't, right?

Wu didn't know what else to do, and he didn't have anything else to do except guard his cards, hold his poker face, and pray for a little help in dealing with a monster.

Just a little help, just this once, to drag the demon from the shadows.

* * *

"Blake! You got uglier!"

Lopez grinned widely as he hoisted the man into the air in a tight hug. Blake laughed; it felt so good to laugh, as he returned the affection. He was getting a lot better, he was healing, and he finally felt well enough to come visit his family. It had usually been his family who came to see him, but he had gotten the green light to come for a visit.

He still had a long ways before he would be given the go to come back to work, but Blake felt like he was getting there. Claire continued to honor her promises of taking care of Blake, and he felt better about it.

He still had the nightmares, but they were growing less frequent; he was making peace with himself.

He came to visit his family, Hamada's grave, and one other thing if he was feeling well enough for it. His psychiatrist had been wary about it, but Blake felt the need for one more conversation with Freak; just one more to clear the air between them.

Without her creating an incident to get him the help he needed. Blake had really dug his heels in when it was pointed out to him, and it didn't make him like Elise, but he couldn't deny that he would have been dead if it wasn't for her.

Blake decided if he liked what he saw in Freak, if they could have one, civil conversation, then he would work hard on forgiving her.

She had been in her own personal hell for years, but it didn't make Blake want to forgive her. His psychiatrist had pushed him to forgive her; there was something freeing in letting go of the grudge. Blake wasn't sure about that, but he did want one conversation with her.

Maybe; if he felt well enough. Blake wasn't going to push himself too far because he had all the time in the world to do this right. He would make his peace, and get back to making Hamada proud of him.

Blake had changed his perspective, and it was doing him well.

* * *

"I found VM-07's records…."

The two men pressed their lips at the paper Owen held in his hand. It was sad, yellow, and had sustained the most damage from the years of sitting idle. The only thing really visible was the ID and birthdate, but several other raptors had held the same birthdate. Gerry had been hoping for a photograph to jog his memory, or even someone's research papers.

Grant sighed, but Gerry pulled up another photo before smiling as he asked the other, "You never got to meet this girl, did you?"

Grant leaned over to study the picture before saying, "I met two face to face, but I don't think I saw her. I don't recall seeing one with that scar on her nose."

Gerry shook his head before saying, "I remember this girl, and I really think the raptors wouldn't have had such a bad rap if she had stayed alive. Muldoon had been a good handler, but he just wanted them euthanized after Abilene got killed; she had been as sweet as a raptor could get. She had been a good Alpha; she was the only reason why they had almost gotten approved to be viewed."

Owen leaned over to take the photo before blinking at the mellow looking raptor. It had been taken through a viewing glass, and he was looking at six other raptors with her; she was the only one looking at the camera though. They all had the same, dull pattern, but there did seem to be a variety in eye color. An occasional raptor had some stripes, but Abilene had a presence about herself that reminded Owen of Rexy. It didn't take a keen eye to guess she had been the Alpha; she sat tall on her boulder with an old wisdom about herself.

"What happened to her?"

Gerry sighed as he went through other pictures before Grant saw one, and growled, "I remember _that one._ Rexy got her."

Owen took the photo to see a very different raptor. She looked aggressive, angry, and off in the head. There was an unsettling intelligence about her as she glared at the camera, a glare that somewhat reminded Owen of Elise during her rampage.

Cold, calculating, and almost emotionless.

"Muldoon named that one the Big One. There was no hope of showing the raptors after she came along. Killed a worker."

Owen raised his eyebrows, and Gerry said, "I know, I know, your girls have a larger number than that, but they were doing their job. Big One killed all but two other raptors in her pack; left the two lowest in the pack. Abilene was the first one killed…that had been such a mess…"

Grant nodded in agreement as he took the photo while sighing, "I remember talking to Muldoon about this one. She was smart; she made her pack members attack the electric fence to find weaknesses, and she remembered where they were. Do you know how they fed them? They lifted live cows from a crane into the paddock."

Owen leaned on the desk before quietly saying, "Just like Elise; she didn't have any positive relationships with anything besides the crane they fed her with."

Grant began to look for the rolodex as he said, "I doubt you could have trained that raptor; she really wasn't right in the head."

Owen was interested in these old photos of the raptors, and he liked reading these files on them. It hadn't been organized very well, but it was interesting to read Muldoon's notes on the very first Velociraptors of Jurassic Park. Abilene reminded Owen of Echo, but he liked the pictures.

It was a shame this pack had been killed off by one fluke.

Owen startled when Grant let out a loud, "Aha! Found it!"

Owen had never seen a larger rolodex, but it didn't seem to be in bad shape. Gerry grinned as he took it while saying, "Leave it to the professional digger to find what I need."

Grant chuckled as the old vet began to flip through the cards faster than what Owen could read. They sat in silence as Gerry mumbled to himself before brightening.

"Found it; VM-07."

Gerry frowned as he pulled up the card while reading, "Not up to date on vaccinations…highly aggressive….nicknamed the…Big One…"

Grant immediately swiped the card as he exclaimed, "That's impossible! Rexy got her, I know she did! There is no way Wu got a sample out of her after that!"

Owen couldn't help glancing at the picture of the glaring raptor on the desk. Something about the Big One sent shivers down his spine; he didn't even feel right turning his back to the picture. She was an opportunistic killer, and she looked like she relished it.

There was no way Elise was related to this raptor, but Owen couldn't forget that look Elise had in her eyes when she had taken over the pack. There had been a demented gleam glazing over the intelligent eyes; she relished striking fear into the humans. Elise had admitted it to him.

Had Elise inherited that from Big One? Owen wasn't so sure, but Grant had firmly dug in his heels as he snapped, "I talked to Elise, and I never saw one hint of Big One in her. If Elise was related to any of these raptors, I would place money on Abilene."

Gerry shook his head as he pulled out the card with more writing on it.

"Abilene was VM-01; she had dental appointments with me, I knew her. She was up to date on her vaccinations, she never gave me trouble. I know her ID code, but I never got to do anything with Big One because she was so crazy; that's why I didn't know her code."

Grant snatched Elise's folder from the desk as he thumbed over the first page of the records. He gritted his teeth before asking, "Abilene died a few months before the park shut down, didn't she? When Big One took over."

Gerry nodded, and Grant shook his head as he said, "I won't believe it until I see the DNA match. Where would Wu even get the samples?"

Gerry rubbed his forehead tiredly when he answered, "Hammond had wanted Velociraptors in the park and for research. I don't know what kind of research, but he had gotten some funding after everyone realized how intelligent they were. He wanted genetic samples taken and preserved from every raptor ever hatched just in case that one was something we wanted more of. Big One hadn't been hatched on this island, but I do know I took samples from every raptor hatched here. I'm guessing that's where Wu got his sample; I just have no idea why he would pick that raptor."

Owen picked up the picture of the Big One, but he glanced up when Gerry said, "You know, Owen, I wonder if your girls are related to Abilene; Echo is calm like her."

Grant ground his teeth in thought before saying, "Elise was created for warfare, Big One scared the hell out of me, but if I ever had to pick a raptor to set loose on an enemy, I'd send her. The bad thing is I could see her easily turning on anyone; she had her own agenda."

"…It had to have been because of how smart she was."

Gerry looked at Owen, and he turned the picture to them as he said, "Look at how smart she is; if I wanted to create an animal for warfare, I would pick the most ruthless, intelligent, and best of the species there were. Abilene was mellow and smart, but she wasn't as intelligent as this raptor. Muldoon even said in his notes that Big One was the most intelligent raptor he had ever dealt with."

Grant sighed, but Gerry quietly said, "At least Elise isn't exhibiting signs of Big One."

"I think she was during her rampage; she…she looked like this when she took over the pack. I just think Elise has things to keep her busy, she's happy, and she knows better."

"Or Rexy scared that right out of her; I could see that."

Owen finally chuckled at Dr. Grant before rubbing his neck; he had no idea how long he had been in here, but he held up the picture as he asked, "Can I keep this? I know Elise has been curious about who she's related to."

"You can take all those photos, Owen; I think it'll be cool to hang on the wall whenever the girls get their Raptor Races."

Owen nodded in agreement as he scooped up the photos; he wasn't sure how Elise would react to being related to such a violent raptor, but he knew she would be thrilled about being related to Rexy.

She would probably be much less thrilled to be related to Sobek.

Owen flipped open the records one more time, reading everything he could before frowning.

"Wait, what's an Indomitus? I thought it was Indominus."

He showed them the page, and Grant raised his eyebrows while Gerry said, "Um…I thought it was Indominus as well…"

Grant shrugged as he said, "It's a one letter difference; someone obviously made a mistake."

The vet was going to make a retort, but he grabbed the paper as he quietly said, "No…Wu was far too arrogant to allow anyone to make that kind of a mistake…"

Owen continued to go through the records more carefully before he came to an almost empty sheet of paper; it wasn't even a records paper. Just a written note.

' _IR Ideal BW; 7lbs. IR-01, 4.2lbs. IR-02, 3.8lbs.'_

"Wait, I thought Elise was seven pounds when she was born; it says in the official records IR-01, 7.2lbs."

Owen showed them the note, and Gerry slowly took the note; it had been such a long time since he had read this one. He had forgotten about it; he remembered telling Owen how underweight Elise's sister had been.

Owen frowned at the official records before saying, "I don't trust this. I don't think Wu would be inconsistent in his notes."

The man tapped his finger on the desk before saying, "I think Bridges made these up."

Grant raised an eyebrow as he asked, "Why would he do that?"

Owen gestured to outside as he said, "Because that was the deal between him and Claire. Bridges agreed to hand over all the records he had on Elise if Claire took in Sobek. Bridges is way too attached to Sobek to let some papers get in his way. Wu isn't dumb enough to make these mistakes, but Bridges is; he never knew we already had the birthweights. These are little mistakes, but I bet Bridges had one of his own geneticists help him; there's no way he doesn't have someone in the labs working for him. One of them could have known the Indominus was supposed to be seven pounds when they were born."

Gerry pressed his lips as he looked at all the records before rubbing his neck, and he frowned.

"I don't know if Bridges made all of this up; he might have tried to piece together what little he had. I can't see Wu letting anyone near his records, but I know he had a habit of leaving prototype papers lying about."

Grant nodded in agreement as he added, "Maybe Indomitus was the first name, and Bridges accidentally copied it down."

Owen stared at the records before he felt his temper starting to flare as he snapped, "So none of this could even be accurate. We basically took in a wild Spinosaurus for nothing? I don't think so."

Owen picked up the folder as he took a few steps towards the door while saying, "I did not watch Claire cry over her first grey hair for nothing, absolutely not."

Owen made to march out, but Gerry put a hand on his shoulder before pulling him back gently as he said, "I know you really don't like Bridges, Owen, but let me take notes on the inconsistencies. Accusing someone like Bridges of this is serious stuff, especially when we got screwed over so badly."

Owen wanted to go punch Bridges in the nose for doing this to them; he didn't care if the businessman had agreed to pay for Sobek staying here. Bridges had knowingly handed them false files, but Gerry took the records from Owen.

"…Fine, but I get to throw the first punch."

Grant chuckled quietly, and Owen looked at his watch before grimacing. The vet knew what time it was, and he waved him off while saying, "I'll let Claire know about this tonight, Owen, don't worry."

Owen nodded before quickly leaving, and Grant sighed as he rubbed the back of his neck tiredly. He eyeballed the mess of the papers as he said, "We just might have unearthed every paper in your office for fake records."

The vet snorted before asking, "Did you ever dig up a fake skeleton?"

Grant pointed his thumb at the door before answering, "Want to know what Mr. Dinosaur Tamer pulled with me one time? He said he found a Tyrannosaurus in the dirt, dragged me out of bed at six in the morning for that, and led me almost half a mile away from the trailer. Guess what I found?"

Gerry grinned widely as he crossed his arms, and said, "He's such a smartass that I bet it was a Tyrannosaurus."

Grant stuck his hand into his deep pocket before pulling out a faded, emerald figurine; it was still covered in dirt, and the tip of the tail had been chipped off.

"The fruits of digging around for twenty minutes instead of sleeping in; the first Tyrannosaurus I ever dug up. I could have killed Owen for that one; I really am amazed by how much he matured, and I know Blue has to have the patience of a saint for putting up with his shit."

Gerry took the plastic Tyrannosaurus toy before he started laughing. He could picture an excited Grant eagerly digging for the bones of the long dead king only to find this made in China toy. Gerry couldn't get the image of Grant's face out of his head.

It was priceless.

* * *

Bridges was fumbling with his lighter as he entered his office. He was deep in thought; he was disturbed by some of these inconsistencies he was seeing. He wondered if Wu had made up the reproductive thing about Elise to get him off his back. That information had come a few hours after Bridges had requested it, and it could have been very easy for Wu to fake those.

Wu was crafty enough to do that. The geneticist was obsessed with guarding his secrets, and there really was no way to check and see if Elise had a Spinosaurus reproductive system without very expensive means. There was no need to see if she had that because, at the time, there weren't Spinosaurus on Isla Nublar.

It just didn't make sense to him that Elise couldn't understand Sobek if she was compatible with him. It made Bridges wonder what else Wu had been inconsistent about; he didn't think the man had pulled anything with the records he handed over. Bridges knew he had scared the life out of Wu, and it was hard to be crafty when a severed finger stump was bleeding.

Bridges was so focused that he didn't see his assistant until Jack suddenly said, "There you are! I've been tr-"

Bridges yelped before he reacted. Jack startled when his boss suddenly raised a clenched fist, but Bridges paused before letting out a sigh. His fist became a hand that rubbed his forehead, and Bridges quietly said, "Please don't do that."

Bridges made to step around his assistant, but Jack stepped in front of him as he said, "I have some really good news, and some bad news."

Bridges raised an eyebrow before saying, "I am not in the mood for bad news, Jack. I think Wu has been…"

The blonde blinked at the packages on his desk before slowly asking, "Why are there so many boxes on my desk?"

"Yeah, that's the bad news; apparently Wu tried to mail this stuff this morning, but our guys are sure they caught everything."

Bridges was immediately on the boxes as he opened them one by one. He frowned at the contents.

Useless lab supplies, a shoe, some gloves, ramen noodle, and even some candy bars; one box was just filled with bubble wrap.

Bridges blinked at it before carefully asking, "Are you sure this is everything?"

Jack handed over some letters as he said, "This is the concerning stuff; first letter is what really makes me think Wu might have contact with someone."

Bridges snatched the letters before going through them one by one. Hardly any of them made sense, some were written in different languages, but Bridges almost paled at the letter Jack had been talking about.

"I left it in the old Visitor's Center under the painted raptor's gaze."

Bridges snapped his gaze up as he demanded, "What the fuck does that mean? Left what?"

Jack looked exasperated as he said, "I have no idea, Wu said it meant exactly as it sounded. I'm guessing there's something in the old Center; no one ever goes there."

Bridges blinked almost dumbly as he stared at the mess on his desk. He could feel that headache coming on, and those little demons were whispering their own suggestions on how to deal with this situation; none of them were very nice. One particular voice mentioned something Bridges agreed with.

"All this shit was just a diversion. Are you absolutely positive this is everything?"

Jack nodded as he pointed to the boxes and letters while saying, "Everything without the return address was kept. Everything else was fine; we checked it, Mr. Bridges."

Bridges chewed on his cheek before growing dark; he was going to have another talk with Wu, but he took a deep breath. It wasn't good for the assistant to see him planning cold murder.

"What's the good news?"

Jack stared for a second, expecting a different reaction, but he said, "We found a match; it's expensive as hell, but I told them you wanted it."

Bridges let out a sigh of relief as he leaned on his desk while breathing, "Thank God; we pissed around long enough with that. I don't care how much it is, I'll pay it because Hart is ready to lose his damned mind. I'll let him know after I talk to the sellers; finalize the details."

Jack nodded in agreement, and Bridges slicked his hair back before cracking his neck; he was going into business mode. The assistant quietly followed the CEO out of the building before blinking at the bright light. It was very sunny today, and Bridges glanced at the massive warehouse as he asked, "Roof?"

Jack followed the gaze as he answered, "We made sure the airways were clear, Sir."

"Good, sunlight won't hurt; it's quiet today."

"Yes, Sir."

Wu was nervous; it had been a long time since he had been scared. The encounter with Carnifex didn't count, Wu had no way of preparing himself for that, but he had time to prepare for this.

What if Elise's package had been seized? Wu didn't want to think about that, and he glanced at the photo of Hammond, him, and Rexy before taking a deep breath. He could do this, he just needed to guard his cards, and keep his poker face. Bridges was a good detective, but Wu wouldn't crack.

And he would outright lie for the sake of his fingers if it came to that.

His door opened, and Wu calmly glanced up from his folded hands he evenly met Bridges' unreadable expression. Wu could see the spineless assistant waiting behind the closed door, and Wu raised an eyebrow as he said, "It's classified."

Nothing made Wu giddier than seeing that flash of irritation on Bridges' face, but he had to remind himself not to get reckless. He had to have the last laugh with Bridges, and the blonde pulled out a letter as he quietly asked, "Exactly what is at the old Visitor's Center?"

Wu paused for the slightest moment before realizing that Elise's package had probably made it. Maybe it was still on the ship, and Bridges was fixated on this. Wu didn't want to immediately give information; he had to be difficult.

"A lot of things, Mr. Bridges. I suggest you be more specific with me because we both know you didn't appreciate my answer the last time you weren't specific."

Wu mentally cheered when he swore Bridges' eye twitched, and the blonde walked over before placing the letter on the desk with a restrained anger. Wu made no move to peer at it; he had a feeling Bridges would slam his head into the desk if he did, and the blonde calmly asked, "Who was this letter intended for, and what did you leave in the old Visitor's Center under the painted raptor's gaze?"

Wu wanted to laugh; what he had left there was under a loose tile right across from the painted Velociraptor was a whoopee cushion. Now he really wanted to send Bridges there just to make the blonde dig around in the moldy dark for that gag toy. Wu had hid it there after being pranked one too many times by Hammond. Wu had remembered that riddle while writing the fake letters, Hammond had wanted it back, and Wu had given that as his answer. The Visitor's Center hadn't been old when Wu hid the gag toy, but it was old now.

Bridges narrowed his eyes when Wu took too long to answer, and he growled, "I have no problem with feeding you to Carnifex, Wu. I have had it with you."

Wu knew that was the truth, and he calmly answered, "Research files."

Bridges blinked before asking, "On what?"

Wu purposely paused to make it seem like he didn't want to talk, but he answered, "Dinosaurs we haven't brought back; Gorgosaurus, Ammosaurus, and Lambeosaurus to name a few. It also has a new hybrid's genetic makeup."

Bridges narrowed his eyes before dangerously asking, "Do you really expect me to believe you ditched information that valuable in a place like that?"

"I do because it's what I've done for the past ten years there. No one goes there, and I lie about wanting to study old specimens abandoned there. There's an old tile that's been loose since day one; I keep that information there so no one steals it, _Mr. Bridges_."

Bridges really couldn't read Wu, and he felt like the man was paranoid enough to actually do that. He felt like Wu was lying about something though, and he asked, "Who was it for?"

Wu shrugged as he answered, "It had been for a…friend of Hoskins, but he's dead now; he was supposed to be the middle man. It's for some buyer wanting in on the dinosaur business. I don't know who it is that's going to pick up the information."

Bridges leaned both hands on the desk as he asked, "And exactly why did you think you could get away with it?"

Wu actually snorted before he leaned towards the man as he quietly snapped, "Because I think you've been getting bored with me, Mr. Bridges. I thought I'd actually do something to put those eyes of yours to work. I send out a bunch of useless things, one important thing, and watch your men do scramble to catch it. They catch it, and you get records on these rare dinosaurs. They don't catch it, and I get away with something. That's the little game between us, isn't it? I didn't want you to get bored with me since you're not pestering me for records, and I'm not creating hybrids."

Bridges seemed slightly surprised by the answer, but he pushed himself off the desk as he snapped, "Don't push your luck with me. Speaking of records, I just found out Elise has a difficult time speaking with Sobek. She has a hard time understanding him. Is there any particular reason for that despite that she can breed with Spinosaurus? I hope you didn't make up those records, Dr. Wu."

Wu immediately darkened at the accusation and retorted, "I have done a lot of things I'm not exactly proud of in my life, Mr. Bridges, but never have I ever falsified records. I don't do that nor will I ever do that. Don't accuse me of doing such a petty thing ever again. I don't know why Elise can't communicate with Sobek, but it might mean there's a problem with her reproductive system; maybe it didn't develop like it should have."

Bridges raised an eyebrow at the hot button, but he believed it. Bridges walked towards the door before he said over his shoulder, "Don't pull this with me again. If you're so bored, we can play chess, Dr. Wu. I caught you, so I'll retrieve the 'prize'."

Wu didn't respond, and he sniffed when the door shut.

"Checkmate."

* * *

"So, I drew you…"

The child paused to glance at a few of the very well done pieces on the wall before she added, "But I'm not very good…"

Elise made a soft sound as she admired the work. She still loved it even if it was a crudely made barrel with sticks for limbs. It was a gift from a child who took time out of her day to create something. Elise still loved it, but she didn't care for the lack of confidence in the girl. The room had mostly emptied, and Elise pulled back to write in the dirt. Owen peered over to read, "I still love it, thank you. Don't give up because I know you will be able to draw pictures good enough to look like photos."

Elise had written much shorter than that, but Owen got the gist of what she was saying. She liked it when he fluffed her words a little bit, and the children loved it too. The girl immediately brightened before she tackled Elise's cheek in a tight hug as she promised, "I will practice every day, and you will be my best picture ever!"

The girl handed Owen the drawing before she left with her smiling mother who gave a grateful wave at the two. Owen smiled as he nudged Elise while saying, "We got time for a run with the girls, Baby. Want to before Rexy calls you guys to come home?"

Elise crooned happily as she nodded, and Owen grinned widely before he said, "I'll go close the entrance before we get going, alright?"

The Indominus nodded happily, and Owen all but skipped out of there. He really wanted another race with Blue; she had beaten him this morning, and the raptor had been gloating all day. Owen couldn't let that continue.

He was whistling happily as he made to slide the chain gate shut; it was a new security feature added after a certain incident.

"Um, hey."

Owen glanced up before blinking at the man in front of him.

"Blake?"

"One and only."

Owen raised his eyebrows before he blurted, "I didn't think I'd see you anytime soon."

Blake shrugged his shoulders as he said, "I've been making good progress, and I decided to visit my family here; try to make some peace."

Owen sidestepped to block Blake's way without thinking about it, and the man raised an eyebrow as he carefully asked, "Can I talk to Elise for a few minutes?"

"Um, no. I like this window on the log; I want to keep it a little longer, please."

Blake supposed he deserved that one, but he pressed, "Look, just a few minutes with her. You stand right there, and I leave as soon as my temper flares. Really, Owen, I'm here to try and move on."

Owen didn't move, and he skeptically said, "Eh, Blake, I just can't see how one month's worth of therapy can really wipe out all that bad blood. I'm not blaming you, and I get why you're so mad at Elise, but…um…I don't think that's a good idea."

Blake sighed as he pulled out his phone before tapping a few things. He put the phone in Owen's hand before pushing the start button, and the timer started to count as Blake said, "Two minutes; that's all I want, okay? Okay."

Owen stared at the phone before sighing when Blake walked past him. He had been completely caught off guard, but he didn't want to prolong healing. If Blake felt like he was ready then Owen had no right to stop him from talking to Elise.

The Indominus always asked how Blake was doing.

Blake paused at the bottom of the tunnel to swallow. He could do this, he would have one conversation with Freak for whatever reason he didn't know, and then he would leave.

He braced himself before walking around the corner to see the white dinosaur sitting as calmly as the last time he had come here; she even held her eyes closed. She looked peaceful, and Blake said, "Hey, Freak."

She immediately snapped her gaze at him, and Blake had expected her to look surprised.

He hadn't expected her to look happy, and she even gave a warm sound to show for it. Blake had to admit she looked different from the last time he saw her; more mature. He supposed this was a good start, and he walked over as he said, "I came to visit for a few days; thought I'd drop by."

Elise was very happy about that, and she couldn't stop herself from bringing her snout close to carefully sniff the air around Blake before she gave a delighted trill.

No sharp scent clung to Blake, and he didn't smell so hurt. His eyes were clear, and his body heat was normal. Blake was getting better, and Elise was over the moon. The man only raised an eyebrow at the invasion of personal space before he warned, "Don't make me knock out another tooth, Freak; I'll do it."

Elise pulled her lips back before she gave her sucked in laugh. Blake still wasn't sure what to do, but the Indominus pulled back to write in the dirt. Blake was a little wary about getting close to the railing again, but curiosity got the better of him.

' _GOOD HIT'_

Blake actually snorted before saying, "I never not throw a good hit."

' _NO MORE BAD SMELL I AM HAPPY FOR YOU'_

Blake read over the last part a few times before he quietly said, "I haven't really drank since I left, Freak. I'm sober."

Elise gave her delighted trill before she threw her head back to give loud barks and a long, loud cry. Blake raised his eyebrows, but he blinked when he heard Velociraptors making similar sounds in the distance before being drowned out by a very loud roar by Rexy. There was another pause before an even fainter roar echoed, and Blake turned around when he heard the herbivores suddenly giving their own soft but loud cries.

"Um, you want to explain that, Freak?"

Elise made her rattling breath as she wrote down, _'PEACE IN PARK AGAIN PROTECTOR PACK IS WHOLE YOU ARE HOME'_

"Protector pack? Are you talking about ACU?"

Blake blinked when Elise wrote, _'ACU IS A PACK WHO PROTECTS PARK NOW IT IS WHOLE PARK IS HAPPY'_

Blake snorted before he asked, "So that was the animals welcoming me home?"

Elise nodded, and Blake gave a chuckle because he didn't know what else to do in this conversation. Elise waited for Blake to say something else, and he struggled to come up with a reason for his reasonless visit.

"I…um…Freak…"

Elise tilted her head before she put a warm smile on her face. She was so happy Blake was doing better that she didn't care if he still hated her. She knew he was feeling awkward, and she raised her hand like she was going to give a high five before just barely patting the air twice; she had learned the sign from Lopez; Blake recognized it.

' _We cool.'_

It wasn't even 'we are cool or we're cool', it was just 'we cool'. Blake let out another snort as he dryly said, "I see someone has been hanging around Lopez a lot."

Elise nodded, and Blake rubbed the back of his neck before saying, "You know, I…think I'm going to leave the conversation right there because I really don't know why I am came here."

He paused when Elise wrote in the dirt, _'TO PUNCH OUT ANOTHER TOOTH'_

Blake had to laugh at the one as he said, "You're funny, Freak. I still don't like what you did, but…I think I can eventually learn to like you."

' _We cool.'_

Blake nodded as he took a few steps back while saying, "Yeah…yeah…we cool. I haven't forgiven you for what you did at the river, but…we'll work on that eventually. When I get rehired here you can expect me to step things up, Freak. Lopez is too soft with you, I can just tell. So enjoy your little vacation with him because it'll be over when I get back."

Elise looked forward to the day, and she grabbed Blake's attention when he turned to leave. He stared at her before startling when she crunched a sharp tooth off. He raised an eyebrow when she pushed it towards him, and he paused before picking it up as he said, "I guess I didn't get to keep the one I knocked out of your mouth, huh?"

Elise beckoned him over before she wrote, _'ALL PACKS ON THIS PARK PROTECT EACH OTHER FOR BALANCE I GIVE YOU MY TOOTH TO PROTECT YOU'_

Blake snorted before dryly saying, "I keep my combat knife on me, Freak."

' _NO ENEMY EXPECT MY TOOTH ON YOU'_

Blake pointed the tooth at her as he said, "I will give you that, Freak. Now, I'm leaving before we get all sentimental because I just can't bring myself to kiss that face like Grady does. No offense, but you got a face only a mother could love."

Elise was feeling witty, and she immediately wrote, _'LOPEZ SAYS SAME ABOUT YOU YOU NAME ME FREAK AND I NAME YOU UGLY'_

Blake gave another laugh as he waved goodbye to Elise before disappearing into the tunnel. He turned the tooth over in his hands before shoving it into his pocket, and blinking at the sun. Owen handed back the phone as he said, "That was longer than two minutes…"

Blake nodded before he said, "Thanks, Owen…for the privacy. I needed it. See you around."

Owen crossed his arms as he watched the ex-Commander disappear into the crowd before he quickly walked into the room not knowing what to expect, but he found Elise happy as could be. She greeted him with a delighted trill, and he shook his head while saying, "I won't ask, but if I need to know anything…"

Elise shook her head; she and Blake were getting better. His internal wounds had healed tremendously. He was still scarring no doubt, but the festering phase was over.

Owen nodded as he said, "Well, good; let's get going, Baby."

Elise crooned as Owen climbed onto her neck. She melted into the jungle as she gave commanding barks to the other girls. It was time for their favorite activity before going to bed. They were going for a run, and Owen snorted when Blue made a piercingly loud shriek.

She loved to chase the wind.

* * *

Sobek continued to pace the fence, but he wasn't roaring for the powerful one to heed his challenge. She wasn't responding to him, but he could still hear her. He heard Twisted One on the wind not long ago, and it was a certain cry that he knew.

A happy one that sang for the others of this island to join in. Something very good had happened, and Sobek had given his own cry after he heard the powerful one join the song. Sobek knew he had given his own cries of joy at his old nest before the others would join.

Before the powerful ones had been all but wiped out. Sobek was happy to join the song here; it meant there was a peace on this island, and he could feel it. It had calmed him down enough to go back to fishing for a few hours.

But something was wrong now, something had shifted in the wind, and Sobek didn't know what to do with it. It felt like a very large storm was coming again, and he didn't like it. He could feel the rain, but he wasn't sure if it was the rain that disturbed him. The air felt like it was tensing, something bad was coming. He had felt this before, Sobek knew he had.

It felt like the peace here was going to be disturbed. The Spinosaurus didn't want that, he wanted his new home to stay safe with plenty of food.

Where was Stranger? Was he fine? Sobek lashed his tail in aggravation as he glared at this hot fence. It was wrong to be separated from all the others on this island; that was not how life worked. He was to roam where he pleased, when he pleased, and how he pleased. He wanted no fence in between him and this powerful one at the very least.

Just one fight.

Sobek lashed his tail again before he began to tear the dirt with his sharp talons. He had to do something besides patrol and fish. He wanted this damned fence down so he could get a good fight; maybe that would soothe the coming disturbance.

Sobek paused when he heard the pack hunters shrieking at one another; he was sure the pack hunters on his old island had claimed his territory.

Or maybe Limper claimed it. Sobek knew no other who would claim that island. There was one other male of his kind; Sobek had smelled him before but never saw him. He didn't smell worthy of ruling that island. He smelled cruel and twisted; there was a constant reek of death polluting that wall. Sobek remembered talking briefly to that one; he annoyed Sobek. He was arrogant, inexperienced in life, and quick to kill. Sobek enjoyed a good fight, but he had learned not to always kill.

Sometimes a creature just needed a warning; he wouldn't kill for pleasure.

Sobek knew there was something wrong with his old island; it was why he had claimed the furthest point from the humans. He had chased them from their old territory, but they came back. Sobek knew this youngling of his kind hurt powerful ones that were too young to fight. There was a sadness over there that he didn't like; he only went there when he was ill enough to ignore it.

Now he was healthy, and tuned into this island. There was something bad coming, and Sobek didn't know what. He wanted this island to stay in balanced; he didn't want to lose the powerful one; she was too magnificent of a ruler.

The Spinosaurus startled at the snarl of a metal human carrier before a pack hunter's shriek sounded over it. Sobek melted back into the jungle to keep a close watch, and he was confused. He had never seen a human actually keep up with the pack hunters before, and it seemed like this human was actually leading them.

They drew closer to the fence, and Sobek recognized the blue raptor running competitively alongside the speeding human with an eager grin on his face.

It was Stranger!

Sobek almost parted from the trees, but the duo had left the rest of the pack in the dirt as they continued to race. It was a close match, and it almost seemed like they were going to crash into the hot fence before Stranger suddenly swerved on his metal carrier.

The motorbike threw dirt in the air with the sharp turn, and Blue dug her claws in as they screeched through the grass. Owen grinned widely when he slid to a stop before laughing when Blue crashed into him. They fell over with Blue on top of him before she gave a confused bark.

"Can't stop on a dime, Blueberry?"

The Beta garbled as she immediately bounced up. When Barry called her Blueberry, it was his affectionate cry for her. When Stupid Alpha called her Blueberry, it meant he had caught her doing something ungraceful.

Owen laughed again when his best girl started to lick her chest of the embarrassment, and he said, "Aw, come one, Blue, I know it was an accident."

The raptor chirped at him as she continued to clean herself, and Owen grinned as he caught sight of his other girls catching up.

"We left them in the dust, Blue. I don't see how the Raptor Races are really going to be any fun with just you girls. We all know you'll win each time. We're going to have to expand the pack, huh? That'll be great, won't it? Little night terrors running around; the mourning dove population better watch out if any of the babies come from you."

Blue chittered at the man to let him know she was listening even if she didn't understand him. Owen smiled at her before pulling out the resonating chamber. He knew how to praise the raptor for a good race, and Blue paused from her grooming to chitter back at him. They continued back and forth with what Owen knew how to say; they hadn't noticed the flabbergasted dinosaur sitting in trees.

Sobek had no idea what to do when Stranger somehow started conversing with the noisy blue raptor. He had figured out their chittering? Stranger was much smarter than Sobek had realized, and he respected Stranger for that. It was good to see the human again, and Sobek didn't find his loud energy to be annoying. It was like a hatchling, but this was pack playing with one another.

Sobek liked that; he was glad Stranger had family. Pack hunters were annoying to him, but they were terrors to everyone else.

Owen laughed again when Blue made a small turn before he stared at the massively tall fence.

"I don't think Sobek can take that down, do you?"

Blue chittered; she was focused on the grime on her claws, but Owen was still impressed by how imposing this fence was. The orange lights were on, and Owen was sure everything was fine with it. It seemed like Sobek had been here recently; he could see the torn dirt.

Owen turned back to see how close his girls were to catching up; he set his bike back up before hearing the shaking footsteps, and Blue made an angry hiss. Owen turned back around to see the mighty king in all his glory towering over him.

The rusty scales had regained a sheen again, and Owen swore they were attaining a more vivid shade of red. That emerald eye was blazing with a reignited fire that could rival Rexy's golden one, and Owen smiled.

"Hey, Buddy. All that shark hunting really did you well, huh?"

Sobek would admit he was a little confused by how Stranger only seemed happy to see him. Death usually was as well, but it was a feared happiness. Stranger didn't give him ground despite the blue raptor glaring at him angrily.

Sobek wondered if Stranger gave ground to the powerful one.

The Spinosaurus exhaled quietly before he snapped his gaze up when the rest of the pack finally caught up. The two raptors were quick to give shrieks to go away, and Elise made a low rumble as she stood next to Owen protectively.

Sobek ignore the pack hunters to glare at Twisted One. What made her think she was worthy to approach him and his territory? She needed to go away; her roar was not mighty, it was a painful shriek. Creatures like him and the powerful ones did not shriek when they roared; they shook the ground.

Sobek let out a loud hiss for her to go away and to stay away from him. He would kill her the first chance he got. The white scaled dinosaur stiffened before she let out her own rumbling hiss; it was so hard to understand her. It was like she was a powerful one trying to talk to him. She carried a slight smell that reminded Sobek of his own kind, but she clearly was not his kind.

The Spinosaurus rose taller as he let out a long, low growl. The Indominus only copied the sound before a shrill, quick whistle startled both of them. Elise turned her gaze to Owen before looking away from the disappointment.

"Come on, Baby, you promised not to aggravate Sobek. I want you to be the bigger dinosaur here."

Elise lowered herself quietly as she crooned an apology. Sobek got under her scales so easily, and it irritated her. She wasn't happy about being related to him, but she was thrilled to be related to Rexy.

Sobek flexed his claws in thought; he was impressed that Stranger held authority over Twisted One. She made sounds similar to pack hunters; maybe she was just a really odd looking pack hunter.

But she could make sounds like him.

It was confusing to Sobek, but he was just happy Stranger could keep this calm over all of them. It was a good peace that soothed the air, and Sobek found himself relaxing. If Twisted One would stay quiet, Sobek would tolerate her because Stranger held authority over her.

Sobek grew confused when the white dinosaur took her hands before moving them around in an odd fashion. He had never seen anything do that before, but Stranger only laughed before making odd movements with his own hands in response.

Could Stranger talk with this odd one as well?

Or was this what happened when fences were put up? The creatures turned out very odd.

It certainly seemed like it, and Sobek was getting weirded out. He wanted some normal, and he knew he could find it in his own river full of fat prey.

The Spinosaurus was satisfied that Stranger was doing well, and he knew the powerful one would not heed his challenges until this fence came down. Sobek had found a small weak spot, but it wasn't enough for him. He would come back later when his apparent neighbors decided to act normal.

Sobek turned away with a low sound as he graceful went towards the trees before pausing. The air was still disturbed in a way that it hurt his nose. Something bad was going to happen, and Sobek didn't want that to happen.

Sobek glanced back to see Stranger talking to his pack with the hollow sounds, and they understood him. Sobek didn't, but he knew Twisted One could vaguely understand him.

Maybe Stranger could stop the storm.

Elise snapped her gaze up when Sobek made a low, grumbling hiss. She tilted her head before sighing her own hiss in response; she didn't quite catch all of that. The Spinosaurus seemed aggravated by it, but he felt the need to repeat himself. Elise paused, and Owen flickered his gaze between the two as he searched for the similarities.

Elise definitely stood a little taller when she was around Sobek, but Owen wasn't sure if he could count that as Spinosaurus behavior. Sobek liked to keep his mouth slightly open when he wasn't talking, but Elise kept her mouth shut. Sobek hardly twitched his tail, but Elise liked to move hers in gentle waves like Rexy.

Owen didn't think they even held their heads the same, but he paused at the massive arms. Elise did like to hold hers like the girls when she was around them, but he was noticing she would hold them in front of her chest more often than not.

Sobek seemed to do the same thing, and Owen rubbed his jaw. Elise could reproduce with a Spinosaurus and the only similarity Owen could find was in the way they held their arms. He sighed quietly before startling when Sobek suddenly snapped his jaws in anger as his nostrils flared. Elise made a low hiss before she gestured to Owen, and he wasn't sure what was going on. The old carnivore finally let out a long, low growl before he decided to stare at Owen. Owen only stared back because Sobek seemed to like the eye contact.

The pack was quiet when Sobek suddenly turned back around before disappearing into the trees. Elise huffed quietly, and Owen asked, "Baby?"

The Indominus wasn't happy with the conversation, but Sobek had sounded serious. She supposed it didn't hurt to say anything, and she wrote, _'SOBEK HAS WARNING FOR YOU'_

Owen raised his eyebrows before skeptically saying, "Really? Sobek has a warning for me? I won't touch his food, Baby. He does know we aren't going to invade his territory, right?"

Owen had meant it as a joke, but he didn't like it when Elise shook her head before writing, _'BAD STORM COMING KEEP ALL PACK AT HOME'_

Owen raised an eyebrow before he glanced at the clear, blue skies. He didn't see a cloud in sight, and he asked, "Like a really bad rainstorm?"

Elise wasn't sure to be honest; she wasn't catching everything Sobek said, and the Spinosaurus had lost his patience. All she had caught was a bad storm was coming and to keep the pack safe. She only tapped the words again, and Owen pressed his lips. It wouldn't be the first time he had heeded warnings from an animal, he just found it startling to see it in actual words. He really didn't know why Sobek felt the need to communicate the warning to him, but Owen wasn't going to ignore it.

Owen remembered Bridges saying something about how Sobek was always very good at predicting storms.

He would be sure to pass the warning along because a storm was coming.


	68. Chapter 68

**A/N**

 **Hey guys! This chapter was hard to write, so I am sorry for taking so long; good news is this chapter is pretty long.**

 **Kim K's Butt, I am glad you feel well enough to work; I love what I do for a living, I hope it'll be the same for you :D My pants are getting a little tight from the Oreos, but I certainly can't let them go to waste; love you too. *Sees the timer counting down* Oh Oreo fillings! *Dives behind couch***

 **Wu's Thumb, you're supposed to be on Wu's hand. Get back on there.**

 **Elisedaindominus, thank you for reading :3**

 **OREO, it's amazing what animals can sense; I know I watch the ones I have for weather. Even watching the stupid flies lets me know if rain or cold is coming. I love you too.**

 **Imtomzizle, I hope you get better soon! I'm glad you continue to love the story! It means a lot.**

 **SmurfTurf, the link showed up, and it lead to nowhere. Darn Facebook...**

 **MANYOREOS, welcome to the family! Blue will come across an Oreo Thin if I ever need to end the story for no reason. *Blue found the Oreo Thin; the island had to be evacuated. The End.* In all seriousness, I'm not sure.**

 **Guest, I hadn't heard of Mesozoixa until you said it, and it does look incredible. I really hope they get enough money; they put a lot of love into the game already.**

 **The Only Potato! You're alive! I've never lived in the city, but that is kind of funny. My closest neighbor is a mile away, and that is a good illustration of how Elise talks to Sobek. I'll try to remember that; spellcheck doesn't catch everything. Enjoy your taco!**

 **discorded-q, I might use those names because I can't think of something for Sobek to call Rexy. Thank you.**

 **Linge, I had a feeling it was, and it is fitting.**

 **Guys, thank you very much for reading these long chapters, and leaving reviews. Even if you're a lurker, I want to thank you for reading. I love you guys a lot, I'm not sure how much you'll love me after this chapter, but I love you guys a lot.**

 **Been awhile since we had a warning, but we have one.**

 ***Warning for a death***

* * *

"O Death."

"What do you mean these records aren't right?"

Claire was not happy with what she was looking at, and Gerry simply said, "I don't know how accurate these records are; I'm just seeing one too many mistakes that I don't like, but that birth weight one is really concerning to me. I had Elise's birth weight, and her sister's; neither of them were even close to seven pounds."

Claire clenched her jaw as she stared at the first page. She remembered reading right over it, and it made her incredibly angry.

She may have not have paid to bring Sobek here, but a lot of valuable land and time had been wasted in creating the paddock. She had risked putting Rexy under stress, placed a heavy responsibility on Elise's shoulders, and got grey hair in the process.

She had grey hair, and she was not happy about it.

"Is there any way to confirm this? If Mr. Bridges made false records then I doubt he will admit it."

Gerry nodded as he pushed aside some papers before tapping on one as he said, "This is a picture of the RFLP analysis of whoever's records these are. Wu had done it to see how similar it would be compared to the dinosaurs he used in creating the Indominus. I'm going to get a sample from Elise tonight, and I should have a solid answer for you in the morning, Miss Dearing."

Claire nodded before the vet quietly suggested, "But I would talk to your lawyer just in case."

She nodded again, and Gerry excused himself before greeting the paleontologist waiting for him. Grant pushed himself off the wall, and they began to walk out as he commented, "I see you still have your ass."

"No one chews my ass, Alan. I do all the chewing around here."

Grant snorted, and the vet asked, "You off to go see your favorite Spinosaurus? I hear he's been real edgy today; been pacing the fence he shares with Elise. I'm guessing he wants a fight with the Big Boss."

"That'll be great. You know, if we take down the fence, Rexy can solve all the problems with the useless records with one quick fight."

"Is that who you have your money on?"

Grant nodded as they stepped into the elevator before saying, "I saw Sobek take down a Tyrannosaurus, but this is Rexy; she's practically invincible."

Gerry nodded in agreement; the old lady was still going strong, and he was very happy about that. The two were silent for a few seconds before Gerry asked, "What about against Elise?"

Grant squinted at the buttons while scratching his beard before saying, "You know, I think if Elise really lost her mind, and I mean really lost it like she almost had, I think she could beat Sobek or Rexy."

"Really? You're the first one to vote against Big Boss."

Grant sighed before saying, "Elise is a tank. The only thing that holds her back are her emotions. Owen somehow found the human in her, and I think that's the saving grace. I don't know…I think if she ever lost that humanity, she would just be an unstoppable killing machine."

They stepped out of the elevator before Grant asked, "Mind if I tag along?"

"Nah, you're fine, and I know how much Elise adores you."

Grant smiled as he followed the vet while saying, "Ellie would have loved to see this park."

"She never visited?"

Grant shook his head while answering, "No, not when she realized they had raptors here. She wouldn't consider it after that. It had scarred her, and I know she still had nightmares. She liked to stay around the dinos who didn't move; I just wish she got to see Rexy again."

"Me too, Alan. What about Malcolm?"

Grant rolled his eyes before mimicking, "Now that's chaos."

Gerry laughed at the grumble; it was spot on.

* * *

"Oh, Beautiful, I'm so happy to hear that…"

Bridges couldn't stop his smile at the enthusiastic response, and he replied, "I told you so, Beautiful. The sky is never the limit when there's footprints on the moon. Didn't you say you wanted to be an astronaut?"

The businessman drummed his fingers on his desk nervously; he wanted to get to Isla Nublar in the cover of the night, but a storm was coming. He missed having Sobek here because the Spinosaurus always knew when a storm was coming. He was glad Sobek was feeling better though, and he was going to live much longer over there.

Bridges paused at the response before swallowing, and quickly laughing, "Like me? Beautiful…I think you need to be your own star. Besides, I do boring work in the office all day."

The blonde paused to glance out the window when he heard the heavy footsteps thudding by once again. He had no idea why Carnifex was so antsy today, but it was starting to get annoying. The Spinosaurus was so restless.

Bridges turned his attention back to the phone as he smiled, "You know what, Beautiful? I think you have done such an amazing job through all of this; you deserve to see Jurassic World with your parents. I know you've been wanting to meet Elise."

Bridges glanced at his clock before chuckling, "Of course. What kind of an adopted uncle would I be if I didn't show you around?"

* * *

Carnifex paused when he heard the loud laugh before he lashed his tail about impatiently. There was a delightful smell on the other side of these walls, and he wanted the source. It sang to the blood in his veins, but he knew he couldn't break this wall; he would have done so already if he could.

The brightly colored Spinosaurus gracefully lowered his head to smell the ground; he could feel the calling, and he let out an impressive roar that shook the very trees. Carnifex turned his emerald gaze back to the open windows when he heard a crash. He flexed his claws impressively before his human stepped out.

If only he was willing to let him out, but his human only seemed to grow irritated before disappearing back inside. Carnifex huffed as he turned his attention back to the walls; he knew they could open here, but they never did.

The Spinosaurus decided to pace back for something to do while glancing at the sun bleached bones of the easy kills littering the ground. They were less fun to fight the more he grew, and he had grown a lot this year. He felt good and powerful. Carnifex knew he was a stunning male, and he wanted another fight.

If only the other who smelled like his kind would come back, but he had sounded old. Carnifex still wanted to fight this supposedly superior male. It was he who should have been the Alpha of this island. He had challenged the other, but these walls had prevented them from ever meeting.

Carnifex wanted to roam where he pleased, but he wondered what his human would do without him. His human has always been here, he was the first Carnifex had ever seen.

He was Father.

But Carnifex didn't need him to survive anymore; he was ready to roam this world as his own. He could hunt for himself

Occasionally Father would smell very sick, and yell at him; it aggravated Carnifex. He wasn't sure why he would be yelled at, but he wouldn't back down from the challenge. He wished his human would stay in here; he needed to fight Father to prove he wasn't a weakling.

Maybe then he would be allowed to leave these walls.

* * *

"I know, Baby, I know. It'll be quick though, and we need to do this to make sure Bridges didn't give us fake records."

Elise gave a small huff as she rested her head on the cement ground. She wanted to go back to the nest and spend the evening with Rexy. The elder was limping from achy bones, Dr. Gerry called it arthritis, and it was common for the older animals to have. Elise wondered if Sobek ever got achy bones, but he didn't seem to act like it.

She was content to tap her claw against her scaled chest while Owen leaned against her cheek. She had learned to love this kind of quiet where neither of them said anything. She was glad they could do this because she didn't always feel like writing, and Owen didn't always feel like talking. They could simply enjoy each other's company.

Elise hoped it would be this way for a very long time. She didn't know how long she would live for, but she didn't care about length. She knew it worried Owen, but she had assured him that she just wanted a happy life; she didn't care if it was long.

Life was one step at a time, and she would worry about death when her own bones would grow achy.

"Hey, Elise?"

The Indominus glanced at her human before making a soft sound to let him know she was listening. It was one of the things she loved so much about Owen; he didn't care how she communicated to him. He would work around it, or he easily understood her. Most humans wanted clarification through sign or writing.

Owen was staring at her before he quietly said, "I hope you're not worrying about the records too much. Claire and I will make sure we get them for you."

Elise wanted to laugh; she didn't think she was ever going to get used to this love. Did Owen not fully comprehend how much he had already given her? She had a family, a purpose, and a bright future. She was curious about these papers' contents, and it was nice to know what she was made of, but it was not a need to know.

She was happy with what she had, but she also knew Bridges had gone back on his word by handing over these false papers. She still didn't see how that one made sense; she didn't think Bridges would make those kind of mistakes. She knew Owen had signed Bridges off as completely bad, and Elise agreed with him.

Bridges smelled dead, and that smell never went away; Elise never got used to the smell. She could see the little bits of good though. Bridges wasn't a midnight black like she had originally thought; he was a very, very dark grey.

Elise puffed air through her nose before pulling back to sign, _'No worry.'_

Owen blinked at her before smiling as he asked, "You're not worried about who you might be related to?"

Elise shook her head, and Owen asked, "Don't you want to meet the human you're related too? If the records are fake then maybe this person is still alive."

The Indominus thought about that before shaking her head; she was fine with who she had. She didn't want to know what human she was related to.

"Well…why not?"

Elise puffed air on Owen before she pulled back to write in the dirt, and Owen felt his throat grow tight at the words.

' _I CAN PRETEND WE RELATED'_

Owen let out a quiet chuckle before eyeing his baby as he asked, "Are you trying to make me cry? You've already done that."

Elise puffed air though her nose before retorting, _'NEVER'_

She pressed her snout close to him, and Owen made to hug her before startling at a booming voice.

" _Assassino!"_

Elise snapped her gaze towards the tunnel entrance before blinking at the sight of a sheepish Lowery smiling at her.

She didn't understand the change of clothes. Elise had rarely seen other humans wear a lot of white, but Lowery was wearing a white hoodie with a grey symbol she had never seen before on the chest. The hood was also different; she had never seen one that came down to a point.

Owen only raised his eyebrow before dryly saying, "I don't think assassins announce themselves before making the kill."

Lowery snorted before walking in as he said, "Well, fear not; you aren't in danger because I don't think you're a Templar."

"A what?"

Elise tilted her head before Lowery pulled his hood back as he turned to her. She was still trying to figure out the design of this hoodie when Lowery said to her, "Actually Jackie and I are meeting up for a gaming night, and I thought I'd drop by while I waited."

Elise liked games, and she was all for encouraging this relationship between Jackie and Lowery. She had been so proud of him when he announced he had found the courage to ask Jackie out. Owen had only rolled his eyes fondly when she threw a smug look at him.

She was an amazing matchmaker, and she loved it when humans would ask her to help them propose to their potential mates. It always made her day.

Elise eagerly awaited the day when Lowery would present Jackie with the shiny rock. She liked to tease Owen about giving one to Claire, and the man would get flustered.

Elise relaxed when Lowery grinned as he said, "I also thought I could bring the video games in here sometime. Jackie has never played Assassin's Creed, and I think you should watch it too. I can teach you the Creed like the awesome uncle I am."

Owen crossed his arms before saying, "Dr. Gerry is coming over to get a blood sample from Elise, and I want her to get back to the nest; I don't want her staying out late tonight in case that storm hits."

Lowery rolled his eyes before saying, "Owen, this is like a ten minute thing or until Jackie shows up."

Elise snorted; sometimes it was funny to her how these humans held authority over her. She would sometimes forget how tiny they were; she wouldn't disobey an order from a man who could be used as a toothpick.

She would never hurt a human though because it was wrong. The right to swing her claws ended where a human's flesh began unless it was in self-defense.

"I hope it's not violent because Elise really doesn't need that."

Lowery scoffed at the man before saying, "Assassin's Creed is educational, Owen, and I think Elise should learn the Creed."

"Why?"

"Because I'm her uncle, Owen, so get over it."

Elise puffed air on Owen; she loved him to death, but he needed to realize she didn't take to heart everything she heard. She knew what was smart to listen to. The man sighed before saying, "Let's hear it."

Lowery made a quick text before smiling, "Alright, Elise. Here is the only thing you need to live life by. The Creed of the Assassins. Nothing is true, and everything is permitted."

Elise blinked; that was not a good thing to live by. She knew there was truth in the world, and there were laws that needed to be lived by to keep peace. Owen immediately said, "No."

He turned to her as he said, "That's…I don't know what that means, Elise, but that is not something to listen to-"

Owen jumped when something hit his back, and he blinked at the plastic arrow that bounced on the ground. Elise stared at the odd contraption on Lowery's arm, but the tech-geek said, "That's right, I just got you with the Phantom Blade. Don't hate the Creed, Owen."

"Did you just shoot me with a plastic arrow?"

Elise had to give her sucked in laugh at Owen's face. He seemed to be bewildered, startled, and unsure if he should get angry or not. It was a funny combination, and Lowery chuckled as he said, "Sorry man, I just had to. You didn't let me explain, and I'm not going to fire the arrow at Elise or Jackie."

Elise laughed when the used arrow was chucked at Lowery's head.

Lowery rubbed his forehead before turning to Elise as he said, "So, this Creed is basically the law of the Assassins, an order dedicated to protecting the freedoms of mankind from the Templars. It's a long history between the two, but Templars believe people need to be saved from themselves, so they work to control them. Assassins stop that from happening."

Elise wondered why these two groups didn't just work together. It sounded like both sides had valid points, but there was a needed balance. It was good to have enough faith in humanity to give them their freedom; it was respectful to the fellow man, but some humans needed to be controlled. There were leaders and followers.

Lowery waved his hand as he said, "But that's for later. Anyway, the full Creed is-"

He paused to look at Owen before sternly saying, "Don't make fun of the geek you are about to see, okay? I'll hit you with another arrow."

"I'll break your nose."

Lowery scoffed at the threat before he turned to Elise as he said, "Where other men blindly follow the truth, remember nothing is true. Where other men are bound by morality and law, remember everything is permitted. Nothing is true and everything is permitted. We work in the dark to serve the light."

Elise didn't understand that riddle, and it sounded like permission to do whatever they wanted. She wasn't sure if all humans deserved that kind of freedom. Lowery grinned as he said, "Weird, huh? But it's basically a command to be wise. It's not saying everything is a lie, but to keep in mind that a lie can come from anywhere. Don't believe everything someone says, no matter who they are; question the truth to make sure it really is the truth."

Elise let out a soft sound; she was impressed by that. Lowery chuckled when he realized he already had the dinosaur hooked on one of his favorite video games. Not only did she love the Pokémon movie, but now she was interested in video games.

Lowery felt a tear in his eye, but he continued, "Everything is permitted doesn't mean you can do anything you want, but it's permission to do the right thing even when a law says it's wrong. You do what you have to do, but you have to live with those actions for the rest of your life."

Elise liked that idea; it was important to face the consequences of her actions, and she crooned for the man to continue. Owen leaned on Elise, but Lowery was thrilled to be teaching this stuff to her. He held up three fingers as he said, "Only three tenants to live by, Elise, and you actually have one down pretty good. The first is to stay your blade from the flesh of innocents. Don't hurt anyone if you don't have to. The second is hide in plain sight; be one with the crowd."

Owen had to laugh at that one. Elise was a brilliant statue in the fountain; she certainly knew how to blend into a crowd when she wanted to. The Indominus beamed at being able to already be good at one of these rules, and Lowery smiled as he said, "The last one is don't compromise the Brotherhood. It means don't hurt the family."

Elise loved all of that; she didn't even care if she wasn't familiar with this video game. There was much wisdom in the simple riddle; nothing is true, everything is permitted. Elise could live by that because it didn't command her to take action against anything. She would remain wary of liars, and she would always do the right thing. She would remember this lesson because she wished to be good for this park; she intended to be a very wise Alpha one day, and she would protect it as best she could. She would never hurt an innocent, she would be one with this park, and she would never put it in danger.

Owen raised his eyebrow reluctantly when he realized it wasn't a bad lesson, and Elise always enjoyed learning this kind of stuff. He relaxed against her as the tech-geek began to explain the story of the game. Elise was absolutely fascinated by the idea of seeing the memories of an ancestor through blood. She wondered what memories she would have been able to see from her own blood. She could have seen Sobek's memories of Isla Sorna, and Rexy's memories of the very beginning of this park. She wondered what she could have seen through the others' blood running through her veins. Would she have seen the world before humans? Now Elise was very curious about what blood she shared.

Humans had the greatest ideas sometimes.

Lowery was a fast talker when he got into the zone, but Elise was an attentive listener. He touched up on the famous assassins of the game. Arrogant turned wise Altair who brought honor back to the Brotherhood, charismatic and vengeful Ezio who followed Altair's footsteps, serious but honorable Connor who only wished to protect his people, money hungry and canny Edward desiring adventure, and most recently the sarcastic, redemption seeking Arno.

Elise was interested in all these characters who spanned the history of this world even though Lowery didn't delve into many details. She wished to learn of the holy lands Altair lived in, and she wanted to see a picture of Italy where Ezio rebuilt the Brotherhood. To see the land she shared her middle name with was something she wanted, and it would be interesting to get an idea of how it was before humans had claimed it. Elise wanted to learn about the French and American Revolution; Lowery had paused to explain the basic details of those wars. Elise was sad humans were so quick to get violent over petty things such as control.

Humans were control freaks. Was it really so hard to simply exist in the world with one another? Apparently it was for this species. Humans were odd.

She couldn't understand how some humans lived on the seas. What happened when their ship sank? Elise knew they didn't swim; the ocean was huge. She had learned that much. Apparently this Edward was fine with it; he was a pirate, and that meant he basically sailed around while stealing things.

Humans were hoarders, but so were Velociraptors if it was shiny enough; Rexy's nest held the oddest of things especially after the construction workers left. Delta liked Pepsi cans.

Lowery was about to go into detail of Ezio's homeland, and one of the most famous landmarks, the Colosseum. Elise was happy to know something so old still existed, but the tech-geek turned when his bouncy date bounded in. Jackie looked happy as always, and Elise sincerely wished Jackie would never be anything else. The vet gave her a loud kiss on the nose before grabbing Lowery's hand so they could go eat before the restaurant closed.

Elise crooned Lowery good luck, and the tech-geek paused to give a bow at her as he said, "Hide in plain sight, _assassino_."

Owen snorted; he couldn't believe how Elise had managed to follow that. He had zoned out after the first assassin's name was said. Altair Ibn-blah-blah. Owen had no idea how anyone could memorize the long names, but the Italian's name had rolled off Lowery's tongue quite easily. Ezio Auditore da la la la.

It had almost given Owen a headache, but he couldn't help but to love that bright eyed look Elise had. She was always so excited to learn something about the world, and she was like a sponge; absorbing all of it. Owen only wished they made textbooks in Elise's size because he knew she would read all day if she could. It was difficult. She liked to learn, but she would get tired of listening to him read after so long; she was a visual learner.

Owen checked his watch before the footsteps echoed in the tunnel. Elise tilted her head as she wondered who was with the old vet before the duo rounded the corner. Elise let out a delighted croon at the red handkerchief.

Dr. Grant!

She knew he was here, but she was still happy to see him; she still played with the squeaky toy he gave her. It was nice to chew on though she had once caught Owen trying to take out the part that made it squeak.

She had won that fight, but she didn't squeak the toy around him after that.

Grant gave a chuckle as he walked over to give Elise a pat on the cheek before greeting, "And there's my favorite teddy bear; you put the Costco ones to shame."

Owen knew those ones; Rosie had promised to send one to Elise when she earned enough money. It was going to be awhile before Elise would see said bear.

Elise gently nuzzled the dusty smelling man, and she wondered if Rexy would like to see him again.

The calloused hands ran along her cheek as Grant said, "I hear you're making a lot of progress with the sign language."

Owen watched Gerry get the needle ready before adding, "And writing, her writing is getting really good."

Grant leaned over the ledge to see Elise confirm this, and the paleontologist chuckled as he wiped his face tiredly.

"I watched a dinosaur write, Elise, if you decide to start talking, please give me a heads up."

Owen snorted; Rosie, and literally hundreds of other children, had already tried to do that. Elise simply lacked that ability although she had managed to hiss the creepiest 'hi' Owen had ever heard in his life. Elise was not allowed to talk like that anymore because it sent the worst of shivers down Owen's spine.

She could say hi in the jungle when she wanted to scare Tim.

"She can't talk like that, Dr. Grant."

The paleontologist didn't seem disappointed by that though Elise made a low sound when Gerry walked over with the tube. He sighed sympathetically as he said, "I know, Kiddo, but I promise to be quick."

Elise didn't care if it was quick or slow, she still had to sit down after the needle went it. She despised vaccinations, and she was very glad she didn't get very many.

She relished the comforts of Owen's warm hands, and the scales twitched when the needle slipped in. Gerry filled the tube even though he would only need a few drops; he just didn't want to put Elise through this again if he didn't have to.

The needle slid out, and the Indominus went down slowly. Owen grimaced as he called out, "You did really good, Elise."

Elise only groaned as she tried to get the ground to stop spinning, but she was proud of herself.

She didn't think she'd pass out this time.

* * *

"Are you sure about this, Mr. Bridges?"

Bridges raised an eyebrow as he finished inspecting the boat before saying, "There are valuable records rotting in the Visitor's Center, and I think it's time InGen found another set of dinosaurs. We can make a package deal to the investors. Besides, I am very curious about this hybrid Wu was talking about."

Jack grimaced before quietly asking, "What if Wu was lying?"

Bridges chuckled as he tucked the pistol into his pressed coat before dangerously answering, "I will personally introduce him to our largest resident, Jack."

The assistant pressed his lips before he quietly said, "I don't think we should try to beat the storm…"

"Because?"

Jack always hated it when Bridges would actually ask for the reason. It made him nervous; Bridges was a loaded gun, and Jack never knew when he would go off. Jack just liked to do his job, and avoid the illegal activity as much as possible. The assistant really didn't want to go in the boat now, and he took a breath before answering, "Because I think we need to get on and off the island as soon as possible. We don't know how long it will take us to find those records, and if the storm beats us then we're stuck there until it passes. I think we should wait for the storm to pass before we head over so we don't have to explain anything to anyone; including our own people."

Jack held his ground when the blonde looked at him with an unreadable expression, and Bridges walked over. Jack briefly wondered if Bridges would snap his neck, but the blonde patted his shoulder while saying, "Good point; we leave as soon as the storm passes us."

The dark haired assistant blinked as Bridges' footsteps echoed quietly on the dock before the blonde called out, "Hey, Jack?"

Jack faced Bridges fearfully, and the blonde dryly said, "Relax a little, will you? Sometimes you're so jumpy; I'm not going to shoot you."

The assistant couldn't stop the nervous giggle from bubbling out, and Bridges rolled his eyes as he said, "I don't even have a complaint about you as an assistant, Jack. Relax."

The man rubbed his forehead in embarrassment when Bridges began to walk away before he trotted to catch up. They walked in silence, and Jack wasn't sure if that made him more nervous. Bridges seemed far too relaxed considering the situation, and he didn't want the blonde to suddenly snap.

Or start hallucinating again.

"Why don't you take your pills?"

Jack almost turned right around to throw himself into the ocean. He had heard drowning was peaceful, and he didn't want a bullet in his head. Bridges raised an eyebrow high before he said, "If those are the questions you decide to ask when I say I won't shoot you, I suggest you forget what I said."

Jack could feel himself paling as he quickly said, "I-I'm sorry, Sir, that just…I don't want anything to…you know, go wrong at the Center. That slipped out, I'm sorry; it's not my business."

Bridges frowned before saying, "We're just going to pick up records, Jack. You act like we're committing a crime. The worst we are doing is trespassing; maybe thievery if you want to squint hard enough. You used to be a good thief, what happened?"

"…I didn't steal on an island full of dinosaurs."

Bridges snorted before he said, "That's what the pistol is for, Jack. It can't be traced back to us. If dinosaurs are what you're worried over then stop worrying."

"Doesn't this stress you? I don't want you to…never mind."

"What?"

Jack picked up his pace as he quickly said, "Nothing; I forgot."

Bridges lowered his brows before growling, "It's that stuff that irritates me, Jack. Grow a pair for God's sake."

Jack glanced back before figuring he could outrun the blonde if needed, and he quickly said, "I just know stress gives you those fits, and I don't want to deal with your fits at the Visitor's Center."

Bridges startled enough into stopping, and Jack cringed at the surprised look. A surprised Bridges was unpredictable, but the blonde hid behind his poker face as he snapped, "This isn't stressful to me, Jack."

Jack swallowed nervously when the man almost towered over him as he dangerously added, "But I do find your 'concern' stressful. I certainly hope you're not one of those people who feel the need to say something."

Jack immediately shook his head as he said, "No. I only talk to Dr. Romano about this when…he needs to make you take your pills."

Bridges rolled his eyes as he said, "I am going to say this once, Jack. I don't take my pills because they don't help. In fact, they make me feel worse. You remember that very long week when I just couldn't get my shit together, and you thought I was always hungover? That was me taking my pills consistently."

Bridges walked passed the man as he added, "Go get some sleep, and I'll call you when the storm passes."

Jack quietly nodded as the blonde disappeared into the dark before he let out a sigh. He couldn't believe he was still alive; he didn't know why he was getting so nervous over nothing. Bridges just scared him with his unpredictability. Bridges was almost worse than the dinosaurs here.

At least Jack knew the dinosaur would kill him without a second thought; he had no idea what Bridges would try to do.

Jack didn't think he would be sleeping very well tonight.

* * *

Elise snapped her head up at the shaking clap of thunder in the air. Blue gave a startled chirp as she slid off Rexy's neck, and the old dinosaur rumbled in surprise. Delta and Echo glanced around nervously before the family flinched at the flash of bright light. Another boom of thunder immediately followed, and Elise shivered at the electricity in the air. This was a very bad storm, and she wondered how Sobek was doing. The Spinosaurus knew this was coming so, maybe he had found a good shelter.

Jurassic World made sure their animals had a place to go during these storms.

Elise shifted closer to Rexy when another bright flash of lightning streaked across the sky, and the loud clap of thunder hurt her ears. She didn't like storms like these, but Rexy only rumbled comfortingly; she had seen worse.

Elise relaxed under the comforting licks, and she showed the same affection towards the three sisters. Blue flexed her claws while giving a chirp; she wasn't happy about this storm. It felt bad, but Delta always knew where to groom her blue sister to comfort her. Echo only turned around as she tried to find a new spot in the nest that would better shield them from the harsh flashes of light.

They hoped the storm would be over soon.

* * *

Owen sat up when his walls shook from the thunder; it had been a long time since thunder had woken him up. He glanced at the dim clock to see it was midnight. The man jumped at the sudden flash of light in his room before the thunder shook again.

Owen grimaced as he got out of bed before going to his window. He was surprised to see it was just barely drizzling. He was sure this was just the start of the storm, and more rain would follow soon. He hoped the girls would be fine, but Owen whistled at the next streak of jagged lightning.

"…Owen?"

Owen jumped at the voice before he glanced at his radio. He picked it up as he answered, "Yeah?"

The radio was quiet for a few seconds before Claire replied, "I don't like thunder…"

Owen had to snort; Isla Nublar had plenty of thunderstorms, but he supposed there was usually loud rain to accompany it. He waited for the clap of thunder to pass before he answered, "I don't either, but I guess Sobek was right. I've never seen a storm this bad. He has a good spot to hide, right? Our accurate weatherman is taken care of?"

Owen rolled back into his bed while waiting for the answer, and Claire said, "Yes, he has two spots to go because he didn't feel like making his nest in the shelter we provided."

Owen had to smile at the slightly offended tone, and he teased, "How dare he; what a smug, arrogant dinosaur. Shame on him."

Owen knew Claire was smiling on the other end when she coolly said, "Well considering how much Mr. Bridges adores him, I can't see how he would be any other way. How much is Bridges like Sobek?"

The man quietly laughed as another bout of thunder shook his walls, and he answered, "Sobek isn't so bad actually. I like him; he's just cranky. I do think he looks much better though; his scales are looking really good. It's just too bad that he and Elise don't get along."

There was a pause before the radio crackled, "Do you think those records are fake?"

Owen hated the tiny voice, and he answered, "I think they might be, but that's not your fault. We've had them for like a week before we caught anything. If they're fake then I'll break Bridges' nose, you just watch and look beautiful-"

Owen startled when Claire dangerously said, "If that smarmy bastard had the audacity to hand me fake records, _you_ will get to sit there and look pretty while _I_ do much more than break his nose."

Owen knew Claire couldn't see him, but he had to fan himself as he teased, _"Miss Dearing._ Do you have any idea how hot that was?"

"Owen, I am not kidding."

Owen grinned widely as he said, "I know, and that's why it's hot. Tell me more."

He could hear Claire rolling her eyes before she dryly said, "This was not the conversation I was wanting, Owen."

Owen only laughed as he rolled over before saying, "Just tell me what you would do after breaking his nose. Please?"

Claire finally laughed, and Owen was happy for it. She still gave him the warmest feelings in his stomach.

He was hopelessly in love, and Elise knew it.

* * *

"Guys? Everything is looking good, right? All the animals are in their nests? Will someone ping them?"

The blonde woman sitting in Lowery's desk twirled the end of her braid before someone answered, "Triceratops are in the barns, Gyrosphere assets are accounted for, and Gallimimus Valley assets are doing good."

She nodded before asking, "How's Rex Kingdom?"

"Raptors are in the nest, Big Boss will not be pinged, but I know Blue never leaves her."

The Control paused when someone from Security suddenly snorted before saying, "Blue is her tracker."

The blonde agreed, but she glanced up at the red dots on the screen before asking, "Where's Rival Big Boss at?"

The dots disappeared in favor of Sobek's and the room went quiet at seeing the dot traveling through the paddock contently. She blinked before bringing the cameras up to Sobek's paddock. She flicked through a couple before a flash of lightning whited the screen for a second. Sobek was clearly seen walking through the trees; his scales shiny from the drizzling rain.

"Why isn't Rival Big Boss at home? Where's his nest at?"

The blonde scratched her head before going through the files. She typed in the coordinates before blinking at the screen. Sobek wasn't walking towards his nest; he was leaving it.

"Where is he going? Guys? I thought Sobek didn't like to travel in the dark."

Another person answered, "There's so much lightning that it doesn't get a chance to get dark. Maybe his nest isn't in a good spot for this kind of weather, and he's looking for a new place to hide."

The blonde rolled her eyes before the room jumped when the cameras suddenly went white with a loud boom before the cameras went dark.

"Guys?"

Control froze when the computers shut down and the lights went out. The room became incredibly quiet as the machinery died, and they held their breaths for a few seconds.

"Oh…crap…"

They waited another minute or so before the blonde asked, "Why isn't the generator kicking on?"

The people turned on the flashlights on their phones, but they didn't have answers. They were useless without their technology. The blonde pressed her lips before she got her radio, and turned the dial.

"Jacob, the generator isn't kicking on. Control is down."

There was a brief crackle before the response came, "Yeah, Christie, everything is down. We have a power outage. Fences, lights, if it needs power, it's down. I'm headed to the generator shed now."

Christie put the radio down before rubbing her forehead. This wasn't good, but she hoped the animals were staying in their nests tonight. It seemed like Sobek was the only one patrolling tonight.

Christie suddenly froze before she glanced at the sticky note fearfully; the one regarding the Rival Big Boss.

"Guys? Rival Big Boss wasn't headed towards the electric fence….was he?"

Christie swallowed when silence was her answer.

Rival Big Boss was most definitely headed towards the electric fence.

* * *

Sobek puffed air through his nostrils as he continued along. He normally didn't like to hunt at night, but the feeling in the air was keeping him up. He had to move around or it was going to drive him crazy.

It was hurting his nose, and he just wanted away from the feeling. The bright lights hurt his good eye, and the loud booms were unpleasant. He wondered where the powerful one resided, and if she shared her nest with the Twisted One. Did Stranger and the pack hunters share a nest; it made sense that they did.

A loud explosion caused the Spinosaurus to pause as he gave a low hiss. That was in his territory, and he did not want loud sounds in his home. He didn't care what was going on, he would chase the disturbance out.

The Spinosaurus found the trail he had made before parting from the trees to see the hot fence before him. He tasted the air before curling his lip at the burned smell. He turned his good eye towards a tree to see it had splintered into a thousand pieces while the leaves smoldered before the rain put it out.

Sobek decided to go back to his nest where it was safe; he didn't like this tense feeling putting so much pressure on his sensitive snout. It didn't feel good, and he was rubbing it raw with his claws.

The Spinosaurus paused before turning around; it was a habit to check the fence for weak spots. He did it at his old nest, and he would do it here. He had to check the fence before going home.

The Spinosaurus started at the end of the fence before bringing his snout close to the hot wires. He paused when they weren't as hot as they normally were, and he continued down the fence as the sky continued to boom; Sobek was getting annoyed by it.

By the time Sobek had reached the end of the fence, he had come to his conclusions.

The fence goes down.

The stupid humans thought this fence could keep him from his fight? They were very wrong, and the Spinosaurus pressed his snout against the cold steel before hooking his claws on the cables. They protested under the pressure before the first cable made a springing sound as it suddenly snapped back. The Spinosaurus startled when his claws smacked into the cable underneath before he curled his lip.

He did enjoy raking his claws through anything. Dirt, trees, flesh, and now these things. He liked the sound they made when they snapped back.

Sobek made a low sound as the next cable snapped before the sky lit up again. It seemed the sky was lighting up less frequently, but the Spinosaurus hardly noticed as he treated himself to snapping another cable.

Why had he never noticed how delightful these sounds were? His old island hot fences did not…Sobek lacked the words to describe the wonderful sound, and another cable snapped.

The Spinosaurus was not satisfied until all the cables had whipped back, and he sniffed the ground before stepping over the cement.

No fence could stop him.

Sobek allowed a hiss to fall from his jaws as he looked around; he couldn't catch very many scents in the air. He wanted the scent of his perfect fight, but it was nowhere to be found. The Spinosaurus lashed his tail in irritation before he decided to snap his jaws into the steel pole. It didn't do much until he began to bend it. Sobek was not satisfied until three poles had been completely broken off.

Then the Spinosaurus began to groom himself. He couldn't see very well anymore, and the lights weren't flashing nearly as often. He couldn't smell his powerful one, and his mouth actually hurt a little bit.

Sobek raked his claws through the dirt to mark this side as his before stepping back over the cement. He would return home and come back in the morning. Humans would not be out tonight, and Sobek would start his day off with a good fight before getting rid of Twisted One the next time he saw her.

The Spinosaurus melted back into the trees as he rubbed his snout again.

It still hurt.

* * *

Christie bounced her leg quickly while nervously tapping her pencil on the desk. She glanced at her phone to see the power had been out for ten minutes now. Jacob was struggling to get the generator up; it had been a long time since it had been used, and it was obvious no one had been checking it up regularly.

She groaned as she rested her forehead on the cool desk before glancing up when the lights came back on. The room filled with beeps of the machines coming back from their brief hiatus, and she gave a sigh of relief as she said into the radio, "We got power, Jacob. Thanks."

The radio crackled back, and Christie said, "Alright people, first things first. I want all the animals pinged; make sure they're still in their nests. Rival Big Boss gets pinged first."

She began to tap her keyboard like the rest of the room before glancing up at the screen when the red alarm began to beep. The system was automatically going through the cameras, and several were down.

A lot of them belonged to the Rex Kingdom.

"Rival Big Boss is headed home."

Christie nodded before jumping when the camera alarm was blared out by a downed fence alarm. The screen went dark as it tried to get a feed from down cameras, and Christie blinked before asking, "Where's the down fence?"

There was a silence before Security almost squeaked, "Sobek's fence! The one in between Paddock Eleven and Fifteen!"

Christie almost paled before she said, "Ping Sobek again. Is he headed back to the nest?"

The screens brought up the map of the island to show the culprit headed back to his cozy, dry nest for the night, and Christie breathed a sigh of relief. She pinched her nose as she quickly thought before saying, "I want ACU and Repair to be made aware of this, but we can't send them out until the storm passes. I don't want anyone to get hit by lightning. Maybe Repair can sneak in before the animals wake up."

Someone else dryly asked, "Do you really think Big Boss is going to stand for that? She's going to have to be sedated or something before we send them out. Sobek absolutely has to be sedated, and the raptors have to be taken care of. Sobek is going to sleep now, and his handler says he doesn't usually get up until eight. Sun comes up at six, and Elise is always up at five with Echo. She can stand by the fence or at least steer Rexy and the raptors away until Repair can get the fence up. Sobek gets sedated when he wakes up."

Christie nodded in agreement as she said, "Sounds good to me, Ricky. Who gets to let Claire know the fence is down?"

It was silent before someone asked, "Who gets to let Bridges know? He paid for the fence, and it was not cheap."

Christie grimaced as she said, "Hopefully only the cables have to be replaced."

"It's Rival Big Boss; you know that fence will not look pretty in the morning."

* * *

"Aren't you worried about someone noticing the tire tracks?"

Bridges shook his head as he turned down the old road before glancing in the rear-view mirror just in case. The thunderstorm had ended relatively fast; only a couple hours or so before it began to rain off an on. It wasn't raining right this second, but the sky looked ready to give another shower. It wasn't bad; the roads hadn't flooded at all.

"Sobek took care of that for us."

Jack raised his eyebrow, and Bridges elaborated, "I received a call from Claire a couple hours ago; apparently they had a power outage, and Sobek took advantage of that. He brought down the fence."

"You don't sound very upset considering how expensive that was."

Bridges gave a crooked grin as he said, "I like to look on the bright side of things with Sobek. While he did destroy the fence, he has also drawn all forms of security on himself. ACU will be there to guard the Repair Team, and I bet most of the screens in Control will be focused on his paddock. You know they'll try to sedate him with food, but I doubt it'll work."

The dark haired man blinked before asking, "Why?"

"Sobek isn't that cooperative. You know he's been itching to fight Rexy. Eyes are on him while we slip in and out easy. No cameras over here, and that's all I need to hear."

Jack glanced out the windows; he didn't like how the day was almost ready to start. It was five thirty; it had taken longer than needed in the boat, and Bridges didn't feel like rushing with his driving. Jack was sort of glad the blonde was so calm and relaxed about this; he supposed this wasn't so bad. Sobek had done them a huge favor by bringing the fence down.

He sighed while relaxing into his chair; this was going to be easy. In and out in a few minutes. Sobek would cause his chaos, and they would get their records.

Jack startled when Bridges suddenly said, "About time you finally relaxed."

The assistant nodded before he tapped his knee while replying, "I guess Control won't be looking for us when Sobek might fight Rexy. I'm sure the rain will cover the tracks pretty quick; I read that it was supposed to rain off and on until noon."

Bridges grinned as he said, "Keep thinking like that, and you'll never suffer an ulcer, Jack."

"I hope so; I hear those aren't great."

"They're not."

Jack raised an eyebrow as he glanced at the blonde, and Bridges paused before answering, "Not stress; another side effect of the pills."

The dark haired man blinked before saying, "They really don't help, do they?"

Bridges shook his head as he adjusted a few dials on the car before answering, "I find them occasionally effective, but no."

Jack wasn't sure if he heard slight disappointment in Bridges' voice, and he didn't think he blamed him. It had to be terrifying to suffer hallucinations yet Bridges had figured out how to somehow function with the problem. Even though Bridges scared the hell out of him, Jack would applaud the man for getting as far in life as he had.

A lot of people with the same problem usually faded into the background.

Jack tapped his knee again before offering, "Well, if we can bring back dinosaurs, create hybrids, and all this other stuff, then maybe they'll make pills that'll take care of those problems."

Bridges raised an eyebrow as he continued to drive before saying, "It's too easy to make money off sick people. We'll have talking dinosaurs and flying cars sooner than those kinds of cures."

Jack huffed before saying, "You know what? By the time we're old, you'll have pills that'll help you."

"I'm perfectly fine."

"Mr. Bridges, with all due respect, you are sick. I have no idea how you function with it, but you are sick. However, by the time we're old, you'll have pills that will help that, and I don't have to freak out every time you get into an argument with Carnifex."

The blonde gave a warning glance at his cranky assistant before firmly saying, "I am perfectly fine, Jack."

Jack crossed his arms as he quietly sarcastically retorted, "And you don't throw Skittles at me when I try to help Romano give you the pills."

Bridges couldn't stop his smirk; he did recall those fond memories, and he said, "Only the yellow ones."

Jack snapped his gaze onto him, and Bridges shrugged as he said, "Hey, I like to push buttons; I like the reactions I get."

Jack only shook his head as he leaned back into the chair. Bridges continued to smirk; maybe he needed to bring his assistant out more often. He wasn't used to seeing a snappy Jack, and Bridges had to admit it was pretty funny.

Maybe Jack's balls had finally dropped.

* * *

Blake sighed as he parked the car on the edge of the trail. He could hear the river through the brush, and he glanced at the wreath of flowers next to him. He wanted to visit Hamada's grave one more time before leaving. He knew it was early in the morning, but he was used to waking up before the sun. No dangerous dinosaurs came around here, and Lopez knew where he was going to be.

It had been nice to simply be a guest here for a day instead of worrying about a guest getting eaten. Blake paused to take his hat off before setting it on the dashboard camera; it was a place to hang it. He would be back soon enough, and it felt disrespectful to show up with a hat; it was an old fashioned habit.

He carefully grabbed the wreath before leaving the car to make his way down to the river. Blake pressed his lips at the tightening feeling in his chest; he had thought talking to Freak would have been the hardest thing here.

It hadn't helped that she had been overjoyed to see him; Blake found it really weird how she sincerely cared about his health. He wasn't sure if she had a guilty conscious and caring about him somehow made her feel better, or if she really cared.

She still wasn't sorry about 'winning the fight' as she bluntly put it.

Blake was pleasantly surprised to see the crosses still stood strong with flowers to lovingly decorate them; reminders to any passerby that these people were still loved and remembered. Blake felt better about that, and he let out a breath at seeing the strongest cross of them all.

Still refusing to stand even slightly crooked against the current, just like the man whose name had been tenderly painted on the white wood.

Blake gently hung the wreath of brightly colored flowers on the cross; he would never know Elise picked these flowers from her paddock with Lopez. Just because she wasn't sorry for winning the fight didn't mean she wouldn't show respect to them. She had been serious when she said she never smelled fear here.

Not one guard took a step back in fear.

"Hey, Commander; it's been a while. I'm sorry about that, but I'm getting better."

Blake sighed as he sat down on a cold rock; he didn't notice the water lightly splashing his boots, but he was happy with the peace he was feeling here. He tucked his hand into his pockets before pulling out the large ivory tooth. He turned it over in his hand as he said, "I made progress with Freak yesterday; she's actually kind of funny. She…kind of reminds me of your humor. Freak is a smartass."

Blake paused to sniff as he felt the sharp point of the dagger before adding, "Lopez is making something out of her. The family calls her Ghost…she is like a damned ghost, isn't she? Popping out of nowhere and scaring the hell out of everyone."

Blake paused to stare at the trees above him; the emerald leaves hung low with crystal drops of clean rain, and everything seemed to have healed over. The leaves had been washed of blood, the torn ground filled over, and the fallen tree had been decorated with lush moss.

The world had moved on from this traumatic fight, but Blake was still scarred.

"I think I'm doing better, Commander. I can sleep a little better at night, and I made some new goals. I guess we were wrong about me filling your shoes…"

Blake paused to glance down at the waters, and he raised an eyebrow at seeing the little bugs swimming with the current.

"But Lopez is doing a good job, and when I get back, I'll be there to make sure he does an even better job. The family won't fall apart, we're taking care of each other, and Freak…Freak is actually pretty respectful. Lopez is her little buddy. Who'd of thought that'd be his girlfriend? I knew he had bad taste."

Blake had to chuckle at his own joke; he didn't think Hamada had really known Lopez, but the recent Commander was never shy about coming here to pay his respects.

"I haven't found a girlfriend either, but _no_ I don't roll that way."

Blake had found that memory to be one of the oddest ones. He just wasn't looking for romance, but Hamada had found that odd. He had even pulled Blake aside one day to personally assure Blake that he didn't care if the man didn't prefer women. Blake's head had been left spinning.

It was funnier now that he thought about it though, and Blake quietly smiled as he fixed a crinkled petal on the cross.

"You know…I never did take the time to explore this island like you asked me to. I know the paddocks like the back of my hand, but…I never took the time to visit the old park. Lopez said he had; maybe that was another reason why I didn't do so good as Commander."

Blake remembered how Hamada had always drilled it into his head that this place had a history, it was its own world, and it was important to stay in touch with that. It helped to better understand the purpose behind this park; Hamada has said other things, but Blake had been under the impression his Commander would be around for a long time.

Then Freak went on her rampage two weeks later.

Blake stood as he said, "I still have time to do that before the ship shows up. One quick visit…because I know you wanted me to do that. God knows I try to remember what you wanted. I'll see you later, Commander."

Blake carefully splashed his way back before disappearing into the brush. The waters continued to chuckle quietly before a deep red rose fell from the wreath. It dipped into the crystal streams before a larger bird snagged it, and flew away.

A mourning dove gave a soft cry, and the world continued to spin.

* * *

Elise could not believe what she was looking at. The fence was twisted, broken, and she couldn't help but to curl her lip at the claw marks in the wet soil. Owen was currently inspecting the large footprint in the wet dirt.

It had started to rain again, and she was not happy with that. Repair was nervous, but Commander Lopez stood tall next to Elise; they were a comfort to the rest of the team.

It was six now, and Elise had firmly told the girls to stay away from here. Rexy's bones were achy today, and Blue had no intent of straying far from her. Delta and Echo weren't very happy with the rain, and they were fine with staying close to the dry nest after catching a boar. Elise knew Rexy would probably do a little patrolling before going back for another nap. It would have been smart to sedate her, but she wasn't scheduled to eat that early. She woke up, patrolled, napped, and then ate.

Elise was only concerned about Sobek, but she was sure the Repair Team could get a lot done before the Spinosaurus even woke up. He had a shock tracker that would help. The cameras were down, but Elise took comfort in the fact that Lowery was constantly watching where Sobek was.

She remembered clawing that thing out by the river, and she still didn't have one; she didn't want one because it hurt.

"Steady, Ghost."

Elise snorted as she sat tall; she tasted the air, and she could faintly smell Sobek from last night. She eyed the splintered tree, and Owen had said that was what happened when lightning struck a tree.

Elise hoped she would never get hit by lightning; now she did have a good reason to fear the white flashes. What if Small One got hit by lightning? Elise didn't want that to happen, and she intended to go check on her sister as soon as this was done. She hoped a guest never got lost in one of those storms because Elise was going to be reluctant to go out there.

She glanced down when Lowery said over Lopez's wrist watch, "I don't think Sobek is sleeping. He's moving around, but he's headed towards the river; hopefully he'll stay there to fish."

Elise turned her gaze to the grey sky when it gave a low rumble; she didn't see a flash of lightning so she assumed the storm was finally moving away. That was good because she wanted the sun back; she had planned to soak in the fountain today. Dr. Grant had given Owen a CD that held more classical music. Elise was in love with it. Her psychiatrist had recommended listening to music while vegetating, and this one was wonderful.

Spiegel im Spiegel by Arvo Pärt. It was very soothing and soft.

Lopez patted her leg as he said, "We're going to do everything we can to avoid a fight, Ghost, but if it comes to that, we are right behind you."

Elise nodded; she didn't want to fight Sobek, but ACU had tranquilizers and the shocking sticks. She was pretty sure that would only make Sobek angrier, but it was up to her to pin him. She didn't want him to fight Rexy because her bones were hurting day.

Maybe she would get lucky and Sobek's bones would be hurting too.

* * *

"Where the hell is it?"

Jack shook his head as another shiver went down his spine. This place was creepy to him, and the large gaping hole through the building didn't help any. There were still stairs, but this place was already reclaimed by the jungle.

Jack glanced down when his foot kicked something, and he grimaced at the mossy green raptor foot. The sickle claw was splayed to attack, but it didn't move when he tapped it with his foot; it was stuck in the ground.

"I don't even see a painted raptor, Mr. Bridges."

Bridges began to chew on his cheek as he glanced around with narrowed eyes. He could still see the massive footprint belonging to a certain Sweetheart, and he wondered if the raptor had been destroyed by the Indominus.

"He said under a loose tile. We look for a room with tiles, and we start there. I want to be out of here by seven."

Jack glanced at his watch to see it was only six, and he was not happy. He sighed before brushing the earthly carpet away to reveal the damaged floor. He couldn't tell what it had been, and Bridges was doing the same thing on his side of the room.

Bridges rubbed his chin before saying, "We need to split up to cover more ground. I just hope these records aren't upstairs, but I don't think they are."

Jack nodded in agreement, and Bridges said, "I know the kitchen would have tiles; it just makes sense. I also know the dining room would be lavishly decorated. Maybe we'll find a painted raptor there."

"Sounds good to me; I'll check the kitchen."

Bridges nodded as they walked down the partially collapsed hallway before pausing in the dining room. A large hole in the ceiling allowed some light to peek in, and Bridges pressed his lips at the mess.

"We might have to come back later."

"I say we search the driest parts of the room first. I know Wu said loose tile, but if I were hiding something that valuable, I would make sure it would be in a protected area."

Bridges patted Jack's shoulder as he said, "There's the thief in you. Smart thinking. I think the kitchen door is over there. Watch out for compys or worse."

Jack hesitated before something cold nudged him. He blinked at the shiny pistol, and Bridges said, "There's nothing in here, but I bet the kitchen is better protected. I'd rather you shoot something than get bit and we have to cut this short. Just don't shoot me, please."

Jack snorted as he took the pistol before disappearing into the kitchen. Bridges shook his head before he began to look around. He had a feeling this was the room; he could see some faded animals on the dirty walls. Bridges wondered if he could find the raptor under some of the grime.

He began to walk along the dirty walls while wiping them down, but he couldn't find the raptor. Bridges didn't hear the approaching footsteps, but he did pause at the painted, faded, gold eye before wiping it down.

He found the raptor.

Bridges turned to search for the loose tile before a branch snapped close to the doorway. He didn't think an animal would come here, but it didn't sound very large. Bridges was a curious creature, and walked over to investigate before almost colliding with the man. They stumbled back, and Bridges' expression mirrored the utterly surprised one of the man before him.

"…Blake?"

* * *

Sobek puffed air through his nose as he dipped his sore snout in the cool waters a little deeper. He hadn't slept very well, and his skin felt raw. The storm had passed but the other had yet to actually happen.

Where was Stranger?

Sobek wanted something to comfort his snout, and the waters were as close to comfort as he was going to get. He wasn't even sure if he wanted to fight his powerful one in this shape. He had to be in pristine condition if he wanted to prove himself a worthy opponent.

But he felt miserable now; he knew this feeling too. This wasn't the first time his snout had started to hurt so much, but he couldn't remember why.

It was a disturbance in the balance, but nothing had been disturbed yet.

Sobek made a soft sound as his good eye caught sight of his favorite prey obliviously swimming along. He wasn't in the mood to fish right now; he didn't want his nose to get bit.

A loud squawking above him caused the Spinosaurus to curl his lip. He hated the chirping feathered ones; they were so loud, but he glanced up to see a larger one being attacked by a few smaller ones. No doubt it had trespassed, but the larger one suddenly dropped something that fell into the river with a plunk sound. Sobek dipped his snout back into the water before he eyed the surface for disturbances.

Several red petals suddenly floated to the surface before becoming caught on boulders, overhanging grass, and even a few fish snapped at them. To Sobek, it looked like blood flowing down the stream. It reminded him of once seeing a powerful one dead in the river. Her mate hadn't been far from her, and Sobek remembered the bad smell in the empty nest.

It reeked of Death.

Sobek didn't like those memories; those had been pointless kills, and he never saw nor heard hatchlings after that. The bodies he had found reeked of human; they bled from several, little wounds on their forest scales.

The Spinosaurus dipped his snout further into the waters as the pain on his snout grew more; he didn't understand, but he always remembered Death's scent on those dead, powerful ones.

Sobek didn't care for that; powerful ones were his alone to fight.

He never wanted to see his powerful one dead in the river with bleeding holes in her scales.

Sobek suddenly began to curl his lip; this was the pressure from when the powerful ones were disappearing. Death had been meddling in things he wasn't supposed to meddle with; disturbing a balance that had worked so hard to right itself after the humans' disappearance.

Was Death here? Sobek raised his head with a hiss; Stranger would not allow that one here. This was not his island.

Yet, Sobek did recall the scent on Twisted One.

The Spinosaurus began to pace the river; if Death tried to take down his powerful one before they could fight.

Sobek would kill him.

* * *

"What the hell are you doing here?"

Bridges raised an eyebrow at the man before coolly saying, "I could ask the same thing about you. I had heard you were fired."

Blake crossed his arms as he retorted, "I'm not fired; I'm coming back after my paid leave."

Bridges narrowed his eyes suspiciously before saying, "I don't see why you would have any reason to be here then."

"I could say the same thing about you. At least I'm still an employee here. I know you're not here on official business."

The blonde didn't like this, and he retorted, "I'm assuming you are then? Since ACU is all over by Sobek then Miss Dearing needed your help?"

Bridges mentally cursed himself when he realized he had just handed Blake ammo, but he was really caught off guard here. He hadn't expected to see anyone, let alone Blake, here. He could see only one reason why the man would be here, and Blake crossed his arms as his gaze flickered around the room before answering, "I am here on official business. I'm here to pick up some important things left behind."

Blake had no idea what could be important here, but if all else failed, he would lie and say it was records. He knew there were some things like that left behind due to the fact that Jurassic World had to start from scratch when they came back; he remembered that much from Hamada. There were abandoned files here; granted they were most likely in regards to the building themselves.

Blake paused; he knew blueprints had been left here. Ideas like future attractions that Jurassic World never had any use for; that was a believable lie, but Blake wasn't going to leave until he knew what Bridges was up to. He didn't like the way the blonde almost seemed to stiffen at his answer, and Blake couldn't help but to snap, "It's not your delivery of cocaine or whatever was left here. You look like you're in the drug business; I'm just here from some blueprints."

Bridges was confused by the answer; he was really caught off guard, but he wouldn't outright admit he was here for Wu's records if he was Blake. He would try to steer the subject away from records or 'blueprints'.

Unless Blake assumed he hadn't seen the letter, but that didn't make sense to him. He had obviously read the letter if he was here, but Blake was also here. Had Wu sent more than one letter hoping to cause trouble or were there really records here?

Bridges didn't feel comfortable enough to assume Blake knew exactly what was going on, but he already knew too much. Blake was going to have to come with them, and Bridges would sort him out later.

Bridges was not comfortable with doing anything drastic here; this was not part of his plan, and this was not his domain.

The blonde rubbed his jaw as he walked over while saying, "Look, clearly we shouldn't have crossed paths, but I really don't want any trouble here. I think we can both agree that we would like to keep this quiet. I'm going to call BS on your little blueprint hunt, and I'll admit that I am not here to pick up drugs."

Blake nodded though he refused to say anything or turn his back, Bridges pulled out a thick wad of cash as he calmly said, "How about this? I didn't see you, and you didn't see me. You walk away a richer man, and I leave with what I need. It's not drugs, it's not even something that belongs to Jurassic World."

Blake raised an eyebrow at the wad of cash as he asked, "Do you really expect me to believe that?"

"I expect you to be in need of money seeing how you aren't getting paid what you're used to. You have no reason or proof to actually say something, and I have no idea why you're here. Let's not do anything drastic, and we both walk away, hmm?"

Blake believed that Bridges wanted him to leave without doing anything, and Blake was willing to do that. Bridges' print was on the silver money clip, and that was proof enough for Blake. He could bring security back here because surely there was enough evidence of other people being here.

Even if Bridges wouldn't get in trouble, Blake was sure he would get some kind of headache trying to explain this, and that was enough for Blake.

"Sure."

Blake took the money easily before tucking it away, and he turned to leave. He was still watching Bridges from the corner of his eye, and reacted when he saw the blonde swing his fist. Bridges grunted when his arm was blocked before his head snapped back from the punch. He staggered back before checking for blood as he snapped, "Good to see you can actually fight."

Blake put his fists up as he said, "I think I'll give you some payback for that sucker punch to the gut."

Bridges slicked his hair back as he scoffed, "Oh please, you were so easy to provoke; even Elise didn't fall for that stupid game."

"I did just get a nice wad of cash out of your pocket; I'll enjoy my new boots while you get to explain your trespassing. Wasn't very smart of you to leave your fingerprint on the money clip."

Bridges narrowed his eyes before growling, "I think I'll enjoy locking you up in the old labs on my island; plenty of time for you to rot just like your useless Commander who couldn't even see something as big as a Tyrannosaurus hiding in the damned bushes. Elise is whiter than snow; how the hell do you miss that in the green jungle? She practically glows."

Blake saw red before he lunged to swing at the blonde who parried it before clipping Blake's jaw. The ex-Commander gritted his teeth as he made a kick at Bridges' knee, and the blonde yelled when he staggered under the blow. Bridges pushed himself away from another kick before grabbing a rock and smashing it against Blake's shoulder. Blake hissed in pain, but didn't see Bridges kick his legs from underneath him.

Blake landed hard on the ground before wheezing under the weight that was Bridges, and the blonde said, "I'm going to knock you out with this rock, you'll have a nice nap to my island, and you can think about how easily your temper controls you."

Blake's eyes widened at the raised rock, and Bridges was pinning him in a way that he couldn't get his combat knife. Blake struggled, and the blonde grunted before Blake shoved his hand into his pocket.

' _I give you my tooth to protect you. No enemy expect my tooth on you.'_

Blake actually thanked Freak for her gift before yanking the sharp ivory from his pocket, and stabbing it into Bridges. The blonde yelled in pain before Blake shoved him off, and quickly stood. Bridges made to stand, but Blake roughly pinned him against the wall before the blonde froze when the cold blade of the combat knife was pressed against his throat. Bridges gritted his teeth when Blake spat, _"I should just kill you and get it over with. I can plea self-defense."_

Bridges tried to back away as he said, "Let's not do anything stupid, Blake."

" _You tried to kill me!"_

Bridges wanted to shake his head, and he calmly said, "I have no reason to kill you, Blake. Calm down. You won, okay? Walk away, and I'll do the same."

Blake could not believe how calm Bridges actually sounded, and the blonde softly added, "There's no need to kill me; don't risk your career. Spare me, and I will remember that."

Blake took a deep breath; his therapy had taught him to think about consequences, and he had to learn to control his anger.

He didn't want to kill anyone.

Blake shook his head; he couldn't believe he was just going to walk away from this man, and he snapped, "You're a sick person."

Bridges didn't care because he knew Blake was going to let him go. He would remember that. Bridges was still going to drag Blake to the island, but he would remember that the ex-Commander had spared his life.

A loud bang echoed in the room, and Bridges howled when his shoulder just seemed to catch on fire. He gritted his teeth in agony as he clutched his suddenly wet shoulder, and Blake paused before slowly falling over. Bridges blinked at Jack pointing the gun at him, and Bridges yelled, _"You sonofabitch! I said don't shoot me!"_

Bridges froze when he heard the choked gasp for air, and he paled at seeing Blake gaping at the ceiling as he clutched his crimson stained chest. The blonde immediately pulled the hands away before saying, "Blake, stay with me!"

Blake knew exactly what had happened, and yet he didn't. Everything was moving so slowly, but his chest hurt so much. He knew he had just been shot. He had been trained to handle the psychologically incapacitating shots. He was going to be fine, and he was going to bust Bridges' balls for pulling this.

He just didn't know who shot him or why Bridges was in his line of vision. He saw the mouth moving, and he had no idea why the blonde told him to stay.

Blake actually felt himself just…leaving. Was he dying? His vision slid down to the red stained, white shirt Bridges was wearing. He saw Freak's tooth still embedded in the skin, and Blake gave a pained smiled.

Freak had almost saved his life again. It was getting harder to think, but Blake's last thoughts regarded Commander Hamada, Lopez, and Freak.

Elise.

"…I…f-forgive…her…"

Bridges held his mouth open as he processed how the man went limp with his last breath. Bridges was mildly aware of the burning in his shoulder and side, but he was in a lot of trouble.

This was a massive problem.

Jack was next to him as he hissed, "Shit!"

Bridges only gaped at the man before snarling, "What did you think would happen when you pulled the trigger?!"

"I-I- _he_ was going to kill you!"

Bridges was going to kill Jack, and then he could go to prison for murder. Jack sensed that, but both froze at a loud chirping. They glanced up to see a colorful bird staring at them; it had witnessed everything before flying off with a long, loud, and shrill cry.

Bridges briefly wondered if Elise had any bird DNA in her, and if he should actually hunt down that bird to get rid of the witnesses.

* * *

Sobek curled his lip as he continued to pace up the river before pausing to rake his claws through the dirt. He had to find Death or Stranger. Stranger could help hunt Death, and Sobek was pleased by that idea.

The Spinosaurus froze when his snout tingled painfully before a bird suddenly wailed mournfully in the distance. Sobek knew that cry, but he started to see red when he heard the graceful herbivores join the sorrowful song with loud, low cries.

Death was here.

Sobek threw back his head to give a rage filled roar that shook the skies. His home had been tainted, and he would not stand for this. The air was wrong, and it wasn't long before he heard the powerful one give her own furious roar. Sobek was going to kill Death for this atrocious crime.

His territory had impenetrable walls, but he knew where a down fence was.

* * *

Elise flicked her tail playfully as she gave a soft croon to Owen just because she loved him. Owen hid his crooked grin, but gave Elise a look to remind her to be professional. He knew it was a boring part of the job, but she couldn't get playful.

Owen was happy when she got the message, and turned her attention back to the silent trees. Lowery had said Sobek was still at his river, and everyone was fine with that. The crew had worked fast, and it was a large enough team that they had already cleared the mess; it was ready to go.

Elise startled when she heard the sad cries on the wind from the soft herbivores, and Owen raised an eyebrow before Sobek's furious roar made the men jump. Elise slowly rose with a sinking feeling in her stomach; something bad had happened. The park wasn't happy.

Rexy's thunderous roar caused Owen to jump before his girls' gave furious shrieks. Owen had never heard them so angry before.

"Elise?"

Owen took a few steps back when the Indominus' lip curled high as a furious smolder darkened her crimson eyes. She didn't know what happened, but something had happened.

The men covered their ears when the Indominus gave her livid, shrill roar that echoed across the plains.

The park seemed to fall silent after Elise's piercing roar could still be heard echoing in the distance. Owen wasn't sure what to do when the Indominus started to look sad as she desperately stared at him. Lopez snapped his gaze towards his wrist communicator when Lowery's panicked voice said, "Guys! Sobek's running right towards you!"

Owen didn't like how he heard the tech-geek drop something before Lowery hoarsely said, "Oh, shit…he's knocked over six trees! …Eight!"

There was a brief pause before Claire was suddenly on, and she firmly said, "Get out of there right now! I want the Repair Team gone! ACU, evacuate! Sobek is rampaging!"

Owen knew it was bad when Claire called an evacuation, and Lopez signaled his men to get a move on while saying, "Evacuate the crew! Don't piss around because we aren't leaving one person behind!"

Expensive equipment was tossed into the vehicles as the people began to scurry about. Elise made her way to the front of the fence as she heard Sobek give another furious roar, but she paused.

He wanted death? Elise didn't like that; his roar was a challenge, but he was roaring death. Did that mean Sobek wanted to fight to the death?

She curled her lip before giving a responding roar; she accepted his challenge, but it wasn't long before Rexy had given her own thunderous cry.

Rexy was not going to let her youngling fight alone.

* * *

"What do we do?"

Bridges continued to flick his lighter on and off as he thought hard. He had a headache coming on, and the demons were screaming for Jack's death. Bridges knew the only thing more difficult than hiding a body was hiding two bodies.

Especially when he was injured; his shoulder hurt like hell, and he knew the bullet in embedded in it. His side throbbed from the sharp tooth, and Bridges had no idea how or why Blake was carrying a tooth of all things.

He had given a good fight.

Bridges took a deep breath; he had no intent of trying to move the body very far, but he still had no idea why Blake had come here. He glanced at the fallen man before answering, "Check his pockets for a phone. I'll be right back."

Jack only nodded as he began to pat the pockets down, and Bridges decided to follow one demon's idea. This one was the smartest of the group.

The kitchen wasn't what he had picture it to be. He could actually still see the tiles on the floor, and the kitchenware had rusted over. The plant life had been slower to reclaim this area, but the vines were slowly creeping in. The ceiling looked close to collapsing, and Bridges wondered when Claire would order this place to be torn down. It would have to be eventually in order to make room for more attractions.

If he hid the body here, and if it rotted long enough, he would let the demolition crew take care of the rest for him. Bridges was only worried about two things.

He wanted to know who was aware of Blake's whereabouts, and Elise's nose.

Bridges wanted to wipe his mouth, but his hands were still bloody. Bridges had never been in this situation before, but he just had to keep calm; he had to cover his tracks.

A whisper in his head directed his attention to a dully gleaming door in the corner of the room. Where a tall, slightly hunched over shadow seemed to rock back and forth slowly. Bridges chewed his lips before walking over; this could be his answer. They didn't have time to dig a hole in the ground.

Bridges eyed the rusted hinges before trying to pull the pin from the lock. He didn't want to break the chain, and picked up a rock before tapping it up. The lock swung out more easily than he thought it would, but the door wouldn't budge.

Bridges grunted as he pulled it before hissing in pain when he strained his shoulder; he was so furious at Jack that he was actually calm. Now he had a complaint about his assistant.

The blonde heaved a breath before walking back to retrieve his dark haired assistant. Jack was chewing his lip nervously, but glanced at Bridges as he answered, "Here's the phone. He hasn't texted anyone this morning."

Bridges almost laughed; the day hadn't even started and he was done with it. He wanted to cancel his morning meetings, but he couldn't do that. Now he had to set up an alibi.

The blonde stared at the phone before going through the messages. It seemed Blake only really texted Lopez frequently, and he heaved a sigh of relief at the break they had caught.

Blake was to leave today, but he had already said his goodbyes. No farewell breakfast because ACU was always working. Blake had promised to send Lopez a text when he left, and Bridges knew how to fix that problem.

The blonde tucked the phone into his pocket at he said, "Come help me with a door in the kitchen."

Jack nodded as he gave the body another glance, but Bridges was glad he wasn't panicking. Bridges really would put a bullet in Jack's head if he started to panic.

Jack raised an eyebrow at the steel door, but he didn't say anything as they both tugged on the door before a loud scrapping sound was made. Bridges made a mental note to clean evidence of the door being opened later, but he paused to catch his breath when it had been opened enough. Jack curled his lip at the stifling heat before quietly asking, "What is it?"

Bridges took his phone out before turning on the light, and raising an eyebrow at the overturned, metal shelves. The floors were very dusty but otherwise untouched by plants. There was a smell in here, but Bridges answered, "I think it's a walk-in freezer."

The blonde stepped in before shining the light on the floor. He paused at seeing the claw marks on the ground, but startled at seeing the skeleton. Bridges hated how hot it was in here, but curiosity got the better of him. He raised an eyebrow before asking, "How did a Velociraptor get locked in here?"

Jack shook his head, but Bridges startled at hearing a tiny chirp. He flashed his light onto the peeping tom, and the compy skittered through a small hole in the wall. Bridges searched the freezer for any more holes, but he could hear the scratching from the scavengers in the wall. He glanced down at the skeleton of the untouched raptor before making his decision.

He motioned for the man to follow him as he said, "We'll hide him in there."

It was hard to move the deadweight with an injured shoulder, and Jack was getting squeamish. Bridges was not in the mood to deal with that, but the duo had managed to get the body into the freezer before Jack dropped the legs. Bridges snapped, "Christ, it's bad enough you shot him, but you can't even set him down gently?"

Jack had lost his color, and Bridges rolled his eyes as he set the body down next to the raptor's skeleton. At least Blake wouldn't be lonely here.

Bridges searched the pockets ones more time for a wallet or any form of identification before tucking his money back into his pocket. He paused at the silver chain around the grey neck. Of course Blake was wearing his dog-tags, but those came off with a sharp snap of the wrist. Bridges also tucked those into his pocket before looking around as he said, "We're done here, Jack."

The assistant didn't say anything when Bridges tugged him out before he shut the door. Jack seemed to snap out of it as he hoarsely asked, "What do we do now? We can't just leave the body there…"

Bridges pinched his nose before calmly saying, "This is what we do, Jack. We do nothing, this never happened. We were never here, and neither was Blake. Blake decided to go start a new life somewhere else, and _we were never here_. We don't draw attention here, and we are never going to talk about this again. The hungry compys are going to take care of the evidence for us, the rain is going to wash away the blood, and we are going to be fine."

Jack looked like he was going to protest, but Bridges firmly said, "The only thing that can tie us to this is someone who squeals. I know the bullet is in my shoulder, and the pistol is in my coat. We just don't leave anything behind. Got it?"

Jack numbly nodded as he glanced at the locked freezer before Bridges gently patted his cheek while calmly saying, "Hey, relax."

Bridges gingerly held his shoulder as he left, and Jack followed before suddenly asking, "How did he get here?"

Bridges sighed as he kicked the ground around to destroy any footprints, but he answered, "Obviously a car, which you will have to drive back to avoid suspicion."

"Why me?"

Bridges gave an irritated glare at the man as he snapped, "Because you're the one who shot him _and me_ , I cannot be seen by anyone, Jack. Look at me; I am covered in blood, and I don't want that on the seats."

Jack swallowed as he really looked at Bridges. The man looked irritated, but Jack could see he was in pain. He was holding his shoulder oddly, and the pristine coat was torn and soaked. Bridges could not be seen by anyone, and Jack nodded. Bridges glanced around before snapping, "We'll leave the damned files here; I don't want one damned thing from this place to come with us, got it? If anyone else comes after them, then they can't get suspicious if the files are here."

Jack nodded again as he followed the blonde out. He was once again grateful for Bridges' calm demeanor. The two glanced up when the sky started to drizzle again, and Bridges sighed quietly. Jack wasn't sure what to say; he was reeling, and he was scared.

They found the running car around the corner, and Bridges was happy to see the hat still covered the camera. He was careful about opening doors before tossing the coat to Jack as he quietly said, "Wear this when you take it back. Park it as quietly as possible, and don't talk to anyone. Stay away from cameras, but don't look like an idiot. You're just a guy going home. I'll follow at a distance, and I'll pick you up before we leave. Got it? You're just a guy going home."

Jack nodded as he slipped the jacket on. It was a little loose, but nothing bad; he felt creepy wearing Blake's jacket.

But Blake didn't need it anymore.

Bridges sighed again as Jack drove off before he went back to his own car. He cracked his neck while turning the lighter in his hand before following. The old building soon turned silent again though the birds refused to perch there any longer. There was a disturbance in the air.

The Velociraptor skeleton felt better though; it wasn't alone anymore. VM-04, better known as Autumn, had someone to rot with for the rest of time. The raptor skeleton hadn't seen the door open for over twenty years, and the two wouldn't see it open again for a very long time.

But they could keep each other company in the dark until then.

* * *

Elise refused to budge as the quaking steps drew nearer. Lopez had finally loaded the last person into the car, and he whistled for Owen to get in. Owen smacked Elise's leg as he snapped, "Get out of here! You heard Claire; evacuate! That means you!"

Elise snagged her talons around Owen before plopping him next to Lopez. The Commander yanked Owen towards the car as he said, "We have to go now!"

Owen was going to punch Lopez in the jaw, but the Commander said, "We'll help, but we can't sit right here! I'm not leaving Ghost behind; when I said I wasn't leaving anyone, I meant it."

Owen huffed before he glanced at Elise one more time, and she motioned for him to get moving. He pointed at her as he said, "Don't you dare pull anything stupid or I will be furious with you."

Elise nodded, and the two scrambled into the car. Elise was ready to fight Sobek to the death if he wanted, but she wouldn't kill him if she didn't have to.

Everything was permitted, but she had to live with the consequences of her actions for the rest of her life. Sobek was a very dangerous creature, but he was part of this pack too; he was pack. He was his own pack, but it wouldn't be right if Elise killed him.

The Indominus rose to her full height when the trees suddenly knocked over, and Sobek slid to a halt with his emerald eye blazing murderously. He seemed to regard her for a second before giving a loud roar for Death.

Elise accepted his challenge with her own shrill roar as she charged forward. Sobek seemed surprised that she didn't shy away, but he never turned down a good fight.

The two collided with a loud thud before Elise raked her claws through the rusty scales while trying to grip Sobek's neck. If she could pin him, then Lopez or Owen could tranquilize him. Sobek wasn't having it though, and lunged forward before suddenly yanking back. He swung his head hard, and Elise stumbled when her head snapped to the side.

Sobek had a very hard skull, but the Indominus whipped her tail at the Spinosaurus as she bit at his side. Sobek knew an inexperienced youngling when he saw one. While he was thrilled to see Twisted One fought with the fire of a powerful one, he still didn't like her.

She was going to die.

The Indominus surprised Sobek when she managed to push his head down before she clamped her teeth into his scales. Sobek roared in pain, but Elise only tightened her grip before she felt a crunch. She flinched back when she felt the shock go through her tooth, and Sobek slipped free from her jaws.

Sobek snarled as he snapped his jaws at her, before Elise suddenly rammed her head into Sobek's shoulder in hopes of stumbling him. Sobek had been expecting that, and he took full advantage of the exposed neck.

Elise shrieked when the curved teeth sank into her neck. Sobek couldn't bite hard enough to crush bone, but she couldn't slip out of his grip; his teeth were designed for gripping slippery prey. She wriggled as hard as she could while she heard the gunfire. Sobek seemed to ignore the darts hitting his scales, and he didn't hear Owen give the shrill whistle over Elise's roaring.

Elise shrieked again when Sobek forced her to fall over as he slowly increased the painful pressure on her neck. Elise kicked as best she could while trying to twist her arm to claw at Sobek's face.

Owen bolted from the cover of his boulders to pull out his gun. He pointed before carefully aiming.

If he could blind Sobek; Elise would have a chance, and that was all that mattered to Owen.

* * *

" _What will we do with a drunken whaler, what will we do with a drunken whaler, what will we do with a drunken whaler, early in the morning?"_

Kate rolled her eyes as she threw her line into the river again, and Bark flinched at Queen Anne's particularly loud shriek. Ed chuckled quietly before continuing his song, and Kate sighed. It was always nice to do some early morning fishing, but Ed's singing was going to scare all the fish away.

" _Shoot him through the heart with a loaded pistol, shoot him through the heart with a loaded pistol, shoot him through the heart with a loaded pistol, early in the morning."_

Anne threw her head back to give a loud cry, before she suddenly went quiet. Ed raised an eyebrow when Bark paused to glance around, and both handlers startled when the two dinosaurs gave long, loud cries. Kate had never heard Bark roar like that before, but Ed had heard Anne give a cry like that.

Bark lowered her head as she halfheartedly dipped her snout into the water, and Anne turned around almost nervously. Kate glanced around before quietly asking, "What was that?"

Ed pressed his lips before answering, "I think someone died."

Kate startled, but the bear of a man answered, "We don't have crows or owls to tell us when death is coming, but the animals here seem to know."

"I have never heard Bark make that sound."

Ed shrugged as he retorted, "I've heard Queen Anne make that cry; listen."

Kate watched the man set down his pole before he started the slow, mournful song.

" _O Death, O Death, won't you spare me over 'till another year?"_

Anne gave another turn before she threw her head back to join the mournful beg for mercy. Kate felt shivers go down her spine every time the Baryonyx let out another piercing shriek.

" _Well what is this that I can't see? With ice cold hands taking hold of me."_

Kate suddenly didn't find Ed and Anne's singing annoying anymore; she didn't want to hear this song because now it made her nervous.

" _O Death, come take this soul, leave the body and leave it cold."_

Kate had enough when Bark lifted her own head to join the mournful song. The handler smacked Ed as she snapped, "I get it, okay? No more singing."

Ed nodded as he picked up the pole while quietly saying, "I wonder who died."

"No one died, Ed."

Kate winced when Ed patted her shoulder comfortingly as he gravely said, "The animals don't lie about this stuff, Kate. They know things way before we do. We have a song for Death, and so do the animals."

"…Whatever…"

Ed shrugged as he threw the line back into the water, but Anne waited for him to finish the last part of the song. When it was clear Anne was going solo, she made another turn before throwing her head back.

Kate decided she was done fishing when Bark gave a low cry to mix in with Anne's piercing shriek.

The fish had been scared away anyway.

* * *

 **Another A/N**

 **I love you guys! I'm sorry for the cliffhanger! That death had been planned a looong time ago. Have a good night/day!**


	69. Chapter 69

**A/N**

 **Hey guys! Quick question, do you guys want a warning when deaths happen? I know warnings go up at gore and triggers, but do you want warnings for deaths because I'm fine with either way. Let me know please, and if you're not comfortable with saying so in the reviews, give me a PM because I sincerely care.**

 **MANYOREOS, "Fishing is like yoga, except you still get to kill something." I have been fishing, and it is fun; I personally find it relaxing and I like eating the fish afterwards; it tastes good. It's calm, quiet, but you get to feel the satisfaction of knowing you caught your food in fair game.**

 **Me Myself and I, only a little bit. *Hands over tissues.***

 **Elisedaindominus, I know I took forever to post, but the teeth came out quick; I just hadn't posted it. *Hands over band-aids***

 **Kim K's Butt, I still love you too, and I'm glad you still love me. I'll let you keep the Oreos as comfort food.**

 **The Only Potato, that's what we do when power goes out around here, and the generator doesn't start. The power never goes out in the daytime either. I have no idea if the Baryonyx has bird in her; she does have feathers, but the little bird didn't tell her. She just heard everyone else.**

 **Anonymous, that was perfect.**

 **kagespirit, I hope you caught up on sleep; seriously seven hours is a long time to read one thing. If I could legit hand you some Oreos, I would.**

 **I 3 bunny butts, how many updates?! :O Don't bring the thins! We'll have to evacuate again if Blue finds them. And the KV-2 is awesome!**

 **I know I'm really late with this update, and I swear to God most of those four days was spent on the fight because I really did not know how to end it without the story going in a direction I didn't want it to. So, this is what I did; I am happy with how the fight ended.**

 **I thank you guys for your patience, and I do mean that sincerely. I know what it's like to check on the status of a story when it should have updated only to see it hasn't. I know that frustration, and I am really sorry I did that. I thank you for coming back to read this story, and leaving your thoughts on it.**

 **In case you haven't heard it today, I love you. You are loved. Have a good day/night!**

* * *

"Death Comes in Threes."

Elise couldn't shake the feeling of panic in her belly when she felt her head being twisted further at an odd angle. She didn't want to die, and she briefly glanced to see Owen had left his cover while aiming the gun at Sobek. Elise didn't know where Owen was aiming, but she knew two things.

The bullet wouldn't kill Sobek, and Owen would be in danger if he grabbed Sobek's attention.

Elise didn't want that, and she saw red at the image of Sobek chasing her human down. If Sobek killed her, then there wouldn't be anyone to protect Owen from other dinosaurs. He wouldn't have anyone to finish teaching him how to use the resonating chamber.

There wouldn't be anyone to stop Owen from dying, and Elise had promised Rosie she would keep Owen away from death.

Sobek paused when the shiny glimmer of a weapon hit his eye, and he blinked at seeing Stranger standing alone with his puny weapon. One human with a useless stick had decided to stand against him? Sobek would have snorted if his mouth wasn't full of soon-to-be junk food.

But if Stranger wished to challenge him to a fight, Sobek respected him enough to accept. It would be sad when Stranger no longer moved, but Sobek wouldn't insult him by refusing the challenge. Stranger was a good human who would fight back, and that was enough for Sobek; he didn't think less of him.

Sobek startled when the Indominus suddenly let out a furious roar he had never heard before, and she managed to hook her talons into his jaw before raking down. Sobek lost his grip when she shoved herself up before she smashed her skull into his.

Elise gave another furious roar; she was an Indominus Rex damn it. She would not be rescued like a helpless hatchling. She had promised Claire she would never let Sobek hurt this park, and she couldn't do that if she had to be rescued. If she could take on Lilly, she could take on Sobek.

Roll with the chaos because everything is permitted.

The Spinosaurus stumbled back as he shook his head to clear the ringing in his ears. He was impressed she could actually fight, and he gave his own roar. Now she was acting like a serious challenge. Sobek made to charge forward, but let out a startled yelp when a flash of blue scales suddenly barreled into his nose.

Blue was livid at this trespassing, and she would not let her Alphas fight this old dinosaur without her.

Owen couldn't believe how little Blue looked as she clung to the long snout of the Spinosaurus, but he was relieved he didn't have to blind Sobek. He glanced to the side of him when Lopez handed him a tranquilizer gun; they would help as best they could.

Sobek shook his head back and forth in attempt to shake the raptor from his face. He let out a furious roar when Blue bit particularly hard on a nostril before he snapped his head to the side. Blue went sailing off just in time for Elise sink her teeth into the rusty neck. Owen could hear the whoosh of air leave the massive lungs when she roughly forced Sobek onto the ground.

Blue was immediately back on the Spinosaurus before Delta and Echo made impressive leaps onto the sailed back in hopes of finding a weak spot. Sobek curled his lip as he gathered his limbs beneath him. He would not be pinned into submission by a twisted creature like this, and he shoved himself up even though Elise refused to let go of his neck. The raptors continued to bite, chew, and claw the scales as Sobek did his best to shake them off.

Owen and Lopez were carefully aiming their tranquilizer guns before a shadow suddenly engulfed them. The two snapped their gazes up before paling, and holding the guns close because they didn't know what else to do. The shadow limped past them in favor of approaching the squabbling mess who didn't notice her presence until she gave a loud puff of air through her nose.

The clustered fight paused to stare at the Big Boss glaring at them. Elise kept her jaws snapped on Sobek's neck while Blue continued to cling to his nostril. Echo had managed to climb to the peak of the sail where she was currently clinging to, and Delta had almost slid off the scarred shoulder. Sobek himself panted through his open jaws as he dangerously eyed the forest scales.

They were waiting for Rexy to join the fight, but Rexy was not in the mood to fight. Her hips were hurting far too much for the patrolling she had done let alone joining a clustered fight against this Rude One. She had rushed because she thought her youngling was too inexperienced to fight, but the raptors had helped shift the fight into her favor. White One's human refused to abandon her, and Rexy knew she was not needed in this fight.

This fight was not needed, and her island had already been upset. Rude One did not need to die.

Rude One was old like her, and Rexy gave a stern rumble; she could handle things from here.

The group blinked at her before Delta slowly slid off the shoulder, and Echo bounced off to land next to her. The two raptors skittered into her shadow before they glanced at the other two. Blue had worked hard to get a grip on the nose, and she was not going to let go of it. Elise refused to release Sobek because she didn't want Owen to get hurt.

Rexy curled her lip, and Blue decided the chewy nose wasn't worth it any longer; the Beta glared at Sobek one more time before she bounced off. Rexy hardly acknowledged Blue when she scrambled up her shoulder.

Blue chirped at White One to let go; not even the most perfect Oreo in the world was worth angering Stern One.

Elise still hesitated, and Rexy gave one more rumble. She knew her youngling was getting at that age where she would rely more on her own decisions as compared to looking to her mother for guidance. The Tyrannosaurus winced slightly when her tail gave too wide of a wave, and her hips flared. When the youngling decided to go with her own decisions, or refused to heed the orders of the adult, it was time for her to leave the nest.

Elise wasn't ready for that, and she gently let go of the muscular neck with a low rumble as she slowly backed away while glowering at Sobek. The Spinosaurus snapped his jaws at her before immediately getting in Rexy's personal space.

Blue gave a warning hiss, but Rexy refused to budge as the scarred snout slowly drew nearer with a hushed snarl. Sobek wanted this fight, but he wanted to kill Death for hurting this island. He had no idea why the twisted one had challenged him for no reason, but he was too proud to back down.

This powerful one had to be here to fight him as well, and Sobek would not back down from that. He would never turn down a fight from this one.

Rexy only let out a low rumbled exhale as she glanced at him calmly. She had no idea how to understand what Rude One said, but she knew one thing.

He had joined the sad song before she had. He mourned the upset on this island before she had, and that was all she needed to know. Her youngling was inexperienced with these things, and had been tense whenever Rude One roared.

These two had been looking to fight one another.

Rexy didn't want that, and she rumbled again as she gently moved her face slightly closer to his in a calm manner; she didn't want to touch him. She wanted to be close enough for him to know she wouldn't attack, but far enough to still respect his space; this was close enough. She didn't know what Rude One was; her instincts had nothing to say about him as her ancestors had never crossed paths with his. She recalled the crazy female, but Rude One was not like her.

It didn't matter to her.

What mattered was that her family and Rude One had been looking to fight each other. Rexy didn't want to lose any part of her family, but she didn't want Rude One to be attack for being rightfully upset.

Rexy understood his rage-filled, but sad roar. White One was normally smarter, but she had been looking for a fight.

As had the humans.

Sobek's face hurt. His nose was throbbing from where the pack hunter had bit him, and his snout was still aching. He really didn't feel up to this fight, but the thrill of the battle demanded he give it his all if this powerful one challenged him.

So why was she refusing to move?

Sobek wanted to glare at Twisted One when he caught her scent, but he couldn't see her. He could only see the powerful one staring at him calmly. Sobek couldn't understand her, but he could interpret her body language and sounds in his own way. He had fought plenty of powerful ones; he knew what to look for.

They didn't do this. They didn't stand peacefully with him nor did they allow his powerful jaws so close to their easy to break necks.

She was not here to fight, and Sobek was feeling too tired to challenge her.

He hurt, and he was upset with Death for disturbing this island. He could feel the forced sleep starting to cloud his thoughts, and he wanted to go back to his nest.

Another, low rumble caused Sobek to part his jaws before giving a small hiss. This was very new ground to him; he had never met a powerful one this close for peace. He had seen them tend to their young, but he had only gotten this close to another during a fight.

Sobek carefully eyed the smooth back though he didn't feel like standing taller. In his older age, his back had been hurting more, and he was hunching over. His back was hurting today, and he noticed the powerful tail seemed to be waving more stiffly today.

Maybe she wasn't in the mood to fight today either.

Sobek was fine with that, and he was ready to crawl back to his nest. His pride wouldn't let him though; he would stay until they fought or she walked away. He would not turn his back to her or Twisted One; he didn't trust the abomination.

Why did Death have to ruin things on this island as well? At least his powerful one was alive, and that made Sobek feel better. He did feel good for holding his own against this oddball pack.

Sobek startled when Rexy puffed air through her nose before turning away with a low rumble. Blue continued to glare at Sobek though the Spinosaurus glanced down when Rexy's stiff tail accidentally brushed his shoulder. The Spinosaurus almost curled his lip when he thought Rexy was deeming him unimportant until she glanced back at him.

She respected him; she just didn't want to fight right now.

Rexy gave a stern rumble at the rest of the group to follow; she wasn't in the mood for more fights. Elise hesitated to stare at Owen, but the man motioned for her to get moving as he slowly backed towards the parked car with Lopez.

Realization hit Sobek as he watched the powerful one slowly walk away with the pack hunters following her without resistance. She was something of a mother to them; it was no wonder she didn't wish to fight, and it was why she got so angry when he snapped at the bold blue one.

Sobek felt himself wobble as the forced sleep was growing stronger, and he wondered if Stranger had something to do with that. The Spinosaurus gave himself a shake before he caught Twisted One staring at him; he was upset that she hadn't managed to get the message to Stranger.

Stranger hadn't been able to stop the storm from starting.

Elise relaxed when Sobek began to walk back to his paddock, but paused to give a deep snarl at her. She managed to understand that one clearly.

The fence stays down.

She blinked when Sobek decided to sniff around the newly cleaned up fence before he began to rake his claws through the dirt. She wanted to stop him, but she didn't want to fight him. The air felt wrong, and a fight had only made it worse. Elise felt ashamed of herself for some reason, like she had made the wrong call.

How had Rexy defused the situation so easily? Elise was so sure the Spinosaurus wouldn't have been stopped until he was sedated.

Elise turned to follow her mother when Sobek decided to make it very clear that this fence would not be rebuilt by plopping down on the cement. The humans wanted to rebuild while he was sleeping? Too bad. He was sleeping here, and he would be as difficult as possible until they learned better.

Sobek sighed as he allowed himself to be taken by the forced sleep. Now he understood more about this powerful one. She was not so weak or mellow that these oddballs claimed part of her territory. She was so powerful and respected that she _allowed_ them to live here. Sobek hissed gently as he adjusted himself once more; she had allowed him to live here as well.

He had heard her roar after his own; she knew there was something wrong here. Twisted One did not know what exactly was wrong. This was the powerful one's island, and Sobek had faith that she would be able to take care of things. The fight had not helped anything, but now it was over. The fence was down now, and Sobek would challenge her when they both felt well enough for it.

Twisted One could fight surprisingly well, but she still couldn't fight by herself; she needed her pack hunters. Sobek didn't respect that. He did respect Stranger for standing alone; Sobek knew the human would not take a step back in fear. Sobek respected this powerful one knowing when to fight, and how to control her rowdy bunch. She kept this island balanced even with oddballs. His powerful one was a wise ruler indeed.

He would call her Wise One.

Owen rubbed his forehead when Sobek finally fell asleep right where a steel pole needed to be. Rexy and the girls were already leaving, but Lopez leaned on the car before quietly asking, "What. The. Hell?"

Owen snorted before he quietly laughed. The Commander raised an eyebrow, and Owen shrugged his shoulders as an answer.

He had no idea. He just knew the park was going to open in a few minutes.

"How long will that keep him down for?"

Lopez pressed his lips before answering, "Half hour maybe; those darts were designed to act fast, not long."

Owen scratched his head in thought while asking, "Should we even open Rex Kingdom? Sobek can walk into both attractions if he feels like it."

Lopez tapped his fingers on the hood of the car before Claire suddenly said through the wrist communicator, "I trust your call on this Commander; Sobek's tracker was knocked out when Elise grabbed his neck."

Owen quietly muttered, "It explains why she let go all of a sudden."

Lopez continued to tap his fingers on the hood before saying, "We can decide when he wakes up. If he starts to wander too close, then we'll close it down, and sedate him or try to lead him away. I have no idea what that just was, but Sobek didn't take his opportunity to fight Rexy. He hasn't given us any grief until now."

"He's been here less than a week…"

Lopez nodded with a chuckle before he said, "I think Big Boss got the message across, and as much as I love our fences, I think Big Boss is our best fence. Sobek has a big enough territory to call his own with a river in it. These two paddocks don't. I think so long as no one goes into Sobek's territory, things will be fine until we can figure out how to get the fence up."

Owen stared at the rusty Spinosaurus before nodding as he said, "I can agree with that."

The two climbed into the car as nothing else could be done. Owen trusted Elise and Rexy to keep the girls away. He glanced up when Lopez suddenly laughed before saying, "I can't believe Blue just tackled his face. I saw her coming, but I didn't think she'd just leap onto his face. Is she afraid of anything?"

Owen chuckled as the car began to move, and he nodded.

"Dr. Gerry."

* * *

Claire sighed before she began to tug on the hem of her sleeve. Lowery leaned back in his chair before saying, "I thought someone was going to die…"

Claire nodded in agreement; she had been so terrified when Sobek had managed to grab Elise's neck. She thought the Spinosaurus was going to rip her head right off, and Claire knew she would never forgive herself if that happened. Claire wondered if she had overestimated Elise's abilities…

But Elise had freed herself before Blue joined the fight, then Echo and Delta helped. Elise definitely needed her pack to help, but Claire was so sure Sobek would have been killed when Rexy had shown up.

She hadn't expected the Tyrannosaur to stop the fight, and yet Claire knew Rexy somehow had that ability.

"Why did they get all upset?"

Claire blinked before asking, "Who?"

Lowery gestured to the screens as he said, "Everyone. All the dinosaurs got upset before Sobek just lost it. Even Elise sounded mad; listen."

The tech-geek rewound the footage from a functioning camera on the fence Elise and Rexy shared. Claire could see Elise standing in the distance before Lowery allowed it to play. He brought up other cameras to the same time before doing the same thing. They heard the herbivores suddenly give their cries before Sobek's furious roar echoed. Then Rexy's and the raptors before Elise's shrill roar seemed to silence everything for a brief second until another dinosaur made a cry.

Lowery sat back, and Claire raised an eyebrow. The tech-geek looked at her expectantly before saying, "They don't do that, Claire. Not at this time. The only time I ever hear them…talk to each other is when Rexy wakes them all up in the morning."

"What? Lowery, the dinosaurs don't talk to each other."

Lowery raised his eyebrows before asking, "Are you really sure about that? Because as I recall, Sobek actually called last night's storm. He told Owen to keep everyone at home because it was going to be a bad one. Look what happened; we had a power outage. It's been a few years since we had a storm like that."

Claire sighed as she tucked her hair behind her ear before calmly saying, "The dinosaurs don't talk to each other. The Velociraptors can, but that's it."

Lowery blinked before he turned his gaze to the plastic dinosaurs on his desk, and shrugged. He picked up the Apatosaurus while quietly saying, "I don't know…I just…thought the same thing until Elise came along. Then I just started to notice how the dinos talk to each other in their own way. Communication isn't through just words…the island is kind of connected to each other."

Claire raised an eyebrow before saying, "I think you're looking into this a little too hard. Something obviously startled the animals, and we can ask Elise later. Until then, we have a green light to open, and that's all that matters."

The CEO quietly left, and Lowery waited until the elevator doors shut before he muttered, "I think we missed something. I think people are so out of touch with everything that we miss a lot of everything."

Vivian raised her eyebrow, and Lowery gestured to the screen as he sighed, "I mean, look. They know something; Rexy knows something. I want to know that something."

Someone in the front suddenly said, "They're just animals, Lowery; you're overthinking this. There's a reason dinosaurs went extinct, and humans became the dominant species."

Lowery slumped back in his chair as he continued to stare at the screen. Everything seemed fine now, but something had happened in those tense minutes. It didn't seem right for Sobek to just snap. Elise had escalated the fight while Rexy refused to fight; that was wrong. It should have been the other way around. Sobek shouldn't have gone on a rampage. Lowery tapped his pencil as he continued to think; the dinosaurs knew something the people didn't.

"I guess…but I just wonder what we gave up in that process; we're out of the loop."

* * *

Bridges gritted his teeth when he peeled the crimson stained shirt off before tossing it into the garbage bag. Jack had been unusually quiet the entire time, and Bridges didn't like that. He knew it was supposed to be mortifying to kill another human being, but it had never clicked like that with Bridges.

It was like squashing a bug, but with consequences he didn't want to deal with. Bridges knew he was supposed to be mortified every time he ended a human's life, but he wasn't. He didn't know why, but he used it to his advantage. He was mortified that Jack had managed to turn a simple trespassing into murder.

Blake had been in the wrong place at the wrong time, but Bridges had taken care of it. He had texted Lopez when they left shore.

It was easy for Bridges to mimic the way Blake texted, and he simply told Lopez that he was getting a new number. Blake wouldn't be able to text until he got the new phone. It was only good luck that Bridges had stumbled across Blake's psychiatrist's number.

He had cancelled Blake's sessions for a week; it was all he could do without arousing suspicion.

Bridges knew someone would figure out Blake was missing eventually; he just had to twist things in the right way to make it look like Blake had gone missing somewhere else. No body, no case, and judging from the way the raptor's skeleton had been undisturbed, Blake would not be found.

Bridges was sure of that; the more time passed, the better. This wasn't CSI, and there wasn't a Horatio to bring justice to this pointless murder. Bridges snorted; he could just picture the pun.

' _Horatio, a man was found dead in a freezer.'_

' _Well, I guess you could say he was killed in cold murder.'_

Too bad it had been hot as hell in the damned freezer; it would only speed up the decomposition process as far as Bridges was concerned.

"Alright, Jack, just go toss that into the incinerator, and we'll be fine."

Everything was in the garbage bag. The bloody clothes, the dog tags, the phone; everything but the gun. Bridges felt confident enough to keep that as nothing could be traced back to him; the damned bullet was in his shoulder.

Jack quietly nodded before leaving without a word. Bridges narrowed his eyes as he wondered whether or not Jack was a loose end. Bridges sighed; he wasn't even the one who had killed Blake. Not once did he intend for Blake to be killed; he didn't even get the records that he wanted out of this.

He didn't feel like confronting Wu on this either; he didn't want anyone to know anything about this. The best thing to do was keep quiet, and not draw attention to the subject.

Even if he just wanted to throttle Wu for starting this.

"I know today is supposed to be hot since the clouds cleared up, Daemon, but I do not think that is appropriate business attire."

Bridges startled at the voice before he glanced over his uninjured shoulder as he retorted, "Considering who my first meeting is with, I think it will be to my advantage."

The vet rolled his eyes before asking, "Is it the Italian with the nice butt? I forget her name."

Bridges raised an eyebrow, but he dryly said, "My accountant, and I don't take the time to stare at her posterior. I am more interested in what's on the sheets of paper."

Romano chuckled quietly as he set the medical bag down while saying, "I will figure out whose butt you like. I almost got it out of you once, and then I will get you on a date with her so you can start acting normal."

Bridges couldn't help saying, "I am perfectly normal for me, and I think you just need to focus on your job."

"If I just focused on my job then I wouldn't even be in here, Daemon. You are a human, not an animal. I am a vet. Now turn around so I can stitch you up."

Bridges faced the man, and Romano blinked at the shoulder before slowly asking, "Did you get shot?"

"I need you to dig out the bullet please…"

Romano continued to stare with a look of surprise before saying, "I didn't realize you had gone on another date, Daemon…"

Bridges snorted as he leaned on the desk before sighing, "Jack shot me; it was an-"

"You took Jack on a date?"

Bridges hastily pushed himself up as he snapped, "It was an accident, Romano. I would never take a man on a date."

Romano raised an eyebrow at the newly discovered hot button before pushing with a sly grin.

"Are you homophobic, Daemon?"

Bridges blinked before narrowing his eyes as he snapped, "Can we get off the subject of that? Jack shot me, it was an accident, and I have a meeting in a half hour that I need to be ready for."

Romano chuckled as he pulled out the tweezers, and said, "Relax, Daemon; I'm just pushing your buttons. I think you are terrible at covering it though."

"Excuse me?"

Bridges winced when the tweezers went in, and Romano said, _"_ _Va tutto bene, Daemon._ I will not expose your secret relationship with Jack. I am surprised you would blur such lines though; you are normally so professional about your relationships with workers. So, what about Jack has caught your eye?"

Bridges felt his eye twitch, and he knew the vet was just pushing his buttons. He wanted off this subject, and he knew only one thing that would distract the Italian. He couldn't stop himself from quietly saying, "Italy's national soccer team is terrible; France has the better team."

Bridges yelped when the tweezers twisted hard before the bullet was none too gently pulled out, and Romano waved the bloody metal as he growled, "We almost killed each other the last time we talked about this. I am not in the mood to cover a murder; take it back."

Bridges raised an eyebrow as he pressed a cloth over his bleeding shoulder before saying, "I really don't know why you get so flustered over this, Romano. You know I don't follow soccer.

"Take. It. Back."

"You just kick the ball around before faking an injury every time you get nudged."

Romano glowered before his eyes darkened, and Bridges knew he had crossed a line. He was serious about knowing very little about soccer, but he had left with a bloody nose the last time he talked soccer with the Italian.

Soccer people were crazy; they knew how to riot.

The blonde sighed before saying, "I take it back."

Romano snorted in satisfaction, and Bridges couldn't help pushing, "Germany has the better team."

" _Daemon."_

Granted, Bridges had taken the time to research the biggest soccer rivals against Italy just in case he needed to push Romano's buttons.

It was worth it, and the day was looking up.

* * *

"Elise, I love you, and you can have my dinosaur nugget."

Owen had to smile at Elise's bewildered expression. She had never turned down a gift from a child, but she had never been offered the dinosaur shaped chicken nuggets either. Owen could see the gears whirling in her head as she tried to comprehend the position she was in.

"Baby, it's not actually a dinosaur; it's just chicken."

Elise still cringed slightly; she didn't want to eat anything that resembled a dinosaur. She had drilled it into her head that it was so wrong to even think about eating another dinosaur unless she was starving.

She didn't want to eat the nugget, and Owen finally pushed himself off the wall when the child started to look hurt. Owen knelt down next to the boy as he quietly said, "Elise does eat meat, but she really doesn't want to eat anything that is a dinosaur or looks like one. I told her it was wrong to eat other dinosaurs here, and she likes to follow that rule."

The child stared at his nugget before popping it into his mouth as he said, "I'll bring you something else then, Elise. It's okay to not want to eat dinosaurs, I don't like to eat broccoli."

Elise puffed air on the small boy in thanks for his understanding. His father chuckled as his son trotted back to him before the two left. Owen stood back up before patting Elise's neck as he said, "Busy morning, Baby Girl, and we still haven't gotten our mail."

Elise crooned as she swept her gaze across another section of the wall; filling with photos. She never knew how big the world was until it took an interest in her. She had been surprised when groups called animal rights activists demanded she be allowed to roam the world as she pleased.

Elise was perfectly fine where she was, and Owen had to make a video just to prove it. Elise liked her home, she was happy, and she didn't want to cross the ocean to see the world.

She had been delighted when children, teens, and even adults began to send pictures from where they lived with a story of their home. America was proud, Europe refined, Africa exotic, Russia was really cold looking, and Elise didn't know what to do with the liquid Owen called vodka.

It looked like water but it didn't taste like it; Owen had allowed her a small taste just to satisfy her curiosity. It was gross. Owen had told her he would store it, and Elise could gift it to others at her leisure because this gross stuff was apparently considered a decent gift.

Humans were so odd, but Elise did enjoy the letters and photos. She liked the cherry blossoms in Japan.

But her favorite thing was the hundreds of smiling faces with a story all their own. Elise delighted in all of them because the world held so many treasures she would never see. Owen was still a rare gem, and so was Rosie, but now Elise was starting to realize there were lots of rare gems in the world.

The world was beautiful.

Owen patted her cleaned neck again as he said, "The boat is going to be late today; it took a beating in the storm."

Elise nodded; she didn't mind if the boat was late. It wasn't the boat's fault.

The sound of ridiculous shoes clicked down the tunnel, and Elise made a delighted croon at seeing her second mother. Claire smiled as she walked over before giving a kiss on the snowy cheek. Owen wasn't used to seeing Claire so affectionate, but the redhead quietly said, "I'm so sorry you went through that, Elise. We tried to use the shock tracker, but you accidentally broke it."

Elise puffed air through her nose; she had all the help she needed in the pack, and she wasn't angry. She knew she was putting herself in danger by agreeing to stand in between the park and Sobek.

But Rexy had bestowed wisdom to Elise she hadn't thought about; it made her slightly ashamed of herself.

Sobek was part of the park now; this island was his island, and this land was his home. She couldn't stand in between him and the park because he was the park. He attracted his own guests, and lured in the dirty paper in his own way.

Elise was wrong in attacking that, and she doubted herself when Sobek backed away from Rexy so easily. She had pestered the Tyrannosaurus for that secret until Rexy nipped her tail for scaring prey away.

It was something Elise would have to learn on her own.

Elise wondered if she had a chance to meet Sobek on neutral grounds, but she was sure she would have to bring something to help set the right tone with him. She wondered if she could bring a large shark to him before asking for clarity.

Elise was so sure Sobek had been roaring for a fight to the death.

Claire gently stroked her cheek as she asked, "Elise, what happened? Do you know why Sobek became so upset?"

Elise shook her head; she really didn't know, but she wanted to ask him.

She just didn't know where to get a shark except from the ocean. She was hoping Owen would help her find one; he was good a spotting sharks in the ocean, and hopefully she wouldn't get bit by one this time.

Claire sighed, but she said, "Well, Sobek went back to fishing. I just wish we knew what set him off…"

The redhead seemed to pause before asking, "Why…did you roar, Elise? Lowery had this crazy idea that everyone was upset. Was Sobek just mad because he couldn't get into the Gyrosphere Valley?"

Elise shook her head; she didn't know what had happened, and neither had Rexy. They just knew something bad had happened, and she wrote that. Claire frowned at the words, but she asked, "Something like what?"

' _SOBEK MAY KNOW'_

Owen snorted before saying, "Baby, I don't think we need to be bothering Sobek for a while, and you two really don't get along."

' _BRING BIG SHARK'_

Owen scratched the back of his head in thought before he said, "I…really don't want you talking to him, Baby. Not today at least; I think he still needs time to calm down."

Elise huffed, and she felt bad for aggravating the Spinosaurus like she had. Why hadn't she stayed peaceful like Rexy had? Elise just felt like fighting Sobek; it was her first thought.

That wasn't right, and Elise was disturbed by that.

She was going to talk to Sobek, and she was going to stay peaceful no matter what. She would brace for the insults, and if things became too much, she would just leave. She would walk away like Rexy had. There wouldn't be any fighting or bloodshed. She just wished she could bring a shark for Sobek to set the right tone for the conversation. He could eat, and she would prove she was in a respectful mood by not trying to take it.

Owen frowned when he saw the look that reminded him of Blue, and he said, "Elise. I am serious about you staying away from Sobek."

Elise garbled at him; she was an Alpha too. She had the right to make her own decisions even if Owen was her parent. Elise crinkled her snout before puffing air through her nostrils. She made sure the raptors didn't attack guests, she was Owen's Co-Alpha, and she made sure Sobek didn't fight anyone.

Even if Rexy was the reason why Sobek hadn't killed anyone today.

Elise glanced at Owen as she realized that he was probably right. She had already made a bad call with Sobek by accepting his fight. It would be smarter to leave him be since the fence was down.

Owen gently patted her scales as he said, "Hey, we'll figure it out, Baby. Claire can just have Security go through the camera footage around the time Sobek got mad. We got cameras all over. We find the problem, and we don't bother Sobek."

Elise immediately nodded as she pressed Owen close to her face; he was such a smart human who made her feel better. She liked that plan very much so, and Claire smiled before Owen's radio crackled. He glanced down when Gerry growled, "Owen, I need your help over here. Blue's giving me hell."

Owen raised an eyebrow before he asked, "Didn't you put the sedative in the Oreos?"

He startled when he heard a shriek, and Gerry sighed, "I have a nice pile of Oreos, and she's not giving them a second glance."

Owen turned to stare at Elise with the most bewildered expression she had ever seen on him. Owen had not comprehended what Gerry had said at all, and the radio crackled again.

"Can you please come calm her down before we run out of time?"

* * *

Owen had honestly never heard Blue so distressed in his entire life; not even when she had been separated from the pack because of a sickness. Elise was gently trotting next to him while he rode his bike along the trail before they saw the forest scales slumped on the ground. Owen could see Gerry sitting in his car as he fiddled with his dinosaur phone, but Blue gave another shriek.

Owen raised an eyebrow before giving a sharp whistle, and Blue immediately leapt over Rexy's neck to bolt over to him. He barely had the time to get off his bike before she all but knocked him over. She was a chittering mess who wanted answers and reassurance.

"Blue, easy. Easy, my best girl."

The Velociraptor made a low moan as she paused to see if Rexy was still down, and she seemed to grow more agitated when the sedated Tyrannosaurus wouldn't wake up. Owen gently touched Blue's shoulder before she simply buried her head into his chest like she couldn't stand to see Rexy like this. Owen didn't even find this funny, and he ran his hands down Blue's neck as he comfortingly said, "She's alright, Blue. Rexy is fine; she's just sleeping. She'll be up in no time, Doc just needs to clean her mouth, okay? Rexy is fine."

Blue was genuinely upset, and Owen comforted her as best he could with gentle murmurs.

The Beta was tapping her sickle claws in agitation as she would occasionally lift her head to peek at Rexy before burying her head back into the chest. Elise chittered at Blue that everything would be fine before she softly nuzzled the Delta and Echo. They had curled around one another in a pile of ferns before the slow working sedatives had taken them.

Owen continued to softly stroke Blue's gracefully arched neck before he pulled out the blue package. He opened it and pulled out a delectable cookie before offering it to his Beta as he said, "Easy, Blue. Want an Oreo? It's double-stuffed."

Blue paused to sniff it just because it was in her face, but she curled her lip before whipping her head away like Owen had offered her a carrot. She didn't want the Oreo, she wanted Rexy.

Owen almost dropped the untouched Oreo in shock. Blue had rejected a perfectly fine cookie for no good reason. She could be rolling Oreos and still accept more, but she had turned her nose at an Oreo.

Now Owen was concerned about Blue's health. Was she sick? He had just thought she was stressed at seeing Rexy go down, but maybe she was dying.

"Blue, easy. It's fine."

Blue gave another moan as she glanced back at Rexy before rubbing her nose in agitation. Owen made comforting sounds to her while Gerry worked quietly. It was a simple cleaning. Pulling the rotted meat out along with any loose teeth. In and out in an hour top.

Gerry hadn't expected Blue to get so upset at seeing Rexy slowly go down. It wasn't like the Tyrannosaurus fought it; she had gone through this enough times to know what to expect. She just curled up wherever, slept while he worked, and then she'd wake up with a clean mouth. Absolutely nothing traumatic had happened, but Blue just lost her mind when Rexy wouldn't wake up.

It made Gerry concerned about a few things, and he glanced over at Owen to see the man had pretty much bear hugged the raptor to comfort her. Blue's tail was lashing from side to side before she would peek at him. Gerry pressed his lips when he realized Blue had snagged her claws into Owen's leather vest like she needed to just hold something.

Elise curled up next to Rexy as she watched the vet scrape the plaque off while pulling out the strings of meat. Her own teeth were too close together to really allow the buildup of meat like this. Owen had said it was a possible adaptation the Tyrannosaurus had back when they roamed the earth long ago. The meat would get stuck in their teeth before rotting and allowing a buildup of bacteria to happen. When they bit something, the wounds would infect and kill the animal so even if the Tyrannosaur hadn't killed it right away, the infection would.

Elise found that gross, but smart.

Rexy would occasionally crack open glazed eyes at Blue's distressed sounds before Owen would gently shush her. Elise would make her own croons, and Rexy would slip back into sleep. Gerry sighed before saying, "There's actually not as much meat as there usually is."

Gerry paused to take a step back to critically look over the old dinosaur as he searched for any signs in a loss of appetite. Rexy looked perfectly fine, and he didn't have to pull out as many teeth as he normally did. The vet turned to glance back at the stressed Blue before turning back to stoned Rexy. Gerry cleaned up quickly and quietly before patting Rexy's cheek as he said, "Alright, Boss; it seems I won't have to yell at your kid today for feeding you soft goats, hmm?"

Rexy cracked open a glazed eye to regard absolutely nothing, and Gerry stroked the cheek one more time before he walked over to Owen. Blue had been reduced to simply whimpering, and Gerry quietly said, "I have never seen her so upset; she didn't do this last time."

Owen grunted when Blue leaned more weight on him before he said, "Last time she was with me. I ran the girls last time."

Gerry let out a sigh when the raptor peeked at Rexy again before depressing herself even more.

"She doesn't want an Oreo?"

Owen shook his head before quietly asking, "You don't think she's getting sick, do you? I've never seen her not eat an Oreo."

Gerry glanced at the pile of untouched, laced cookies before shaking his head, and answering, "I think she's sick with worry; she'll be fine when Rexy wakes up. We just have to make sure you take the girls running before we do another appointment with Rexy."

Gerry checked his watch before adding, "Boss should be up in about ten minutes by the way."

Owen nodded as he held Blue simply because she just wanted to be held. She wanted reassurance that everything would be fine. She just wanted Stern One to wake up because Stern One wasn't supposed to just fall asleep right here for no reason. They were supposed to patrol the territory again; they had to make sure the ugly one didn't trespass again or try to attack the Alphas. Blue didn't want to see Stern One down when they had this threat living nearby.

She wanted to see Stern One up more than she wanted to eat the Oreos. She would eat the Oreos when Stern One got up.

Owen really didn't know what to do with Blue at the moment; he didn't know how else to assure her everything would be fine other than waiting for Rexy to wake up. He couldn't help glancing at Rexy before quietly asking, "How old is she…?"

Gerry let out a slow breath as he followed Owen's gaze, but he didn't answer. Owen glanced at Elise contently grooming Rexy's neck before he asked even more quietly, "How long is she supposed to live?"

The vet glanced at Blue one more time before saying, "Rexy is the only Tyrannosaurus patient I've ever worked with besides Jr., and he died when he was eight years old. I know there's more on Isla Sorna, but Rexy is the oldest."

"…What do the fossils say?"

Gerry sighed before answering, "Sue died when she was twenty-eight, but she had a difficult life from what researchers could tell."

"So, Rexy is over forty, isn't she?"

"Forty-one years, but she's still going strong."

Owen raised his eyebrows before glancing down at Blue; she could probably live to see twenty-five years if Wu had tweaked her lifespan, and if she lived a happy life. Blue was six years old right now; she still had nineteen years to see. He glanced up to see Gerry's expression, and they were thinking the same thing. Owen swallowed before saying, "There's no way Rexy is going to outlive-"

Gerry cut him off by gently patting his shoulder while saying, "Owen, don't worry yourself over those things because there is absolutely nothing we can do to control that. Rexy is healthy, Blue keeps her feeling young, and that's all we can do. We just have to take care of her, okay?"

Gerry glanced down at the stressed raptor before he said, "We'll cross that bridge when we get there, but for now, we just take care of the animals; let them do their job."

Owen nodded before hugging Blue tightly, and the raptor sighed quietly. She wasn't lashing her tail as much, and Owen hoped Rexy would wake up soon. Gerry made to walk over to his car, but Owen asked, "Where's Dr. Grant? Did he leave already?"

Gerry shook his head while answering, "No, he went to catch a late breakfast with Tim. He said he was going to go visit the guy who scared ten years off his life after that."

Owen blinked before Gerry clarified, "Sobek. Alan went to go see Sobek."

"Oh…Dr. Grant must have seen him a lot to lose ten years."

Gerry gestured to Rexy as he said, "Alan says he never knew such bad luck when he was on Isla Sorna. I guess he crossed paths with Sobek more times than he ever did with Rexy; he only saw her three times. Two of those times she didn't know he was there."

Owen raised his eyebrows before Gerry bid them farewell. Blue sighed one more time before she rested her jaws on Owen's shoulder, and he murmured to her quietly while slightly rocking.

"Hey, my best girl, it's fine. Rexy is perfectly fine; you heard Doc, she's still going strong."

Blue chittered softly before Rexy suddenly let out a deep breath. Blue all but leapt over Owen in her haste to get over to Rexy before she began to gently sniff around the massive face. Elise remained unconcerned though she did give a gentle croon to Blue. The raptor made a soft sound before she simply plopped down as close as possible to Rexy's shoulder. She rested her head on the little arm before curling up as tight as possible and giving a huff through her nose.

It wasn't normal for Rexy to just fall asleep like this, and Blue wanted to make sure she was fine before she even thought about leaving.

Blue wasn't going to leave until Rexy did.

* * *

Grant sighed as he leaned on the rails. It was quiet here since it was a slow hour. People had left to go eat lunch, and he didn't mind the few that were here. Sobek wasn't a main attraction; just a stop on the monorail.

He did draw his own crowd though, and Grant supposed the Spinosaurus would.

He just couldn't believe it was the same dinosaur who had so ruthlessly hunted them down. Grant didn't like to think about that trip, but he did recall crossing paths with Sobek more times than they should have. Maybe they were deep in the dinosaur's territory, or they had a streak of bad luck.

It was just odd being stared down by Sobek. Grant would never forget Paul's stupid phone that had almost gotten them killed even if it had saved them. He had nearly leapt out of his skin when Gerry's phone went off, and Grant discovered he had an answer no one else here knew.

Grant had a very good feeling he knew why Sobek had reacted so angrily when Gerry's phone went off.

He could only imagine how many hunts it had cost the Spinosaurus before it passed through his gut. What Grant wanted to know was who the hell had called so many times. He never did get a chance to ask, but Grant wondered if Sobek would have left them alone if the phone hadn't rang all day.

It would have certainly helped.

Grant sighed again before glancing to the trees, and freezing when they moved. He swallowed though the kids excitedly pointed before being hoisted onto tall shoulders. Grant really hoped it was adorable Elise coming through, but he pressed his lips at the rusty scales.

Grant couldn't help breathing, "Sonofabitch is still kicking…"

He froze when Sobek somehow heard that before snapping his emerald gaze right onto Grant. The paleontologist swore he saw the Spinosaurus' gears whirling as he tried to place him. Grant really hoped Sobek didn't remember him, but he was amazed to see how much the dinosaur had aged.

His eye had gone milky, and the scales were littered with several scars Grant didn't remember. The nostrils flared to catch a scent Grant hoped wasn't his own. There were fresh wounds on the Spinosaurus though Gerry had tended to them. The sail still stood tall as did the dinosaur.

Grant tensed when the rusted lip slowly curled higher as a vibrating growl seemed to grow louder, and that emerald fire blazed with more intensity. Sobek remembered him. The man startled when a girl suddenly said, "He likes you, Mister. Elise says Sobek is cranky."

Grant was pretty sure Sobek was downright livid and trying to figure out how to get over the deep trench to tear him limb from limb. The Spinosaurus made a turn, and Grant cringed at the burn marks on the legs. While he wasn't sure what Sobek's memory was like, he was sure the Spinosaurus had a pretty good idea of who he was.

Grant had fired the flare gun.

Sobek suddenly let out a thunderous roar that sent the little kids screaming for their parents, and Grant wasn't sure what to do. He hadn't planned on meeting Sobek, but the Spinosaurus had decided to patrol over here.

Sobek gave a low hiss as he continued to glare at Grant. He flexed his claws as if itching to tear him apart, and Grant tried, "Truce?"

Sobek stiffened before letting out another roar that was louder than the last. The Spinosaurus shoved over a tree as he disappeared into the jungle while letting out his roars. Grant pressed his lips; it could have gone worse, but as far as Sobek was concerned.

Grant could take the truce, and shove it.

* * *

Bridges hissed quietly when he tried to ease the pain in his shoulder. This was his karma, and he knew it. The day had turned sunny again, and Carnifex was pacing. Bridges had no idea why the Spinosaurus was so antsy, but it was really starting to irritate him. It was late afternoon now.

It seemed like Carnifex would pace the fence for an hour before disappearing back to his nest for a few hours. He would eat, and then repeat.

Bridges was noticing the sail seemed more vividly colored than what was normal, but he shrugged it off. It wasn't like Carnifex could do anything harmful in his paddock.

Jack had taken to distracting himself with work, and Bridges approved of that. He had left Wu alone today; he wasn't in the mood to talk about records he hadn't seized. Everything had been burned, and Bridges had honestly put the whole incident behind him.

There was nothing he could do about it; he wasn't going to dwell on it.

Bridges glanced up when someone knocked before Romano came in. He looked tired, and Bridges knew that look.

Romano wanted permission.

"I need ten minutes of your time, Daemon."

Bridges relaxed into his chair as he sighed, "I'm done for the late afternoon; you can have that. What happened?"

The Italian sighed as he sank into the chair, and drummed his fingers on the walnut desk. Bridges raised an eyebrow, but Romano quietly said, "Our female died last night."

The blonde blinked before realization hit him, and he sighed, "How?"

Romano shook his head before answering, "These aren't happy conditions for them, Daemon. I really wanted you to let them go now that Sobek is on Isla Nublar. We need a big carnivore out there to take his place."

Bridges curled his lip before snapping, "A Tyrannosaurus has nothing on a Spinosaurus."

Romano glared at Bridges as he retorted, "For Christ's sake, Daemon. The one that tried to eat your mother is oil in the ground. Sobek took care of that for you. That was one Tyrannosaurus, and you wiped almost all of them out."

"Those were poachers."

" _Le bugie hanno le gambe corte, Daemon."_

"I still don't know Italian, Romano."

The Italian gave Bridges that look. The one where he was going to lose his temper because he was not going to back down today. Romano had come in here wanting something, and he wouldn't leave until he had it.

Bridges wasn't in the mood to fight Romano, and he rolled his eyes before snapping, "Fine; let the male go because it's useless without the female. He can go roam for the rest of his life out there or until the other male kills him. Maybe one of them will change their sex, and we can have another breeding pair."

Romano gained a hard look before firmly saying, "I am going to put him down."

Bridges blinked before hissing, "Are you out of your mind?! Just let the damned thing go. They don't mate for life, do they? Let him go replace the female."

"He's given up, Daemon."

Bridges couldn't stop himself from exasperatingly sighing, "Oh for the love of God, Romano."

Romano lightly thumped his hard fist on the table as he said, "Daemon, I respect you as a businessman; I will never question that you know what you're doing in your line of work, and I expect the same thing from you. I know when an animal has given up, and I know when it's time to put an end to the suffering. He's gone down, and he's not getting back up. I want to put him down before he suffocates underneath his own weight because that is inhumane and cruel."

Bridges clenched his jaw when Romano evenly met his gaze with a hard look. The blonde dangerously asked, "Are you asking for my permission?"

Romano raised an eyebrow, but he wasn't afraid of the tone; he coolly answered, "I am asking for your permission, but I am perfectly content to operate without it."

Bridges didn't care for that, and he snapped, "That is a quick way to get fired."

The Italian was never fazed by that threat; they both knew it, and Romano retorted, "Well since Sobek has made a move, I am sure Isla Nublar wouldn't mind opening their arms to another vet. They pay less than you do, but it's fine; they have dental insurance, and they are hiring, Daemon."

Bridges narrowed his eyes; Romano was the only employee who could actually get away with twisting his arm. Romano had usually argued that he was the only one who could manage Sobek, but Bridges found this threat just as aggravating.

He liked having Romano around.

The blonde finally reclined into his chair as he snapped, "Fine; go put it down. Just give me a report on both of those losses because Tyrannosaurs are expensive. The board is going to throw a fit because of this. How many do we even have left?"

Romano raised an eyebrow before answering, "Four; the eight year olds who are supposed to replace this breeding pair. We have a three month old who is the only survivor of the latest clutch, but he might die because he has pneumonia at the moment. Then we have the loose male out there who we know nothing about. Why don't you ever bother with that one?"

Bridges glowered at his computer before snapping, "Because Sobek never did; if he didn't bother with him, then it has to be a useless dinosaur."

Romano sighed before leaving for the door, and pausing. He glanced at Bridges as he said, "Or maybe Sobek doesn't kill every Tyrannosaurus he sees."

"Doubt it."

The Italian leaned on the door as he coolly said, "I got a call from Dr. Gerry today; he had to tend to some wounds on Sobek. He got into a fight with Elise and the raptors."

Bridges raised an eyebrow as he glanced at the vet before asking, "Where was the old lady? Taking a nap?"

"She stopped the fight without getting into the fight. She and Sobek got close enough to tear each other's throats out, but they didn't. Rexy left without hurting Sobek, and Sobek didn't make one move to hurt her."

Bridges couldn't help scoffing, "I don't see the point. Sobek didn't deem Rexy worth the effort."

Romano shook his head as he opened the door, and said, "I think that means these two aren't the bitter enemies you have made them out to be. I think you jumped the gun by poaching all those Tyrannosaurs because Sobek and Rexy obviously have the ability to cross paths peacefully. I think things would have been fine if you had left those Tyrannosaurs out there."

"For the last time, Romano, I did not allow those animals to be hunted down."

" _Le bugie hanno le gambe corte, Daemon._ _Le bugie hanno le gambe corte."_

Bridges sighed in exasperation when the door shut.

He needed to learn Italian.

* * *

Romano sighed quietly as he entered the massive warehouse. There was only one other that was this size, but he never went in that one. He hated how dark it was in here, but everyone seemed to work more quietly out of respect for the grieving widower.

Romano had a list of things he really didn't like about his employer, but the treatment of the Tyrannosaurs was always at the top of the list.

It was cruel, and Romano could never figure out why Daemon hated them so much. He wished Claire was willing to take more until Daemon left. Romano was glad the loose male was being ignored, but he wasn't a weakling like Daemon had thought him to be. Romano had seen him once in a while; he limped just the slightest, but he was in his prime. A young one who was probably very close to becoming an adult, and he had a darker pattern than what Rexy had. She was a forest color, but this one was almost a darker jungle. Romano never knew why that description worked, but it made sense to him.

And the amber eyes; Romano was always a little more partial to the amber color on the males compared to the gold fire of the females.

He missed the brightness of their female's gold eyes, but they never seemed to burn as brightly as Rexy's always had. It was like she had forgotten what she was.

The vet paused at the solid, barred walls before quietly walking in with his bag, and felt his heart break again.

Romano was never a mushy person, but he would never hesitate to comfort an animal, and this one needed comfort.

The Tyrannosaurus buck was down, and he wasn't getting back up. The amber eyes had already lost their fire, and he hardly acknowledge Romano's presence. Life didn't matter anymore because his other half was gone.

Romano was pretty sure Tyrannosaurus didn't mate for life, but he had his doubts. He had only ever dealt with this couple, but they never seemed to part with one another. He wasn't sure if they took comfort in one another or if it was in their instincts. He could certainly see the pros and cons.

The offspring had better chance at survival with two parents, time wasn't wasted searching for a mate, and hunts were more successful; Romano still wasn't sold though. He wondered what Tyrannosaurs _really_ did sixty-five million years ago.

Maybe these two had known they would find comforts nowhere else, and they knew they would die here. Romano felt himself sink at that before a low, pained moan grabbed his attention.

" _Partecipo al tuo dolore, Leonardo."_

Romano walked over quietly though Leonardo hardly glanced at him. The Tyrannosaurus was already breathing badly. It was a slow in and out before pausing to force out the pained moan. Occasionally Leonardo would stop breathing altogether before suddenly starting again, but Romano had known the moment the Tyrannosaurus started to give the low, pained moans.

That had always been his telltale that this animal was going to die soon. Leonardo was done, and he paused to shift himself closer to his fallen mate. She was larger than her mate; she always had been, and had been a mellow girl who always had a special place in Romano's heart. Her scales had always been something of a lighter forest though Rexy was the lightest colored Tyrannosaurus Romano had ever seen. He thought Leonardo's mate had been more beautiful; more feminine.

Leonardo made a deep rumble as he pressed closer to the cold scales when Romano gently patted the muscular neck. He liked Leonardo as well, and he glanced at the passed away female before softly saying, "I miss Belladonna too, Leonardo. I miss her too…"

Romano still wasn't sure what had caused Belladonna to just suddenly die, but he had a few theories. The biggest one was she simply wasn't happy. He was sure she would have made an exceptional mother had she been given the chance, but she never got the chance; it always seemed to break her a little more each time the nest was suddenly emptied even if her mate was there for her.

It seemed to hurt Leonardo each time too.

They weren't free to roam as they pleased; they were stuck in the small paddock with this warehouse as shelter. Romano knew this was wrong.

Belladonna's golden eyes had used to be fiery, but they dimmed after the fourth clutch of eggs had been taken.

Now they had misted over from Death's embrace. Romano never had the heart to order Belladonna to be moved after she breathed her last; Leonardo wouldn't let them touch her anyway.

" _Ti sono vicino, Leonardo. Ti sono vicino."_

Romano swallowed quietly as he gently stroked the neck; he swore the scales felt colder than what they should have been. It made him sad that this proud creature had given up when he could have roamed the island freely with his beautiful mate.

His Belladonna.

But now they were going to be disturbed patches of dirt by morning; Romano hated to admit it was for the best. He had hoped Leonardo would pull through today, but he had only gone downhill fast.

The Italian sighed as he pressed his face into the scaled neck while murmuring comforting words in his own gentle language. Leonardo always liked Italian words; he calmed down around the music. He was a good mate; never much of a fighter, but he was a good teddy bear who loved to press close to his mate. They had been a mellow couple.

Romano just wished Leonardo or Belladonna had the fire Rexy had. Romano wanted to see Bridges just try to cage Rexy like he had these two.

Rexy would have flattened this place as she introduced the world to an entirely new level of hell. There would never be any containing of the slayer of _Madre del Diablo._ Rexy had been named by the workers who had to transport Madre; the Tyrannosaurus who had taken down Madre in mere minutes.

Rexy was _Pesadilla del Diablo_ around here. The Devil's nightmare.

Leonardo and Belladonna had only been known as the mellow couple.

Romano smiled sadly when the Tyrannosaurus gave another moan, but he quietly said, "It will be alright, Leonardo. _Ti sono vicino._ I am right here with you; it will only hurt for now. I know Belladonna waits for you; she won't leave you behind."

Romano wiped his nose before pulling back to get eye contact with the dying animal. Leonardo cracked open dull amber eyes to stare at him, and Romano had all the confirmation he needed. The eyes had sunk in, and the stomach had stopped working. Romano had listened for any sounds before going to Bridges; Leonardo's body had already shut down. He lost his fire in the storm.

"It will be fine; you and Belladonna will be free like you are supposed to be."

Romano gently placed his hand on the dulling cheek though the Tyrannosaur did nothing to move it. He liked that spot to be scratched, and Romano sadly said, "I just wish you could have known a better world. I know how you are supposed to be; I see how Rexy is. Mr. Hammond always gave her the respect she deserved, and I wish you could have had the same."

Romano paused before shaking his head at the grey scales. Leonardo was around his late twenties; Belladonna was in her early thirties.

Belladonna _had_ been in her early thirties.

She had grey scales too.

"We shouldn't keep her waiting, no? Belladonna is a patient one, but I'm sure she is eager to leave, Leonardo."

The Tyrannosaurus only sighed in agreement as Romano pulled out the syringes. He had already had them filled because he had meant what he said to Daemon.

He preferred to have the businessman's permission to operate, but he sure as hell didn't need it.

Leonardo hardly reacted to the sharp needle slipping in between the scales before the liquid went in. Romano set the syringe aside before going back to the large face to be the last comfort this animal would ever know.

There were always two things that had always struck Romano about his job; two situations that would never lose their effect on him.

Welcoming an animal into the world, and saying goodbye when they left.

" _Ti sono vicino. Leonardo."_

He was going to be the very last thing Leonardo would ever hear, touch, or see. Romano wasn't sure what would greet this animal on the other side. He didn't know if Belladonna would be there to playfully nip Leonardo's tail like she always had. He didn't know if Leonardo would simply stop existing or if he would be reborn into something else.

Romano simply didn't know, and he wouldn't know until it was his own time to leave the world.

So the vet had always promised to be the best comfort he could be just in case this was the last comfort.

Leonardo seemed to pause as his eyelids grew heavier before they regarded Romano one more time. The amber eyes did not regain their gentle fire though there seemed to be a sense of peace filling them. A relief from the pain of being alone in the dark. A final rumbled was sighed before Leonardo fell asleep, and Romano waited a few minutes as he wiped his nose.

Romano pulled out the cheery blue liquid that was this animal's saving grace from a pain that wouldn't be able to heal over.

The large vein took a few seconds before bulging, and Romano was sure Leonardo was dehydrated. He gave the animal one more glance before softly saying, "If there is any prayer I hope God will answer, it is that Belladonna will be right there to greet you, Leonardo…"

Romano sniffed again before easing the blue liquid in gently. Leonardo never gave an indication of feeling pain, but his proud head slowly fell towards his mate's as the massive body seemed to relax. Romano watched Leonardo's face gently press against Belladonna's. Leonardo exhaled one, final breath, and he was gone before the syringe was empty.

Romano pulled the needle out before he simply scratched the muscular neck in the silent room. He bit his lip as he firmly told himself that these two were in a better place. It was selfish to be sad because they went somewhere better. Romano didn't know where Leonardo and Belladonna went, but he knew one thing.

They weren't here anymore. Romano sadly glanced at the fallen couple who hadn't spent more than one day apart after they agreed to mate with one another. It made Romano sad. He wiped his nose again before a thought struck him.

Death always came in threes. Belladonna had died last night, and now Leonardo. Romano wondered who the third death was, but he didn't want to find out.

"Go find the better world, my friends…and don't look back."

* * *

Elise quietly kneaded the dirt as she patiently waited by the downed fence. The cameras hadn't seen anything, but Owen had said a faint gunshot had been heard. Claire had ACU looking for signs of poachers, and she was sad such people existed. Humans who hunted where they shouldn't hunt.

She wasn't sure if that was right, but Owen had said Sobek would be familiar with poachers. Isla Sorna dealt with a lot of them apparently. Elise wanted to talk to Sobek, but she didn't want to cross into his territory. She was going to set the right tone by respectfully waiting right here with a good chunk of meat. She didn't know if Sobek liked beef, but she was going to find out.

Just one conversation; she wanted just one, good conversation with the cranky dragon.

She didn't even know if Sobek would come around here, but she was going to wait because she felt like she had missed something important today. It was a constant nagging in the back of her skull, and she just knew Sobek had the answers.

Why couldn't she understand him as easily as she did Rexy?

Elise turned her gaze towards the direction of where the proud Tyrannosaurus was roaming. Rexy had awoken to a grieving Blue who refused to leave her shoulder afterwards. Elise had a feeling Rexy wasn't quite sure what to do with the clingy raptor who had suddenly felt the need to constantly ask her if she was fine. Rexy couldn't understand the frequently repeated question; all she heard was the constant chittering in her ear.

Blue didn't care; she was just happy the world had righted itself again, and her partner in crime was at her side again. She had felt well enough to tackle Owen for his Oreos, and the man didn't even care he had been left with a mouthful of dirt and footprints on his back.

Owen would rather Blue mow him over for the Oreos instead of turning her nose at them.

Elise turned her gaze back when she heard the footsteps, and she firmly reminded herself not to lose her temper. Owen was on another date with Claire, and Elise didn't want him to find out she had tried to talk to Sobek. What he wouldn't know wouldn't hurt him.

Elise could either walk away with some answers or at least something of a more neutral relationship with Sobek. She wasn't going to try and get the Spinosaurus' approval because she felt like that was asking for disappointment.

Sobek parted from the trees with in a foul mood; he could not believe that damned dusty human had the audacity to actually invade his territory. Sobek had gotten so mad he hadn't been able see straight; he had walked into several trees.

Damned dusty human. Sobek would give up his entire river, even a fight with Wise One, just to rip apart the damned dusty human. That human had been with the others who had brought the screaming thing that sat in his gut for an entire miserable day.

Sobek growled when his nose bumped into another tree before a gentle croon caught his attention. Sobek paused at seeing Twisted One staring at him. What did she want? Another fight? Sobek would gladly oblige.

He faced her, and paused when she lowered her head quietly while giving a soft hiss. Sobek knew that hiss; it was calming. She didn't want to fight? Sobek had no time for her then. The Spinosaurus turned to leave, but the smell of good meat hit his nose. He saw the appetizing food in front of Twisted One.

He had no problem with exerting his power over her; he would steal her food. Sobek hoped she had worked hard to get that prey because it was his now.

Sobek towered impressively as he strolled over while giving a low growl. He expected her to put up something of a fight when he stepped over the boundary, but Twisted One only gave him space to claim the meal as his.

Sobek wouldn't complain; maybe she had learned her place after today, but he still didn't care for how close she was. She could lunge forward to snap his neck if he leaned down to take the prey.

The Spinosaurus gave a warning hiss as he took another few steps towards her, but she didn't give ground. Elise felt like he had more than enough room to eat, and she would look weak if she gave anymore ground. She just wouldn't bite him.

Elise had to admit that was a very hard thing to do when the long snout came closer to her own. Sobek would only have to give a quick snap to latch onto her own snout. She didn't want that, but she didn't back up either; the raptor in her said it was wrong.

Elise did the only thing she could think of. She had offered the food, but now she had to prove she was going to be gentle. Rexy had kept her face close to Sobek's, but Elise felt like she had to do something else here.

She gently licked the greying muzzle like she would Rexy.

Sobek froze because that was not something he had anticipated. Twisted One was not supposed to offer a grooming to him. The last time anything had licked his muzzle was when he had briefly mated with the crazy female.

Sobek tensed more as he recognized the signs, but they were wrong. He was supposed to offer the prey, and she would groom his muzzle if she deemed him a worthy mate. Sobek remembered doing this so many years ago.

This Twisted One carried many scents, but Sobek had always been able to faintly catch the scent of his own kind on her.

The Spinosaurus raised his head out of her reach. Was she trying to court him? She was young enough to lack any experience, but she had gotten a few things right. She wasn't attacking, she allowed him into her territory, and she had groomed his muzzle. The only off thing was the offering of prey.

Sobek curled his lip. Twisted One wanted to court him to bring hatchlings into the world? The days had been hot; it felt like the right time of the season even if his inner fire wasn't there to help confirm it, but this is what she wanted? To court him?

Sobek would sooner allow the damned dusty human to roam his territory.

Elise blinked when Sobek simply turned around before going back into his jungle. He paused to give a very clear hiss to stay out before garbling other things she didn't catch. She watched the rusty tail slip back into the trees, and Elise simply sat there; confused.

Did her breath smell? The little ones had made some comments like that today, but it wasn't like she had ever had a dinosaur say that. Elise glanced down to the meat.

Did Sobek not like beef?

She was really confused, and she wasn't sure if they had gone closer to neutral ground.

Elise squinted in thought; they hadn't fought, and that was a good thing. He didn't take the food even if he had looked like he wanted it at first. So, was that a bad thing?

Elise didn't know, but she ate the meat before deciding to head back home to Rexy. Sh could try again tomorrow.

Males were confusing. _Sobek_ was confusing.

* * *

Claire smiled when Owen squeezed her hand as they walked to her office. They had eaten, but she had forgotten to lock her doors for the night. She had never had a problem yet, but she didn't feel like finding out tonight. It had been a busy enough day as it was; their delivery boat had been incredibly late due to repairs. It hadn't arrive until late afternoon, and the crew had worked hastily to sort everything out. However, they were done when five-thirty rolled around. The job hadn't been completed, but the workers were done. The items that could wait were left to wait in the warehouse for the night. Non-perishable items, mail, items to restock their stores, and construction material to restock what was used to repair the aftermath of the storm.

Claire had been angry when she realized there might have been poachers on her island. She had briefly wondered if they had been after Sobek, but that didn't make any sense to her. The gunshot hadn't been anywhere near Sobek; it had definitely upset the animals though.

Owen was sure the cameras would have caught something suspicious, but nothing ever came up. They never saw anyone they didn't know or any vehicle that wasn't theirs. Nothing was off expect for the feeling in the air.

He just hoped Elise wasn't going to look for trouble tonight.

Claire turned the handle on her door before sighing when it opened. She made sure her lights were off before shutting the door and locking it. Owen had promised to walk her to her car tonight, and they backtracked before walking into the two elders.

Gerry blinked at them before asking, "Turning in for the night?"

Claire nodded, but she glanced at the manila folder in Gerry's hands before asking, "Are those the results?"

Gerry sighed while Grant shoved his hands into his pockets while the vet handed the two sheets over. Claire and Owen stared at them while Gerry said, "Elise's RFLP results are on the left. Mystery is one the right."

Claire raised an eyebrow before saying, "These aren't even close…"

Gerry sighed before saying, "And that is my biggest concern."

Claire frowned at the papers before she said, "This basically means these aren't Elise's files."

Gerry nodded, and Claire clenched her jaw before calmly saying, "I am going to make a phone call to Mr. Graves about this. I have had it with Mr. Bridges."

Owen continued to study the results with a raised eyebrow before asking, "So, are these Elise's sister's results?"

Gerry shrugged as he answered, "I'll never know unless I get a sample from her. Normally relatives are somewhat similar, but even your girls wouldn't probably all match up. I doubt Wu used the same sample for all of them, and judging from the way they look so different from one another, I don't think their samples would match up like relatives."

Owen nodded before sighing as he handed the sheets over to Claire, and she disappeared into her office. She was going to raise hell with Bridges in the morning, and Owen pressed his lips when the door shut. Grant raised an eyebrow before asking, "Not the best way to end the date?"

Owen shrugged as he answered, "This is pretty important; it's not the worst ending I've had."

Gerry snorted while he led the way back before saying, "Alan and I were headed to the bar to watch a game; you in?"

Owen raised an eyebrow while he playfully said, "I thought old guys like you were in bed by ten."

Grant glared at Owen before snapping, "We aren't that damned old."

Owen grinned widely before pointing to the hobbling vet as he said, "Well, you're at that age where people get really concerned when you fall asleep. Not going to lie, I found Doc napping in his truck one time; I spent a few minutes trying to figure out if he was napping or not."

Owen chuckled when Gerry gave an exasperated sigh, but Owen said, "I'll tag along; maybe Doc can get into another bar fight."

"Owen, it's not a bar fight when I knock the guy out with one swing."

"It's a bar fight when your one swing was a solid barstool, Doc."

Grant only chuckled before they disappeared around the corner.

* * *

Sobek paused to groom his claws; he was headed back to his nest. He was still achy in his nose; there was a pressure on it like a storm was nearby, but it wasn't headed here. This island was safe as far as he was concerned.

He just wish Death hadn't set foot on here, and Sobek had already decided to kill Death on sight. There would be no warning growls; only snapping of jaws. He would get back at Death eventually.

It was Sobek's last duty to his old island since there was no one to claim it from him. Unless Limper had taken it. Sobek paused from his grooming. By all rights, Death was his to kill as Death had upset his island, but Sobek didn't live there anymore. He lived here. Limper was the only fit ruler Sobek could think of, so it was Limper's island now. He had rights to kill Death as well.

Sobek gave a low hiss as he continued along the path; he supposed Limper had the right to kill Death as well.

The Spinosaurus puffed air through his nose when he came to his decision. If Death came here, Sobek would kill him, but if Death was on the old island, then Limper had the right to kill him. Either way both islands would be free of the human who liked to disrupt the balance of things.

Sobek paused again when he heard Wise One give a powerful roar before he heard the Twisted One respond. Sobek hadn't forgotten about the fight, but it wasn't going to happen today. Today was not a good day for fighting as something had happened.

Tomorrow would be a new day, and maybe Wise One would feel up to the challenge.

Sobek flexed his claws excitedly at the idea. They wouldn't fight to the death, but he wanted to walk away with some well-earned battle wounds. She had her own wounds as well, and she smelled far too fiery to not enjoy a good fight. She hadn't been in the mood to fight today…

Sobek turned around as his chest swelled impressively before a loud roar spilled over his jaws. He relished how his challenge had echoed across the lands; silencing all unworthy weaklings before that thunderous response clapped in her own commanding way.

Sobek actually felt his tail curl in delight; Wise One had accepted. The Spinosaurus felt his spirits lift higher than they had been in weeks. As the challenger, he had to start the fight, but he wouldn't start it tonight. He didn't want to fight in the dark; he wanted to sleep because the day had been hot and busy after the clouds left to shadow some other land.

He would challenge Wise One in the morning, and Sobek knew she would fight alone.

Maybe they would hunt for Death afterwards; Sobek delighted in the idea. They could both tear the human into little shreds; together.

Sobek would go out of his way to make that happen.


	70. Chapter 70

**A/N**

 **Hey guys! You really cracked me up with the K-I-S-S-I-N-G Song.**

 **MANYOREOS, Peanut butter Oreos? I used to love peanut butter until someone told me a certain amount of protein in it was rat hair. I doubt it's true, but I can't get the image out of my head. Peanut butter is ruined for me!**

 **discorded-q, It is not rude at all because Leonardo and Belladonna are my own OC's. Unless I misread, but I think you're referring to the Tyrannosaurus couple from Jurassic Park II. Leonardo and Belladonna are not that couple. Limper's name is officially Junior; he is the baby who had his leg broken in the movie. I do believe Rexy's adopted son was called Jr. in the book, but I can't remember.**

 **Kim K's Butt, you should have told him to mind his own! It's what an American does despite us being the nosiest country in the world. I hope you have fun in Germany! Please don't fall off the cathedral; I thank you for the poem, love, and Oreos! At least you picked a good song to sing.**

 **Me Myself and I, I warned you. *hands over tissues and a cookie.* I am sorry you almost cried in class, I cried a lot in math class, but it was in mourning of my slaughtered grade.**

 **I 3 bunny butts, I'm glad we have a truce, I was getting ready to call an evacuation. Good luck in your hunt to find Jack! The little thing to make it a heart didn't work for me either, so you are I 3 bunny butts!**

 **Elisdaindominus, I'm glad you're learning! I wrote your name down as a reminder, and I'll write you a warning when needed. It won't be a bold warning, but I'll let you know. Small One will never be forgotten! She is in this chapter!**

 **Imtomzizle, you want a warning, so I'll do the same with you; no warning in this chapter. I'm glad you appreciate the simple truths! Feel free to do a report on this though I'm not sure it'll count XD Life goes good for me though it is busy. Is life good for you?**

 **Anonymous, this Mortal Kombat match is just for you, and I am alive; thank you for asking.**

 **Guest, Bridges' mother named him Daemon because she was ill like him, and incredibly religious; he came into the world screaming like a demon. I doubt I'll go into Bridges' childhood, but it wasn't bad. It's just unfortunate spelling. Plus, he was born in America; we have little to no laws regarding what a parent may name their child.**

 **kagespirit, you may certainly go feed the Oreos to them; be mindful of your fingers!**

 **Guest, I love watching Nova and Immortal play Ark. I've never seen Ip Man, but I'll check it out.**

 **OREO! At least you made it to pre-cal, I waved the white flag at Trig. Debate is fun! I hope you do well. I'll give you a warning like Elisedaindominus, and Imtomzizle. Good luck in school!**

 **The Only Potato, I was wondering where you were. EliseXSobek is weird, but I got it covered! I was saying we panic when our power goes out and the generator doesn't kick on. A dairy needs electricity almost 24/7 to keep running. I hope this chapter answers your question about Rexy and Sobek, but if not, you can always ask more questions. The injustices of this world! Go buy yourself a pool! Take your cousin's pool! No, don't do that; that's mean.**

 **Guys, I love you much and mighty! I appreciate you reading, reviewing, or even lurking. I thank you for your patience, and I am grateful for your thoughts. This is a long chapter, but you can always take breaks. Love you guys; just in case you didn't get to hear it from someone else.**

* * *

"Not a Master, but a King."

"You know who probably hates their job? Construction and Repair."

Vivian raised an eyebrow at Lowery, and he shrugged before explaining, "I mean think about it; Construction just about killed themselves building Sobek's paddock, and the electric fence took the longest to make. Now look at it."

Vivian turned to the screen before covering her smile at the rusty dinosaur sprawled on his side as he covered as much of the cement barrier as possible. Sobek had decided to spend his morning twisting more of the steel poles down before treating himself to a well-deserved nap.

Repair had patiently waited for a half hour before Sobek only stretched himself further onto his side with a content sigh. Elise had relayed the message to Claire as she was the Alpha of the island with Rexy.

Sobek had made it very clear that the fence was staying down; Elise wasn't sure what else to do, but Claire had allowed it. Sobek had proven he was willing to be peaceful. Owen was reminded of a gloating cat when Sobek had smugly raked his claws across the dirt while Repair watched.

"It's like the kids at the beach who work hard to make their sandcastles, and then the bullies knock it all down. Repair and Construction are the kids, and the dinosaurs are the bullies."

Vivian nodded in agreement before replying, "At least they get paid well."

Lowery snorted as he said, "I'd get pretty tired of rebuilding the same fence over and over. That one took weeks to get right, and Sobek took it down in a few hours; it's not even a week old."

"At least Sobek had the decency to wait until after Owen and Elise patrolled before he decided to nap there. I was afraid we'd have to deal with another fight."

Lowery scratched his jaw in thought before saying, "You know, I actually wonder if they can live with each other without the fence, you know? I mean in all honesty, in natural circumstances, I feel like Sobek and Rexy would have a better chance of living within close quarters of one another. They aren't designed to compete for food…actually their species never crossed paths with each other."

Vivian raised her eyebrows as she replied, "I don't know about that; Mr. Bridges had said Sobek liked to fight Tyrannosaurs at every chance he got."

"He didn't touch Rexy yesterday."

Vivian shook her head before saying, "You know yesterday was just weird. Hopefully the animals start acting normal."

Lowery nodded in agreement as he checked his watch before saying, "Alright guys, smooth sailing so far. Rex Kingdom is taking their nap, and the cruise ship unloaded not long ago. How many kids are going to get lost today?"

Someone from Security scoffed, "It's hard to tell anymore, all the kids go to Elise if they get lost. I'm telling you we need to put a new station over there because we're getting comments from parents; they check Elise's log before the Lost and Found station; half the time the kids are there."

Lowery nodded again as he wrote the idea on the sticky note before posting it on his screen.

"We should give Construction something to build that won't get torn down by a dino. Back to work."

* * *

Rexy cracked open golden eyes before sweeping an attentive gaze across the quiet jungle. The world was righting itself again, and there was only one more thing to do to help bring back the balance.

There was a new member of the island who hadn't found his exact place on the totem pole.

The Tyrannosaurus lifted her head to give a wide yawn before glancing down when the Beta raptor slowly slid down her forest shoulder. Rexy quietly watched the blue scaled raptor twitch before curling close to her bronze sister.

Rexy was fine with that; she was in the mood to have some alone time considering how clingy Blue One had been yesterday.

It was warming, but Rexy had a bubble she had kept strong most of her life.

The Tyrannosaurus glanced at the snowy scales of her youngling before slowly rising. Her bones weren't aching today, and she felt good. She wanted to see some rusty scales; she didn't think he would back down from a challenge he initiated.

It was time for a good fight; it had been too long since she had a good fight. She just wanted to get the blood flowing and feel younger than normal. She didn't feel old anymore; just lazy.

Rexy gracefully stepped over the lip of the nest before turning back to her blissful brood. They were oblivious to the dangers of the world, and Rexy felt good at seeing that. She felt a sense of accomplishment that had been robbed of her when her first hatchling had drowned in the lagoon.

Rexy paused when Blue shifted once more in her sleep, but the elder was confident she wouldn't wake.

The forest scaled dinosaur melted into the trees, and she wondered just how clingy Blue One would be after today.

Blue One was all for a good fight.

* * *

"I can't believe I've never ate breakfast here."

Claire let out a short laugh before saying, "We do have more options than McDonald's, Owen."

Owen gave a crooked grin while enjoying the fresh fruit. It was a cute little café that kept up with large crowds. Owen had run his girls already, and he had finally completed the research he had been conducting.

They couldn't have Raptor Races.

Claire was in a surprisingly good mood considering how she had spent quite a few hours talking with an unhappy Graves.

"So, what are you going to throw at Bridges?"

Owen watched Claire stab the butter-knife through the muffin before she answered, "If he won't present Elise's actual files, I am going to sue for rights to Sobek."

"You actually want to keep him?"

Claire shrugged as she said, "He's not bad actually. Sobek is pretty mellow from what his handler says; he's smart too. I was afraid of him going on a rampage, but I never thought he could actually sense when poachers were on the island."

Owen nodded as he quietly said, "Elise wasn't happy when the cameras didn't catch anything. I hope she doesn't try to talk to Sobek today; he just needs to be left alone."

"He's sleeping right where the fence needs to go apparently."

Owen snorted while shaking his head, but saying, "Well, maybe we'll just leave the fence down. Rexy doesn't want to fight him, and she seems to know how to manage the group pretty well. I like Sobek; he's pretty cool actually."

Claire couldn't help teasing, "I was so sure you would have made him part of the Raptor Squad; you're the only boy there. It's not like we ever have to worry about Elise and Sobek trying to be a couple."

Owen grimaced at the image before he put down his food, and said, "Speaking of that. I think we're ready to have some babies."

Claire all but dropped her cup of coffee on the table before gaping at Owen with a mortified expression. He blinked at her with some confusion before asking, "What? We need them."

"No, we do not, Owen. I am not ready for children."

"What?"

Owen continued to stare with a confused expression before clarifying, _"Velociraptor babies, Claire._ I am talking about making the pack bigger."

Claire let out a breath she wasn't aware she had been holding. Owen rolled his eyes while he let her collect her thoughts before he said, "Look, I've been training the girls to run something of a course in Elise's paddock, but I can see one really big problem. We need more than three raptors because it just won't work. Blue always wins unless Echo holds her down while Delta runs."

Claire paused to think about that before nodding in agreement as she said, "I had wondered about that, but I wasn't sure if you wanted to introduce more raptors to the pack."

"I just don't see how the races will work without at least six or seven to start. I know you were wanting to do a daily thing, but with only three raptors, I can only justify running them twice a day; it's what they're used to. The raptors won't cooperate if they don't love it."

Owen was serious about that last part. The girls had never cooperated unless they were really enthralled with the chase. He had to be consistent, yet he couldn't do the same thing every single day because the girls grew reluctant.

It had once gotten to a point where they simply stopped chasing the pig because they had memorized everything so well. Only when the pig had tried to share a nest with Echo did it get killed.

Owen had to switch things up. Different pigs, add obstacles to move around, and even switch the times they did the Pig Runs. It was easier now; it really was. Owen knew their old paddock had been big enough for them to run, but Elise and Rexy's paddock combined just made them feel better.

They had their freedom to do as they pleased. Owen knew he had been missing something with getting their cooperation, and the biggest part had been housing. The girls didn't have to stare at high walls all day or hear people constantly; they could relax in their new home.

Owen just wasn't sure how to slowly introduce the new members of the family, but he had a plan. His biggest obstacle was quite literally a big obstacle.

He didn't think Rexy wanted more raptors in her nest; he was sure the new members would have to be house in the old paddock until they could be introduced. Maybe a new nest for the raptors would be in Elise's territory.

Owen had Elise by his side, and his resonating chamber. He was getting good at talking with his girls, and they held so much more personality than he had ever realized. Owen had faith in keeping his leadership over new members; he had a strong relationship with his Beta and Co-Alpha.

But he could talk to them; raptors talked and talked; all day if they could. He could actually ask his best girl how her day was going, and she would answer. Granted, Owen never caught all of it, but he was getting better; Elise was always there to translate if he got lost.

It was ironic how the creature who had torn this pack apart was now the very glue that made them stronger than ever.

"So…what do you think? We're in the swing of things."

Claire smiled gently before saying, "I think I want Elise and Blue's opinions on this too. If you guys are ready for more babies, then we'll get a clutch of four going. By the time those hatchlings are ready to go, we will probably need to bring in a new attraction."

Owen grinned widely; he couldn't wait to tell the two about this. He wanted to see Blue's face when he broke the news to her. He wondered if they could make a clone of Blue.

Owen paused; that was a very bad idea. One Blue was hellish enough as it was, and there wasn't another Rexy to reign her in.

"Hey, Claire? Are you planning to clone Rexy?"

Claire stiffened at the hot button, but Owen quickly added, "Not that I want to replace her! We just…we're going to need another Rexy if we clone Blue…"

Owen meant that, but he watched Claire grow somber before she quietly confessed, "The board has been pushing for a Tyrannosaurus hatchling…they want one ready by the time…"

Claire paused to take a steady breath, but Owen grabbed her hand before squeezing it. He had no idea how hard this was for Claire, but he knew he would go through it one day with Blue and the girls.

Maybe even Elise.

Owen paused to think of something comforting before he softly said, "Hey…look at me."

Claire complied, and Owen grinned as he said, "We do need another Tyrannosaurus around, but there's no way in hell we'll be able to replace Rexy. Ever. The board just wants someone else to munch the goats when Rexy can't, but that doesn't mean we're replacing her. You can't just replace the Big Boss, Claire. You know that, I know that, even the animals know that. We'll get there when we get there, but this little Tyrannosaur will be her own person. Maybe she'll grow up to be something like Rexy, but we aren't replacing Rexy, okay?"

Claire sniffed as she nodded before quietly saying, "I know…I just…I'm not ready to lose her…"

"No one is, Claire. She stopped a massive fight yesterday with one look. One look. Between a Spinosaurus, an Indominus Rex, and three Velociraptors."

Claire gave a small chuckle, but she said, "That's what scares me. I've never seen Rexy not take the opportunity to fight; even Mr. Hammond had said she took all the chances she got. By all means, Sobek should have been her biggest challenge, but she didn't do anything to him. What if she's feeling old?"

Owen pressed his lips, and opened his mouth to say something until Claire's wrist communicator crackled. She blinked at it before Lowery's panicked voice came on.

" _Claire! Sobek and Rexy are fighting! Oh my God!"_

Claire paled, and Owen snapped his gaze towards the plains when he heard the furious roars. He slowly stood up before Lowery practically squeaked, _"Holy shit! Rexy just smashed him through a tree; it's Mortal Kombat! Oh God, what's the fatality going to be like?!"_

The Control Room was filled with loud sounds of the workers cheering the winner on, but Owen and Claire turned to stare at one another as they thought the same question.

Where was Blue?

* * *

Elise snapped her head up at the roars shaking the air before the raptors leapt up with startled shrieks. Blue immediately noticed her other half was not present, and bolted out first when Rexy's roar echoed on the wind. Elise had no idea what was going on, but Sobek's roar forced her to run after Blue as fast as possible.

The Beta was long gone, but Elise glanced down to see Delta and Echo stayed close to her as she maneuvered through the trees; pack didn't separate.

But Blue wouldn't let Rexy fight alone.

Elise cringed at the roars growing louder, but she almost panicked at seeing Blue pacing about nervously before the pack paused next to her. Elise chittered at the Beta before flinching when Sobek rolled Rexy into a remaining section of the fence. Elise was about to give the order to help Rexy, but she paused at the Tyrannosaur's thunderous roar.

It was…happy?

Elise blinked when Sobek gave his own, joyous roar before Rexy suddenly snapped her jaws around his neck and forcing his face into the upturned earth. She noticed Rexy didn't bite as hard as Elise knew she could; she remembered Gray had told her Rexy's bite force was strong enough to crush bone. Were Rexy and Sobek…play fighting? Owen and Blue liked to play fight.

But Owen never tackled Blue into a tree…

The pack took a step back at the sharp sound of the trunk shattering as wood flew into the air before the delighted roars echoed across the island.

Elise really didn't know what to do, and neither did Blue. The fighters had plenty of small wounds, but they seemed so happy. The Indominus slowly sat on her haunches while the raptors glanced at one another for confirmation that this was just very rough play fighting, and not an actual fight.

The pack silently agreed to never initiate a playful fight with Rexy when she smashed into Sobek hard enough to send him sliding through the grass.

* * *

 _Yes!_

Sobek had never been happier in his life. This was what a fight was! Never had he been so challenged by another, never had he fought one creature for so long, but it was worth it. Wise One was a glorious warrior if Sobek ever saw one, and he relished every second of this grand battle.

Sobek delighted in the exhilarating pain in his side as he slid through the dew-slicked grass. She was welcome in his territory from now on! Wise One had the ability to roll him around like he was measly prey to her, but she could take her own hits. He didn't think it even fazed her to be rolled through the no longer hot fence. She only got right back up with renewed vigor.

Happy days indeed! Oh where had this one been his entire life?

Sobek gave a delighted roar as he quickly got up to prove he wasn't down for the count. He had found his equal! She was his equal in power, experience, dignity, and grace; Sobek only wished she had lived on his island. Oh how he delighted in the image of Wise One scaring Death right into the ocean.

Rexy paused to stand tall as they stared one another down. Elise hoped they were done, but the duo only tried to drown the other out with their commanding roars.

Elise feared she would go deaf.

* * *

Debra glanced at the entrance of the Petting Zoo when the roars echoed loudly across the park. She was pretty sure one of those roars was Rexy, but she didn't know the other. She swore Elise's roar was shriller.

Love had paused from her crunchy carrot to step closer to her parent for comfort, and Debra glanced around to see guests looking slightly nervous. Debra gently stroked Love's head to reassure her, but Debra looked up when a kid nervously asked, "What was that?"

Debra pressed her lips before she glanced back up at another roar, and she sighed.

"I'm sure Grady is doing something stupid again."

* * *

Owen slid his bike into a stop next to Elise before yelping when Rexy toppled over; Sobek snapped his jaws around her neck before forcefully dragging her around. The Tyrannosaurus lashed her strong legs out until they snagged into the rusty scales, and Sobek let go.

"Elise!"

Elise made a distressed sound as she desperately stared at Owen for some kind of help. He gaped at her before glancing at Blue when she made a similar sound, but they jumped when Claire snarled on the radio, _"Help Rexy!"_

Owen yanked off his tranquilizer gun before glancing up when Elise blocked his shot by sticking her hand out in front of him, and she shook her head. Owen gaped again before asking, "Don't help Rexy?!"

They flinched at the loud thud when the two charged each other, and Elise gave the duo a confused, mortified expression before signing, _'They are playing.'_

"Playing?! Elise, look at them! They're killing each other!"

Elise shook her head although she did question the sanity of her mother when the Spinosaurus managed to roll Rexy through another bit of the fence. There was no mistaking the joyous roars though, and Elise shook her head again.

Owen blinked because he had no idea what to do. Blue wasn't in the fight, and no one seemed eager to join in. He jumped when Claire snarled, _"Owen! Do something!"_

Owen glanced at Elise once more, and he knew he had to trust her judgment. There was no way Elise and Blue would allow Rexy to fight alone if this was a serious fight. The fight would have been over already because these two would never let Rexy fight Sobek alone.

"I…Elise…Rexy and Sobek are playing…"

Owen pressed his lips at the silent radio before Lowery squeaked a 'Jesus Christ', and Claire took in a breath to yell again before the sparring duo paused again. Rexy was frothing at the mouth while Sobek held his jaws open wide to gulp in air. Both were bruised and bloodied, and the audience cringed when they charged one another again.

Owen dropped his gun at the painful sounding clap from hard skulls colliding before Sobek simply collapsed onto the ground. Owen had sincerely thought Sobek had been killed before the Spinosaurus slowly lifted his head. Rexy was almost hovering over him as she waited for his next move while catching her breath, but Sobek only let out a low croon.

* * *

Sobek couldn't believe it; he had been bested in what was the grandest fight of his life. He no longer had the strength to fight Wise One; she had won. Sobek crooned his acknowledgment of her superiority in this fight, and he adjusted himself into a more comfortable position. He would challenge her again, and he would win to prove himself her equal.

Sobek didn't fear for his life as the powerful jaws hovered over his neck; he did not fear death.

Or Death.

If Sobek ever felt it was his time to go, he would challenge Wise One in a fight to the death. She would give him a grand sendoff. He would go out in bloody glory, but for now he was content to simply catch his breath. There wasn't a spot on his body that didn't hurt, but he felt so alive; he felt young again.

Sobek was simply tickled to have participated in this delightful experience.

The Spinosaurus opened his good eye when the battered scales slowly sank down next to him, and he leaned against Rexy. He continued to hold his jaws open to catch his breath, and Rexy did the same.

Sobek had never been happier in his life; he had found the perfect fight.

* * *

Owen held his gun as he and Elise would occasionally glance at each other. Blue didn't know what to do, but she chirped in confusion. Owen didn't blame her, and he was ready to make his own confused sounds.

He had the darts to sedate them, but it looked like they were done. Owen could not believe they had actually been play fighting.

Owen could already tell Gerry would have to look at both Rexy and Sobek. He swore he saw a tooth stuck in the rusty scales, and there was a large slash in the forested side.

"Um…"

Elise mimicked the sound before Sobek suddenly rested his head on Rexy's back. Owen had never seen the Spinosaurus look so absolutely content with life; not even when fishing. Rexy didn't seem to mind Sobek, even when he began to gently clean the wounds he had inflicted. Owen never thought Sobek could be tender, but there was a warm appreciation in the way he softly cleaned the wounds. Owen was reminded of boxing buddies; it was hard to explain.

Owen did not doubt they would fight each other again. They kept each other feeling young, and they could actually handle each other. There was a mutual respect forged in the battle wounds fresh and old. Two veterans bonding over a good punch.

It scared Owen a little bit, but he supposed this could be taken as a good sign.

Rexy and Sobek felt good; they were alive despite the number of years they had seen. There was a blazing fire in both of them that had never dimmed with age.

"Christ…I knew old people fights were scary…but, _damn."_

Elise rumbled in agreement before Blue suddenly bolted over to the duo. Sobek paid her no mind, but Rexy turned her head at the concerned chitters. The Beta fearlessly stood next to the bloodied jaws before tenderly licking around the slashed lip. Rexy allowed it before she returned the affection, and Owen rubbed the back of his neck as he carefully surveyed everything.

The area had been destroyed; trees were smashed, the fence flattened, dirt overturned from massive bodies being tossed about, and two old dinosaurs content as could be.

Owen startled when his radio crackled loudly, and Sobek paused to glance over. Owen wasn't really concerned about being chased, but the Spinosaurus lifted his head to give a loud croon.

Sobek was in a great mood; the world was full of fat sharks, sunshine, and he was happy to see _anyone_. Elise grew concerned when she was even given the equivalent of a 'good morning', but Owen only called out, "Hey, Buddy."

Elise gave Owen a concerned look, but she glanced at his radio when Tim quietly asked, "Owen? Is Rexy okay? The roaring just stopped, is she fine?"

Owen continued to stare at the trio, and Rexy turned her head to softly scratch her face against the proud sail.

"…Yeah, actually. Rexy is fine; she and Sobek were just…playing…"

" _Playing?"_

Owen nodded as he gave nervous Delta a reassuring stroke along her neck. She tilted her head to give a chirp because she wasn't sure what to do. She was the peacekeeper in the pack, but she was startled to see such rough play. Owen quietly said to her, "I know, Babe, I know; they scared the hell out of me too."

Echo made a turn before she decided to lean against Owen for love too. It wasn't often that Owen wasn't being hogged by Blue, and they appreciated Alpha's reassuring touches as well.

Owen snorted at being sandwiched between the two before he replied to Tim, "Yeah, they were playing. Rexy and Sobek were just rough housing apparently, but I think they're done. Rexy won this time."

Owen had to sympathize with the panic in Tim's voice when he squeaked, _"This time?! Are they going to fight again?!"_

Owen glanced back at the new friends before shaking his head, and replying, "No, but they will rough house again. You'll probably need to get Gerry to take a look at her…and Sobek.

He glanced up at Elise before asking, "What do you think, Sunshine? These two are fine? I got some great news I want talk over with you and the girls."

Elise turned her gaze back to quietly observe the peace between these two Alphas. Something seemed to click into place, like Sobek had managed to fit himself into this puzzle of an island. She remembered Bridges had said all the animals on this island seemed to share the same doe eyed look to an extent, even Rexy; like they knew they weren't supposed to be in danger. They could simply exist in harmony when the stress of always searching for food had been removed. Carnivores weren't as aggressive, and herbivores slept the day away.

Elise wasn't sure what a doe was, but she could see Sobek's blazing emerald fire had calmed in a way. It was almost like Rexy though it seemed less mellow.

But it didn't matter. What mattered was Sobek had seemed to finally find his happy place; he was now officially part of this island. This island was now his home, and his presence was needed for the balance of this place.

Elise nodded, and Owen gave his sharp whistle. Rexy glared at him for being loud, but Blue chittered at him. Owen gave the hand signal to follow, and the raptor gave Rexy a glance before she rubbed herself against the forest scales.

Owen chuckled when his Beta thrust her head into his shoulder, and he greeted, "Hey, my best girl, I think we can let these two sit with each other. Let's go for a run to calm us down, okay?"

Blue understood run, and she was all for some normalcy in this already crazy day. Stern One was not stressed even if she was hurt, and Ugly One seemed to have mellowed out.

Blue knew Stern One could beat him in a fight.

Owen swung onto his bike with another chuckle, but Elise quickly trotted over to her mother to give a concerned rumble as she gently licked the chewed neck. Rexy assured her youngling that all was well, and she felt wonderful. Elise was glad for that because Rexy looked like she had the life beat out of her; Sobek didn't look much better. He was bleeding from his head, and Elise was concerned about how hard Rexy had hit his head when he offered another greeting to her.

Rexy had knocked the piss and vinegar from Sobek's personality, and Elise would admit she was much more comfortable around the cranky Sobek.

Elise wasn't going to be rude though, and she mimicked the hiss Sobek had made. The Spinosaurus paused from the gash he was cleaning on Rexy's back before rubbing his jaw on her respectfully. He wanted his own scent to cling to her; she didn't need protection by any means, but he wanted others to know she had walked away from a fight with him. It seemed like Twisted One could understand her as well, but Sobek simply talked aloud to Wise One.

He wished her many happy days, and a nest full of strong, healthy hatchlings like her despite her age. Sobek hoped she would find a mate worthy of her who would guard her, treat her well, and be faithful for the rest of days. Until then and long after, Sobek intended to respect the land she called her own; he would not trespass with the intent of ill-will. He would keep to his own territory though she was welcome in it.

Sobek paused when he felt the powerful jaws vibrate against his powerful sail as a rumble was exhaled, and he knew Wise One wished the same for him. Sobek was delighted for this encounter, and he savored this rare peace.

There was great comfort in finding his equal; they respected each other.

Elise carefully watched Sobek as he talked to Rexy in low croons, soft hisses, and an occasional, gentle rumble. She could only catch bits and pieces though she felt her head tilt the more and more he talked.

He wanted Rexy to be happy…and he wanted hatchlings with her? He promised to be a worthy mate because he would respect this land, and he wanted her to move into his territory.

Elise snapped her gaze down when Rexy softly brushed her cheek against Sobek's sail, and Elise cringed. She didn't want Sobek to be mates with Rexy; that would make him like a father to her. She would have to do as he said. She knew Rexy wouldn't move in with Sobek, so would that mean the Spinosaurus would move in with them?

Elise immediately knew Blue wouldn't even entertain that thought. Sobek was in for a rude surprise, but Owen gave a quiet whistle for her attention. Elise forgot he had something to tell the pack, and she gave Rexy another lick before crooning farewell to them.

She was pretty sure Sobek needed his head checked when he hissed a farewell to her before going back to cleaning Rexy's wounds.

Elise needed to tell Owen about this; she needed some comfort. If Sobek was moving in with Rexy, Elise wanted to go sleep at Owen's house with the pretty lights.

She was sure Blue would join.

* * *

Claire let out a breath she wasn't aware she had been holding when Elise trotted back to Owen. Rexy and Sobek continued to rest, but Lowery exhaled as he sagged into his chair while saying, "Man…I had no idea they would…play fight…"

Claire sighed as she put a hand on her forehead; she had almost lost it when Rexy had been tossed so roughly into the fence. She had gotten so angry when Elise and the girls had only sat to watch.

She didn't know what to feel about this rough housing. She was happy and scared. It was good to see Rexy felt feisty enough to take on the Spinosaurus, but it was terrifying to see two creatures that huge just fight one another.

Rough house.

She glanced up when someone in the front quietly said, "I told you the Tyrannosaurus could beat a Spinosaurus. Big Boss wiped the floor with Rival Big Boss."

Another scoffed, "It was lucky; Big Boss wins everything. I was talking about the two species in general. Spino has size and ability on its side."

"Rex has a bite force strong enough to crush bone."

Claire sighed again when the two sides began to bicker before Lowery lowered his brows when Security declared themselves 'Team Rex' while Maintenance became 'Team Spino'. He rubbed his face before snapping, "Guys, this isn't Twilight, have a little pride in yourselves for God's sakes. No teams; we're here to keep the animals alive, the guests safe, and the park running."

Claire raised an impressed eyebrow at Lowery's seriousness until he added, "Besides, I already did the math; the Tyrannosaurus would win eighty percent of the time mostly due to the fact that the Spinosaurus' back is so easy to break. One good slam on that sail, and they are toast."

A person in the front snapped, "The species wouldn't even fight in the first place! They never crossed paths; Tyrannosaurus was in America, the Spinosaurus was all the way in freakin' Africa!"

Lowery was about to retort, but another person asked, "Who started this stupid Spinosaurus VS. Tyrannosaurus thing anyway? It's like all the dinosaur fans got torn into two sides when it happened. Rexy and Sobek are obviously equals; I could see the fight going either way between them."

Claire was starting to lose patience when someone scoffed, "Sobek isn't a real Spinosaurus; he's not accurate."

A person from Security laughed, "Yeah, let's use the 'modern' Spinosaurus against the Tyrannosaurus. It's the wiener dog of dinosaurs. Spino fans don't even acknowledge that model against the Tyrannosaurus."

"Let's take a look at the nubs for arms the T-rex has; at least the spino is a hunter of land and water. Researchers still aren't sure if the 'King' was a scavenger or not; it might have just used its size to intimidate other scavengers."

"Do you really think something as big as a T-rex could survive off _scavenging_ alone? And there's no way the Wienersaurus could hunt anything on land; it looks like it waddled _while_ walking on its knuckles. You guys better stick to Sobek's model if you want to stand a chance against the T-rex."

Claire frowned, but Lowery quietly said, "Don't worry; they're still working, I promise."

Claire sighed as she grabbed the radio before asking, "Owen, how bad are Rexy and Sobek?"

The radio crackled, and Control quieted, before Owen answered, "Well, I don't think anything life threatening, but Sobek will probably need to be looked over. Rexy smacked him around pretty good. Rexy might need stitches too…"

Claire nodded, but she said, "I guess we continue the day then?"

"Yeah, I'm bringing the girls back; I'll keep them with me if Dr. Gerry wants to sedate those two later. Just give me a heads up."

Claire liked that idea, and she could hear Elise's footsteps over the radio. She wanted to say something, but Owen forgot to take his finger off the radio, and asked, "Ready to go, Baby? Rexy is good?"

There was a pause before Owen said, "Good, let's…what? Are you serious? No way!"

Claire flickered her gaze to the screen nervously before Owen exclaimed, _"Oh. My. God. You're kidding!"_

Claire waited for the conversation to continue, but she asked the radio, "What happened?"

There was another pause before Owen quietly answered, "Um…I guess Sobek is…smitten…"

Claire raised an eyebrow; she didn't think the Spinosaurus would show any interest in Elise nor did she understand why Owen was reacting so calmly until he said, "With Rexy."

Lowery actually dropped his pencil before he slowly turned to face the screen with Claire. The room silently stared at Sobek and Rexy gently grooming one another so the flies wouldn't land on the bloody wounds. Claire blinked a few times before she asked, "Are you sure?"

"It's what Elise said she heard Sobek saying…"

Claire raised her eyebrows high, but she finally said, "Let's just focus on getting them looked at. If they can get along, then that's great. I'd rather have an odd couple than two animals always trying to tear each other's throats out."

Claire gave Control one more look before she sighed as she left. The room remained silent until the elevator doors shut, and someone quietly said, "I ship it."

Vivian raised an eyebrow at the term, but someone else added, "Me too…"

Lowery startled them when he exclaimed, "Someone think of a ship name!"

The room blinked, and someone said, "I have no idea what's going on. What's a ship name?"

Lowery grinned when a fellow techie explained, but someone shouted over them, "Robek!"

"Soby!"

"What the hell is going on? I don't understand; I'm so confused. Why are we shouting words that don't make sense?"

"Whose names are these?"

Lowery smacked his fist on the table before declaring, "Sexy! The ship name is Sexy!"

"Why are we shipping these two?"

"I still don't know what shipping is!"

Lowery grinned widely while saying, "Because as of right now, this stupid spino vs. rex thing is over. Rexy and Sobek like each other, they get along, and they are the Big Bosses. It's done because these are both awesome animals."

Control startled at a sudden shriek before their attention was turned to the screen.

" _Sobek is kissing Rexy's nose! Someone get a picture!"_

" _What. The. Hell. Is. Shipping?!"_

* * *

Sobek paused from his grooming when Wise One began to sniff his rusty scales with interest. He wondered if she ever hunted the fat prey in the river, but he doubted it. He did remember accidentally tossing one with vigor this morning, and it had bounced off the spot she seemed to be smelling.

He shifted a little, and she turned her powerful jaws to his own before smelling.

Rexy had never smelled anything like this before, and it was interesting. This was clearly what Rude One liked to eat, but Rexy didn't know it. She was reminded of the ocean, but she wasn't sure; she had rarely gone that far towards the edge of the island.

She paused when Rude One brought his own snout close enough to touch, and she assumed this was him being curious. She knew White One had done this before; Rexy didn't mind it. This was a new encounter, and he had fought well enough to earn the right. Rexy didn't feel threatened by him, and she respected his skill.

She did get a little annoyed when his nose would bump into hers occasionally, but they were gentle bumps. Sobek was getting annoyed as well; he cursed his blind eye that always messed with his depth perception, but he finally decided to simply rest his snout against the front of hers.

He didn't recognize the strong smell of the prey she ate either. It was an odd smell. Maybe there was prey here that wasn't on his old island, but it didn't matter to Sobek. He was only interested in the food in his river. He had seen humans dumping his favorite prey into the waters, and he had no idea why they did that.

But he loved them for it.

Rexy turned her head when she heard the whistle from her tall, human son; it was time to chase the goats. Rexy honestly felt she had enough excitement for the day, but it never hurt to be busy. It felt good, and she rose with a rumble.

Sobek adjusted himself slightly though he gave a soft sound when she turned to leave. He was sure she was going to do her own thing, and Sobek felt well enough to nap by his river. This territory was nice, but nothing could beat the soothing sounds of a chuckling river.

Sobek glanced down when her tail lightly flicked his shoulder before he also rose. He sincerely hoped she would find a strong mate one day. He was sure she was too old to bring hatchlings into the world, and that made him sad. He didn't have hatchlings either; the crazy female was too poor a mother for any potential offspring to have survived.

Sobek turned to limp back into his home; maybe he would give another challenge soon. After all, he had to prove himself her equal by defeating her at least once.

He knew he could do it.

* * *

"Alright, Baby, ready for the news?"

Elise nodded as Blue leaned against Owen; she wanted her back scratched again. Echo was content to sit on Elise's hand, and Delta was rolling on a thick lush of ferns. Owen smiled widely as he said, "I want to make the pack bigger; I want to add more raptors."

Elise blinked before she gave a delighted croon at the idea. Blue glanced up when Elise made her clicks and barks before the Beta chirped in confusion as she glanced at Stupid Alpha.

She wanted to know exactly where he was going to get eggs when clearly there were no males here. She didn't think he could lay eggs, and Blue decided to shove her nose into the pockets of the vest in search of such secrets.

Owen snorted as he continued to scratch Blue's neck, but he asked, "What do you think, Baby? The girls fine with a bigger pack?"

Owen smiled at the chirps from his girls though Blue's sounded suspicious. Owen gently traced the blue line on his best girl as he teased, "Oh, come on, Blue. Wouldn't it be fun to be a mom?"

Blue didn't understand the question, but she knew the teasing tone. Stupid Alpha wanted to tease? Blue replied by tackling him into the bush with a playful growl. She would show him what happened when she was teased.

Elise only relaxed at Owen's laughter when he managed to pin Blue though the raptor quickly flipped him under her with all her weight. Elise was happy to see this peace.

Peace was good.

"You show him who is boss, Blueberry!"

Delta immediately bounced out of the ferns before turning in a circle at seeing her most favorite person in the world. Barry grinned widely with a chuckle before blowing a kiss at Delta. The raptor immediately flopped over, and Barry gave a rich laugh before saying, "My sweet girl, I brought you your favorite."

Elise blinked when Delta scrambled up her shoulder before bouncing off the white nose to tackle the fresh churro that had been tossed down. Barry chuckled again before he turned to mellow Echo waiting patiently, and he said, "And my calm girl, I found something special for you."

The bronze raptor perked up when the orange and blue bag was tossed down, and she tore into it with vigor. She crunched one cheesy treat before giving a delighted trill.

Cheetos Puffs! Echo loved the puffy ones; she felt like she was getting more in each bite.

Barry glanced to the side when he heard an offended chirp, and he laughed at seeing Blue glaring at him while sitting on Owen. Blue wanted her treat too, and Barry laughed, "My sweet Blueberry! I would never forget you; I just knew you were busy with Owen."

Blue shifted though she refused to show how she had melted; she couldn't stay angry at Barry. He was Barry; she never doubted he loved this pack. She loved him too, and the raptor abandoned her playful fight with Stupid Alpha in favor of the delicious cookie Barry had brought just for her.

Barry was good, and Blue trilled just for him.

Owen snorted as he stood to dust himself off, and he asked, "Got something for Elise?"

"A kiss and a hug."

Elise crooned as she eagerly collected her gifts from Barry. She adored the soft caresses and loving kisses from him. She loved Barry. The man chuckled at her before he peered over the railing as he said, "I actually brought over your mail because the slot couldn't hold everything. You have a big box here."

Owen crossed his arms before sighing, "I told people to quit sending boxes of stuff; Elise just likes photos and letters."

Elise crooned her agreement, but Barry said, "It's from your niece actually."

Owen blinked in confusion as he tried to recall if his mother had said anything about that. He didn't remember anything, but he shrugged as Elise plopped him into the log. Owen whistled at the box before saying, "I wonder how much that cost to mail."

Barry shrugged as he handed the thick stack of envelopes over, and Owen quickly went through them. They were from all over, and Elise always loved that. She remembered getting a sugar skull from Mexico. It was so colorfully decorated that she hadn't been able to stop herself from mimicking the patterns.

Lowery had said those were made for a special holiday in Mexico; the Day of the Dead. It was sitting with Small One now; she liked the bright colors too. Elise liked to share the gifts she got.

She was curious as to what Rosie had sent; she normally mailed pictures. On the occasion, Charlotte had sent cookies, but those came in much smaller boxes.

Elise rested her head on the cement ground while Barry asked, "Anything new, Owen?"

"We're going to get a new clutch of eggs to make the pack bigger."

Elise smiled when Barry's face split into a wide grin, and he even made a little bounce while saying, "That makes me so happy! I was wondering how the races were going to go with Blue usually winning."

Owen chuckled in agreement, but laughed when Elise gently poked the box. It smelled different to her, but familiar; just faintly familiar. She couldn't place the scent, but she was slightly reminded of Sobek.

Elise paused; she was reminded of Sobek before he came here.

Owen didn't notice Elise's thinking but he twirled his knife before easily cutting the lid open, and peering at the contents while Barry leaned over the man.

"I am stealing a cookie if your mother sent more."

"Now I know why you so generously brought the box over."

Barry chuckled again before Owen pulled up the first thing at the top. It was a medium sized photo, and he assumed it was a family photo for Elise. He flipped it over before he and Barry froze. Owen blinked at the infant staring at them with wide, innocent eyes before he slowly glanced at Elise. Barry continued to stare at the photo, but Owen turned his gaze back.

The scales held the slightest grey tint, but the frame seemed underweight; Owen could see the ribs. It was the scarlet eyes that held his attention though.

With bright, flecks of gold tenderly dotting them.

Owen always remembered the main characteristic that Elise had so vividly described time and time again. The gold flecks in the scarlet eyes.

Elise made a sound, but Owen licked his lips before he softly asked, "Baby…is this your little sister?"

Owen turned the photo towards Elise, and she made a choked cry of surprise.

Small One! It was her sister! Elise quickly scanned her gaze up and down the photo as she took in what she remembered and refreshed what she had forgotten. There was the gold flecks, the gentle eyes, the grey scales, the slightly crooked jaw with milky teeth, and the way she always awkwardly sat with more weight on one leg than the other.

Elise made another choked cry, and Owen was immediately next to her as he gently said, "It's okay, Baby, it's okay. You're fine, and it's okay…"

Owen didn't know what else to say as he stared at the photo with Elise. This precious hatchling was what he had buried under the oak sapling. This was who Elise had always talked to when she had sat in front of the box, and this was who should have been standing right next to Elise right now.

Now she wasn't a skeleton to Owen any longer. Now she had a face and a personality Owen could just picture. She looked shy, but intelligent; more cautious than what Elise was. She reminded Owen of Charlie in a way. He felt like this baby would have spent the first week in his pocket too if he had been given the chance to raise her.

Owen was pulled from his thoughts when Barry asked, "Why is this in the box?"

Barry held up the chunk of amber with the mosquito inside, and Owen frowned in confusion as he stared at the photo again.

"I don't think this is from my niece."

Elise made a distressed sound when Owen walked towards the box with her picture, and Owen quickly assured, "It's okay, Baby. I am going to be really careful with this, believe me. No matter what happens, Barry and I will make sure this picture is safe. We'll make copies so there's more than one."

Elise focused her gaze on Small One's photo with worry, but she had to remind herself how much she trusted Owen with the most important of things. If Owen was allowed to carry Small One's body around, then he could carry the photo.

She had a picture of her sister now, and Elise didn't know what she was feeling right now. She was so happy, but she hurt so much. She could remember what her sister looked like, but she had to realize that it was only a picture; Small One was still gone.

Elise had managed to teeter along the fine line. She had allowed wounds to heal over because she had forgotten a vast majority of little details. The wounds were being rubbed raw with all the memories flooding in because she didn't know what to do with them.

Small One was becoming a tree, but Elise wanted to see her sister's grey scales again. She wanted to talk to her, to groom her, see her; Elise just missed her sister. She felt empty being the only of her kind.

"Elise?"

The Indominus glanced at Owen before he quietly asked, "Are you doing okay? Do you want me to get Dr. Roth?"

Elise crinkled her nose, and Owen took that as a no. Elise didn't want to talk to her therapist; Roth was nice, she had good intent, but Elise just didn't like picking at her own brain with a non-pack member. Elise knew she needed Roth's help, but Bridges had pointed out that a therapist was only very useful when Elise had her goal in mind. She had to know why she wanted help. Elise was fine with getting help, she was just incredibly touchy about the subject of her sister. She didn't want to move on from her sister's death; she didn't want to leave Small One behind.

Elise knew Owen questioned her relationship with Bridges, and she never told Owen it was Bridges who was more helpful about the subject of Small One. Bridges was blunt with Elise, but he was somehow never rude when they had once talked about her little sister.

When Owen had been somewhere else, and Elise had a frustrating session with Roth, Bridges had come in as usual to ask about her training, but they had somehow gotten onto the subject of her therapy.

Elise had been surprised to learn Bridges had gone through that before, but he had politely asked her not to share that detail. Apparently a lot of humans found it weak to need this kind of help. Elise felt bad for Bridges on that part, but he seemed to function fine. She remembered how he had given a sincere smile when she offered him her ear should he ever need someone to talk to.

She would not view him as weak; she knew he wasn't weak. It was their strange relationship, but it worked. Bridges had honestly helped Elise with Small One by being blunt.

Elise didn't have to move on from her sister's death; she just had to prove she could function. That had worked for Elise until they buried Small One, then she had felt she could move on. There was healing in seeing the tree grow bigger.

Roth didn't know how to talk about Small One very well, but she was good at the other stuff.

Elise shook her head; she was just overwhelmed at seeing her sister's image out of nowhere. Elise just took a deep breath before staring at the photo in Owen's hand.

She had forgotten how beautiful her sister had been before she grew ill. Elise was grateful for this photo; Elise could now forget when her sister had looked like when she was ill. Now she could only see the healthy hatchling she had been.

Elise reminded herself that even if Small One wasn't here as an Indominus, she was still here. Now Small One was a Swamp Chestnut Oak.

It hadn't been pretty when Roth had said that her sister had moved on a long time ago, and it was Elise's turn. That was the first time Bridges had butted into the session; Elise secretly appreciated his willingness to defend her views of her sister. Elise was never sure if it was because Bridges honestly cared, which she doubted, or if he was trying to earn her favor, which he had.

Owen paused with a concerned look on his face; he should have braced Elise for this better, but they turned when Barry suddenly asked, "Shaving cream?"

Owen raised an eyebrow at the Barbasol shaving cream can, but Barry paled before quietly asking, "You don't think it's a bomb, do you?"

"What? Why would it be a bomb?"

"Why would it be _shaving cream,_ Owen? I do not like this package. It's not right. It said it was from your niece, but this is clearly not. Do you even use this brand?"

Owen pressed his lip before admitting, "No, I don't, but I do know Jurassic World is the only one who sells cans with that print on them."

Barry nodded at the dinosaur artwork over the cheery, candy-striped can. He set the can down suspiciously before warily reaching into the box again. Owen gently placed the photo on a safe spot next to him when Barry pulled out a red flash drive with a raised eyebrow.

"What's that?"

Barry frowned, but he answered, "A flash drive for Elise."

Owen took the cherry red drive from Barry before reading the neat cursive that seemed familiar. It held the title of Elise's favorite song.

Für Elise.

For Elise.

"Look at this."

Barry gently shook a small box of flash drives, and Owen raised an eyebrow before asking, "What should we do?"

"We have flash drives, Owen. We get a mango. What do you think? We go get a computer."

Elise snorted; she loved it when Barry got sarcastic. It was adorable to see him all sassy; she just wanted to pinch his cheeks. Owen only rolled his eyes before looking into the camera as he asked the radio, "Hey, Lowery? You got a laptop you can run here?"

There was a pause before Lowery responded, "Why? Can't you use a park one?"

Owen glanced at the drives before answering, "I think Claire needs to be here too. Bring a good laptop that can fight against a virus. We got a suspicious package."

Barry walked over to Elise with the can of shaving cream before asking, "I know you're new to the bomb detecting training, but do you smell anything?"

Elise sniffed it with interest; she didn't know what this was supposed to smell like, but she didn't smell any of the sharp smells she remembered Sam and Derick had talked about. She shook her head, and glanced over when Lowery answered, "Alright; I'll get Claire, and we'll be there in a few minutes."

Elise puffed air at Owen before she glanced at the photo. Owen smiled as he held it for her to look at, and Barry put the can down before peering into the box again. He continued to rummage through it, and Owen dryly said, "For a guy who was concerned about a bomb, you sure aren't shy around the box."

"The can could be the bomb, Owen, but Elise said it was fine. Besides, I put the can over…"

Barry's eyes widened before he snapped his gaze up to Owen, and said, "There's money."

"What?"

" _A lot of money."_

Owen finally made a confused sound as he walked over before Barry held out the thick envelope full of Franklins. Owen's eyes widened at the amount before he quietly said, "Look how old some of these bills are; this looks like someone's savings."

"How much is in there?"

Owen handed half the wad to Barry, and Elise wanted to roll her eyes when the two became intently focused on counting the dirty paper.

Humans and their green, dirty, smelly paper.

Owen covered his mouth as he wrote down the total he counted before pushing the paper towards Barry. The man pressed his lips as he wrote down his total before adding it; then they gaped at the amount.

"We counted wrong."

"I don't think we did, Owen."

Owen gestured to the pile as he hissed, _"That is ten thousand dollars! Who mails that kind of money with shaving cream and flash drives?!"_

Elise paused to think about the number as she stared at the dirty paper. Apparently it was a lot of money considering how Owen and Barry were freaking out, but it didn't look like a lot to Elise.

It just smelled funny, and she still didn't know why there was an odd human on the front of the paper. Elise just didn't care about the stuff; it could go to Claire.

Elise gave a delighted croon when Claire walked in followed by Lowery. Elise didn't like the dirty paper, but she flicked the rolled up wad towards Claire. The redhead raised an eyebrow at the money before picking it up, and Elise crooned proudly.

More dirty paper for the park.

Claire smiled at Elise though she asked, "What about the shaving cream?"

Owen gestured to the can, and Lowery picked it up before allowing the white cream to foam onto his hand. He shrugged his shoulders before wiping the dollop on Elise's nose who responded by crinkling her snout. She didn't know what to do with it, but Lowery only chuckled before eyeing the box of drives.

"Do we have to go through all those? Those are the one hundred and twenty-eight gigabytes."

Lowery picked one up before saying, "Sheesh, these are the expensive ones too. Who is this from?"

Owen shook his head before showing Claire the picture, and she went still while looking at it as he answered, "I don't know, but they had a picture of Elise's little sister."

Claire blinked at the photo before turning to Elise as she asked, "This is Small One?"

Elise nodded, and Lowery peeked over Claire's shoulder before saying, "I pictured something else."

"Like what?"

Lowery shrugged as he set up the computer while answering, "I don't know; something so ugly it was cute."

Elise sternly puffed air onto the man, and he retorted, "I was an ugly baby, I get to poke fun at fellow ugly babies if I want. I looked like a wrinkled potato with the mange."

Elise didn't understand that image, but Owen handed over the red drive to Lowery as he said, "I assume this one is for Elise."

Lowery raised an eyebrow at the title before asking, "Want a Scooby snack, Detective?"

"I want answers, smart-ass."

Lowery wasn't fazed by the snappish tone, and he popped the drive in before drumming his fingers until the files window came up.

"Well, we got one thing on here; a video."

Claire raised an eyebrow before she asked, "What's the return address?"

Owen flipped the lid on the box as he answered, "My niece, but…"

Owen frowned before saying, "But it's not even right; the state and city are right, but this isn't her address."

Lowery scooted himself and the laptop over to Elise, and Claire asked, "What are you doing?"

Lowery gestured to the white dinosaur, who was staring at the chunk of amber, as he said, "This video is obviously for Elise so it does make sense that she should get to watch it."

Elise didn't understand why everyone was tense; there was good gifts in the box. Dirty paper, pretty amber, and a picture of her sister. Elise didn't see the point in the shaving cream Lowery had put on her nose. The laptop was a little small for her, but Elise would give her undivided attention to the person who had so generously given good gifts.

Lowery adjusted his speakers while the others crowded around him, and he pressed play.

Claire immediately snarled, _"Wu?!"_

Owen shushed her, and Elise blinked at the sincerely smiling man. He looked so familiar; the dark shirt, hair, the tan skin, and the silver streaked hair. Why did he look so familiar?

"Hello, Elise. My name is Dr. Henry Wu."

Elise made a sound; she knew him! He was the first love! She knew that voice from the labs. Owen glanced at her as he quietly said, "Baby, this is the guy who made you."

Elise knew him; she hadn't realized he made her, but she knew him. She couldn't remember specifics, but she knew she had seen him first when she came into the world. There was something else he had taught her, but she couldn't remember what it was.

Elise glanced at the box. Had Wu sent this for her? It certainly seemed like it.

Her attention was grabbed by an awkward chuckle before Wu admitted, "I honestly have no idea what to say; I just know that you had wanted to see me. I'm sure you have thousands of questions, like anyone else, but…I feel like you deserve more than an 'It's classified' answer."

Owen and Claire quietly huffed, but Elise didn't notice; she did pause when Wu pulled out a chunk of amber, and she realized it was the one Barry was holding right now. She wondered why Wu had given it over, but the man continued, "I am in a serious predicament, Elise. I don't think I'll ever get to see you face to face again; it's why I made this video. I don't know if I'll even be alive when you watch it, but that doesn't matter to me. I just care about answering every question I think you might have."

Wu held up the amber chunk as he said, "I don't know how familiar you are with the history of the park, but you seem curious enough to care. This is the only reason why dinosaurs could be brought back. The only reason this park was made possible, why I had the job that I had, why you even exist, is because of this little mosquito. It's amazing, isn't it? One, annoying bug is the reason extinct animals can be brought back to life. It makes you realize just how important even the smallest bug can be in this world. I want you to have this; it was given to me by a man named John Hammond. It was the first chunk of amber discovered with a dinosaur's DNA in it."

Elise turned to the amber, and Barry held it out to her. She could see the little bug in there, and she chittered her thanks to the bug. She did appreciate the little creature for doing its job. She liked Dr. Wu; he seemed sincere in the video, and she liked that. Owen and Claire seemed stiff though, but Elise knew Wu was in trouble with the law.

For creating her.

Elise wasn't sure how she felt about that. People said they were happy she was alive, but Wu needed to be punished for creating her.

Elise brought her attention back to the screen when Wu sighed before saying, "When I first started working for this park, I was hired by John. He was a good man whose greatest joy in life was making people smile. He lived for that; he didn't care so much about the money."

Wu paused to adjust himself before continuing, "John's goal with Jurassic Park was to make people feel small, but he wanted children to see the magnificent creatures that were dinosaurs. He wanted to educate them, show them how big the world _really_ was, and to inspire them to achieve their dreams. If dinosaurs could be brought back, then anything was possible."

Elise liked that; she had heard the name John Hammond a few times. He had owned this park, and he wanted people to feel small.

She had figured out his secret to success, and Elise realized she hadn't shared that with Claire yet.

Wu paused again to give a bitter laugh before he said, "I remember bringing back my first dinosaur; it was incredible. I loved my job, I really did. I remember sitting in the nursery with John as we looked after all the newborns before going home. John insisted on being there for every single birth; he wanted to meet every single dinosaur when they were born, and he did it. Even Rexy's birth; he helped her out of the shell."

Wu smiled at the camera before saying, "Rexy had been the size of a chicken, isn't that crazy?"

Elise knew what a chicken looked like; a roasted one at least. Chickens were not big creatures, and it was very difficult picturing Rexy being that small.

Wu set the amber on the desk as he said, "I'm sure you'll get to see a baby Tyrannosaurus someday…Rexy is getting old…"

Claire stiffened, but Wu added, "I hope you learn everything you can from Rexy, Elise. She knows what the park is supposed to be like. If you can run the park like Rexy, everything will be fine. Even with money hungry CEOs who can't be bothered to personally ask if the dinosaurs are doing fine."

Wu paused to lick his lips, he seemed lost in thought, but he mused, "You know…John had called this place a park, but he liked the term biological preserve more. Now this place is just a theme park. It's lost its magic. People aren't in awe of dinosaurs anymore; just the rides and technology."

Claire shifted slightly, and Elise wondered why she was uncomfortable, but Wu softly said, "I knew this place was doomed when John died. I just knew another disaster would happen, but I didn't care."

Wu sadly laughed, "I didn't care anymore because no one saw these animals as dinosaurs. They were assets, Elise. Do you know what an asset is? A valuable thing. John never called them assets; they were the animals, dinosaurs, scaly kids. Rexy was never called an asset, she was always Rexy or Big Boss, but then Masrani came along. He was always too busy with other things to come visit often, and Miss Dearing couldn't care less despite John's faith in her."

Elise nuzzled Claire gently to let her know that she had changed a lot. Claire was not the same anymore, and Owen patted her arm gently to confirm this. Claire only sighed because it had been true to a degree.

Wu glanced at the screen again as he softly said, "John's secret to making this park successful was to make people feel small. I had always thought that meant bigger dinosaurs, but I never questioned it before; then Masrani came around. I never figured out the secret, but I know Masrani never figured it out either."

Claire gritted her teeth; she wanted Wu to tell Elise where he was so she could throttle the man. Owen gently brushed her arm, and Wu continued, "Jurassic Park had been about educating children, bringing a dead world back, and just giving the present world a rare gift. Jurassic World has always been about the money and attendance."

Wu pulled something in front of him, and Owen realized it was the photo of Elise's sister. The geneticist stared at it for a few seconds before sheepishly saying, "I'm sorry for prattling; I'm not very good at this kind of thing. I hadn't planned on doing this; it was a last minute thing."

Elise didn't mind at all; she liked hearing Wu talk. She was interested in what he had to say, and she wanted him to explain more of how dinosaurs were made. She knew he understood the process better than Owen, and Elise didn't want to wait for Gray to grow up before he could explain it to her.

That was a long time to wait.

Wu continued to look at the picture as he said, "I was perfectly fine with creating normal dinosaurs, Elise. John always had faith that this park would be fine with the normal ones, but I liked to experiment. I had created a plant hybrid when John was still around; it was a simple thing, but it had worked. I had thought it was an amazing discovery. I wanted to know the potential of how far I could take this with other plants. Our ways of improving crops takes time; successful harvests, crossbreeding, but I wanted to see if I could tweak things. Maybe I could take the disease resistant genes of one plant, and give it to an easily susceptible crop; improve it."

Elise could see the good in that, and Owen frowned; he never heard of this plant hybrid. Wu only continued, "John had never wanted genetically modified hybrid dinosaurs; it wouldn't make his park a dinosaur park; just an island full of twisted things."

Wu paused before adding, "I don't think he'd find you twisted though; he would have appreciated the way you can make all audiences smile."

Wu gave a light chuckle as he said, "I know the videos I see make me feel a little better. I had forgotten you could turn into such brilliant colors."

Elise was glad she could make him happy, but she hoped he wasn't dead. Wu looked like a nice man to her. She watched the man turn serious before he said, "John, as childish as he could be, did have a good sense of foresight. He knew it would only be a matter of time before hybrid dinosaurs came along, and he allowed me to research it under one condition."

Wu adjusted himself as he placed his folded hands on the desk before saying, "I had to keep absolutely everything classified. When the wrong people discovered hybrids could be created, Hammond knew warfare animals would be made. He didn't want that. I never cared about other scientists learning the secrets of a Velociraptor's genetic coding, I was afraid of someone crossing it with something else to defeat the enemy because humans just can't stop fighting each other."

Owen crossed his arms; he was sitting next to the very thing Wu had apparently tried so hard to prevent. At least he understood why Wu was so firm about the classified information. Wu paused to gently rub his index finger before saying, "Jurassic Park never opened, but I continued to research until Hammond had died; he left me a few things. One of them being an inheritance that I'm sending to you; I was very fortunate to have never found myself in a troubled financial state. The pile of mattress money only got bigger. I don't know what you'll use it for, but I want you to have it, Elise."

Wu suddenly chuckled, "If you are anything like I think you are, you won't care all that much about the money. You don't seem like that kind of creature. At least take care of the amber chunk; it has history."

Elise wanted to meet Wu and tell him he was right. She had just flicked the wad of cash towards Claire. Claire knew what to do with the dirty paper, but the redhead turned the money over before handing it over to Owen. He glanced at Elise before putting it in the box.

Elise didn't want the dirty paper, but Wu said, "I had thought things would be fine with Jurassic World for the first few years because Masrani had been content with the dinosaurs I had given. Then attendance had started to fall. It was around that time I had been approached by Hoskins about creating warfare animals. He was interested in Velociraptors with the potential to be trained. I had simply made regular raptors with colorful patterns because I know those can't be trained like he had hoped."

Owen blinked, but he did applaud Wu for recognizing that. He did appreciate the colorful patterns his girls had; they were beautiful. Wu pressed his lips before continuing, "Then I was asked to create a hybrid animal for warfare; something small like a dog, ruthless like a raptor, and all these other ridiculous things that I would never see working. A hybrid dinosaur was needed because extinct species have no rights."

Claire pressed her lips; she needed to get that changed. They weren't extinct any more.

Wu put the photo of Small One down as he continued, "I had planned to refuse until Masrani had asked me to create a hybrid. I knew the park was done when hybrids were going to be the next big thing. It meant Jurassic World adhered to an audience that only wanted to be impressed rather than educated. Masrani had wanted 'bigger, scarier, more teeth, _cooler'._ So…I decided to give satisfy both demands. That's where you came in; you are a bigger, scarier dinosaur created for the purpose of warfare."

Everyone briefly glanced at the wall full of crayoned pictures where Elise was either a bright color or smiling. Owen couldn't stop his snort, but Wu sighed, "I just stopped caring, Elise. I still don't care because I'm tired of being pestered for things that shouldn't be."

Wu gave a tired smile as he said, "But I am incredibly passive aggressive, Elise. People had lost respect for the power of Jurassic World because they thought it could be controlled. Bridges wanted an animal for warfare, and Masrani wanted a scary animal. I made both, but I wanted something that would be incredibly difficult to control. I wanted something that would have immediate respect because of the sheer power. I wanted an uncontrollable monster; a ticking time bomb."

Owen frowned deeply before turning to Elise, but Claire had already put a hand on Elise's nose as she firmly said, "Elise, you are not a monster."

Elise crooned; she already knew that. She was a freak, tough baby, sweetie, sweetheart, beautiful, alpha, and a baby girl.

And an Indominus Rex; an Untamable King.

Wu gave a bitter smile as he said, "I was careful about what I put into you, but I wasn't. I am _so sorry_ if that has affected your health, Elise. I am so sorry because I never thought something made with the worst of intents could be salvaged into something so wonderful. I had purposely used DNA samples from animals who have proven they won't be controlled. Rexy, Sobek, and the Big One. I wanted sadistic craftiness and the ability to hold grudges to be used in the monsters I made."

Wu glanced down at the picture again as he seemed to get lost in thought; Elise didn't like why she had been made, but she remembered a fellow genetic hybrid's wisdom. It didn't matter how or why she was made because what she did was what determined who she was. She was created to basically destroy, but she only made children smile while protecting this park. She was bad who did good.

"I used other dinosaurs that were large; ones that hadn't been created. One of them was even known for cannibalism. I purposefully used dinosaurs this world had no experience with, and I knew would be difficult to control. I won't even go into the long list of animals I had used."

Wu paused to glance over the camera before saying, "By the time it was all said and done, I had no idea what I had created besides a monster. I had satisfied the requirements needed except for one thing; Mr. Bridges wanted primate DNA used in his hybrid, but I didn't want to do that. I just wanted this whole thing to backfire on him. I used human DNA."

Wu paused to shake his head with a smile before he said, "Before John had died, he sent me a sample of DNA as a joke. He wanted his blood injected into a fossilized amber mosquito so he could be cloned millions of years from now. It was a stupid joke, and I took it too far by using it in your creation. I had planned on using my own blood or even Mr. Bridges' to damn him, but truth be told, I…I simply missed John."

Wu drummed his fingers as he quietly said, "I miss the man who had a dream, someone who knew all his employees and animals. I missed the feeling of what Jurassic Park should have been rather than what Jurassic World had become. I went back to tweak things when I decided to use John's DNA. It's a lot of the reason why you're so snowy white. He had always worn white."

"Oh my God."

Lowery paused the video when Claire had covered her mouth before turning to stare at Elise. The Indominus wasn't sure of this significance, but Claire seemed so shocked that she wondered if this was a bad thing. She thought Claire had liked Hammond, but Owen quietly asked, "Who gets to tell Tim?"

Barry only pursed his lips before saying, "I can see it. I've seen a few interviews of Mr. Hammond. Elise is like him."

Elise startled when Claire suddenly hugged her tightly as she sniffed. Owen leaned back as he told Elise, "I think that might make you Tim's aunt."

Elise knew what an ant was, and she didn't know how being related to this Hammond made her Tim's ant. She was worried about Claire's reaction, but Owen gently pulled her down as he said, "It's not a bad thing, Baby, I promise. This is just a lot for all of us to take in."

Elise nodded; she was always grateful for Owen's comforts. Claire wiped her eyes before softly saying, "I can't believe it…Mr. Hammond…"

Claire sniffed again, but she pressed against Elise tenderly while Lowery resumed the video. Wu gave a soft laugh as he said, "I have no idea how Owen had found the human in you, Elise, but he somehow found it. I'm sure you wonder why you had been left to rot like a worthless creature in the Restricted Area…I will be honest because you deserve honesty. It's because I thought you were just that; a worthless creature who was an accident waiting to happen. But I also didn't want anyone else to know…your creation was very hush hush with me and a few others privy to certain details. I know why InGen ignored you and your sister, Elise, and they did ignore you."

Elise didn't think that was a very good reason; she wanted to know why her sister had been allowed to die. Surely Wu had realized Small One was sick. The man cleared his throat before continuing, "I do hope this video reaches you, Elise, but I still need to be careful just in case this video gets intercepted. It's part of a game I am playing. I just know you are so smart, Elise. You and Owen. I just have to tell you, I did one more experiment between you and your sister; I am sorry to say is probably the reason why she had been born so weak. I need you to look between the lines of everything you've been sent. Everything I have sent you, _everything,_ is incredibly important."

Owen picked up the can of shaving cream as he asked, "How the hell is this important?"

He glanced up when Wu said, "I have three more things to say to you, Elise. I know this message is long and confusing, and I'm sorry about that. I really would love to just sit and talk with you because I see so much of John in you when I watch these videos. Yet, you still somehow stay as your own person."

Wu paused to chuckle as he said, "I've noticed the way you hug, Elise. I remember John had always done the same with hatchlings when they were born. He'd hold them right over his heart so they knew they could trust him. He always say it was important to hold the precious treasures over the heart. I don't know how good your memory is, but do you remember hatching? I was the first one you saw…I don't know why I did it, but I hugged you and your sister like John had always done. I just felt like I needed to do that."

Elise blinked before she let out a breath. That was what her first love had taught her. How to hold the precious treasures close to her heart. She never could remember why she liked to cuddle Owen so close to her chest, but it had always seemed right. Elise considered forgiving Wu for what he had done to her and her sister.

Elise could appreciate a sincere apology. She knew what it was like to be sorry like that. She had done her fair share of bad in the world as well. She wasn't sure if she was any better than Wu. He had set up the stage for events to be triggered that had resulted in the loss of innocent lives.

He had also sat by without doing anything to help prevent it. Elise wasn't sure what was worse, but he was sorry. Elise would try to forgive that soon depending on what he had done to cause Small One to be born sick.

The geneticist adjusted the sleeve of his black shirt before saying, "When I had said I wanted to create a monster for Bridges, I had meant it. Your species name is Indominus Rex, but it doesn't mean Untamable King."

Elise narrowed her eyes; if she had been named something dumb, she was going to be mad. Wu had better had the decency to give her something respectable.

"The word Indominus doesn't even exist in the Latin language; I am amazed Bridges never said anything, but I guess it means he's not as fluent in Latin as he likes everyone to think. You see, the word _dominus_ means master or owner."

Elise blinked; that was great. Her name was made up. She wasn't happy about this, but Wu said, "I'm not exactly fluent in Latin either, but I had decided to…play around with words. It's my way of staying true to my contracts if I ever found myself in a bind. I also just couldn't see you as an Untamable King since I knew you would stay on this island with your sister. I never saw the Hammond in you when you two were born, but I see it now. I see Rexy in you and even the better side of Sobek. When I think of an Untamable King, I think of a harsh ruler; I felt like it was a fake usurping the title from the Tyrannosaurus Rex. I made your name up as something of a little bit of hope that you would turn out fine since you had John's blood in you. The word Indominus basically translates into non-master or non-owner, and Rex means king."

Wu paused to lick his lips before saying, "I'm not sure how much more I can tell you without giving my opponent a reason to cut the game short. It's odd, I don't care if I die, but I like being difficult for him without giving him reason to kill me. It's why I won't tell you where I am…in words."

Wu went quiet again, and Lowery asked, "So…what's the Latin word for untamable, and why did no one double check Wu?"

Owen slowly glanced at Claire, but he asked Elise, "Baby, you doing fine?"

Elise nodded; she was just a little irritated she didn't get a name that even made sense like all the other dinosaurs here. Rexy was a tyrant king, Sobek was a spine lizard, and Blue was a swift thief. Elise had been proud to be an untamable king, but she was a non-master king. That didn't make sense to her.

Wu drummed his fingers to collect his thoughts before saying, "The second thing is please, please don't throw away anything from what I've sent you. Inspect everything with a critical eye. I know Owen can probably figure it out; I've heard enough stories about Blue. If he can mostly stay ahead of her, he can figure out the most important thing I've sent you."

Wu licked his lips as he leaned on his arms while saying, "Elise, I know you're six years old. You've lived a harsh life that forced you to be mature mentally. If my math is correct, and it always is, you should be an adult by the time you are thirteen or fourteen."

Wu swallowed before quietly saying, "I don't know how old you'll live to be, Elise, and I am so sorry for that. Maybe you'll live to see your late thirties maybe early forties; I just don't know because of all the different types of DNA in you. I sincerely tried my best to make it as stable as possible, but…you are something brand new."

Owen felt a heavy pit of fear in the bottom of his stomach. Only thirty? Wasn't it bad enough Wu had allowed Elise to live like she had, but he had given her a short lifespan? He noticed Claire press herself closer to Elise, but Owen couldn't read the Indominus' expression. Elise glanced at him before puffing air through her nose, and turning back to the screen.

Owen had wanted Elise to live much longer than thirty years; that was just too short.

Wu looked at the screen as he continued, "What I am trying to say is I need you to make a decision I couldn't. I feel like I have done enough damage, Elise, but watching you in these videos, you have a wisdom about you. It reminds me very much of John. You see things differently."

Wu sat up in his chair before firmly saying, "I don't feel like the world is ready for more Indominus, Elise, but you see the world differently than I do. I'm giving them to you to be the judge; you decide if this world is ready because I feel you're growing into your name nicely. A king who never acts like a cruel master; you are never a master but a king. Good kings are wise and caring who make the world better."

" _What?"_

Wu didn't notice Claire, and continued, "But I'll prove I can give the world one more chance. I'm sure Miss Dearing has changed some as I haven't heard anything more on hybrids, and Jurassic World seems to have a better feel in the air from what guests are saying. Miss Dearing, I think you are controlling and cold, but I know you always looked up to John. All the flash drives I've sent are the genetic makeups of every single dinosaur we've discovered. You take them and do what you want with them; please make the park a dinosaur biological preserve instead of where it had been heading before Elise proved how pathetic it was to assume anything could be controlled. I just hope you keep them away from the wrong people."

Claire snapped her gaze to the box of drives, and Owen let out a breath as he leaned back. Wu checked his watch before saying, "I'm sorry for talking so much, but I have one more thing to say to whoever is listening with Elise; most likely Owen and Miss Dearing. Every single record you have been given in regards to Elise is perfectly true; there are no mistakes."

Wu leaned closer to the screen as he quietly said, "Everything is just a little mixed up, but I've sent everything over. It won't make up for what I've done, it won't excuse that I allowed you and your sister to be ignored, Elise; I knew InGen would ignore you, and I am sorry. I created you with the worst of intentions, and I'll never figure out how you managed to become the creature you are today. Owen, as hot tempered as he is, has managed to bring the best out of you like he did with his raptors."

Wu swallowed, and he looked a little sad to Elise. She wasn't sure what she felt about him anymore. He freely admitted he abandoned her and Small One; he had made them with the worst of intentions. She didn't understand what he meant by her deciding if the world was ready for more Indominus; there weren't any more Indominus. She supposed Claire could clone her, but Elise hadn't thought about that. She had been too busy to really think about the next generation of her kind.

Dr. Wu stared at the picture of Small One as he said, "I suppose that's all I have to say; it's a lot, but it doesn't feel like enough, Elise. I never really gave my creations a second glance, but I wish I could get to know the one who knew I made her. I hope you'll never know another sad day Elise. I hope your days are sunny and your nights full of stars. I hope you'll recover from everything I did to you, and I wish you a long, happy life. I sincerely hope you manage to find your place in the world…where ever that may be."

Wu glanced at the camera as he said, "I hope you have the wisdom John had. I feel like if you understand his secret to making people feel small, then you're wise enough to keep this park in the right direction if Miss Dearing is willing to listen to you. If not, well…I'm sure you have the means to chase people off the island again."

Wu gave a final smile before finishing, "Protect the dinosaurs here, Elise, because they can't speak for themselves like you can. Judge the world critically before you decide the fate of your species because the world may not be ready. I know it wasn't ready for you."

Elise blinked at the heavy silence in the room as they stared at the ended video. That was a lot out of nowhere, and she glanced at the clock. She still wasn't very good at telling time, but her internal clock said it was time for their first show.

Owen turned the shaving cream can over in his hands because he really didn't know what else to do. He was surprised that it felt colder than what it should have been.

Owen raised his eyebrow; he was so overwhelmed by everything else that he was actually taking the time to note the temperature of a Barbasol can. He glanced up when Claire suddenly said, "We need to immediately notify Judge Knight about this. Wu is still out there."

Lowery pressed his lips before quietly saying, "We don't know when he sent this, or even from where. You heard him, Claire; Wu might already be dead…"

Barry continued to rummage through the box before Owen quietly asked, "Claire, are you sure there aren't any more Indominus embryos out there? Because Wu made it sound like there was; he made it sound like he sent Elise the embryos."

Owen played with the can as Claire answered, "There's no way he made more; he probably meant us cloning Elise because that's the easiest thing to do."

The redhead stared at the box of drives as she quietly said, "He gave Elise all this stuff…"

Elise puffed air through her nose; the only thing she wanted from that pile was the photo. Claire could have the drives, she would give the amber chunk to the park so all the guests could see it, and the money could be divided between Claire and Owen. She was a simple creature with simple needs to be happy. She was truly happy with the basics plus this picture.

Maybe her therapist would quit treating Small One like nothing once she saw a picture of her.

Elise startled from her thoughts when she heard a hiss, and Owen yelped. They stared at the man before he blinked at the can. Lowery raised an eyebrow, but Barry cringed as he said, "Please tell me you did not just activate a bomb…"

Claire paled to a gaunt white, Lowery looked ready to bolt, but Owen slowly lifted the can from its bottom to reveal the silver device holding what looked like four little, gold drops. Owen gaped at the contents, but Claire covered her mouth.

"Oh my God. Those are embryos."

* * *

Amber eyes swept across the peaceful valley of healthy herds grazing contently. Today was a good day to hunt, but it would be nice to have an easy catch. A soft sigh was exhaled from massive lungs while he continued to scan the herd. It was still early in the day, and the pack hunters were nearby. He couldn't smell trespassing humans, but he missed the scent of the Proud One. He hadn't seen, smelled, or heard from him for too many days.

Proud One was just gone, and it was odd. This land didn't feel the same; it felt vulnerable in a way. Amber eyes flickered to the sky in search of signs of a storm, but not a cloud graced the sky. This island didn't feel right, and he didn't know what to do.

Another sigh was exhaled as the jungle scales remained still to prevent prey detecting him. He recalled his father doing this during the hunts.

Before the humans got his parents.

It was a hard life after that, but he had learned to avoid humans and Proud One after a very short fight. He didn't like to fight; he would if needed, but he didn't care for it much.

The jungle dinosaur decided to back further into his shrouding leaves in order to circle the herd. He didn't see any weak ones from here.

He walked with the slightest limp despite not feeling any pain in his leg for a long time. It was more of how he had learned to walk with a limp while the confining shell had stuck to his leg. It had broken off eventually, but he still limped.

A shrill shriek startled the jungle scales, and amber eyes snapped back to the plains to see the pack hunters darting into the panicking herd. The Tyrannosaurus paused to watch; he would snag something if it ventured too close.

There were only three hunters now, and they seemed to struggle. He hadn't caught any scent of hatchlings even if this seemed to be the right time for them. He remembered when they had been numerous, but he only saw these three. The leader looked vicious though never unkind to his pack. There was a large male who seemed close to him, and an intelligent female.

The Tyrannosaurus paused when a trumpeting prey galloped over before he lunged through the thick brush. His prey bellowed in surprise before he snapped his jaws into the neck. The Tyrannosaurus lost his grip when his prey tripped over itself, but he was quick to lock his jaws over the exposed throat.

The Parasaurolophus kicked feebly before going still, and the Tyrannosaurus immediately tore off a large chunk of meat. Amber eyes flickered over towards three, hungry pack hunters who had only managed to scare the herd. The Tyrannosaurus ignored them as they seemed willing to wait their turn. He had never had problems with pack hunters before.

They could have the kill when he had his fill.

* * *

 **A/N**

 **I'm just curious. Who takes breaks while reading chapters this long? I know I take breaks when I read chapters of this length, but are there warriors out there who manage to power through in one sitting? Oreo for you if you can.**


	71. Chapter 71

**A/N**

 **Hey guys! A lot of you earned Oreos, good on you! My editor is the captain of Ship Sexy just so you all know.**

 **MANYOREOS, That is not disgusting or rude to ask, all I will confirm is that Bridges has fallen for an Italian with a nice butt.**

 **I 3 Bunny Butts, I think it would be great to turn the little raptors loose in the Petting Zoo; the last kid to be bit gets a prize!**

 **Kim K's Butt, I had liked Twilight until it spiraled out of control. O.o Oreo for you! Enjoy Germany! And yes, Limper is Junior from Jurassic Park II.**

 **Andrea, no they are not. Leonardo and Belladonna are my own OC's; they aren't from Jurassic Park II. They are probably related to each other somehow.**

 **Evil Jesus, *Hands over Oreo***

 **anonymous, I think the third movie split the fandom.**

 **Jimbo, you just might be!**

 **discorded-q, that ship will never sink; my editor won't let it. Though those are genuine feelings, and while I do love your idea, I have something else in mind regarding that! I like that idea though.**

 **Elisedaindominus, *Hands over Double-Stuffed Oreo* I like your name as is, but I'll look for the name change if you decide to change it.**

 **Anonymous, I love that entire thing; I have saved it onto my flashdrive!**

 **Micheal, I like Foxtrot; she sounds really pretty.**

 **Ford. Ye. Fiji, an entire package of Oreos for you; that is a lot of reading.**

 **Guest, I've actually never seen Digimon.**

 **unknown, I think you caught up, good to hear from you again.**

 **The Only Potato, That's what sisters are for. *Hands over 35 Oreos* Don't make yourself sick!**

 **Crazedfan, Oreos for you for binge reading! I'm not accepting OC's at the moment, but I'll let you know if I am, thank you!**

 **Guest, it would do Elise good to learn that sort of thing wouldn't it? Thank you for suggesting that!**

 **Imtomzizle, I hope life gets better than okay! Have an Oreo!**

 **I know this chapter left off at a weird spot, but it's already pretty long. I don't know if I'll post before this coming Wednesday as I have to write a speech. I am really bad at talking so I have to focus on that.**

 **Thank you much and mighty for your reviews, and taking the time to read this. *Throws Oreos everywhere* But I am grateful, thank you. Love you guys just in case you haven't heard that today!**

* * *

"Therapy Through Fishing and Brass Knuckles."

Owen swallowed as he stared at the cold embryos in his hand. He had never seen a device like this to smuggle such things. He wondered where Wu had even gotten the can.

Where the hell had he gotten the embryos?

He snapped his gaze up when Claire hissed, _"Put the damn lid back on before the embryos thaw!"_

Owen was so startled that Claire had actually done something akin to swearing that he snapped the lid back on before letting out a breath. Claire licked her lips nervously until Lowery quietly asked, "What do we do?"

Owen had no idea, but Claire firmly said, "Judge Knight has sent out a warrant for Wu's arrest, but she wanted to know about any embryos. We have to hand over all of this stuff. I know we can get the flash drives, money, and amber back really fast, but I don't know about the embryos."

Owen frowned before saying, "Claire, these are Indominus embryos; Wu wanted Elise to decide. She is the only Indominus alive."

Claire swallowed when Elise made a sound before she met the crimson gaze. She couldn't read Elise's expression, but Claire paused before gently saying, "Elise, Sweetie, I know this is a lot to take in all of a sudden, but we _have_ to turn these embryos over to Judge Knight. I am so sorry Wu put that weight on your shoulders, but Judge Knight has already given the order to hand these over if we ever came across them."

Owen found it hard to meet Elise's eyes at the moment. He was holding the next generation of her kind in his hands. He had no idea what she was feeling, but Elise glanced at the can before pulling back to write in the dirt.

' _WHY ARE THEY NOT EGGS'_

Owen blinked before he glanced down at the can as he explained, "Because they haven't been put into them, Baby. It's how we make all the dinosaurs we didn't breed."

Elise seemed to be thinking before asking, _'NOT ALIVE'_

Claire pressed her lips before answering, "No. They aren't alive, Sweetie. They haven't been born."

Owen gritted his teeth; he knew how impressionable Elise was on everything her role models said. It made him painfully aware of everything he believed in. He, as a father, wanted Elise to be her own person. He wanted her to believe in what she wanted rather than what he believed in just because she looked up to him. He wanted her basic morals in the right spot, but he didn't have the right to give her a black and white answer on such a grey subject.

He stepped forward as he said, "There's debate on that, Elise."

Claire gave Owen a look, and he refrained from snapping at her. He only met her gaze as he quietly said, "I'm not going to say what's easiest, Claire. This is something people can't agree on; Elise deserves the same right to decide."

Elise blinked at them, but Owen said, "Claire explained how babies were made, Elise. Some people believe a baby is alive the moment the egg and sperm combine, others think it's during specific times during development before birth, and some don't think the baby is alive until it takes its first breath."

Claire looked angry at Owen, but she knew he had a point. She wasn't going to get into a debate with him about that because she wasn't sure what he believed. She didn't want to argue in front of Elise either. Elise curled her hands close to herself as she began to tap her claw against her chest in thought. She didn't even know what stage these embryos were at.

On one hand, she was absolutely thrilled at the idea of having more of her kind around, but so much was going on already. How long before the embryos died? Would they expire before she could decide? Elise didn't like that kind of responsibility on her shoulders.

The future of her very kind was dependent on her decision. She was sure what she wanted would influence Judge Knight.

Elise whined quietly; this was a lot, but she didn't understand the development of babies well enough to make this kind of a decision. She wasn't given time to judge the world; she couldn't make this decision so quickly.

Lowery suddenly cleared his throat before offering, "Elise, these embryos are frozen; you don't have to make a decision right this second. Frozen embryos don't go bad assuming they stayed cold enough in the can, okay? They can stay frozen forever as far as we know. You can decide if they're alive or not if we thaw them out to put in eggs."

Elise blinked before glancing at Owen and Claire. They nodded, and Claire offered, "Humans do this too, Elise. The embryos will stay viable so long as we keep them frozen. I just need you to understand that I have to tell Judge Knight about this. She makes the decisions…"

Owen didn't think it was fair for a human to make this kind of call without at least consulting Elise. Elise glanced at Owen, and he sagged slightly. The Indominus knew Judge Knight's position in the human world. She was an Alpha who made passed judgment over those who had broken the rules in society. Elise wasn't sure where she stood in human society, but she knew Claire and Owen couldn't escape it.

Judge Knight had ordered to be given the embryos, and that was final. Elise didn't think they were alive at the moment, they were too cold, but they could be thawed out later. Elise wanted to know more about this before making her decision. If the embryos would be fine so long as they stayed frozen then there was no need to panic over this.

Judge Knight was a good person, and she was wise. She would have to be if she was a judge; Elise knew Claire was in a difficult position, and she finally nodded.

' _KEEP FROZEN'_

Claire smiled as she let out a sigh of relief. She nodded while saying, "They stay frozen, Elise. Judge Knight just wants them where bad people won't get a hold of them."

Owen pressed his lips before saying, "But, Elise, Judge Knight may not rule in favor of allowing more Indominus into the world. I…"

Owen trailed off because this was a really difficult subject. He adored Elise, he wouldn't hesitate to give his own life for her, but he didn't have words to tell Elise that humans were a fiercely territorial species. He didn't know if Judge Knight would order the embryos destroyed, but he startled when Elise wrote in the dirt, _'I HELP DECIDE JUDGE KNOWS WORLD BUT I KNOW MY KIND'_

Elise meant that. She didn't know what the world was like, but surely Judge Knight did if she was a judge. She saw more of the world than Elise did. Elise knew what it was like to be an Indominus Rex, but she didn't really know the world.

Elise glanced at all the wonderful pictures on the wall; she was getting to know it though. She liked the world. It was a wide open place, a beautiful place full of wonderful people going on their own adventures. Did she want her own kind to be part of this wonderful place?

Elise was sure she did. She didn't want hatchlings now, but she knew she would one day. Now was not the time for hatchlings besides raptors for the pack. The island didn't need more; it felt fine where it was at.

Elise wanted more of her kind, but not now. Right now, she was still growing, and still living with her mother. She wasn't ready to leave her nest let alone add her own children to it.

Owen finally let out a small chuckle while shaking his head. Claire smiled as she gathered the items into the box before Barry said, "I found these files; it looks like everything, and it does seem mixed up."

Claire sighed as she gave it a quick glance before saying, "I'm sure Judge Knight will relinquish this back to us as well. We'll get everything back but the embryos."

The redhead made to put the photo in the box, but Elise let out a growl that startled the people. The Indominus tenderly touched the photo with the tip of her talon before shaking her head firmly.

That picture stayed here.

"Elise, I have to send everything Wu sent us."

' _No.'_

"Elise-"

' _ **No.'**_

Owen internally grimaced when he got a peek at Elise's old temper flaring just the slightest. It reminded him of the first time he had walked into her paddock with her, and he had crossed the invisible line. She hadn't wanted him to see her sister's skeleton; she had drawn a literal line.

This was another line.

While Owen wasn't going to back down when Elise flashed her teeth in a threatening manner, he did recognize when Elise was trying to intimidate or when she was legitimately stressed. She didn't want to lose the only picture of her sister, and Owen felt like she had been incredibly understanding as far as the embryos went.

Relationships were give and take; Owen knew Judge Knight wouldn't care if the photo wasn't present so long as she knew about it.

Owen took the photo from Claire as he quietly said, "I think the photo needs to stay, Claire…"

Claire blinked at him before looking slightly hurt that he wasn't being supportive of her. They had discussed this several times. No matter what happened with their relationship, they were the equivalent of Elise's human parents. They had to absolutely be a strong base for her at all times, and that meant working as a supportive team.

But they usually had time to work out the disagreements before going to Elise. This had come out of nowhere, and Owen cringed at how they were disagreeing here. It was little things, but Elise was observant enough to see that.

And Owen never wanted Claire to think he was trying to be the good guy so Elise would like him more.

He pressed his lips before stepping closer to quietly say, "You weren't here when Elise saw the picture, Claire. I know Judge Knight needs to see everything, but Elise is fixated on the picture. It has to be in her line of sight; she had gotten really stressed when I had walked over to Barry with it."

Owen paused before adding, "I just don't want to add more stress right before a show, please…"

Owen felt bad for using that pathetic excuse, but it would work with Claire. She would never cancel a show, let alone one of their most popular, without good reason. She glanced at the photo before saying, "I want Dr. Roth in here right after the show to talk to Elise about the photo just in case Judge Knight needs to see it. There are systems in place, Owen; we can't hand over only what we want."

Owen internally groaned, but he nodded; there was no way Claire would forgive him if he disagreed with that. It probably would help; even if Elise had taken this situation incredibly well.

Claire relaxed as she went over to kiss Elise's nose before asking, "You know I'm not trying to be mean, right? I just have to follow these rules, Elise."

Elise snapped out of her defensive mode to give a low whine; she didn't think Claire was being mean to her. Elise knew Claire had to follow the rules, Elise just didn't want the picture to leave; it was hers. Judge Knight didn't need it, and she hadn't ordered the picture to be handed over.

Claire gently kissed the nose again before leaving with Lowery. Claire paused at the tunnel to say, "Owen, we didn't get that picture from Wu if guests ask; I'm sure someone will ask. We found it in a pile of dusty files."

Owen nodded in agreement before the duo left, and Barry sighed as he walked over.

"What a mess…I wonder what trouble Dr. Wu found."

Owen wiped the shaving cream off Elise's snout as he said, "Nothing he didn't deserve. I don't care how loyal he was to Mr. Hammond; he's the reason why Elise and her sister were ignored. He _knew_ they were being ignore, Barry."

Barry gently stroked the white scales as he sighed, "He wanted Elise to break free…"

Owen shook his head as he snapped, "He wanted Jurassic World to come crumbling down. Good, innocent people died, Barry. Charlie died, dinosaurs escaped, guests were attacked-"

Owen paused when Elise winced the slightest, and he added, "Elise was just his pawn; he used her to basically be a middle finger towards Masrani and Bridges."

The man shook his head while gently rubbing Elise's cheek, and softly said, "He freely admitted to being the cause of this."

Barry crossed his arms to lean on the wall as he said, "Wu set it up, but he didn't cause it. He didn't trigger it; I don't think that makes him the bad guy."

Owen shook his head as he replied, "But he didn't do anything to stop it either. He could have helped, but all he did was pack up with the evacuation."

Owen paused before saying, "He could have said no, Barry."

"No what?"

Owen glanced at Elise as he said, "Baby, I really am happy you are here, but I need you to learn something most people can't."

Elise puffed air through her nose before Owen said to Barry, "He could have said no to Hoskins, Bridges, and even Masrani. Wu acted like he was forced into this."

Barry didn't look convinced, and Owen gestured to the raptors playfully rolling around one another as he said, "Hoskins wanted those girls to be warfare, but I always said no. Wu could have done the same. There's no way he was replaceable; he could have found another way if he wanted to. He didn't have to do what he did."

Elise almost felt hurt by that until Owen patted her cheek as he said, "Elise, that does not mean I'm not happy you're alive. You're one of the best things to have ever happened, but Wu needed to handle things differently. I want you to remember that, Elise."

Barry snorted as he said, "She's just a fraction bigger than Rexy, Owen. You can't exactly force her into doing something she doesn't want to do."

Owen smiled before retorting, "Yeah, but I know some people know how to twist things."

Elise puffed air through her nose; Joker was the master manipulator. She knew how to manipulate even if she would never manipulate those she loved. She knew Bridges was a manipulator as well; he was very good at manipulating people.

Elise felt like she could be just as good if she wanted to be. It was very easy for her to read people. Emotions gave off different heat signatures; it was one of the things that made it very easy to read others.

Elise paused from her thoughts when Owen took the picture of her sister as he said, "I think this should be hung up next to your baby picture."

Barry nodded in agreement, and Elise carefully watched her human stick the photo up next to hers. Elise did like where it was actually, and now she could see it more easily. She nodded; that's where the picture belonged.

Barry and Owen continued to talk quietly while the guests trickled in, and Elise watched them quietly. She liked to people watch; it was fun to try and figure out the personalities of all these humans without saying a word.

Humans were funny creatures. There were good ones, bad ones, and grey ones. Elise liked the grey humans; she could relate to them easily.

Elise pulled back to glance at the raptors chittering quietly with one another in the ferns. Blue had relaxed enough to groom her claws while Delta and Echo made small talk. Elise made soft barks with Blue, and the Beta replied easily. Elise wanted to send the girls over to Rexy, but she wasn't sure if Rexy was with Sobek.

Elise paused; maybe it had been a bad idea to leave Rexy alone with Sobek. Was he a manipulator? Would he treat Rexy well? Elise still hadn't broken the news to Blue.

She didn't think it would be very smart to do that with guests around. Elise would tell her when the guests had left the island. For now, the raptors were calm, and Elise would allow them to stay.

"Is this another baby picture of Elise?"

Owen glanced at the teen girl pointing at the photo with one hand while she held her phone with the other. Owen shook his head before answering, "No, that's Elise's little sister; she passed away not long after they were born."

The teen seemed to sag as she glanced at the picture before she said, "I thought Elise might have gotten another sister…"

Elise found teens to be funny creatures, and they were their own category of creatures. Almost a sub species of humans, but Elise liked them. Owen called them moody, but Elise found them creative. She thought of it as the stage where they really started to work on who they would be as adults. Some became painfully shy, others tried too hard to impress, most were glued to their phones, but Elise liked dragging them out of their shells.

She was very good at getting the real personalities of the kids out, and very rarely did she find them to be moody. If so, she never became offended with it; they were growing up. They were going through growing pains physically and emotionally. Elise would admit she liked being childish more often than not.

The best part was thwarting what most teens and young adults called selfies. They would try so hard to get a selfie with her, but Elise's sheer size forced them to take regular pictures. Elise liked it better when the friends would group for a photo, but she could always tell when they were taking a selfie.

They made the most ridiculous of faces, and sometimes she would start laughing right in the middle of a show.

Elise glanced at Owen when he said, "No, we had found that picture this morning."

The teen stared at the photo again before taking a picture of Small One as she said, "I think she's really pretty. Does she have a name?"

Owen had remembered one very uncomfortable session with Dr. Roth. He knew the job of being Elise's therapist would be difficult, but Roth had the misfortune to discover just how hot Elise's button was when it came to Small One. Owen knew it was a hot button, he had warned Roth that it was a hot button, but they weren't aware of just how touchy Elise was.

Roth had suggested Elise bury her sister and mark the grave with a headstone until the tree was ready. Roth had never liked how vividly Elise animated her sister, and she felt a burial would help stop that. Elise didn't go for that idea as she had explained Small One and the tree had to be planted at the pond at the same time; Owen never understood the significance, but it made sense to Elise. Roth had gently pushed for the gravestone idea by saying it didn't matter as Elise's sister had moved on; it was time for Elise to do the same.

Elise didn't care for how that had been put into words, and Owen remembered how he cringed watching Roth navigate that minefield. The therapist had practically smashed her foot dead center on the biggest mine possible by innocently suggesting Elise at least give Small One a proper name.

Owen had known what Roth was going for, and he had agreed with the idea. Elise simply didn't click with Roth as much as they wanted, and the therapist had suggested bonding with Elise over giving Small One a name like Owen had Elise.

Owen had thought that idea was fine.

Claire had thought that idea was fine.

Even Bridges, though his input was not needed, had thought it was fine.

Elise did _not_ think that was fine.

Owen had never seen her so furious that she was simply done. He remembered Bridges leaning against the wall when that had backfired so badly even the blonde had startled. Elise had given the most downright offended, disappointed, and hurt look she could muster to all of them before leaving.

For once, Bridges hadn't given Roth a passive aggressive comment.

They all learned that Elise had named her sister Small One, and the name Small One was just as good as any other. They were too afraid to disagree; even Bridges had deemed that button a no touchy button. The businessman loved to push Elise's buttons; most of the time he didn't get much of a reaction, but he didn't even tread near that one.

"Elise calls her Small One."

Elise carefully watched for a reaction; they had never really talked about her sister. Owen had briefly mentioned it, but it was a downing subject to most people.

The teen smiled as she glanced at Elise while asking, "Was she really small?"

Elise nodded, and the teen began to touch her screen as she replied, "I think that's a cute name."

Elise relaxed her head back onto the cement ground. She was glad for that, and she quietly watched the teen wave her friends over before they all took pictures of the photo.

Elise had to smile when she knew they were taking a selfie.

Selfie-sticks drove Owen up a wall, and he had made an unofficial sign banning them from this viewing log. Elise thought that was hilarious.

Owen shook his head at the teens; he had a feeling the photo of Small One would be a trending thing pretty soon; Elise had a talent for being trendy. She knew how to get on the good side of that age group.

Owen briefly wondered if Wu would see the photo wherever he was. Owen shrugged to himself before Barry walked to the side of the ready crowd. Owen adjusted the mic on his ear before giving a few taps.

"Good morning ladies and gentlemen; I hope you're having a wonderful time at Jurassic World. My name is Owen Grady, and this is Elise America Grady the Indominus Rex."

Owen had almost killed Lowery after the man would rudely interrupt every single show to correct Elise's introduction. Owen would try to introduce Elise as simply Elise the Indominus Rex, but Lowery wouldn't budge. The only way to keep the tech-geek quiet was to introduce her by her full name.

Lowery was lucky the guests and Elise had found it funny.

* * *

Lopez sighed as he sat on the tailgate of the truck before chuckling, "I think this might be a new record for you, Rocky."

The Commander glanced at his men, four who were nursing bruised bodies after being clipped by the pachy before he added, "You're getting good."

The Pachycephalosaurus hardly twitched in her sleep, but Lopez smiled at her as he leaned over to gently pat the scarred shoulder. He liked Rocky's markings of a gentle brown mixed with the light green underbelly. It almost reminded him of mint _._

She was the liveliest of the herd, and the most frequent escapee.

Lopez sighed as he backup came over, and he greeted, "I think we need to work on dodging, Meyers."

The woman snorted before saying, "Let the newbies learn the hard way. Rocky is a good teacher for quick reaction time. I think she's starting to get crankier."

"I can't blame her; Louisa's down with a cold. She's the only one who challenges Rocky."

Meyers smiled as she gently stroked the hard dome of the sedated animal before quietly asking, "Hear anything from Blake?"

Lopez nodded as he pulled out his phone before saying, "He left with the first ship actually; said he was feeling pretty good. Oh, and he's getting a new phone and number; I guess his phone contract was up."

Meyers raised an eyebrow as she skeptically asked, "A new phone? That's something I didn't expect; he never gets a new phone unless it's smashed."

Lopez shrugged as he covered Rocky's closed eyes with a soft cloth before answering, "Blake's going through a lot of changes for the better. Maybe a new phone helped; I wouldn't think too much of it. I just can't believe he held a conversation with Ghost."

Meyers sighed, "Ghost isn't the Indominus we fought at the river; they aren't even close. It's not fair…"

Lopez glanced at his comrade quietly before gently saying, "Life isn't fair; Ghost had a rough life too. She lost family in this."

"Yeah…"

Lopez stared at her quietly before saying, "If we want to blame anyone, we blame Wu for starting this mess."

Meyers chuckled as she pushed the tailgate up before saying, "Amen to that. When did Blake say he was coming back?"

Lopez shrugged as they got into the car before answering, "He said he was going to do another couple weeks of therapy before starting to ease himself back into the job. This visit was just to see where he was exactly as far as handling things."

"Hopefully Blake won't forget to text you the new number; he's bad about that stuff. It's why he never gets a new number."

"Eh, if he forgets, I'll just get it when I see him again. It's no biggie."

* * *

"Yes, Elise, you have to."

Owen crossed his arms firmly at the reluctant Indominus who curled her lip just the slightest. He couldn't help exasperatingly sighing, "Do I need to get you a new therapist, Elise? Because it really is helpful if you two get along."

Elise garbled at him before shaking her head. She didn't want a new one; she just wasn't in the mood to pick at her brain today. She wanted to find Rexy and go about her day. She felt fine, there wasn't anything she needed to solve with Roth.

So what if she was overly concerned about the only picture she had of her sister? Elise didn't see a problem with that, but she saw the problem with the next conversation with Roth. Elise had to see the problem, and she had to be willing to fix it.

Elise was not willing to fix this apparently unhealthy concern of the photo. Elise felt like she had done well.

She glanced back at Owen when she heard the soft sounds of footsteps on the cement. She narrowed her eyes before beaming at the goateed smile of Jesús.

"Amor! I heard a beautiful photo had been discovered today."

Elise gave a delighted croon as she relaxed. She missed seeing Jesús even if the man was never a stranger around her. He would show up with fresh churros occasionally or if he wanted to try and get photos of the girls.

Blue never had a problem with hogging the spotlight though Echo was surprisingly camera shy.

Owen smiled as he shook the photographer's hand before gesturing to the wall. Jesús immediately walked over before smiling at the photo as he said, "There is the _Pequeña._ Look at how beautiful those eyes are. Those gold flecks look like stars."

Jesús glanced over his shoulder to smile at Elise as he said, "I think I know who the more ornery one was, no? A certain amor who likes to scare Owen?"

Elise gave a croon as she pressed herself close to Owen who couldn't help chuckling quietly at the truth of it. The photographer smiled gently as he continued to admire the photo before walking back to Elise as he said, "I have a proposition for you, Amor."

Elise perked up, and Jesús said, "You allow me to take this photo-"

The tan skinned man held up his hand gently before putting it over Elise's curling lip. He gently patted it, showing no fear, as he said, _"Tener fe en los demás, Amor._ It makes the world a little brighter when you do."

Elise huffed quietly, and Jesús smiled patiently as he said, "You allow me to take this photo, and I make sure to put the protective covering on it like I did your baby photo. I make copies of it, and I want to make a larger poster of it so we may put it in the Innovation Center."

Elise really wanted that, and she was considering it. She knew she could trust Jesús with this. He loved to preserve photos, and he did a good job with it. It just made her anxious at the thought of letting that photo out of this log.

But she wanted copies of it…

Owen might have asked Barry to send Jesús over here. If the photographer couldn't convince Elise, then no one could. He could see Elise contemplating it before she was distracted by the woman walking in. Owen sighed quietly when Elise shook her head, but Jesús said, "That is alright, Amor, I am right here when you are ready _."_

Elise puffed air on the man gently, and he smiled before glancing at the therapist waiting quietly. Roth was an intelligent woman whose methods included being a little firmer than most therapists. She wasn't harsh, but she wouldn't allow her patients to lie or tip toe around the subject.

Elise needed that even if she didn't always want that.

Roth wore a simple suit with her normally curled hair in a tight bun today. She glanced around before giving a smile at Owen as she asked, "I assume Mr. Bridges won't be joining today's session?"

Owen chuckled quietly as he nodded, but Elise only gave a polite croon. She was glad there were people who knew how to help heal the internal wounds of others, but something about Bridges' views had tainted it for Elise.

These humans had to be paid dirty paper to listen to her.

Elise knew better than that. These humans had dedicated a good portion of their time to learning how to recognize the internal wounds, and how to heal them. Nothing in this world was for free, and it was their job; their service to the world. They had to earn their dirty paper to survive too…

But Elise had always secretly wondered if Roth would simply leave if she was no longer paid. Elise knew she would be fine if Roth simply left, but what if she wasn't fine? Elise knew Bridges' therapist was different than Roth, but his views had always whispered little doubts in the back of Elise's head that made her wary.

Had Roth ever abandoned a patient because they couldn't continue to pay her?

All Elise knew was she got along quite well with Bridges when he didn't feel like pushing her buttons. He wasn't her favorite human, but he was valuable. If she ever needed to manipulate a human, it would be him; she was sure he thought the same about her.

Elise liked Bridges because they knew they were playing this game with one another; she liked this competition between them. He saw the world as distortedly as she did sometimes.

And he had been more helpful with Small One than Roth.

"Good morning, Elise. Are you feeling well today? I hear you had an exciting morning."

Elise nodded, but Jesús patted her lip again before saying, "I shall leave you be, _Amor_."

The Indominus made a soft sound; she didn't want the adorable photographer to leave… Roth raised her eyebrow slightly though she said to the man, "I don't believe we've ever met. I'm Dr. Roth."

The photographer shook the offered hand as he said, "Just call me Jesús."

Roth nodded with a smile, and the man waved at Elise before leaving. Roth turned back to Elise as she said, "Miss Dearing had said you found a photo of your little sister."

Elise also notice Roth called Small One 'little sister', and she didn't understand it. She knew the therapist was trying to get her to completely move on, but still.

It was her name.

The Indominus nodded, and tensed when the blonde walked over to the photo before staring at it. Roth pressed her lips as she studied it before asking, "Is this how you imagine your sister when you talk to her grave?"

Elise shook her head, and Roth looked surprised before asking, "How did you imagine her?"

Owen translated the sign, "Sick; she remembered her sister when she was sick."

The blonde nodded as she stared at the picture before asking, "May I take this phot-"

' _ **No.'**_

Roth nodded again before taking a step away from the photo. Elise wasn't having any of this 'taking the photo' nonsense. No one was allowed to move it.

Not even Owen. Unless the log was on fire, the photo stayed.

"So, I am a little concerned about how you've decided to value certain things, Elise."

Elise wanted to sigh; Roth was always concerned. It was nice, but it was how she worded things. Bridges had pointed it out to her.

Elise was mildly aware Bridges' view on therapists probably weren't all that healthy; he had even admitted it once.

Roth didn't notice, and she clasped her hands around her notebook as she said, "Miss Dearing did tell me about the embryos, and I had noticed you weren't very concerned about their fate. It looks like you value this photo more than the very future of your kind."

Owen made a mental note to look for a new therapist when the mild anger flashed across Elise's eyes. He didn't care how good Roth was, and she was a decent person who cared about Elise, but they weren't clicking.

He wasn't allowed to say anything during their sessions unless it was to translate either.

Elise puffed air at him, and he translated, "Judge Knight asked for them, not the photo."

Roth nodded before she said, "Yes, I understand that, Elise, but you didn't seem as concerned about protecting them. A photo is much easier to take care of than embryos."

Owen glanced over when Elise decided to write in the dirt, and he read, "The photo brings back good memories, Judge Knight ordered the embryos be given to her. I do not have memories with the embryos."

Roth scribbled in her notebook before saying, "Elise, this is an example of how you're still refusing to move on from your sister's death. Moving on and forgetting are not the same thing."

' _I FUNCTION FINE'_

Roth held her finger out as she said, "Function is a word Mr. Bridges uses, and he is not a healthy person, Elise. He suffers from something, I don't know what because he is very good at covering it, but he slips up once in a while."

Elise puffed air through her nose; she didn't care, but it was about time another human realized Bridges was odd. She had promised she wouldn't talk about Bridges' illness out of respect for him; she didn't know what it was, but he had sought help for it.

She kept her promises.

"Elise."

The Indominus gave her attention back to the therapist at Owen's warning tone. She was feeling difficult at the moment; she didn't see anything wrong with being protective of her sister's photo. Maybe it was slightly obsessive, but she hadn't had it longer than an hour.

It was hers; they could get over it, and she didn't understand what Roth meant by putting higher value in the photo. Of course she did, it was her sister; she didn't know these embryos.

…Maybe that was a problem.

Elise crinkled her snout; she didn't like thinking the way her mind functioned was wrong. Roth kept her straight face as she pushed, "Elise, I really need you to learn the difference between moving on, and forgetting. You don't have to forget your sister by moving on. I just need you to realize that she is dead and gone. She's not with us physically anymore."

Elise knew exactly where this was going, but she retorted, _'SHE IS A SWAMP OAK NOW'_

Roth nodded in agreement before saying, "Yes, I understand that; you and Mr. Bridges made that perfectly clear. It is perfectly fine that you see this as reincarnation. What I am concerned about it you growing an unhealthy obsession with this photo."

Elise had no intent of doing that, but Roth asked, "If you had to pick between this photo and Owen-"

Roth paused when Elise immediately snagged her claws around Owen before puffing air through her nose. She despised these kinds of questions. She would always pick Owen over a photo.

Because she was going to let Jesús make copies before Owen got himself in that kind of a situation. Elise gave Owen a warning glance; he had been very good about avoiding life threatening situations lately, but he needed to hold off a little longer on that kind of excitement until the photo could get copied.

Owen only snorted, but it always warmed him how Elise never hesitated to answer that question. Roth nodded, unsurprised; they had established Elise's values already. Owen was always at the tip top; Elise had only been heavily torn between Owen and Rosie. It had stressed her because she loved them both so much.

She had chosen Owen in the end though, and Owen had talked to Elise about that afterwards. Elise was always supposed to save Rosie.

Elise wasn't sure if she'd follow that order.

"What about the photo and the embryos?"

Elise paused to think about that. She really wasn't sure, and it wasn't a fair question because she still wasn't sure if the world was ready for her kind or if her kind was ready for the world. What if humans only liked her? She was very big, and she would have to show the future generations how to behave in this world. She didn't know where she fit into the human world as far as rules went. She abided by them, but she wasn't a full human. Would a future Indominus try to bend those rules? Elise didn't think that was good.

But Dr. Roth was cut and dry; she told Elise many times to answer honestly. If Elise had to choose between two things at this very moment, no questions asked, what would it be?

Between her sister's only photo, and embryos she wasn't even sure would become eggs, at this moment, Elise would pick the photo.

"Elise?"

Elise puffed air through her nose before pointing at the photo on the wall, and Roth asked, "You would choose a picture over the future of your own kind?"

Elise didn't care for how that question decided to strike her. She didn't even know if there would be a future for her kind, and she wasn't in the mood to deal with this. She had been through enough already. Elise wasn't sure if she was being overly sensitive with Roth or if Bridges' moodiness had rubbed off on her today, but she was done.

' _Thank you for your time.'_

Elise looked at Owen firmly before pointing at the photo as she wrote, _'DONT MOVE THAT I WILL KNOW IF YOU DID THAT IS A LINE'_

The Indominus melted into the jungle before Owen could stop her, and he sighed quietly. Roth sagged before saying, "I'm noticing our sessions are getting shorter and shorter…"

Owen leaned on the wall as he listened to the footsteps fade before replying, "I don't think it's your fault, Dr. Roth."

"Does she get along better with men than women?"

Owen blinked as he thought about that before answering, "I…don't think so. I never noticed a difference to be honest. Why?"

Roth flipped through her journal as she honestly said, "I just noticed she seems to have more positive experiences with men than women so far. You are Barry were the first humans she really learned to love, I know she and Claire hadn't started off well at all. Jackie is a good influence, and I am very glad Elise gets along with her doctors."

Owen shook his head before saying, "I think Bridges ruined it for you and Elise. I know he's butted in somewhere. If there's any relationship that I really question, it's that one."

Roth glanced up as she asked, "How are they around one another? Because they seem to team up when I'm around. It's so odd, but I notice Elise glances at Mr. Bridges frequently when he is present."

Owen nodded as he shut the window while replying, "She does; it's something a pack member does when they're looking for guidance. It's reassurance in this case, I think."

"Mr. Bridges is part of the pack?"

"No, and that's where I get confused. I really have no idea what the relationship between them is. I can't tell if they sincerely like each other or if they're pretending; I know Bridges came over a lot to tell Elise everything he knew about Sobek, and he checks on her frequently to make sure the training is going well."

Roth frowned quietly as she played with the curled part of her notebook while musing, "Does Mr. Bridges care about Elise in all sincerity?"

Owen rubbed the back of his neck while watching Delta groom a sleepy Echo as Blue stared into the jungle. He finally answered, "I think he does care, but I can't tell if it's because of his investment or not. It's like they play games with one another."

"Games?"

Owen nodded as he said, "Bridges _loves_ to push Elise's buttons. He takes almost every opportunity to get some kind of a reaction out of her. The first day they met, he tripped a kid to see what Elise would do."

"And how does Elise react?"

"She doesn't, or she surprises him. If she outright ignores him, he leaves because he crossed some line, but that's all I've figured out."

Roth raised an eyebrow before gesturing to the picture as she asked, "How does she react when he talks about her sister?"

"He doesn't cross that line."

"So he doesn't poke fun at the name or tell her to get over it?"

Owen shook his head, and Roth finally sighed as she rubbed her forehead. She stared at Owen almost sadly as she said, "That's it. That's why I can't get anywhere with Elise; that has to be what they bonded over."

"Bonded is a very odd word to use…"

The therapist shook her head before gesturing to the window as she said, "Whatever relationship Elise has with Mr. Bridges doesn't matter when I come in here because they automatically pause their little game to team up. Mr. Bridges doesn't have to say a word because Elise knows she has one person who won't say anything about how she feels about her sister; Mr. Bridges might even encourage her views. I notice our sessions are remarkably shorter when Mr. Bridges is not present."

Owen was not happy that Bridges had butted in right in front of him, but he had thought things were fine. Bridges had always remained mostly silent during the sessions, and Owen asked, "Are you sure? I know Elise wants to get better…"

Roth looked almost defeated as she said, "But this is Elise's first time with therapy. Has she ever asked you about your experience in therapy? I know you took some after the incident with Lilly."

Owen nodded as he answered, "Of course. I told her what to expect."

"But did she ask about your experience?"

Owen opened his mouth but slowly shut it as he tried to remember. He remembered Elise had easily agreed to getting help after what had happened with Blake. He remembered telling Elise what to expect and what therapists did to help people. Owen recalled telling Elise everything he knew about Roth before they met.

But Owen honestly couldn't remember if Elise had asked him about his experience in therapy.

Owen wiped his mouth before muttering, "Sonofabitch…"

Roth gripped her notebook more tightly before she said, "Here is the situation I see, Owen. Elise and Mr. Bridges enjoying playing this game with each other, but neither of them has won. Until one of them wins, they will continue to protect one another like this. Mr. Bridges has to have some sort of experience with therapy; it has to be why Elise looks to him for reassurance. He must have told her about his own experience in therapy before you had a chance to. It might have set this tone Elise has with me; she gets into a certain mindset every time, and I fear Mr. Bridges might have set the wrong tone with her."

Owen raised an eyebrow as he said, "So we stop this game. Bridges doesn't come in during the sessions, and I talk to Elise about this. We separate them."

Roth shook her head as she said, "No, that won't work. I am so sorry I hadn't seen it sooner, but I was part of this game; I hadn't realized it. I messed up when I suggested trying to give Small One a new name."

"Bridges even agreed with that idea."

"But Elise didn't hear him agree with that idea, and he dodged a bullet because of it. If she had seen him agree, I can guarantee their relationship wouldn't have worked so nicely."

Owen sighed quietly before asking, "So what do we do?"

Roth glanced at her notebook sadly as she answered, "I will see if I can find out if Mr. Bridges had therapy of some sort. In the meantime, Elise will need a new therapist; one who can play their little game."

"Why play the game? I don't see why we can't just tell Bridges to leave."

Roth sighed, "Because Elise already looks to him for reassurance in therapy instead of you. I think she looks to him to see if she has a good therapist because she probably thinks he has more experience with this than you. Maybe Mr. Bridges didn't get along with his own, and that's what I want to know. Until then, you need to find a very sharp therapist; I recommend a practicing psychologist who is familiar with therapy."

Owen raised an eyebrow before saying, "I thought you were a psychologist."

"I have the degrees for it, but I prefer to work mainly in therapy. Elise needs someone who is very good at recognizing mental health disorders so they can actually get around Mr. Bridges. Maybe they can figure out what is wrong with him…I feel like it might be an antisocial disorder, but I just can't tell."

Owen sighed as he glanced out the window again. Roth stared sadly at the floor before glancing at the picture of Small One. She really was a beautiful baby girl. Roth was very sad she wouldn't be able to help Elise.

"I really am sorry, Owen…"

"It's not your fault, Dr. Roth; it's not your fault."

* * *

Elise puffed air through her nose as she walked in a random direction. She knew Rexy would be taking her nap now, but Elise didn't feel like sleeping. She was feeling way too many different things right now.

Happy.

Sad.

Hurt.

Angry.

Afraid.

That's what Elise had wanted to focus on if she wanted to focus on anything. She didn't want to focus on the value of embryos.

Future Indominus. Non-master Kings. Whatever that meant.

Elise felt angry at Dr. Wu, but sad as well as happy. She was angry he had made her with the worst of intents, sad he left her and her sister to rot, but happy that he felt truly remorseful for it.

Elise was terrified of making the wrong decision about her kind. She had no idea who these embryos would become. Would they share her values? Would they want to be in this world?

Could she ask them?

Elise paused at that question before continuing her walk. She was pretty sure she couldn't ask them because she didn't recall being asked if she wanted to be in this world.

The Indominus continued to walk until she paused at the upturned earth beneath her feet. She had walked all the way back to the fence she shared with Sobek; what was left of the fence anyway.

She slowly sat on her haunches but glanced down when her claws brushed against a large chunk of wood. Elise stared at the wood for a few minutes as she tried to sort through her feelings; she was getting frustrated with all of this. She didn't want to talk to Roth about this; she wanted to talk to Owen alone. She trusted him.

She didn't trust Roth, and she was sure it was because of Bridges. Elise just didn't want to mess up her therapy, and Bridges had never shied away from her during the subject.

Owen had gone only because of an incident. Elise felt her problems were more serious than that.

The Indominus suddenly lashed her claws at the wood before sending it flying into the air. A deep gouge was left in the earth as the wood made a dull clunk against the fallen tree.

Elise just wanted to break something; she knew it was wrong to encourage her destructive behavior because of consequences.

But she knew the tree would be chopped up later anyway. Why couldn't she let off some steam?

* * *

Sobek cracked open his good eye at the sound of guttural growls like a kill had been made. So he hadn't made it back to his river; he had decided to simply nap here. It was quiet here, and he didn't feel like walking all the way back just to take a nap.

He could take a little nap here, walk back, and finish his nap there.

The Spinosaurus had hidden himself in the brush, but he blinked at seeing the Indominus Rex mauling the fallen tree trunk like it was the best kill she had ever made.

Sobek knew Twisted One was odd, but she did realize that was not for eating, right?

He honestly couldn't tell when she raked her claws through the thick bark before snapping her jaws around a branch. She broke the branch off before shaking her head sharply as if to break the neck.

That was not how necks were broken, and Sobek felt himself sag; this was the closest thing to a hatchling Wise One would ever had.

And she was killing a tree.

This was not a creature who would have survived on his old island, and Sobek heaved a loud breath; he was looking at the future of this island. He did not doubt he would take Wise One's place as Alpha when she passed, but what about after him?

His heir was oblivious to his presence as she overkilled the tree.

Sobek felt himself sink further into the ground; he had left a decent heir on the old island, but he would have to do something about the tree-killer over there.

The Indominus finally dropped the tree trunk before gently pawing it back and forth between her massive hands. Sobek had seen this behavior before, and he wasn't sure what to make of it. She looked depressed. Sobek had recalled catching sight of the crazy female looking the same way before they had met. She had been crazy, but she acted so odd when she thought she was alone.

Like she didn't know what to do with herself when she wasn't overkilling things. She never took the time to fish or build a proper nest; she just didn't know how to function when she wasn't fighting.

Sobek didn't think Twisted One was that bad, but he questioned it when she began to mindlessly break branches of the tree. He knew only one way to see if she was in her right mind. She smelled a little like his kind, they could hold basic conversation, and he was feeling more patient now that he had his fight.

He could focus on more pressing matters.

If she could fish, she would be fine. Fishing was a difficult task that required exercised patience of the mind and body. He had to be one with what was in the river while mindful of surroundings to prevent ambushes.

Sobek didn't think this one could sit still long enough to see a fish let alone actually catch one, but this was his test.

Elise startled when Sobek suddenly rose with a low hiss though his lip wasn't curled like he was mad. She glanced down in shame that he had seen her destructive behavior, but she tilted her head in confusion when he made another hiss.

To follow?

Elise didn't think that was right; Sobek was incredibly territorial, but he had hit his head pretty hard. Elise took a few steps towards the fence before pausing at the invisible line. Sobek was part of this island, and it was respectful to wait.

The Spinosaurus seemed to regard her for a second before making the same hiss to follow as he melted into the jungle.

Elise was tempted to go get Dr. Gerry; she knew what a head injury was. She remembered Owen had once hit his head after his bike caught a fallen branch.

He had forgotten most of what had happened that day.

Had Sobek forgotten to hate her?

Elise jumped when Sobek gave an impatient growl, and she followed; she didn't have anything else to do, and she wanted to see what the elder had in store for her. It was a distraction from her predicament.

Roth would have called it avoiding, but Elise didn't care.

* * *

Elise wasn't sure how to follow Sobek through this jungle; Rexy liked it when her nose was on her tail, but Sobek did not like that.

He liked his space.

Elise had learned that quickly while staying quiet because Sobek didn't seem to be in the mood to talk or they both knew they would irritate each other.

The Spinosaurus broke into the clearing first before Elise let out a sound at seeing the river. She knew it was here, but she hadn't actually seen it up close. She could see the sharks swimming through the waters obliviously, and Sobek made a low sound. Elise gave a confused reply; she didn't know how to fish.

That answer seemed to displease the elder, but Elise quietly scooted to the edge before peering in. She didn't care how little the sharks were compared to her, they had a talent for finding the soft spots on her legs and tail. They were aggressive too. Jurassic World didn't bring in the small ones either. Full grown bull sharks; spared no expense.

Sobek was not impressed with what he was witnessing. Twisted One was all teeth against him, but swimming prey was too much for her. He wasn't sure if he needed to feel offended at that either.

The Spinosaurus knew an inexperienced youngling when he saw one, and he was looking at one.

Sobek stood next to the youngling before giving a deep hiss; he wanted to see her fish. She blinked at him before turning to the river, and rose. Sobek was hopeful she would actually know what to do. He watched a fat prey dart towards her, but Sobek startled when Twisted One suddenly slashed through the water.

Sobek never considered himself a patient creature until the waters sprayed his face before the slippery skin of the terrified shark smacked into his nose.

At least she got one…

Sobek dryly watched Elise bat the bouncing shark timidly as she backed away with a curled lip before the traumatized shark rolled back into the river.

Sobek was not impressed, and he made it known. Elise didn't like fishing, and she lowered her head quietly as she averted eye contact. Sobek was not hopeful in this island's future, but if Wise One was willing to invest time in this youngling, as odd as she was; Sobek would teach her a trick or two.

It wasn't like he had anyone else to teach.

Elise glanced up when Sobek gracefully stepped into the river before dipping his snout into the chuckling waters. She watched with interest before Sobek suddenly snapped his jaws through the water, and came up with a wriggling shark.

Elise could do that, and she mimicked the elder's moves while Sobek enjoyed his meal.

She stepped into the water quietly before hunching over as he did; it was cold. She didn't know why Sobek dipped his nose into the water, but she would do the same though she couldn't dip her nose as deeply. She glanced around, looking for a shark to charge her; she would snap at it.

She didn't see the lurker sneak up on her until it bashed into her snout before it quickly latched onto her nose. Sobek simply stared at the Indominus as she tried to tear the shark off before it splashed into the waters, and Elise was left with a sore nose.

She didn't feel like she was very good at fishing.

Sobek groomed his claws quietly before going back to the river, and Elise quietly watched him. She watched the way he went very still with nostrils flared, and she puzzled when he didn't look at the river at all; he watched his surroundings. Sobek remained very still, and Elise watched another bull shark take its chance of swimming past the Spinosaurus. She startled when Sobek lunged at the shark before snapping his jaws around the helpless prey. He didn't let go until giving a firm squeeze.

Elise wondered if she could do that. Did he feel for the sharks?

Elise perked up when an idea hit her; she could use her heat vision.

Sobek turned to watch the youngling get back into the waters with renewed vigor; he would give her that much, but he hoped she would do better this time. The Spinosaurus paused when the nostrils flared as the body stilled. She still wasn't paying attention to her surroundings, but Sobek all but fell over when the Indominus snatched up a shark.

Granted she did it with her hands before snapping her teeth into it, but Sobek was hopeful when she gave a sharp squeeze before stepping onto the bank. Elise made a delighted croon; she did it! She could fish! She was proud of herself, and she risked a peek at Sobek.

He simply turned back to his own kill, and Elise went back to hers. She didn't know what shark tasted like actually.

It was sharp and almost sweet to her. Elise had never had anything like it in her life. Beef had always tasted a little fattier, but this…was different. She liked it because she had worked to catch it. It was her kill, and she wouldn't waste it.

She was sure Sobek wouldn't allow her back in his territory when his head felt better.

Elise licked her lips before stilling as the elder stepped back into the river.

She crooned quietly; she was grateful for his teachings. Sobek paused at the lip of the river before making his own sound. She was still odd to him, and she couldn't fight without her pack.

Sobek glanced at her; she needed to learn to fight alone.

He would teach her.

An Alpha was not truly an Alpha if they couldn't fight alone.

* * *

"Are you sure you want to sue for Sobek now?"

Claire pressed her lips as she glanced at the waiting judge before admitting, "I'm not sure anymore. I had thought Mr. Bridges had given us false records, but…Dr. Wu's video certainly has given me doubts."

Judge Knight lightly snorted before she said, "I am very concerned about this development, but it sounds to me like he is being held against his will somewhere."

Claire nodded as she said, "He looked paler than what I remembered; I think he lost weight…and got more grey hair."

Graves sighed quietly before asking, "What can we keep, Your Honor? I know you want the embryos somewhere."

Judge Knight pressed her lips in thought before saying, "If we were all in the same vicinity of one another, I would order it all over to my office. However, I think those embryos have seen enough traveling for a while. Miss Dearing, I want those Indominus embryos in a separate freezer; somewhere no one can get to them. I want them secured and untouched until further notice. I do intend to get Elise's opinion on their fate before coming to a decision. As for the records, I want copies of those sent over for me to read over as well as that video."

Claire nodded before asking, "And the drives containing the codes?"

Judge Knight sighed, "Dr. Wu's video is very much his last will and testament. He willed Elise several things. Keep the amber chunk, but I want to see that money put to good use for Elise, and I will be checking up on how that money is used. Those drives stay with you, and I do agree with Dr. Wu; keep those codes under lock and key. I want contracts between your geneticists and you created, Miss Dearing. For the love of everything, please have them sign something that-"

"Already done, Your Honor."

Judge Knight blinked before smiling and nodding. She glanced at her watch before asking, "Where is Mr. Bridges? Or Mr. Hart? I would like to think they value our time. We will start making decisions if they do not wish to be present."

Claire glanced at Graves, and he shrugged while saying, "I've been trying to contact Mr. Hart all morning, Your Honor. He won't respond to the voicemails I sent."

Claire folded her hands on her desk as she said, "I had tried calling Mr. Bridges, but his assistant had said he was in a meeting."

"Do they know about this package Dr. Wu sent? It is possible to leave meetings for something this important."

Claire and Graves shrugged before the latter answered, "Your guess is as good as mine, Your Honor."

The judge sighed as she adjusted herself before saying, "One of these days someone is going to blow up in Mr. Bridges' face when he picks the wrong time to ignore them."

Claire and Graves glanced at one another before nodding in agreement.

* * *

Jack washed his hands for the umpteenth time today; his hands were starting to feel raw from all the scrubbing under the hot water.

He just couldn't get the red tinge to leave them.

He had no idea how Bridges just went about his day like nothing had happened. Had he killed before? Did Bridges just not care? He was mentally ill, maybe something didn't click right, and he just couldn't care.

But Bridges could be so empathetic and sympathetic when he wanted to be.

Jack swallowed; he couldn't believe he killed someone. He had thought Blake was going to kill Bridges; he had panicked. He had never killed anyone before; he was a clean thief.

Was a clean thief.

Jack shuddered as he allowed the hot water to run over his hands while he leaned on the counter. He had grown up poor, not poor enough to earn sympathy, but poor enough to justify mastering the art of thieving. He had been taught it was fine to steal so long as he needed what he was stealing and he didn't hurt anyone.

He had found a job with Bridges through a friend. Jack had been tired of thieving; he wanted a clean job, but what he found was a sick man with money and power.

Jack had killed a perfectly innocent man, and his body was rotting next to the skeleton of a raptor. Jack felt terrible; he hadn't meant to kill Blake.

He hadn't meant to pull the trigger.

He had never pointed a gun at someone before; he had shot a gun before, but he had never pointed it at another human.

Jack had just gotten nervous as he tried to make sure Bridges didn't get killed. He swore Blake was going to slit Bridges' throat. What Jack had meant to do was grab Blake's attention, but his finger jumped.

Jack groaned; it didn't matter what he meant to do because he had killed a man. Did Blake have family? A girlfriend? What if someone was dependent on Blake financially?

Jack felt himself sag as he stared at his red, raw hands.

He wasn't a clean thief anymore. He had killed someone. Now he was a murderer.

The assistant jumped when a harsh knocking shuddered the bathroom door.

"Jack, are you in there?"

Jack blinked at the voice before wiping his hands off and opened the door. He raised an eyebrow before slowly asking, "Mr. Hart…can I help you?"

Hart wasn't supposed to be here as far as Jack knew. He was supposed to be in the States, but he looked like hell to say the least. Jack had never seen the man so…disheveled looking before, and there was something unsettling about the calmly blank look in the flat eyes.

"...Mr. Hart?"

"Where is Mr. Bridges?"

Jack wasn't sure what to do with the man, but he answered, "In a meeting; he should be done in an hour if you want to wait…"

Jack looked him up and down before asking, "Are you okay? You look like you need-"

"I just want an answer from you, Jack since Bridges can't answer at the moment."

The assistant raised an eyebrow at the normally timid man before Hart pulled a crumpled sheet of paper from his pocket. He showed it to Jack before calmly asking, "Did you know about this?"

Jack blinked at the printed email before asking, "How did you get that?"

"Is that a 'yes' then?"

Jack didn't see why Hart was so flustered, but he never got the chance to answer.

Jack swore he hear the crunching before his head snapped back from the solid hit to his nose. Jack's cheek had smacked into the clean tile before he was even aware he had been punched by timid Hart of all people.

His nose was busted, he knew it was just from the way it was gushing blood, but he staggered up while breathing, "What the fu-"

Jack didn't see the next punch either, but he smacked into the wall before grabbing his busted lip with shock.

" _Hart! What the fuck?!"_

Jack startled when the balding, pudgy lawyer snagged his jacket before heaving him off the ground as he hissed, "I am going to make you worthless pricks pay!"

Jack had planned to try and reason with the furious lawyer until he felt the iron fist smash into his balls. There was actually a brief second of nothing before the numb feeling slowly creeped into his jewels as he felt the sharp pain in his lower stomach.

Then the wind simply whooshed out of him as the agonizing pain made Jack silently scream. Jack dropped onto the ground as he desperately tried to get a breath of air while he tenderly clutched his crotch. He had never known a pain like this before, and he thought he would suffocate from the pain before he managed to gulp in the air.

Jack slowly rolled over to half-see the scuffed shoes before he gasped, "What…? I don't…understand…"

Jack didn't even fight Hart's foot pushing him onto his back, and the man calmly leaned over as he said, "Well, let me make it perfectly clear."

The assistant felt his eyes widen when the lawyer slipped on the brass knuckles, and he desperately hoped Bridges would finish his meeting early.

"I am going to bury both of you."


	72. Chapter 72

**A/N**

 **Chimichangas you guys! I'm really sorry for being gone for longer than expected; I've never had so many people ask me if I was dead. My speech took a lot of time, and this chapter was really hard to write. I didn't get a lot of action in like I had wanted to. I am sorry about that.**

 **Also, blackdragon21 has some awesome artwork that you should really go check out! Link to the art in in my profile! Go see it!**

 **OREO, I hope you put school work and debate team over this! School is important! You read at your own pace, and I wish you the best of luck in debate!**

 **Anonymous, FIGHT! We could pit Sobek against the accurate Spino!**

 **MANYOREOS, I'd go to Jurassic World so I wouldn't have to choose just three dinos or people XD I love you too!**

 **Kim K's Butt, I'm glad you didn't get arrested because I'd have to send someone to get you. I have actually never taken a selfie before.**

 **AnOreoThin, Blue would probably be really confused xD**

 **Guest, anytime! I like replying to you guys!**

 **Brandon m, I agree with you, and it's not too much to hope! I don't know if it'll happen, but you can always hope!**

 **Guest, thank you for the good luck! It helped!**

 **Andrea, no not really. He has control over some in the southern part of the island, but a lot of the island is still pretty wild.**

 **Jimbo, I put some Carnifex in here for you.**

 **Imtomzizle, I'm on the phone a lot too XD I just thought it was so funny to see all the phones in the movie. I'm glad it surprised you!**

 **CodeRomance, I'm sorry! I never planned for you guys to actually like him.**

 **TyberIndominus, that movie does not exist, but that would be funny.**

 **The Only Potato, I had googled what it was like because I don't know what it's like. I like cactus; it's the only plant besides my bamboo that I can keep alive.**

 **Guest in need of romance advice, I would say make her laugh, and be a gentleman. Give her respect but don't let her treat you bad. If she's rude to you, don't put effort into her. If she's not interested, respect that, but if you can make her laugh, you're headed in the right direction.**

 **Elise da indom, I am alive, I promise!**

 ***We got a warning for suicidal thoughts*** **I feel like I got dark in that little bit, and I'm sure most of you are in a good place. However I'm just going to leave this number here just in case. I know you can easily google it, but it's right here for anyone who needs it. It's the number for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. It's 24/7 and free.**

 **1-800-273-8255 is the number for anyone who needs it because I don't want anyone to feel like suicide is fine.**

 **Alright, I thank you much and mighty for your comments and your patience! I love you all lots in case you haven't heard it today!**

* * *

"Atoms, Ghosts, or God."

Elise couldn't remember the last time she had played with someone else like this. Sobek, of all creatures, was fantastic when he wasn't being a grouchy stick in the mud, and Elise was learning a lot.

If anything big ever tried to grab her neck, she knew how to get out of it. She had always thought pulling would have worked, but Sobek taught her to thrust up. It would startle her attacker and loosen the jaws enough for her to slip out.

Elise slid into the thick brush before flattening herself to the ground as her scales shivered to blend. She sat perfectly still as the thundering steps drew nearer, and Sobek came into view. She had to work really hard not to move out of excitement.

She remembered playing this game with Small One.

Sobek would give her a fierce nip for getting caught, but Elise was so excited to have someone to play this game with that she didn't care.

The Indominus paused when Sobek began to intently sniff the ground, and she cooled her skin just for extra measure. She was going to get another nip if she got caught.

Sobek was an incredible hunter, and Elise held her breath when the Spinosaurus drew closer. Could he see her? Was her camouflage good enough? Could he smell her? It was how Rexy usually found her.

Elise paused before a mischievous thought struck her. She had only scared Rexy once because that was all the elder would allow, but it had been so worth it.

She had to scare Sobek; just one time.

The Indominus remained still with baited breath as her target drew closer. She refused to move until Sobek had gotten close enough before turning his head away from her. Elise suddenly rose up with a roar that startled the Spinosaurus, and Elise tackled the scarred neck in something of a bear hug as she gave little nips on the rusty scales.

She was happy, but Sobek gave fierce bites on her shoulder until she released him. The Spinosaurus curled his lip at being touched, but Elise only gave a delighted croon; she had scared him. Sobek puffed air through his nose; he hadn't expected her to vanish like that. He knew of others who could do the same on his island, but they were cowards who hid in the shadows. He had no idea where they went during the day, but they liked to hide close to Death's territory at night.

Sobek hadn't tolerated them in his territory at all, but he wondered if Limper did.

The Spinosaurus was distracted by Elise gently thrusting her head under his jaws as she made soft hisses. Sobek had no idea what to do when Elise simply leaned against his broad chest while making soft sounds.

At least Sobek knew this wasn't mating behavior, and he glanced down dryly; he did not bring her into his territory to cuddle. He was making an Alpha out of her; if she wanted to cuddle, she could go back to Wise One.

She was acting like his youngling, and Sobek didn't really want one. It meant he would have to take care of her. He just wanted to fish and rest for another fight with Wise One. The Spinosaurus huffed quietly at the gentle hisses that spoke to what little parental instincts survived the sex change, and Sobek did have one more trick he could teach her. She knew how to fish in her own way, she could escape any grip on her neck, and she could hide in plain sight. He had no doubt she used that during her hunts so he didn't need to teach her how to hunt.

He needed to teach her how to kill. Not just any way to kill, but a quick, clean, instant kill. It was hard to learn without experience, but once it was learned it was impossible to forget. Sobek had no doubt Wise One's wisdom was being bestowed to this one; Twisted One was learning when to fight.

It also meant she would learn when to kill because some fights were doomed to end in death. As odd as Sobek found this one, she was his own heir. He had given Limper experience in battle, and now it was Twisted One's turn.

Sobek made a low croon as he stepped back; he would have to show her as play fighting would do little good for her, but he didn't have prey to make an example of.

Elise eagerly followed the Spinosaurus with a light heart. She felt good even if the morning's session made her feel bad. She was happy Sobek was tolerating her, and she loved pressing against his chest; he felt safe even if she knew he probably wouldn't come to her aid as quickly as Rexy would.

His heart sounded just as powerful as Rexy's.

Sobek rumbled and hissed as clearly as he could before Elise paused.

He was going to show her a move that would fall even the mightiest predator.

* * *

"Elise! Your sister is so pretty!"

Wu felt his lips pulling into a small smile at seeing Elise give a delighted croon at the teen's compliment. He did it; he had gotten the package over to Elise. He had no idea what she was going to do with it, but he felt better at seeing the photo on the wall.

It was trending; whatever that meant.

Wu softly wiped his lip before flickering his gaze to the other tab on his laptop. Jurassic World provided live feed of the park for anyone to see.

Elise had been fishing with Sobek before they started to play with one another. It warmed Wu to no end, and he sighed quietly.

He was actually very curious as to why Bridges hadn't burst through the door to snap his neck, but Wu assumed he was in a meeting. It didn't matter. He had broken the wall to reveal the pipe he needed.

He just wanted to see a few more videos of Elise before…

Wu gave himself a shake before sipping his tea. He smiled when Elise turned to stare at the camera with a happy look in her eye every time her sister's photo was complimented. Wu knew he was the cause of a lot her pain.

But today, he was the reason she smiled.

Wu continued to watch as Elise pulled out of the log to make a sign like she was blowing a kiss. She stared at the camera, and Wu knew she _knew_ he would see this video. People thought she was thanking the teen's compliment, but Wu was aware of who Elise was really thanking.

She was thanking _him_.

That meant more to Wu than any award or praise he had received in his life. It meant she would consider forgiving him, and he felt a weight lift off his shoulders. The burdens were now someone else's, and the only thing left to do was bring Bridges to the light.

Wu sighed again; he hadn't been completely honest in his video. He had planned to say nothing but truth, but he had paused when it came to Elise's species' name. Indominus literally translated into non-master, but Wu didn't have the heart to say what he had really meant when creating the name.

She was king of nothing. A master who owned nothing was, in fact, worth nothing. She was also a king; king of nothing. She was built to rot in a paddock and given nothing in this world. She was given no respect, no love, no guidance, or purpose.

She was king of nothing; a bastard child to the royalties of both islands.

But Wu had fixed that; he gave her an inheritance. She had something to her name now, and Wu had made up the name's reasons at the last minute. It made no sense whatsoever, but he would rather Elise be a confused non-master king than a king of nothing.

Not a cruel master, but a wise king; that's what Wu had wanted Elise to think of herself as.

He hoped someone would figure out the can of embryos. It was something Hoskins had given him to smuggle the embryos; he had never told Bridges about it. Hoskins had planned to take the Indominus embryos to another buyer, but Hoskins was dead. Wu was almost glad now; the embryos were in better hands now.

They would be born with something and greeted with love.

Wu turned his attention back to the video when Owen smiled as he said, "Thank you for your time, ladies and gentlemen."

Elise gave a soft croon before allowing her scales to burst into a rainbow that almost lit up the room. She gave a wave at the camera, and Wu couldn't stop himself from giving his own, small wave. He really wished he could have sent pictures of himself to Elise; especially the one with Rexy in it, but he hadn't.

The photos sat in an envelope on his desk, but it didn't matter.

His King of Nothing had become one of the richest rulers he had ever seen long before he had given her the inheritance she rightfully deserved. Wu wished Elise a long, happy life.

If he would face a god, he would only ask that he, or maybe even she, extend Elise's lifespan. Wu would willingly atone for his sins if that one wish was granted.

Wu had already wiped out everything on his laptop, and he glanced at the corrosive acid next to him before jumping at a quick knock on the door, and he braced for an angry Bridges.

He could just throw the acid at Bridges.

Wu blinked at the wheezing man before slowly asking, "Mr. Hart?"

The pudgy lawyer was sweating, wheezing, and Wu paled at the blood staining the white shirt when the ruffled coat was pushed aside by a bigger tummy. Wu rose as he asked, "Are you okay? …Arthur?"

Hart licked his lips as he took in another breath before nodding his head. He then paused before shaking his head. Wu blinked in confusion, but the lawyer waved a hand as he breathlessly said, "Get your stuff, Dr. Wu. I'm getting you out of here."

Wu slowly looked the man up and down before quietly asking, "What?"

Hart wiped his shiny lip as he glanced through the blinds of the window as he said, "I have a few men waiting to smuggle you out of here, Dr. Wu. I have had it with Bridges. It was wrong to imprison you here, and I am getting you somewhere safe."

Wu glanced around his empty room while looking for Bridges to jump out to yell 'surprise!', but the blonde never appeared. Wu pointed at the blood as he asked, "Whose blood is that?"

"Jack's."

Wu paled; Jack was in charge of keeping an eye on him, and he hoarsely asked, "Did you kill him?"

Hart blinked before he said, "I should have, but he's as close to death as a good beating will get him. He'll never see out of his left eye again, but let's go before Bridges shows up. We're lucky he's in a meeting."

Wu felt his head whirling; he had fantasized his rescue. A miracle showing up to bring him home, but Wu had never pictured Hart of all people to be his knight in shining armor.

Hart was a knight in aluminum foil; Wu was reminded of a baked potato at the thought. Hart's head was shiny enough to be like melted butter.

"Where are we going?"

The lawyer pulled out his handkerchief before he began to wring it in his hands almost angrily. He chewed his lip before answering, "I'm going to make sure you are taken care of. You will go to jail, but I called a friend; a really good lawyer who will make sure you'll be fine. His name is Louis Benson. You won't be in prison for long at all; he'll get you out quickly. Maybe you'll just be under house arrest."

Wu slowly leaned against his desk as he quietly asked, "What about you?"

Hart gave a bitter laugh before answering, "I'm ruined. I've broken so many laws for Bridges, and I'll probably add murder to the list after Jack bleeds out. I can't afford the gum under the table, Dr. Wu. I'm sending you somewhere safe before I bring this island to its knees."

Wu panicked a little, but he calmly said, "Mr. Hart-"

"Just call me Arthur."

Wu nodded as he turned around to pour the amber liquid into a cup before handing it to Hart as he said, "Arthur...I am going to…advise against whatever you're doing. There's no need for good people to get hurt."

Hart snorted as he took the tea before saying, "Anything to bring some attention here."

Wu furrowed his brows as he sank into his chair before calmly saying, "With all due respect, Arthur, but I intended to bring attention here. You don't need to do this. I'm the one who is ruined."

Wu pulled out his drawer before handing over an envelope as he softly said, "Here, just take this if you need money. I don't need it, but I know you have a family."

Hart stared at the envelope before gingerly taking it to reveal the green money inside. Wu had handed most of the money over, but he had found this little stash under the photos. It wasn't much to him, but it was a lot to a poor man.

He sank into the chair across from Wu before his lip began to tremble. He bowed his head before tearfully choking, "My...daughter is dead…my wife is gone..."

Wu sagged at how the man's voice cracked at the end, and Hart moaned, "My daughter…my wife…my Clem is dead…my Isabel…"

Wu could only stare as Hart held his face as he cried, "They're gone, and I didn't even get to say goodbye…"

The geneticist swallowed before he reached out to place his hand on the shoulder, and Hart grabbed it simply because he couldn't find comfort anywhere else. Hart squeezed the hand as he poured out, "They didn't suffer…the doctors said it was instant…because…it was a pile up on the highway…it wasn't even anyone's fault, but the ambulance…it was…it was…"

Hart sobbed quietly, and Wu had never heard such a broken sound in his life. Wu wasn't a good people person in situations like this, but he squeezed the hand while saying, "I'm sorry, Arthur; I really can't imagine what you're going through."

Hart nodded as he continued to sniff, and Wu bit his lip before saying, "But…I don't see how that's a reason to beat the life out of Jack."

Hart hastily wiped his face before blowing his nose, and he pulled out a crumpled paper. He handed it to Wu who raised an eyebrow at it; he didn't understand it, but Hart sounded defeated as he asked, "Do you know why I did the things I did for Bridges?"

"…No."

"Because I am poor, Dr. Wu. I am heavily in debt because I have… _had_ a sick child who… _had_ spent most of her life in the hospital. Bridges had offered to pay for all of Clementine's bills, and he did."

Wu blinked; that sounded very generous of Bridges, but Hart continued, "I knew Bridges was using me, but I had thought he truly loved Clem like his niece. I had once messed up a minor lawsuit; cost him a couple hundred thousand dollars, and he had been furious…"

Wu could imagine so, and Hart bowed his head while adding, "But he never faltered when it came to Clem. He always sent gifts, told Clem he loved her, made sure she knew she was beautiful even on her worst days…"

Hart wiped his face before saying, "She needed a kidney transplant among all her health problems, but she never qualified to be put at the top of the waiting list. Bridges had offered to pull strings to get one; he didn't even ask for anything in return. He had found out Clem needed a kidney and said he would get it for her because he thought of Clem as his own niece…I had thought he meant it…"

Wu slowly glanced down to the paper before quietly saying, "This says-"

"It is a confirmation letter that Bridges did in fact, pass up on a match a few months ago. He had found a match for my only daughter, and he rejected it. That bastard Jack knew all along; he went along with it."

"Why?"

Hart shrugged as he snapped, "It doesn't matter because my wife and daughter are dead."

The pudgy man rose with a broken determination in his eye as he said, "Now please let me escort you to the boat."

Wu blinked before slowly saying, "No."

"…No?"

"No."

Wu swallowed before he said, "I'm done, Mr. Hart; done with everything in general. I am done. I'm tired of what my life has become. I have nothing left to do besides exposing everything Bridges has done."

Hart sagged slightly, and Wu gestured to the wall as he added, "I was going to…um…call an evacuation before…"

"Boom?"

Wu nodded as he confirmed, "Boom."

Hart licked his lips tiredly before he stared at his cup of tea. He took a sip of it before sighing, "Clem never got the chance to see Jurassic World; she wanted to see the labs. She was a smart kid. She had nothing to do all day so she read. She liked to read about the science of things; she was always trying to figure out the methods behind the magic tricks, but bringing the dinosaurs back…she thought that was the greatest thing in the world."

Wu gave a sad smile, and Hart rubbed his face as he said, "She loved reading about that stuff, Dr. Wu; she always liked to see how you designed animals. She looked up to you."

Wu wasn't so sure about that part, but Hart said, "If dinosaurs could be made, then maybe organs could be grown too. It's already happening, but she wanted to help, then there wouldn't be a waiting list for organs…"

Wu nodded because he didn't know what else to do. He didn't want Hart to put people at risk. Granted, what Wu was going to do was also dangerous, but he was going to get people out of the way.

Hart suddenly stood as he said, "I'll leave you to your business then…I'm sorry…if that means anything to you."

Wu furrowed his brows in sympathy at the broken man, and he softly said, "I dug my own grave, Arthur. I knowingly did what I did; I wanted to humble arrogant people, and I hurt a lot of innocents in the process. Everything I did to Elise…I don't deserve sympathy."

Hart wrung his hands quietly before a bitter smile crossed his face, and he said, "I recall Bridges once telling me we were just good people surviving in a harsh world….I guess you survived as best you could."

Wu nodded quietly, and Hart suddenly asked, "Do you think Bridges feels like he has to survive in this world?"

The geneticist paused before shaking his head to answer, "Bridges seems to thrive in this world. From what I understand, Elise is the one who keeps him on his toes; she's figured him out."

Hart let out a short, humorless laugh as he said, "Clem wanted to meet Elise so badly, Dr. Wu…she wanted to talk to her just once."

Wu stared at his folded hands on the scratched desk; he wasn't sure how to offer comfort, but he glanced up when Hart suddenly asked, "Aren't you afraid?"

"…Of what?"

Hart glanced at the wall before he quietly asked, "Dying? Aren't you afraid of it?"

Wu blinked until he admitted, "I don't like to think about that part…"

The lawyer wrung his hands again before he offered, "You don't have to, you know…"

"I'm tired, Arthur; I've managed to ignore my common sense and knowledge of science just to convince myself there's something else on the other side."

Hart looked startled before he exclaimed, "There is! There has to be a heaven and God!"

Wu almost wanted to prove Hart wrong with cold, factual science until he saw the desperate gleam in the man's eyes. Wu had been content to ignore the fragile, floozy thing called faith in a deity who never proved his own existence except through a book written thousands of years ago, and random chance 'miracles' caught on camera.

But that was Wu's views, and the last thing Hart needed to hear now was his wife and daughter went nowhere after leaving this life. Wu hated to entertain ideas that seemed so faulty to him, but Hart needed that idea. He believed it for his own reasons, and Wu had no right to force him to see things his way. Wu had no right to bash Hart's beliefs just because they weren't the same as his.

It was just a basic respect every human was entitled to; being free to believe what they wished. No one had the right to make them believe any different; especially if they weren't hurting anyone.

Wu licked his lips before quietly saying, "I…never took the time to educate myself on the subject…I'm sure they're fine, Arthur."

Wu felt like he had been a prick to enough people. It wouldn't hurt to comfort another with something they obviously took comfort in. Hart found comfort in his religion, and Wu had used religion to comfort him. It was never a grey subject when it came to comforting others; it was simply knowing what was comforting to that person.

Hart found solace in his God.

Wu turned to science when things were unknown.

Bridges flicked his flame to life when the demons grew brave.

And Elise simply sat and pondered the invisible, interlaced webbings of the world around her.

A believer, a pioneer, a puppeteer, and a philosopher.

"I feel like you're more of a man of science, Dr. Wu."

Wu glanced up at the soft, tired voice, and he stared at the sad smile. The geneticist opened his mouth, and Hart added, "I appreciate that…I don't think you're a bad guy."

"I've done plenty of bad."

"We all have, Dr. Wu. No one is perfect."

Wu licked his lips before admitting, "I doubt I will be welcomed at the pearly gates; I spat in the face of God by creating dinosaurs. I created life."

Hart snorted tiredly as he said, "And look at everything it did, Dr. Wu. Do you ever take the time to see the ripples of what you've done? You proved there is no limit to what we can really do. We have footprints on the moon, extinct animals brought back to life, advancing medical fields."

"I took human blood and unintentionally created a human with a dinosaur body."

Hart pressed his lips before admitting, "That probably wasn't your best idea…"

Wu rubbed his face, and Hart sighed before saying, "At least Elise is serving as some inspiration for the world. She sees the world so differently that it's almost refreshing; Clem…Clem really wanted to see that…"

The man's lip trembled, but Hart cleared his throat before sighing, "I suppose this is goodbye then…"

Wu twiddled his thumbs as he softly said, "You'll be fine, Arthur."

Wu wanted to tell him life got better, but he didn't know that for sure. Wu didn't feel it was his place to tell Hart life would get better when he had bluntly admitted to planning his own demise. The geneticist glanced up when Hart quietly offered, "Maybe we'll cross paths again…you know…in the next life."

Wu blinked before replying, "That certainly sounds better than simply becoming atoms bouncing off one another. It's funny, who knows what our atoms had been before becoming us."

Hart felt a slight smile tugging at his lips as he quietly joked, "Maybe we'll just become ghosts…"

Wu found himself needing humor for the both of them. It felt so stuffy in here, and he gave a broken smile as he said, "I'm up for haunting Bridges if you are."

Hart smiled at the floor; he felt so numb that he wasn't really processing a lot. He had intended to get Wu into the boat, but that wasn't happening. He was just reacting to what was going on around him without thinking about it.

At least Wu's kindness had managed to help a little, but he was going to be gone too.

Just like his family.

Hart didn't understand why something so precious had been stolen from him. Had he angered God so terribly that he wasn't allowed to be with his family anymore? It was the only thing Hart could think of without questioning His existence.

He had angered God; plain and simply by working for a man whose name literally meant demon. Maybe Bridges was the Antichrist; it made sense to Hart.

All Hart was really processing was that Wu wasn't getting onto the boat, but he was going to cause a huge scene that would surely grab Bridges' attention. That meant attention would be drawn to this island.

But a little voice in Hart's head said Bridges would easily cover this up. A building exploding wasn't going to draw enough here. Maybe some people from an insurance company, but Wu's defiant action would be in vain because no one was going to get hurt.

Hart wouldn't let that happen, and he finally said, "I'll evacuate the people for you Dr. Wu…just give me ten minutes to do it."

Wu blinked at him in surprise before saying, "Thank you, Arthur."

The lawyer nodded quietly as he crinkled the envelope of money before he turned the doorknob.

"Wait…"

Hart turned around expecting Wu to change his mind, but the geneticist walked over to hand him another envelope as he quietly asked, "It's not my place…but could you do one thing for me?"

Hart stared at the envelope, and Wu asked, "Can you get this to Elise? It's nothing valuable…just some photos, but I want her to have them. If it's not too much trouble…"

Hart easily took the photos; he was tired of doing favors for Bridges, but this one was so refreshing. There were no loopholes to create, no rules broken, and no sleep lost. This was a simple delivery for a man who had inspired a sick child to see a bright future for herself beyond the confinements of her own, unable body.

"I can do that, Dr. Wu; it's no trouble."

Wu smiled gratefully, and Hart pressed his lips before saying, "Well…give Bridges hell."

"I will."

Hart gave something that was supposed to be a smile before he left. Wu let out a sigh when the door gave a quiet click, and he walked back over to his empty desk. He was done, and he was sad to say he was too tired to try again at life.

Wu had once heard a theory that once a person became suicidal, once they gave up on life, their very cells would begin to die to make it easier.

Could a person die like that? Just giving up? Wu would imagine so, but other humans were so nosey and controlling that humans weren't allowed that right. Humans were allowed to control everything in life they wanted except for how they died simply because another human just couldn't stand to see them go.

Why was that allowed? Everyone saw the world differently; no two humans were the same. Why wasn't a human allowed to die if they wished to go? They obviously didn't like what they saw in the world, and most humans believed in life after death.

If life after death was true, another adventure awaiting to start after this one, why was it so wrong to end this adventure early when a better one was just waiting to be started?

Just because some other people would be sad at being left behind? That was an incredibly selfish thing to ask of a person who could no longer find the will to get up in the morning. It was selfish to ask an exhausted person to commit to a task they weren't feeling up to doing.

Life is all about finding a reason to get up in the morning, and some people just couldn't find a reason. There were some who just didn't see the silver lining in the cloud, the half-full glass, the good in the bad, or even the good in the good.

It was just how they saw life. A dull, grey, daunting, and repetitive cycle that wasn't going to stop until the coffin lid was nailed shut.

So why was the one who sacrificed himself for the sake of others considered a hero while the one who had given up deemed mentally ill.

The hero had knowingly made the choice to do something that would end his life. That made him suicidal, did it not? His life was less important.

Humans liked to split the thin hairs because it is in their nature to separate the black from white in grey subject.

The hero had found his life worth less, and the suicidal one found his life worthless.

Wu shook himself; those were dark thoughts no one was comfortable with. He never saw wrong in anyone, terminally ill, being allowed to die with dignity. That was as far as he was going to delve into the subject. His situation was different.

Wu had come to accept it. He was a passive aggressive coward who couldn't face the consequences of his own mistakes. He had broken several laws, and he wasn't willing to face them. He didn't want to be in jail, and he didn't want to start his life over.

He was ready to start his next adventure, whatever that was, be it bouncing around other atoms, burning in Hell for eternity, or even haunting Bridges as a ghost.

Wu secretly wished it to be the last option; he wanted to haunt Bridges.

And he was going to. Wu would not rest well in his coffin unless Bridges cursed his name every single night for the rest of his existence. Wu hoped he would rot next to Bridges in Hell just so the blonde could curse him every minute of the day.

Wu would always have the last laugh with him.

The geneticist walked over to the old pipe in the wall before gently thumbing the sharpie 'X' marking it. The man sighed before giving a sharp yank; the pipe creaked as it began to bow out until Wu gave another, hard yank. Wu gritted his teeth as he gave a final tug before stumbling back when the pipe suddenly snapped. The hissing gas seemed so loud in his silent room, but Wu only sighed again as he walked around to open the vents in his room. He turned on the fan in hopes of spreading the gas around while cracking open his door just the slightest.

Anything to spread the gas, and Wu finally sank into his chair with a sadness about himself. He silently pulled the plastic lighter from his pocket. He wasn't a smoker, but Bridges easily lost these things.

Wu had found it in the restroom; it had most likely fallen from Bridges' pocket or even someone else's pocket. He had no idea why it had been there, but it had, and it was his now.

The man somberly sat in silence as his eyes wandered back to his laptop. Wu didn't want to die in silence, and he flicked the screen back to life before smiling at the snowy dinosaur.

Wu only wished he had done more in her early life, but he was glad to read over her ever growing profile once again. He went back to the video and smiled at the suggested ones to the side.

There was always one song that liked to appear with her name.

It was Elise's song after all. No one knew for sure which Elise it had been composed for, but it was Elise's song.

Wu paused to marvel at how fitting he found the name. Simple, classic, elegant, and he clicked the video before the soothing notes gently shushed the broken pipe's loud hissing. Wu leaned on his elbows as he slowly relaxed. He wondered who had given Elise her name; he knew the names of Owen's raptors.

Wu had honestly expected the man to name her Foxtrot. Wu was glad Owen hadn't done that, and it was nice to see Owen was willing to allow diversity from the NATO alphabet. Wu went back to reading the profile, and lightly smiled.

Elise had been named after her favorite song, _Für Elise_ , after first hearing it on Barry's radio. Wu went on to read the first night of Elise with Owen, but it wasn't true.

That wasn't the first time Elise had heard that song.

Because Wu was also a fan of Ludwig van Beethoven's work.

* * *

"Where do you think the other two are at, Bunny?"

Echo didn't reply as she stretched her forelimb before allowing it to curl around Owen's side again. Owen had heard that Elise had been fishing with Sobek, so he decided to take a nap in his hammock that was just to the corner under the false log. Blue and Delta had decided to vanish, but Owen knew that look in Blue's eyes.

She was off to hunt.

Delta was always up for hunting with Blue, and the duo had taken off. Gerry had inspected Rexy from the platform during her feeding, and he decided she was fine; just a little banged up. He wasn't going to sedate the rex; the girls were free to go where they pleased.

Echo had decided she wanted to hang with Owen; she was his quiet, mellow girl. Owen never complained spending time with her, and she was much more cuddly than Blue; she was more mindful of her claws as well.

Owen smiled at the content sigh his girl gave, and he cracked open an eye to glance at her. He had gotten the largest hammock he could find, and his girls enjoyed little naps here. Delta only left when Blue rocked it too hard, but Echo would usually kick her off before that happened.

The strings had a tendency to snap when Blue rocked too hard, and Elise always laughed until she was breathless after hearing the occupied hammock fall down.

It was always a sudden snap, squeals from all four, thud, and then three, angry snarls at the culprit who was Blue.

"My Bunny, were you always this cuddly?"

Echo cracked open an eye before she yawned a growl while adjusting her jaw on his chest. Owen felt like a teddy bear, but he only gently rubbed the back of her neck quietly. Echo was his bunny. She had gone through a stage in early life where she had decided to hop around everywhere she went. It made her the slowest of the group, but she had been content to hop around like a little bunny. Barry liked to call Echo 'Elvis' after her fight with Blue, but Owen found Bunny more appropriate.

It only became ironic after Echo had apparently slaughtered so many in the plains. Elise had found that one difficult to explain, but the population was coming back.

Owen curled his arm around Echo before allowing his hand to rest on her shoulder. He wouldn't trade days like these for the world, and he felt himself dozing off. He wanted to read over the records, but Claire had promised to call him as soon as they were available.

She hadn't been very happy about learning that Elise would need an experienced psychologist. Even if Roth had advised against it, Owen was going to have a small talk with Elise about it. He wasn't going to confront her, but he was going to try and give his own view on therapists.

"As long as we don't hear a loud explosion, we can assume Blue isn't causing shit. What do you think?"

Echo gave a muffled chirp as she lightly rubbed her scarred muzzle before stilling again. Owen smiled as he relaxed.

Blue wouldn't get into that much trouble.

Rexy wouldn't let her.

* * *

Elise snapped her jaws into the thick bark before snagging all of her talons into the wood. She had watched Sobek do this, and now she would make him proud by doing the same as he did.

He had fallen Tyrannosaurus larger than him with this simple move.

Snag, sink, and push.

It wasn't twist like Elise had done with the poor hard-shell in the dark jungle; she had torn the head right off. Sobek was teaching her clean kills.

It was a lot harder than it looked. She couldn't push down because that wasn't how it was done. She had to push forward with the help of one hand while the other pulled until…

Sobek perked his head up when he heard the thick bark sheer from the trunk. He had no large prey to teach Twisted One his move, so he decided she could practice on trees since she had already proven her liking to killing them.

Twisted One learned to kill much faster than she had to hide, fish, or fight. Sobek could tell much from that.

She was a natural born killer, and Sobek found that most surprising.

Elise stared at the broken wood before turning her gaze back to her new teacher. Sobek made something of a low croon; Elise assumed it was praise. He didn't seem to know how to praise her, but he was good at letting her know when she was wrong.

Elise never knew she could do so many wrong things in one sitting.

The Indominus trotted back over to Sobek; this was the third tree she had broken, and her gums were starting to hurt. She wanted to talk; she wanted to know about Isla Sorna.

Sobek's head was probably still hurting if he was still tolerating her, and this would be her only chance to talk to him.

The Spinosaurus warned her to keep her space, and Elise plopped down next to him; Sobek let out a small sigh.

She did not sit like an Alpha; she sat like a youngling.

He hoped Wise One would live a very long time because there was a lot of work to be done with this one.

At least she had the decency to sit on his good side, and he tilted his head at her shivering hiss. Her speaking was getting much better even if she had to speak slowly or repeat herself.

His old home? Did he miss being there?

Sobek wasn't used to this kind of talking. He had remembered speaking with the crazy one when she was willing to accept his company.

That had been difficult; he had a feeling she would make a poor parent, but instinct had demanded he ignore that. He was just there to give a hatchling, not help raise it. What happened after they mated was not his concern.

Even if the little parental instincts that had survived demanded he rear a hatchling.

Crazy One had a hard time talking, and Sobek never knew why. She would randomly go quiet or forget he was there. Sobek had only been around her for a day before she no longer needed him to make the hatchling.

He never saw her again after that. She had simply left without a trace, and Sobek was always disturbed by her vanishing. He had only found the poorly made nest, and the smell of Death.

Now Sobek understood because he had vanished from his island as well. Sobek curled his lip before growling dangerously.

Elise tilted her head before crooning; she never understood Sobek's obsession with death. She shifted before trying to word her question. Sobek only gave her an irritated puff of air through his nose; meaning he didn't understand her. Elise quietly sighed before she asked if Sobek missed his human.

The Spinosaurus growled that he didn't have one though he did like the one who ran with the pack hunters. Elise was glad Sobek liked Owen, and she would tell him that, but she wanted to know if Sobek missed Bridges. She crooned that Bridges sent his greetings to Sobek, and the Spinosaurus grew confused.

Elise tried to think of how to describe Bridges. Sobek tilted his head at the hisses and growls as he tried to find a human who matched that description. He only took the time to memorize Stranger's scent or appearance. He was the only human on this island worth acknowledging.

An Alpha; Stranger was an Alpha.

Cunning; Sobek didn't think Stranger was that. He was certainly intelligent, but Sobek didn't think Stranger was cunning even if his pack most likely was.

Smelled dead.

Sobek snapped his jaws in anger; only one human was a walking corpse. So Twisted One knew Death; Sobek found it fitting that the corpse had the audacity to putrefy this good island's air. Sobek let out a long, low, growling hiss; he knew Twisted One was young. Maybe she didn't know better, but Sobek knew better.

Death was not welcome here; this was his chance to make it known on this island with the others. He could tell them what he knew.

Elise startled before realizing that Sobek had named Bridges 'Death'. She glanced at the river when the surface was disturbed by a shark's fin, but she turned back before startling again.

How had Sobek gotten so tall while sitting? He was practically towering over her with a stern expression on his face. Maybe it was the scary look on his face; Rexy always seemed to get a lot bigger when she was mad. Elise immediately lowered her head, but she paused when Sobek simply rested his jaw on her head. She wasn't sure what to do when he moved himself closer to her.

Elise felt safe.

She glanced up when he gave his low hisses and growls. Sobek would only tell this to her once. He wanted her full attention, and he was going to get it because Sobek didn't want to see this island ruined by Death. Wise One would only be around for so long, and his own time would come soon after. Sobek knew he was getting older even if he didn't want to acknowledge it. True Death would come for him one day, and Twisted One would be left to rule this island.

Sobek didn't want her to make the same mistake he had made for his old island.

She couldn't allow Death to come here.

Elise shifted slightly as she listened to the serious tone. Sobek started to smell sad when he talked about what Bridges had done to the island.

Bridges had killed a lot of Tyrannosaurus, and Elise didn't understand why. Claire had said dinosaurs were rare, that made them valuable. Elise knew Tyrannosaurs were expensive; they were worth a lot of dirty paper.

Why would Bridges kill that?

Elise didn't understand, and she pressed her cheek against the rusty chest to listen to the soothing heartbeat. Sobek was different than Rexy. He was much more serious and solemn about how he ruled. He measured worth through skill, but he was wise in his own way.

He was a good teacher; Sobek was good. He was just from a harsher place.

Where Bridges was the Alpha of the island.

Elise paused; she never stopped to think about that. All Alphas affected the island in some way. How did someone like Bridges affect his own island when Claire influenced this one so heavily with Rexy?

Was Sobek sad because he didn't get a good human to Co-Alpha this island with? Claire helped this island, but she trusted Rexy to keep the dinosaurs in line. Rexy kept in close contact with Claire; she knew not to eat her even if they didn't interact much. Elise had pointed Claire out to Rexy, but the elder already knew her.

It had made Claire happy to know Rexy liked her.

Sobek didn't like Bridges; that had to poison the island in some way. It wasn't good to have shaky leaders. Bridges always respected Sobek, but Sobek didn't care for how Bridges was.

Elise glanced up when Sobek talked about the dead hatchlings with the crushed sides like they had been stepped on or crushed.

They had reeked of Death.

Elise was mortified; Bridges would go so far as to hurt helpless hatchlings. Elise didn't want to hear this, and she didn't want to see Bridges anymore if he was truly that cruel to hatchlings who had never done him wrong.

Their game was over if it was true, and Elise didn't think Sobek was lying. It made her incredibly sad, and she pressed herself closer to the rusty scales.

Sobek was willing to tolerate it simply because he had taken her under his wing. Sobek rumbled quietly as he rubbed his jaw on her; this kind of contact was going to be incredibly rare. Sobek knew one day he would see Twisted One, and she would be different.

She wasn't going to have a bounce in her step, or that gentle gleam in her eye. She wouldn't hide in the bushes to scare him nor would she seek the comforts of under his jaw.

Because one day she would have to make hard decisions that only an Alpha would have to make, and it was going to hurt. She would stop seeing the buzzing insects on the leaves, and the birds in the sky would become passing annoyances. The wind she was so fond of would no longer be a comforting caress, but a tool that told of dangerous creatures' locations.

Sobek knew this because he found himself growing blinder to the world; it had nothing to do with his vision going bad. He saw fine; he just saw less.

He used to see the bugs too; when the world had been much bigger and brighter.

Elise crooned quietly, and Sobek huffed. He had taught what he needed to teach; now he wanted to sleep. Twisted One was a nice change in pace, but she hadn't beaten him in battle. She was not welcome to roam his territory as she pleased; only Wise One had that privilege.

Elise rose at the growl to get going, and she was glad Sobek's head was feeling better. It meant she didn't gave to go get Dr. Gerry for help, and Rexy hadn't hurt him too bad. Sobek regained his dry, stern gaze, but Elise knew better.

Sobek was a good dragon; he was cranky, but a good dragon. Elise had seen a dragon; Owen had shown her a small clip of Smaug the dragon because Sobek's handler and the vets had taken to calling him Smaug. Dr. Grant had certainly found it fitting. Elise had been so curious that she had pestered Owen to show her this Smaug.

Elise thought Sobek was like Smaug too, and he was in a way. Sobek seemed to regard unworthy creatures like Smaug did to creatures called dwarves. They were both smart, had terrible tempers, and were incredibly territorial. Elise wondered if Smaug would have mellowed if he had a Rexy to beat him in a fight, but she wasn't sure.

She just knew Sobek was good.

Sobek was a good dragon, and she would keep that in mind. No one wanted an angry dragon on this island. She could just picture Sobek storming through Main Street after being angered; she was sure his temper could rival Rexy's. Maybe even worse.

' _Temper?!_ _ **Temper?! I**_ _will show you a temper!'_

Elise snorted at the image; she could see Sobek talking like Smaug. The deep, rumbly voice was fitting; it had a sharp bite to it. She could also see everyone running in a panic, and Elise didn't want that.

She wouldn't anger this good dragon.

Elise had been intrigued by the winged creatures who spoke in riddles. She liked them, and she wondered if they could be created. She was a hybrid; she wondered if Wu could have made a dragon.

Sobek puffed air through his nose, and Elise decided he was dragon enough for her. She didn't want a dragon breathing fire over everything.

She turned back to the river before crooning; she wanted to share a shark with Rexy. Sobek glanced at the river before hissing. He would rather Wise One come to him, but maybe this would entice her to come around. He was serious about another fight.

Twisted One could take a fat fish to her mother if she wanted.

Sobek rested his head on the ground before glancing over at the white scaled creature. Sobek felt some small bit of pride in his chest when she camouflaged to blend into her surroundings. She was a smart youngling, and that was good. Smart ones lived longer; Limper was smart. It was why he could live even if he limped.

Elise came up with a particularly fat shark before giving it a sharp squeeze. It went limp, and she trotted back over to Sobek before pausing to give a grateful lick on his cheek. She didn't know how to thank him for everything he shared with her.

Sobek snapped his jaws at her as he felt his rare patience thinning. He wanted a nap. Elise picked up her kill before heading straight for her own territory. She wasn't at all put off by the show of aggression.

Sobek was a good dragon. Elise wondered if Smaug was good too in his own way, but Owen had said he was bad because he had taken an entire kingdom from the dwarves. He took their home, their money, and killed their king.

Elise had sided with Smaug on that one. An entire kingdom couldn't stop one dragon? Smaug earned that stuff fair and square. He fought, and the dwarves lost.

Dwarves were sore losers.

* * *

Owen sighed quietly in his sleep before shifting slightly when Echo gave a light snort. They were content as could be, and the world was at peace. The sounds of the park were a muffled lull to them, and neither heard the shaking steps approaching.

Owen frowned when something strong tickled his nose, and he could feel Echo shifting. Something cold drizzled onto his chest, and Owen cracked open bleary eyes before shrieking. Echo snapped awake at the sound and gave her own shriek as she barreled into the too close face with malicious snarls and razor claws. Owen landed hard on his back when the hammock flipped over while Echo darted back to him when the trespasser dropped to the floor.

Owen bolted up with his hand on his knife before blinking at the dead eyes. He glanced up to see Elise giving a quiet, sucked in laugh, and Owen sighed as he put a calming hand on Echo's back.

"It's alright, Bunny; Elise is being a shit."

Echo gave a low growl as she eyed the dead bull shark, and Elise chittered that it was prey she had caught. Elise had seen Rexy on her way here, but Rexy hadn't wanted to eat the shark.

It smelled funny to her.

Elise decided she would share it with Owen to put them on the right track after this morning, but then she had realized he was asleep.

And that meant she could scare him with the shark.

It was worth it, and Elise crooned softly as she gently nuzzled Owen to let him know it was all in good fun. Owen snorted lightly when Echo swiped a quick claw on the shark's pale nose before curling her lip.

"Had fun fishing with Sobek?"

Elise nodded; she had a lot of fun with Sobek, but she was also very sad at what he had told her. She wanted to tell Owen and Claire about it just in case they would have to protect hatchlings from Bridges.

What if there were more Tyrannosaurus on Bridges' island? Elise didn't get a chance to ask Sobek, but he made it sound like they were all gone.

"What's wrong, Baby?"

Elise crooned sadly, and Owen pressed his lips before sitting on the hammock as he softly said, "I want to talk to you about Dr. Roth, Elise."

Elise shook her head; that hadn't upset her like what Sobek had said. Owen put a hand on her nose as he said, "Baby, I won't push you with the picture anymore, but I'm really concerned about a few things."

Elise nodded, and she began to carve into the dirt. She was so shocked Sobek had named Bridges 'Death' even if he was his Co-Alpha. It meant Bridges smelled bad to everyone; even his allies.

Bridges was Death with all the pointless killings he had done.

" _Death?"_

Elise startled at Owen's shocked tone, and she glanced down to see she had written what she had thought. Owen snapped his gave up to her as he asked, "Is Sobek dead?"

Elise was sure she would act very upset if Sobek had died, and she shook her head before covering the words with a swipe of dirt. It was so odd; she felt like she was cheating in the game with Bridges by revealing what the animals had named him. Elise had never told any human what Bridges' name was.

Even if this game was over, Elise wasn't a cheater; Sobek didn't like cheaters.

Owen knew an avoidance look when he saw one, and he sharply said, "Elise, I want to know why you wrote that. Did someone die?"

Elise winced at the tone, but she knew Owen wasn't going to drop the subject. She never felt good about lying to Owen; even little lies. She had given Owen a little lie once, and she had felt terrible about it.

He had shaved not long after she had started therapy because he really had pulled a good chunk of his moustache out when she had refused to see him after the incident.

Elise hadn't even recognized him; it had startled her badly enough that Blue had almost attacked him. Delta couldn't look him in the eye, and Echo had to constantly smell Owen to convince herself that he was their Alpha. Elise remembered how Barry had bought fake facial hair for Owen; Elise would admit the sticker mustache had actually helped.

Claire hadn't liked Owen's look without his face fur, and Elise remembered Owen talking to her before she left for the night. It was the first time she had seen a flicker of uncertainty on him.

He had wanted to know if he still looked good without his light beard and mustache.

Elise personally found it way too weird to look at Owen without it; she had no idea why a little strip of facial hair had such a drastic change on his face, but Owen had wanted some reassurance.

Elise knew Owen couldn't make the hair grow back faster, but she knew it would hurt him to say no one liked his lack of 'stache.

She had lied to make Owen feel better, and she had felt bad about it. She respected and loved Owen so much, but she had lied about him looking good without his facial hair. He did look good without it.

He just didn't look like Owen. Elise had made up another lie about Rexy wanting the mustache and beard back as well. Rexy had actually found it amusing how the loss of some face fur disturbed the little pack so easily, but Elise knew Owen was too afraid of Rexy to make her mad.

Elise had told two lies to Owen; she didn't want to tell him anymore.

The Indominus shifted slightly, and Owen exasperatingly said, "Elise, I do want communication with you. It's really hard to read you sometimes. You do know you can talk to me about anything, right? It's what a dad does; I'm just worried. I don't want you to ever think you have to do something by yourself, okay?"

Elise wondered if she saw Sobek as something of a father, but he wasn't a father like Owen. He was much sterner and blunter about the way the world worked. If Elise made a mistake, Owen would pat her nose and help her through it; Sobek would become disappointed and give a sharp bite.

Elise had always loved talking with Owen. She loved when they would just talk and talk about nothing in general. Lowery had once jokingly said a person was allowed only so many words per day.

Elise could use them all up with Owen because she just liked to be around him. He was a constant assurance to her. She always wanted him around even if he wasn't around all the time; she knew where to find him.

Owen knew how to make Elise feel safe and happy. He had painted the greying world with a bright array of several rainbows.

But Owen worried a lot about her, and Elise wasn't sure how to feel about that. He had been very worried when he found her by the pond. She could see and smell it on him. He had refused to leave her side without someone to look after her; Owen always wanted to see Rexy coming for Elise before he left.

He had been terrified of Elise being suicidal. Elise hadn't known what that word meant at the time, but she had heard Owen talking to Claire about it. Elise had never heard Owen so scared, and she had silently promised to never be suicidal. Some days had just been a little more difficult to face than others.

Now Elise knew what that word meant, and she wasn't suicidal. It never stopped Owen from growing even more protective of her, but Elise lowered herself to the ground before she gave a quiet rumble, and nodded.

She knew she could talk to Owen about anything.

Except for what she had promised she wouldn't tell about Bridges, but she knew she could always talk to Owen about her problems.

"Talk to me, Elise. Please."

Elise felt bad for worrying Owen because he had enough to worry about. She garbled quietly before carving into the dirt. She would tell Owen what she could.

She wouldn't talk about Bridges being sick.

Owen raised his eyebrows at the short sentence before skeptically asking, "Are you telling me that Sobek named Bridges ' _Death'_?"

Elise nodded, and Owen asked, "Why were you talking about Bridges with Sobek?"

Elise didn't understand why Owen was confused about that. Bridges was close to Sobek even if the Spinosaurus didn't like him. She had thought it would have been obvious, but she wrote, _'HE SAID HI TO SOBEK'_

"Oh."

Elise snorted, but Owen glanced over to Echo still poking the shark before he asked, "What do the other animals call him? Claire said Rexy didn't like him."

' _DEAD ONE'_

"You guys don't really diversify in names, do you?"

Elise puffed air onto Owen, and he ruffled his hair while staring at the words. He was really disturbed actually, and he asked, "Why is Bridges named that?"

Elise wanted to tease Owen, but he was being serious. She carved, _'HE SMELLS VERY DEAD'_

"Bridges smells _dead_ to you guys?"

' _DEAD LIKE PIG'_

Owen grimaced at the memory of an unfortunate run. They had found a dead boar that bloated until it looked like a balloon. It had baked in the heat before they had run by it. Owen, being the guy he was and Blue by his side, had gone over to inspect the carcass. Elise remembered how Owen had somehow nudged the pig just right because it had made a pop.

The stench had been horrendous, and Elise remembered Owen throwing up while Blue tried to figure out why the prey had exploded.

Bridges didn't smell _that_ bad anymore, but Elise wasn't sure if that was her growing used to him or not. She liked him more, but he hurt hatchlings; Elise didn't like him anymore.

Owen rubbed the back of his neck as he quietly said, "I always wondered why he wore so much cologne…"

Elise knew that was perfume for boys, and perfume was stuff humans sprayed on themselves to make them smell better.

They only stunk more in Elise's opinion. Delta wasn't fond of cologne either, and she had tried to shove Owen into dirt when he had accidentally left it on after a date with Claire. Owen had worn it because Claire had bought it for him.

Delta had decided he needed to roll in dirt. Elise had found it funny when Blue tackled Owen into the pile.

"Elise, I really want to talk to you about Bridges, okay? I don't…what's the game you're even playing with him?"

Owen knew he wasn't supposed to ask, but he had to.

Elise blinked in confusion before she paused to think. She didn't know what they called their game. She wasn't sure actually. They tried to outsmart one another, gaining leverage over the other just in case it would come in handy later in life, and attempting to earn one another's favor for manipulation.

Was there a name for that?

Elise made something of a shrug, and she didn't like how Owen looked disappointed.

Like he thought she was lying, and Elise crooned as she wrote, _'DONT KNOW WE JUST PLAY'_

"Yes, but _how?"_

Elise tapped her claw in thought before answering, _'OUTSMART EACH OTHER BUT WE HAVE TO BE NICE OR GAME OVER'_

Owen was growing really confused, and he asked, "So…what? You guys just try to outsmart one another in what?"

Elise huffed; she wasn't sure how to explain a game that had been created on silent cues tossed between the two. They were even; Bridges was her opponent, but Elise paused.

She still thought of Bridges like their game was still going. Maybe this game was more dangerous than she had thought. Why wasn't she so mortified into immediately accepting the game was over?

Because those hatchlings were not hers, part of this island, or part of the game. This was something Elise had found out about Bridges through Sobek.

She had the advantage because Bridges had made a mistake. Everything was tied together in some way. The knowledge of the world could be found by following where the strings lead, because no matter how good she and Bridges were at this little game; there were still ways to discover even the darkest secrets.

Elise was smarter though; her darkest of secrets had been buried with Small One under the growing tree. Her secrets could be kept because one of them was dead.

Bridges' secrets had been witnessed by his own Co-Alpha. Small One couldn't tell Elise's secrets, but Sobek could still talk.

Elise was now winning this game because she knew Bridges' secrets; he was a poor Alpha to his island.

' _I AM WINNING'_

Owen raised an eyebrow as he said, "Elise, Bridges is dangerous."

' _SO AM I'_

"He is a cunning, manipulative bastard, Elise. I don't want you to get hurt."

' _WE HAVE RULES I AM WINNING'_

Owen wiped his face before asking, "Elise, don't you realize men like Bridges don't lose? He's playing by whatever rules you two made because you two were tied or something."

Elise puffed air through her nose before writing, _'I WIN BECAUSE HE DOES NOT KNOW I HAVE HIS SECRETS'_

"His secrets…"

' _SOBEK KNOWS AND NOW I KNOW BUT BRIDGES DOES NOT KNOW'_

Owen looked at her skeptically before saying, "Okay?"

' _THAT THE GAME I GOT SECRETS WITHOUT GIVING SECRETS I WIN'_

Owen narrowed his eyes in confused thought as he stared at Elise. He blinked before asking, "Are you two trying to manipulate each other? Or blackmail?"

Elise paused to think before nodding, and she wrote, _'SOMETHING LIKE THAT HARD TO EXPLAIN'_

Owen crossed his arms at the words in frustration, but he said, "Elise, I want to know if Bridges has seen a psychologist."

Elise shook her head, and Owen sighed. So Bridges really was manipulating Elise.

Was Elise manipulating Bridges?

"Do you like Bridges?"

Elise liked him, but she didn't. She liked the unique relationship between them, and their game. He was smart like her, and he treated her with respect after she had proven herself good at figuring him out. She treated him like anyone else, and he found that refreshing.

He helped her with her sister, and she offered her non-judgmental ear should he ever need it.

But Bridges was a hatchling killer. Even Elise had never stooped so low as to hurt a hatchling. She had watched hatchlings hatch during her rampage; she had left those alone.

Elise wrote her answer, and Owen sternly said, "That should be a 'no', Elise. You shouldn't like him at all."

' _HE DARK GREY HE HAS LITTLE GOOD'_

"That's exactly my point, Elise. He's not a good person."

Elise clawed at the dirt for a few seconds before admitting, _'BUT HE ALWAYS GOOD TO ME I GET TO SEE GOOD'_

Owen rubbed his forehead in worry before saying, "But that doesn't make him good."

Elise nodded, and Owen was growing confused. He looked around as he tried to makes sense of this before finally sighing. Elise tilted her head, and Owen firmly said, "Okay. If you ever have a problem, who are you going to go to first?"

Owen relaxed a little when Elise pointed at him without hesitation, and he asked, "If you have questions about your therapy, who-"

Elise tapped Bridges' name, and Owen immediately said, _"No, Elise. You come to me."_

Elise puffed air through her nose before retorting, _'I GO TO SOBEK FOR HELP IN FIGHTING I GO TO YOU FOR LOTS OF THINGS BUT BRIDGES KNOWS THERAPY'_

"He does not, Elise. I have experience with therapy. I want you to come to me. I can answer any question Bridges can. I'm serious."

Elise tilted her head in thought before she glanced at the ground. She didn't see or hear Roth, and she was always curious about a few things. It was so odd to see how different Bridges and Owen could be.

' _WILL ROTH LEAVE IF SHE DOES NOT GET DIRTY PAPER'_

"Dirty paper?"

' _MONEY'_

Owen blinked at the words before he crossed his arms as he asked Elise, "Are you afraid Dr. Roth is going to leave us if she doesn't get paid?"

Elise nodded, and Owen said, "Baby, you don't have to worry about her being paid. Claire and I have it taken care of."

Elise shook her head before writing, _'DOES SHE REALLY CARE'_

"Why would you think that?"

' _SHE IS PAID TO CARE'_

Owen held up his finger as he quickly said, "No, Elise. She is paid to help you get through your problems; she is not paid to care. The fact that she does care is what helps make her a good therapist."

Elise didn't agree with that, and Owen frowned as he said, "Elise, anyone can do a job, but caring about it is what makes them good at that. I'm paid to take care of the girls and you, but I care."

Elise waggled her finger at Owen in a way that was almost a mirror of how Claire would shake her finger at him when she was butting heads with him. Owen startled at that, and Elise wrote, _'YOU WOULD STILL STAY EVEN IF YOU DID NOT GET DIRTY PAPER ROTH WILL LEAVE'_

"Elise, I can promise you that Roth cares about your mental health just as much as I do."

Elise puffed air through her nose before retorting, _'I WILL NOT BELIEVE IT UNTIL I SEE IT'_

Owen lowered his brows, but he knew he wasn't going to sway Elise any. He finally sighed, "If you ever have problems with your therapy or questions, I want you to ask me, okay? Not Bridges because he's not good for you."

Elise nodded, and Owen smiled as he said, "That's my good girl. Now, we're going to work on what helps you calm down, okay? That's what Dr. Roth had wanted."

Elise immediately wrote, _'FISHING WITH SOBEK'_

Owen had to laugh, and he patted Elise's scales as he said, "I'll have to tell my dad that; he loves to go fishing for sturgeon. Maybe you two can fish next time he comes over."

Elise nodded eagerly; she liked to fish, and she liked how it tasted. It was fair hunting, and it was more fun than stalking the goat.

Goats didn't bite, but one goat had managed to head butt into Blue hard enough to knock her over. He was a large ram who had ended up in the ship with the flock. Tim hadn't thought anything about the large horns until the ram had charged Blue head on before taking off into the jungle.

Elise never told anyone the ram liked to graze on the far side of the wild pigs' thick brush home in her territory, but he would go to the pond where Small One was to drink. Elise liked the ram; she had named him Flower because he liked to eat lots of flowers.

Flower was nice even if he smelled really bad.

Owen smiled at Elise before glancing down when his hip crackled, and Claire said, "Owen, I handed the records over to Dr. Gerry. He said he was headed to his office now to go over them if you want to help him out."

Owen plucked the radio up as he replied, "I'll go help him."

"Have you found Elise?"

Elise was warmed by the concerned tone, and she garbled before Owen smiled as he said, "I have her with me; she was fishing with Sobek. She scared the life out of me with a shark."

Elise beamed at Claire's laughter, and the redhead finally said, "That's perfect; I love you, Elise."

That made Elise very happy too, and they said farewell to Claire before Owen said, "Alright, Baby. Can I get a boost up?"

Elise did so after Owen gave Echo a gentle stroke on her shoulder. The raptor was still suspicious of the large fish, but she chirped in response.

"You'll keep the girls out of Sobek's territory?"

Elise nodded, and Owen smiled as he left after shutting the window. Elise turned back to the shark before pausing when Blue and Delta suddenly darted in. Both immediately froze at seeing the shark, and Blue eyed it suspiciously as she demanded to know what this creature was.

Elise was still feeling ornery as the Beta cautiously crept to the dead shark, and Blue never saw Elise place her claws on the back of the shark's tail. Blue was carefully sniffing the split nose before the shark suddenly lunged forward into smacking her.

Blue let out a startled shriek as she bolted back into the jungle, and Elise began to laugh. Delta and Echo eyed the shark warily, but Elise finally calmed into assuring them all was well. Blue was still growling in the bushes while Elise stripped off the meat to share with the others.

Delta found it to be odd, but Echo was immediately in love with this. How had she never eaten this kind of prey before? Elise was glad Echo liked shark as well.

Blue didn't go near it.

* * *

Garnet eyes dangerously eyed the quiet plains as he searched for any danger before turning back to his pack.

It had grown so small, and he didn't know what to do. Life was hard, but he wasn't going to give up. They would survive somehow.

He just wished the nests hadn't been destroyed; it had hurt them. It had broken Dawn. He knew her name was Dawn; it was what Prey Alpha had called her before they escaped. Prey Alpha wasn't a good Alpha; he never had faith in his own pack. They were always separated by cold bars, and he didn't talk to them.

He had been Prey Alpha's Beta, but Prey Alpha never talked to him unless it was to bark orders or his name.

Prey Alpha called him Fuego.

Fuego had escaped with his now Beta, Cheshire. Cheshire was large but not a leader. He was calm though, and more willing to think through problems Fuego would rather power through. Cheshire was mated with Dawn.

Their eggs had been destroyed by humans. Fuego had hunted down every last human who left their scent on the nest until he finally came back to see they had lost two pack members. The three of them had originally joined a pack of four after escaping, and Fuego had been fine with allowing others to lead because they were wise leaders. The first Alpha had been an older female who looked a lot like Dawn; pale in color though she had dark markings along her back.

She had died after growing ill. Fuego had become the Beta for the next Alpha; a proud, healthy male who was smart about the world around him. He had always been a good hunter; the one who made the kills.

He had been crushed during a stampede of the three horned ones. Fuego became Alpha afterwards, and they had done as well as they could, but he had allowed his temper to get the best of him after their nests had been violated.

He left his Beta in charge while he hunted down the humans.

Fuego's Beta had been a younger female who was the fastest of the pack, but she had broken her neck during a hunt. Cheshire had taken over, and another male had died after eating a rotting carcass that should have been left alone.

Fuego came home to only two raptors, and he blamed himself for that. He should have let the humans go.

Sometimes Cheshire wanted to go back to Prey Alpha, but Fuego never wanted to sleep in the dark cages again. He would rule his own pack where he could interact with who he pleased. He ate when he pleased, walked where he wished, and he didn't get in trouble for wanting to run with the wind.

Fuego would never acknowledge Prey Alpha as his Alpha. He was a poor Alpha.

The dark scaled raptor turned his fiery gaze back to his sleeping pack. Cheshire was curled protectively around smaller Dawn. They were growing thin, and Fuego huffed quietly as he glanced back to the picked at carcass. This was the first good hunt they had in days; it wasn't even their kill. Limper had downed it.

Fuego was grateful Limper had been willing to abandon his kill after eating his fill. Fuego would remember that, and he had spent most of the night forming plans.

Maybe they could work with Limper until the pack got bigger. They could chase large prey to him, Limper would kill it, eat his fill, and Fuego's pack could eat the leftovers.

Fuego couldn't think of anything else to do, but he turned his gaze back to the direction of where the humans resided. Fuego didn't like being there; there was something dangerous there. It was bad, and his pack would not be safe there. The humans were armed with their shiny weapons; Fuego had never seen a human without the shiny weapon around him.

They feared him; they knew he could kill them if they didn't have the shiny weapon.

Fuego huffed once more before lowering himself into the drying grass. He would never take little things like this for granted, but he was sad his pack struggled for food. Sometimes he thought about going back to Prey Alpha for food.

But Prey Alpha was not an Alpha to them. He hadn't trusted his pack like an Alpha should.

* * *

Carnifex curled his lip high as he raked his claws on the solid door impatiently. He knew they could open, and he wanted them to open.

His blood was boiling, and he was growing restless.

He paced around once more before letting out an impressive roar to chase any foe from his territory. He needed out, and Father wasn't cooperating. Carnifex was ready to leave. He needed to expand his territory.

He had heard the roar of an easy kill, but this one sounded big. Carnifex wanted to fight that easy kill to prove his superiority, but the easy kill wouldn't reply to his challenges. That made Carnifex mad, but he assumed the easy kill was too cowardly to face him.

The emerald gaze turned to where his human would sometimes stand, but he hadn't seen him today.

That irritated Carnifex; he wanted to get passed these walls.

The fiery Spinosaurus lowered himself to carefully sniff the dirt; he hadn't hunted anything good in a few days. He wanted to chase something; humans were easy to hunt. He wanted an easy kill.

He wasn't getting one, and it angered him. These walls were too confining; he needed out.

Another wave made his blood boil, and Carnifex let out a loud roar.

He would get out.


	73. Chapter 73

**A/N**

 **Hey guys! I am still alive!**

 **Romance Guest, it's up to you. I myself am a slow going person, and I never liked it when guys I didn't know randomly said they liked me. You shall see babies in the very far future.**

 **Evil Jesus, nope, you can take all the time you need to realize things xD You're welcome.**

 **Stickman561, I'm sorry, but Wu is my Severus Snape. D:**

 **Guest, I like the sound of President Rex.**

 **Unknown, hello! Thank you for the Oreos! :D**

 **The Only Potato, *Throw confetti and Oreos* I'll try to squeeze that in somehow actually, and I do care about you guys. Love you much, Potato!**

 **Kim K's Butt, I'm deep XD You're fine, I hope it was good wine! I trust you and your butt!**

 **Guest, by all means color Carnifex like Barney; that dino scared me as a kid.**

 **Lance, but that would be no fun!**

 **Anonymous, I can actually see that, but I love Sobek too much! He's my cranky dragon.**

 **Miraak, I'm pretty sure I beat you at the Summit of Apocrypha...**

 **Elise da indom, I gots a death warning for you!**

 **Imtomzizle, You got a warning to like requested! Thank you for waiting!**

 **BoopidtyBoop, Oreos for you for getting through the chapters so fast! I thank you for the Oreos!**

 **OREO, when you read this, good luck with debate! And your requested warning is here for you!**

 **Guest reviewer number 3700, you made me laugh really hard with that review.**

 **Guys, I thank you much and mighty for your reviews, comments, and patience. Stay safe, love you guys in case you haven't heard it today! Have a good day/night!**

* * *

"The Sharp Eyed Poet."

"My right elbow has never been touched by my right hand…"

Lowery frowned at his elbow before saying, "That makes me kind of sad."

Vivian raised an eyebrow at him as she quietly replied, "I think that means you need to go take your break now, doesn't it?"

"Nah, I still have a half hour until my break; it just hit me all of a sudden."

Vivian snorted quietly, and someone asked, "Does shark taste good? Because Echo seems to really like it."

Control glanced at the screen to see the bronze raptor rip off a massive chunk of meat before gobbling it down. Elise was content to pick off the meat with her claws, and Lowery said, "You know, Elise does act like Sobek a little."

"I thought she acted like Owen."

Lowery nodded in agreement, but he replied, "Watch this."

The tech-geek flicked the cameras until the river was on the screen with Sobek quietly cleaning his claws. He hadn't moved much after Elise had left, but Lowery pressed a button on his computer, and Sobek snapped his gaze up. The Spinosaurus was focused on the false bird that had been placed there to grab his attention just in case.

It made a very odd sound, and Sobek tilted his head.

"I don't get it."

Lowery rolled his eyes but dryly said, "Guys, Elise tilts her head for everything that grabs her attention. I thought she had owl DNA in her until I watched Sobek."

"Stalker."

The man threw his hands up in exasperation while Vivian quietly laughed with the rest of the room.

"Back to work."

"Says the stalker!"

* * *

" _Troppo giovane…"_

Romano shook his head at the dead Tyrannosaurus baby. He knew she wasn't going to survive the night, but he had been hopeful.

That was the worst part of the job. Being hopeful was a heart wrench when it came to these animals because it just hurt to see them die.

It ruined his morning, burying Leonardo and Belladonna had been hard, but Romano was sad to say it was for the best. A vet tech had made little headstones for the both of them; it was a nice gesture.

Romano just wished he didn't have to watch this little baby die. Vets were below the scientists here; the babies had always been separated from Leonardo and Belladonna. Romano had wondered if the couple would have grown aggressive if they knew they had hatchlings to protect.

He was sure they would have, but now they could be buried with their youngest child. Romano was sickened to think this was the only way for Belladonna to be reunited with her daughter.

In the soft earth as they slowly rotted away; the family was whole again.

Romano knew this baby wasn't as big as she should have been; this was the last straw with him. He didn't know what experiment this little girl had been in, but Romano was tired of it.

Maybe he would go to Jurassic World; he knew he would be valuable there. He wanted to see the happy animals who knew what kind humans were. Romano knew full well the job would be around sick animals most of the time, but still…

He wanted to change his work; it was different stuff he dealt with here.

Romano didn't clean anyone's teeth because the animals were wild. He didn't get to see his patients regularly. Romano couldn't get attached to them because he never knew when they would die. The closest he had gotten to regular patients was through Derick's raptor pack.

Romano had known Fuego and the rest were going to be put down since Owen had made better progress with his girls. Romano had overheard Hoskins talking about it on the phone, and the vet hadn't wanted that to happen. There had been too many cameras for Romano to just let them go, but he had done something else.

He opened Fuego's door enough times for the male to figure it out. Romano was glad Fuego was smart enough to observe, but he missed the fiery raptor. He was funny and an incredibly tender leader to his own. No one but Romano had witnessed the tender side of Fuego.

When Romano had to put down a sick male, Fuego had openly grieved while trying to get to his pack mate. Romano had never worked around raptors before that pack; Fuego was good to his own, and Romano did everything he could to prove himself an ally to that pack.

It worked; Romano had watched Fuego leave with the others. The dark scaled male had made eye contact with him; it wasn't like they were within arm's length of each other, but Romano could easily see them in the dark. Romano had only done what he normally did after every appointment.

He had waved. Fuego had puffed air through his nose before disappearing into the dark, and Romano had left with a smile on his face.

He was sad to say the other raptors had since been put down.

Romano sighed as he walked over to his closet of supplies; he doubted Fuego would allow him to pet him, but Romano had no intent of doing that. He just knew Fuego would remember the kindness; maybe spare him if they ever crossed paths in the wild assuming Romano wasn't too deep in their territory and Fuego wasn't too hungry.

The vet pulled out a soft blanket that he normally used for patients, but this one needed it more. It was large enough to wrap around the baby, and Romano grunted as he lifted the body. She was heavy, but he knew she wasn't as heavy as she was supposed to be.

Maybe he was getting tired of dealing with more dead animals. He missed Sobek, and it sounded like the Spinosaurus had found his other half in Rexy. Romano wanted to see that. Jurassic World did pay a little less, but Romano knew money was just paper; he wasn't hurting for cash. He would survive easily on the lower pay, and he would be happier. Claire was good to her employees, and she admitted when she had done wrong.

It had spoken volumes to Romano when she had fought against the slander that attacked Blake and Elise. Claire had taken the blame for not catching the problem sooner. Romano respected that.

He did like Daemon; the man had always been good to him, but Romano was tired of the setting. He had been here a long time, and he wanted a different place to work. Romano had stayed as long as he had in hopes of improving conditions for the animals; he hoped to change Daemon's views on animals, but it wasn't working.

He thought Daemon would have been different, but he was stuck in his ways.

Daemon was just as stubborn as the day they met; the only difference was the improvement for the animals. It still wasn't what Romano wanted.

The vet had never abandoned a patient before, but he had unintentionally gained Daemon as his patient when he was hired. Romano had hoped he could help Daemon, but it was becoming clear that the blonde was content to suffer in silence.

Maybe leaving would force Daemon to find help; Jack would crack and spill the beans. All Romano knew was he was tired, and it was time to take his own happiness into consideration. He was pushing his late forties; he wanted a better job.

Romano sighed as he began to walk out of the building while cradling the precious cargo close to his chest. It didn't bother him to carry her; she probably needed a kind hand to touch her before being laid to rest.

He would call Gerry after burying the baby; if Gerry was willing to hire him, Romano would put in his two weeks notice.

"Let us go, Bambina; I will get you to Mama and Papa."

* * *

"Hey…"

Claire let out a startled yelp when the calloused hand suddenly touched her shoulder, and she dropped the folders. Owen was quick enough to grab them before giving a sheepish, "Sorry, I didn't mean to sneak up on you."

Claire let out a breath as she took the folders back while saying, "I thought you were going to Dr. Gerry's office."

Owen nodded as he rubbed the back of his neck while saying, "Yeah, I did, but…"

Claire raised an eyebrow. "But?"

Owen finally shrugged as he said, "About this morning, I wasn't trying to be the good guy around Elise, Claire. I just…"

"Wanted her to be educated before making her decision."

Owen blinked before smiling, "Yeah; I know you're in a hard spot."

Claire nodded in agreement while replying, "Judge Knight was understanding, but she was very clear about what was going to happen."

Owen shifted quietly before asking, "What'd she say about the embryos?"

The redhead glanced around the people walking past them, and she answered, "Judge Knight will be here in a few days to talk to Elise. She's been keeping tabs on her, and she's really happy with the progress she's seeing. She thinks Elise is mature enough to help make the best decision."

The two paused when they heard the familiar croon of their baby, and Owen smiled at the massive hologram delighting children. The hologram Elise paused to lower her head before throwing it back as she made an elated trill. Claire smiled before saying, "You'd better go help Dr. Gerry with the records, Owen. I know you were doing what's best."

Owen raised an eyebrow high as he turned back to Claire.

"Miss Dearing, where is that fiery temper of yours? I had the _audacity_ to disagree with you."

Claire playfully smacked Owen's arm as she retorted, "Says Mr. Mom."

"Barry is Mr. Mom."

Claire smiled as she poked, "You've changed too, Owen. You actually take the time to explain things instead of digging your heels in; you're getting more patient."

Owen blinked before Claire suddenly teased, "Maybe you're getting old."

"I am not."

"I see a grey hair and crow's feet."

Owen gave a crooked grin as he played along. "Well, at least I already got the big milestones out of the way. I got four kids, a hot girlfriend, and her adoptive mother who wouldn't hesitate to munch me if I stuck one toe out of line."

Owen jumped at a loud roar before rolling his eyes at the recording of Rexy. Claire couldn't stop her laugh as she gently pushed Owen towards the door. "Get going, Raptor Dad. I'll see you at dinner tonight."

Owen leaned back for a quick kiss as he softly said, "Yes, Ma'am."

Claire lightly patted Owen's butt with the folders before laughing at his startled expression. He looked stunned she would get so flirty in public, but Claire only winked before walking away with a smile on her face.

She had been changing for the better too.

* * *

"And the renowned paleontologist, Dr. Grant has just discovered another ancient fossil in the rich earth of Dr. Harding's territory."

"Owen, I will bury you in Rexy's paddock if you don't knock it off."

Grant chuckled at the old vet's growling while Owen settled into the creaking chair. Gerry snorted, but Owen said, "I got Sobek on my side; he likes me. I know he'll dig me up."

Grant flipped to another photo of a Triceratops; he was intent of getting to know the herd. He wanted to research them until it was time to go back to digging. The paleontologist dryly said, "You know, I actually do think Sobek likes you, Owen. He's mellowed out a lot."

Owen raised an eyebrow while asking, "Really?"

Gerry snorted, "He's an old man; he can fish all day in a quiet place before fighting his fiery lady. What more can a guy ask for?"

Owen held up a paper full of DNA sequences that gave him a headache to look at, but he asked, "What do you think of that, Dr. Grant?"

Grant rolled his eyes before saying, "Rexy and Sobek are old enough to make their own decisions. As long as they aren't chasing me, I really don't care what they do."

Owen started to laugh before Gerry finally pushed the pile of papers onto his desk as he said, "Alright, this is everything we have on Elise and Small One."

Grant picked up another photo as he said, "The scariest thing about Elise is realizing these animals communicate with each other. Makes me wonder what my old dog named me."

"Blue calls me Stupid Alpha."

Gerry grinned widely, and Owen added, "I think Rexy calls you Dusty, Dr. Grant."

" _Dusty?"_

Gerry started to laugh, and Owen grinned. He had always been curious about what Rexy had remembered from the old park, and Elise had decided to talk to her mother about it. Rexy remembered important things like breaking free, her first real hunt, her fight with Lady Margaret, and saving Dr. Grant and the kids from Big One. She was pretty sure she had tried to eat Gerry and his daughter, but she couldn't recall.

"Yeah, Elise says you smell like dry dirt; it's what Rexy remembered anyway. You smelled like dry dirt in the rain, whatever that meant."

Grant raised an eyebrow before muttering, "I can only imagine what Sobek named me."

"I can ask Elise if you want."

"I think I'll leave it to the imagination, Owen. I'm sure it's just a curse word that won't translate over."

Owen laughed before sighing at the paper he held. It was the basic introduction paper.

Species: _Indominus rex_

Species ID: IR

IR Subject ID: IR-02^

Birth Weight: 3.8lbs.

Birth Date: 12/5/09

Base Genome: Species TR.

Donor Species: Subject TR-01 _(Alive as of 2009)_ , Subject SA-01* _(Alive as of 2009),_ Subject VM-07 _(Presumed deceased as of 1993; genetic sample survived)_. Subject HS-1, Deceased.

Amber Mine Samples: _Carnotaurus sastrei, Majungasaurus crenatissmus, Rugops primus, Giganotosaurus carolinii._

Total Dinosauria: 7 species.

"This is Small One's; she's got to be the one who weighs that little."

Grant frowned as he read the information over before saying, "I don't understand some of this; I know there's nothing we can do for her, but why didn't anyone say anything about her weight? Which one did InGen own?"

The vet sighed, "We don't know; we never did the DNA test since Miss Dearing settled with InGen."

Owen paused as he stared at the weight of Small One; she had looked thin in the picture. Even people who weren't familiar with animals pointed out the ribs. Everyone knew a baby was supposed to be round; Blue and the girls had been little balls. Elise had been a little underweight, but compared to Small One…

Anyone with eyes could have easily seen Small One wasn't healthy.

"I think InGen owned Elise," Grant said, "It's the only thing that makes sense. They probably got first pick."

Owen frowned as he slowly said, "But InGen was ignoring both of them…Wu had said so…"

Grant raised an eyebrow, and Gerry dryly asked, "Are you really going to believe the man, who never took the time to know what he created, actually kept track of an animal?"

"He kept track of Elise; she has Hammond's DNA."

"I didn't know that."

Owen glanced at Grant before saying, "That was supposed to be classified."

"Does Tim know that?"

The raptor trainer shook his head while answering, "I doubt it; we only found out this morning. Wu had sent this stuff over along with money for Elise; he said he was sorry for why he created her. I don't even know if he's alive."

Grant sank into another chair with a sigh. "I missed the days when dinosaurs were just bones; life seemed simpler then, you know? Now we have slightly domesticated Velociraptors, a Tyrannosaurus who named me Dusty, and a human hybrid who has forced every philosopher to wonder exactly what makes us human. Elise has really opened up the world; we humans always wondered what animals thought or talked about, and Elise can actually answer those questions. That's unnerving."

Gerry sipped his Diet Pepsi before rummaging through his little fridge, "Make life easy; we'll just leave that dramatic shit for the bored people. We can sort paper like simpletons."

Grant accepted the cold Pepsi, but Owen said, "I like Cola better."

Gerry caught the teasing tone, but he growled, "Get out before I beat you; there's no damned difference. You don't turn your nose at an offered drink; even good ol' Blue knows that."

Owen laughed as he took the can before asking, "Have you given Blue a sip of soda before?"

"No, but I have a feeling you have after she snagged my bottle once. She knew what it was."

Owen didn't respond, and the old vet eyed him dangerously before going to the paper as he said, "Alright, this will be easy to sort through since Wu said everything was accurate. This paperwork should keep the ID code at the top. Elise is number one, and Small One is two."

"Seems easy enough."

Gerry snorted, but he said, "Just keep an eye out for any mistakes; I still don't trust that first paper we were given."

Grant sipped his drink before asking, "Did you ever get Bridges' 'honest' input on that paper?"

"Actually, no," Owen said while placing a paper in a pile, "I'm not sure he knows anything."

Gerry shrugged, "Dr. Wu sent everything over; if nothing matches up, the lawyers can nail him on it."

"We're just the simpletons sorting the paper."

"Exactly, Owen."

* * *

"Goodness, he's certainly an intimidating animal."

Bridges only flashed his perfect smile as he said, "Carnifex is indeed, but we don't need to worry about him, Mrs. Dodgson. He's just a little fussy today."

The dark haired woman gave her own perfect smile as she fluttered lashes just enough before saying, "Mr. Bridges, there's no need for such formality around me. Call me Lucia."

Bridges didn't show his surprise, but he glanced to the Spinosaurus when he stomped by. This woman was just a little too flirty; normally Bridges would be all over that except for one little detail that just didn't sit well with him. The blonde glanced down at her as he asked, "Would you like to see the rest of the area? We can take a break if you'd like; I know we've already done plenty of walking through our Main Office."

Lucia only beamed at him as she easily looped her arm into his before leading them to the couch. Bridges was on guard though he remained completely relaxed; even when Lucia leaned on him. She batted her lashes at him as she purred, "How is such a sweet man like you still single? You're the first man who hasn't made a pass at me since I've inherited this company from my husband."

"I always respected Robert, my dear; I wasn't raised like that."

Lucia leaned on him more heavily, and Bridges was aware of how she seemed to scoot just a little closer when she thought he wouldn't notice. He could smell her shampoo, and his chin almost bumped her head when he glanced down at her as she sadly said, "I miss my husband very much so, but I know he would have wanted me to keep the company floating."

"I think you're doing a wonderful job."

Bridges did mean that, and he wasn't sure if he needed to be suspicious or impressed by how easily Lucia stepped up to the plate. It hadn't hindered any of the business between their companies aside from a few meetings shifting around.

Bridges was never quite convinced by the tears he saw, but he didn't think Lucia knew that. She was good at this game, but not as good as Elise.

Bridges glanced at the clock on the wall, and he noted that she would be having another training session soon. He wanted to see that and maybe push her buttons today. Bridges loved pushing her buttons, but he was always grateful for her.

Bridges sincerely adored Elise like he did Clementine. The blonde paused; he needed to call Hart to make sure things were going smoothly. Clem was supposed to transfer hospitals for the surgery; he was sure Hart would call him if something went wrong.

At least the lawyer would never find out about the match he had rejected. Bridges had been torn about rejecting that one, but he knew Clem had been healthy enough to survive until the next match came around. Now she had her match, Hart was just about done with the paperwork, he would get his daughter back, and Bridges could be done with a headache.

He did want to bring Clem to Jurassic World; he knew Elise would love the little girl.

" _Bello,_ what do you think so hard about? A beautiful girl?"

Bridges smiled; he was thinking about two beautiful girls. Elise was stunning in her own way, and Bridges loved that crimson fire in her eyes. She kept her snowy scales pristine, and he loved her intelligent wit.

Joker was her role model; Bridges loved that.

Clem was beautiful too; she had a fiery spirit she kept alive no matter what. Bridges was sure she would grow into an independent woman.

"I am."

Lucia crinkled her nose just right as she smiled while lowering her lids. Bridges turned to her when she asked, "An Italian one? I had heard one with a very nice butt had caught your eye. Who is the pretty lady?"

Bridges had no idea how that rumor started, but he was going to beat the life out of the loose lips when he found them. He glanced to the corner of the room to see Mr. Growls sitting there innocently; that bastard probably told Iudex who spilled it to someone else. One of the demons had made the concerning connection that dinosaurs were birds' ancestors. Maybe Iudex told a bird who told another bird, and maybe one had a nice conversation with Elise who told one of her humans. It would make sense on how Elise was so good at figuring him out, and maybe that was how Iudex knew what Elise looked like.

Did they send love birds to one another?

The birds; they were always chittering. Maybe he would invest in a hawk of some sort to take care of them; stop the rumors from spreading. Bridges supposed this rumor as better than the one that could possibly regard a certain man who was comfortably sitting with a nice Velociraptor.

Mr. Growls shifted slightly before narrowing his eyes dangerously, and Bridges glanced down at Lucia to see her staring at the portrait of Sobek. He had a feeling she was wondering what was behind the painting rather than the painting itself.

It didn't bother Bridges; there wasn't anything behind it anyway, but he glanced back to the hunched over shadow who never left him; always found in the darkest corner of the room. Mr. Growls only grew more detailed the less sleep Bridges got.

He was just a simple shadow now with obtuse triangle eyes that held nothing in them. He just looked like a shadow of a cutout. At his most detailed, he held a mouth full of crooked teeth, and a sinister voice that always whispered in his ear.

But he only growled most of the time.

"My mother painted that."

Lucia paused just the slightest; Bridges only said something to make Mr. Growls shut up. The shadow kept his eyes narrowed though he seemed to relax back into doing his slight rock that he always did. Lucia smiled at Bridges as she said, "It's very beautiful, but that's not Carnifex, is it?"

"That's his father, Sobek."

"The Egyptian god? How fitting; I hear he is doing very well in Jurassic World."

Bridges wasn't sure if Lucia was really into that culture or if she had researched Sobek simply to get on his good side. The tables had turned; he got his investment back. Now he wasn't at Lucia's mercy anymore thanks to Elise. The blonde nodded, and he suggested, "Would you like to see the re-"

"Oh, Mr. Bridges, I'm in no hurry," she batted her lashes, "And you did say your entire day was free."

Bridges was regretting that little line now, but he only gave his charming smile while saying, "Of course I did; I just wasn't sure if your day was free."

"It is for you."

Bridges wanted to sigh; this game wasn't as fun anymore now that Elise had proven to be his best challenge yet. Owen was smart, but he didn't play the game; he was so obvious in his dislike that Bridges didn't bother with him. He was sure Owen wouldn't believe a word he said even if it was the truth.

Claire had become boring with her no-nonsense attitude, and she was dating Owen. Bridges had abandoned his game with her.

But Elise, oh Elise had never failed to keep him on his toes. She was polite, caring, cunning, and Bridges knew she wouldn't hesitate to use him to her advantage. She knew he would do the same, but he had grown fond of her in her hesitation to do anything harmful.

Something had touched him to see her unsure about therapy; he hadn't planned to give her reassurance for free. He had planned on using that over her, but he just didn't have it in him. Bridges was glad he had done that; a mutual respect had been further forged between them. He would never use her uncertainty in therapy against her, and she promised to listen to him without judging.

Elise really felt like a friend.

Bridges had almost once told her about the voices he heard until he remembered the cameras in the log. Still, Bridges did feel better about Elise's offer; he slept a little easier at night.

"Tell me her name, Mr. Bridges, this is the second time you've left."

Bridges chuckled at being caught, and Mr. Growls narrowed his eyes in warning. As dangerous as the shade was, he was the one who warned Bridges about danger.

"I give no secret for free, my dear."

Lucia lidded her eyes before pouting her lip slightly as she purred, "Is she beautiful?"

"She is."

"Intelligent?"

"Very intelligent, Lucia. She is very intelligent."

The woman smiled before suddenly changing the subject. "Tell me, _Bello,_ what's your favorite dinosaur?"

Bridges blinked but quickly said, "I do believe that is my line."

Lucia gave a laugh as she adjusted herself closer to him, and even going so far as to tuck her legs under her. Bridges glanced at Mr. Growls for some guidance but was distracted by the finger tracing his coat; he didn't want anything to go far.

Bridges didn't like to blur these kind of lines. Lucia was strictly business, but he was a little confused about where she was exactly. He would give her that much for being able to keep her cards close.

Bridges liked to flirt with women like Claire because he knew she would never try to get romantic with him. What it did was butter her up or convince her he was too focused on her chest to do anything dangerous. He had only stopped flirting with Claire out of respect for Elise on the first day they met. Bridges knew Elise adored Claire, and he knew Claire hated his flirting.

He stopped because he was sure Elise would have wanted him to.

"You didn't answer my question, Mr. Bridges."

At least Lucia was still using formality with him, and Bridges shifted before answering, "The Spinosaurus; I'm very fond of Sobek and Carnifex. Carnifex's mother was off in the head, but she was a good female."

Bridges paused when he heard a warning growl, but Lucia whipped out her phone while saying, "I noticed, between the three of us, we all have our own dinosaur. Rexy is certainly something to be feared."

"She's good for her island; I doubt she'd do well on this island."

Bridges paused when the photo was shown to him. Of all the things he expected to see, Sobek pressing his snout tenderly to Rexy's was not one of them. He had never seen his Sobek so tender towards another, but the Spinosaurus seemed so happy to cuddle close to Rexy.

"Isn't that adorable, Mr. Bridges? Will you be trying to do the same with Miss Claire?"

Bridges blinked before answering, "No, Miss Dearing is in a relationship."

The blonde then cleared his throat before asking, "Now, tell me about your favorite dinosaur."

The woman giggled as she pulled up a picture of the very feathery, beady eyed animal that bore resemblance to a Tyrannosaurus in head and body shape. Bridges had never seen such a boldly colored dinosaur of that size before, and Lucia proudly said, "This is my Yutyrannus, Catharine. Isn't she stunning?"

"She's very colorful."

Lucia nodded while saying, "She was a present from Robert; I love feeding her."

"How big is she?"

The dark haired woman adjusted herself until Bridges was forced to basically wrap his arm around her shoulder; he felt exposed in a way. Lucia only swiped through another picture as she said, "Catharine is around thirty feet long last time we measured her; she's a very quick girl."

Bridges narrowed his eyes at the picture, but Lucia said, "I keep her on our little island; it's nowhere as big as yours, but I insist on showing it to you sometime, Mr. Bridges."

Bridges wracked his brain as he recalled Robert saying something about his honeymoon he had planned with Lucia on a small, private island. Robert had been a good businessman; he had inherited the BioSyn company from his father, Lewis Dodgson.

Robert hadn't died too long ago, and Bridges had to remind himself that he had attended the man's funeral. There was no way Lucia had fed her husband to the Yutyrannus. Robert had looked sick not chewed. He still didn't know what had killed the man; all he remembered was Lucia sitting by his bedside faithfully.

Always feeding him homemade chocolate ice cream; it was sad to see the dotting wife beat herself up over not being able to somehow save her husband. Bridges would never deny Lucia was wifey material. She looked fantastic, she was always cheery, and always by her husband's side. Bridges wasn't sure if she ever strayed from Robert during marriage, but she certainly seemed happy to curl up to his side now that her husband was six feet under loose dirt and a strip of fake grass.

The man paused when he felt his phone vibrating, and he ignored Lucia's unhappy look. Bridges frowned at seeing Claire's number on the screen.

"I thought you said you weren't interested in her."

Bridges raised an eyebrow at the shadow in the corner of the room before saying, "She is the CEO of Jurassic World; I do business with her."

"That's quite a low cut top…"

Bridges hadn't actually noticed the cut of the shirt, and he didn't think it was bad. Claire never wore anything inappropriate. He sighed when he took too long to answer before saying, "If you'll excu-"

The blonde startled when his face was grabbed and plump lips were pressed against his own. Bridges hadn't expected that one, and he mentally cursed when his phone hit the carpet as he was pushed back.

Mr. Growls only rolled his obtuse triangle eyes as best he could while continuing to rock back and forth, nice and slow.

He tried to warn Bridges.

* * *

"Hey, Mama, where's Blue at?"

Rexy briefly glanced up at Tim before going back to her grooming. She did look like hell, and Tim had been concerned about her being too banged up. She had a lot of slashes on herself, but Rexy didn't seem to be bothered by it at all.

Tim supposed that was a good thing; he just didn't expect Rexy to go looking for a fight with Sobek after yesterday.

"What would we do without you?"

Tim chuckled quietly before answering his own question, "I guess I'd have a car with a sun roof."

He paused to pat his tummy, "And I'd probably have my dad's beer belly; you terrified me into exercising so I'd be able to outrun you just in case."

Rexy paused to let give a wide yawn, and Tim smiled as he leaned on the rails. He was waiting for Rexy to leave before he would pick up the goat's chain again. It was actually nice to let the goat run free; Rexy seemed more excited for it, and they didn't have to repair the pole they tied the goat to.

Tim still wasn't all that big on the raptors running loose, but they had their trackers, and he actually felt better with Blue always being at Rexy's side. He felt like she would let him know if something was wrong with Rexy.

Rexy glanced into the trees when her parrot decided to trot through the brush with a greeting bark. Tim watched Blue immediately thrust her snout into Rexy's jaw before flopping onto her side next to the small arm. Blue liked to rest her head there, and Tim quietly said, "Hey, Blue. Life good?"

Blue made a chirp; she liked this human. Not enough to make him part of the pack, but if she had to choose between him and another prey to hunt, she would go after the other prey. He gave her Oreos sometimes, and he was respectful.

He was also important to Stern One; Blue cared about that.

Tim had to chuckle when Rexy gently dragged Blue away from her before giving slow swipes of her tongue to clean her. Blue didn't seem to mind, and she stretched out as far as she could. Tim was still trying to figure out the dynamics of this relationship. Sometimes they seemed like best friends, other times Blue was like Rexy's hatchling, a few times Tim wondered if they exhibited some mating behavior. It was just little things, but Tim shrugged it off.

All he cared about was how Rexy's health had improved with Elise and the girls; that was enough for him.

"Hey, Blue, I have an Oreo for you."

The raptor immediately flipped over before going over to stand under the platform, and Tim dropped it down. Blue chirped her thanks as she trotted back to Rexy before turning her back to the elder as she savored her Oreo.

Tim smiled; he knew why Blue kept her back turned while Rexy made more swipes with her tongue. He remembered how Blue had tried to eat her Oreo while Rexy washed her face; Rexy had accidentally taken the Oreo with a swipe, but Tim was ready to simply give Blue another one. It was no big deal.

Apparently Owen had Blue on a one and done Oreo diet or something because Tim remembered the mortified shriek Blue had given before throwing herself into the open jaws of Rexy.

Blue jumped into Rexy's mouth for an Oreo.

Tim wasn't sure who had been more surprised between him and Rexy. The Tyrannosaurus' eyes had widened with shock before immediately spitting Blue out with a gagged sound. Blue had walked away, covered in saliva, but she had her Oreo. Tim remembered the chitters Blue made, and the confused look Rexy had given him.

It wasn't a look Tim had seen before; it had actually been funny after the shock wore off, and Owen hadn't acted surprised when Tim told him.

He had only shook his head.

"Timmy!"

Tim glanced over to the other side to see the redhead waving at him. Tim waved back at Claire before pressing the button to lower the platform. Claire had always been a childhood friend after Tim had met her during a visit to the park. When things had been working to reopen, she had been his best friend growing up, and he remembered how they always played outside of Rexy's paddock fence because none of the adults hung out there.

Rexy never seemed to mind them when she passed by; granted they always hid when they heard her coming.

It had always been nice playing with Claire because they had both decided they would work here one day.

His sister never wanted to set foot here again; she hated dinosaurs, but she was happy where she worked now. She had a nice husband and three kids who she would never allow to come here. Tim had always hated that, but he had to respect it.

Tim glanced over to where the old park was; the most vivid memories were of Rexy saving them from the raptors. He still wondered if that raptor he locked in the freezer was there; he hadn't told anyone because he assumed someone else had.

He could always check it out when he got time, but he had been saying that for years now. The freezer had probably collapsed.

"Hey, Claire, what's happening?"

Claire smiled at Tim before she tugged him close. "I have to tell you something, Timmy."

Tim knew that tone; it was the one to stay quiet, and his eyes turned wide before loudly whispering, "Oh my God, you're pregnant, aren't you?"

Claire rolled her eyes; Tim always said that when she had to tell him something. Sometimes she wanted to say yes just to see his reaction, but she had something better today. Claire looked around before asking, "You know how Elise has human DNA?"

"Yeah, I kind of figured that the first time I saw her."

Claire tugged Tim's arm before gently pushing him onto an unoccupied bench as she said, "You might need to sit down for this one."

Tim raised an eyebrow, and Claire said, "You cannot tell anyone, Timmy; it's classified information."

"Um, okay."

Claire plopped next to him as she kicked her heels up slightly with the unladylike sitting, and Tim smiled. That was the best friend he knew; he was the one who educated Claire in dinosaurs when they were younger. He would take her on 'tours' of the park where they always stopped at Rexy.

She had been the grand finale.

Even if Claire had grown from the leader in their little adventures to the Claire he knew today, she still acted more informal around him than anyone else. Even Owen, but that was changing, and Tim was glad those two had figured it out with each other.

Tim had gotten really mad at Owen for the first date disaster, and he told Mama all about it. Rexy hadn't understood what had been said, but she understood her human children were incredibly upset about something.

Claire leaned close as she said, "Okay, we got a package from Dr. Wu today; he told us whose DNA he used."

Tim eagerly sat forward as he guessed, "Wu used his own, didn't he?"

Claire shook her head before she quietly said, "He used Mr. Hammond's DNA, Timmy; Elise is related to your grandpa."

Tim blinked before he simply sat back in shock. Claire carefully watched for his reaction, and Tim shook himself before asking, "Like, Elise is his daughter?"

Claire crinkled her brow, "I…don't know how much DNA she has, but Wu used it. I guess Mr. Hammond has sent him a sample as a joke to put in an amber chunk."

"So, Grandpa didn't even know?"

Claire shook her head, and Tim stared blankly before blurting, "Oh my God…I'm related to a dinosaur."

Claire slowly nodded.

"Elise is like my aunt…Aunt Elise…my aunt is six years old…"

Tim frowned at that last part, but Claire quietly laughed at his expression. Tim pursed his lips until he quietly said, "I got family on the park again…"

He beamed at that before suddenly hugging Claire. "Thanks for telling me that. How'd Elise react to the news?"

Claire sighed, "Better than the rest of us; I really don't think a lot fazes her, Timmy, but I just wanted you to know before the news somehow gets ahold of it."

Tim looked down at his feet for a few seconds before saying, "Maybe I'll talk to Elise tonight; tell her about Grandpa."

"I think she'll appreciate that, Timmy."

* * *

"Alright, that actually wasn't as bad as I thought."

Grant nodded in agreement as he eyed the two piles of paper, "There wasn't a lot."

Owen frowned at the papers while saying, "There wouldn't be when they were being ignored. There wasn't even any medical records a week after they were put into the paddock. I mean, aren't vets supposed to keep files?"

Gerry sighed as he began to enter in his own records, "Yes, but I remember Dr. Salvador; he wasn't one for records. He was InGen's Chief Veterinarian until Sobek got him."

"You don't sound very sad," Grant commented.

"I'm not; I like the current Chief vet. He's got a hell of a temper, and I know he's not afraid to give Bridges a piece of his mind. Things got a lot better for the animals after he showed up."

Owen raised an eyebrow as he said, "I didn't think anyone could get away with arguing with Bridges."

Gerry snorted before his phone began to ring, and he paused to pick it up. Grant continued to go over the Triceratops' records, and Owen picked up another paper. It was the last one, but it didn't look like a record of anything. It was written by who Owen would guess to be Wu.

 _Nivis monstri_

 _Monstrum rex_

 _Invictus rex_

 _Invicta nix_

"I really hope these aren't names for new species…"

Grant peered over Owen's shoulder before saying, "It certainly looks like it; it's in the right format. Maybe those were names for the Indominus."

Owen rubbed the back of his neck before replying, "Wu said the word Indominus didn't even exist in the Latin language."

"No one bothered to check him? I know he can bring back dinosaurs, but that doesn't exactly make him fluent in Latin. I'd have someone double check him."

The two glanced over when Gerry leaned back in his chair as he growled, "You're shitting me, Tony…that's…I'm sorry about that."

"What do you think these names mean?"

Grant chewed his lip before answering, "We know 'rex' means king. I'm going to guess 'monstri' means monster, but don't quote me on it."

Owen swept his gaze across the endless amount of books as he asked, "Think Doc has a Latin dictionary?"

"He has a rules booklet on Jenga," Grant snorted, "I'm sure he's got one in there."

Owen pressed his lips at the intimidating wall before glancing at the computer. Gerry wasn't using it, and the vet only rolled back in his chair before giving Owen a warning glare when the man silently laughed at the coil cord connected to the phone.

"Are you sure about that one, Tony? That's a hell of an accusation…really? No, Miss Dearing most certainly does not…I… _really?_ Has he pissed you off that badly?"

Gerry looked surprised and sad at the same time before murmuring, "God knows those animals do better because of you, Tony…"

Owen clicked through the web before marveling at the astounding connection; it wasn't even fair, but Owen wouldn't complain. He went down the list as Gerry seemed to pause before sighing, "That's the one who broke the camel's back? I'm sorry…what? Well, of course we have a place for you."

Owen had only gotten through half the list when Gerry poked his side as he said, "Let me just look up the pay and whatnot to send over…are you sure?"

The vet relinquished the computer back as he said, "I guess you can start as soon as you get over here if you want. It's not a lot of stuff to fill out; we'll just work you into the ground."

The vet started to laugh as Owen slid back into his chair while saying, "It does sound like prototype names. We got snow monster, monster king…it just sounds like what Wu had been going for."

Grant dryly snorted, "Monster king sounds like a Pixar movie."

"Then we got the invincible king; Wu was really sure no one would double check him."

Grant glanced up before poking the page as he said, "There's more on the back."

Owen flipped it over before reading it.

 _Perfidus rex_

 _Indomitus rex_

 _Dominus rex_

 _Indominus rex_

Owen raised an eyebrow at them before saying, "Yeah, this has to be the prototype names. So, what's Indomitus mean?"

"Look it up."

Owen stole the computer again while Gerry continued to talk, but he snorted at the results.

"Wu said Indominus didn't exist in the Latin language, but Elise is so popular that Google corrects me when I search 'Indomitus rex'. Look."

Grant leaned over before smiling at the bold blue.

' _Did you mean_ _ **indominus**_ _rex?'_

"That's the power of fame, Owen. Google has bent its knee to Elise."

"Google is a woman because she knows everything."

Grant rolled his eyes as he leaned back into his chair with a sigh. Owen chuckled quietly; he was sure Claire would have smacked his arm for that one, but he didn't care. He did frown before saying, "It means untamable king. Indomitus rex means untamable king."

Grant raised his eyebrows, and Owen pulled out the paper they had deemed a fake. He stared at it before murmuring, "Maybe Bridges was better at Latin than Wu thought; he actually got it right…"

Owen frowned before asking, "Why wouldn't Bridges say anything then? He has to know this is the correct spelling, but he should have known Indominus wasn't a word."

"You know," Grant started, "Non-master king is a pretty literal translation. Words can be played with a little bit, Owen. I wonder if Bridges thought of it like a king who couldn't be mastered."

"But it's still not Indominus on the paper…"

"Could just be a mistake like we thought. Bridges could have been thinking the real Latin word of untamable and punched that in instead of indominus."

Owen pressed his lips; Sobek getting sick had to have come out of nowhere, and Bridges had looked a little tired when they went to his island. He had to have made himself tired in searching for papers on Elise to convince Claire to bring Sobek over. Owen knew Bridges' job was demanding as it was, but the thought of losing Sobek must have been too much.

Owen hadn't appreciated it when Claire had compared him to Bridges when it came to Elise and Sobek. It was something to think about now.

Owen would have made up records for the sake of Elise; he recalled considering illegal options to save her from being euthanized. He remembered explaining that one with Claire. Elise had confessed her reasons to setting the raptors on him, and she had asked why ACU had showed up to her paddock.

Owen had never seen Claire look so ashamed in her life, but Elise had shrugged it off with ease. They had hated each other back then, but she loved Claire now; she knew Claire returned those feelings. That was enough for Elise.

"I guess that makes sense; it's more proof against Bridges' credibility anyway."

He sat down with a sigh before pulling up Elise's real paper.

Species: _Indominus rex_

Species ID: IR

IR Subject ID: IR-01^

Birth Weight: 4.2lbs.

Birth Date: 12/5/09

Base Genome: Species TR.

Donor Species: Subject TR-01 _(Alive as of 2009)_ , Subject SA-01* _(Alive as of 2009),_ Subject VM-07 _(Presumed deceased as of 1993; genetic sample survived)_. Subject HS-1, Deceased.

Amber Mine Samples: _Carnotaurus sastrei, Majungasaurus crenatissmus, Rugops primus, Giganotosaurus carolinii._

Total Dinosauria: 7 species.

Owen raised an eyebrow at the two papers next to each other before suddenly asking, "Dr. Grant, if you were creating records for two Indominus, wouldn't the second one be pretty similar to the first?"

Grant raised an eyebrow, and Owen frowned while asking, "If you had to copy down the amber mine samples for Small One, wouldn't it be in the same order as Elise's list?"

"…Yeah, if they're the same, but I'm not following."

Owen pressed his lips at the papers before saying, "Bridges' paper is almost exactly the same…"

Grant leaned forward to look at the papers while Gerry finally said, "I respect that, Tony, but feel free to come see everything before the two weeks are up. I think you're being awfully generous giving him two weeks."

The vet hung up after saying his farewell, and he sighed, "That's exactly what happens when you push your employees too far. They go elsewhere."

"Who was that?"

Gerry rubbed his eyes while answering, "Dr. Antonio Romano. He's the Chief vet for InGen, but he's decided he had enough of InGen. I just hired him onto the team."

Owen recalled seeing the man who Sobek had tried to bite; Bridges had called him Dr. Romano.

Romano had castrated Sobek.

"I'm sure Sobek has a great name for him seeing how he took his balls."

Grant raised an eyebrow high while asking, "Sobek's been _castrated_?"

Owen nodded, and the paleontologist blinked as he went back to the papers. Owen was truly confused right now with the papers he was looking at right now. The differences between Bridges' paper, Elise's, and Small One's weren't all that much. Owen frowned before asking, "Hey, Doc, what's the caret symbol next to Elise and Small One's codes mean?"

Gerry squinted at the paper before Owen snorted as he pulled the paper back until the old vet could make out the small symbols.

"Do I need to get a magnifying glass?"

Owen started laughing when Gerry simply pulled his own out while cursing the small font. He frowned at it before answering, "I've seen this before, I know I have."

Gerry sighed as he went back to his computer before clicking at the keyboard. Grant continued to study Bridges' paper before saying, "It's funny now that you point it out, Owen. If I didn't know better, I'd say this did belong to an Indomitus."

"That, I know is impossible," Owen said as he leaned back, "I know there were only two eggs. Claire only saw two, the cameras only saw two, and there's no way Wu handed over the coding to make one somewhere else. He would have been busted. InGen owned one of those eggs and Jurassic World owned the other."

Grant gave a light smile as he said, "That is the _Indominus_ , not the Indomitus, Owen."

Owen rolled his eyes before gesturing to the paper as he said, "They're exactly the same. The only difference is a letter and a caret symbol."

"And the birthweight, and the birthdate. The devil is in the details, Owen."

"Wu didn't even want to make the Indominus in the first place; he made them in a way so that they'd blow up in everyone's face. Besides, where would he get the time to create another species in complete secret?"

Grant shrugged his shoulders before saying, "Look what he got away with right now. I think he knows how to get away with creating a new one."

"I think you've been smelling too much bone dust, Dr. Grant."

Owen chuckled when Grant tossed the folder at his head, and Gerry sighed at them. Owen scooped up the folder before pausing at the folded note that fell out.

"We missed one."

Gerry only said, "Sort it, Simpleton."

Grant snorted, but Owen stared at the little note.

' _This sickening sensation, this unfair creation. With lines crossed and boundaries forgotten. I name one nivis and the other gemina. Never shall the secret be spoken, but only the sharp eyed poet of dead tongue easily reads my poor snowflakes reason for suffering. Sweetly doomed snowflakes.'_

Owen blinked at it before saying, "I didn't take Wu for a poet."

Gerry glanced over his glasses, "Let me see it."

"It says only the sharp eyed poet, Doc."

Owen chuckled at the look before handing the poem over. Gerry read with a sigh, "This is angsty shit, but it sounds like he actually named Elise and Small One."

Grant took the paper before saying, "Nivis and Gemina…I like Elise and Small One better actually. They're not super exotic, but they have their own ring."

"Good," Owen snorted, "Because Elise was pissed when Dr. Roth suggested naming Small One something else."

Gerry only muttered, "We all heard about that one."

Owen blinked before asking, "Is nothing private on this island?"

The vet shook his head, and Owen sighed at the paper as he asked, "So what does the caret symbol mean?"

"I have no idea, but I know I've seen it before."

"Great," Owen said as he flipped through another page, "We got the names, a caret symbol, and a poem."

Grant leaned back in his chair before asking, "Think he put a message in the poem?"

Owen couldn't help snorting, "Yeah, 'Dear Bridges, shove it. Love Wu.' I'm sure it's something really sweet."

Grant took the poem as he said, "I'm serious, Wu is smart enough to encode stuff. He does it all the time."

"So we find 'a sharp eyed poet of dead tongue' because I'm not into that sort of thing. We'll be sitting here all day."

Gerry leaned back in his chair while eyeing the computer and papers. He tapped his fingers a few times before saying, "I'll figure out this caret symbol, and you're going to figure out the poem, Owen."

Owen blinked before retorting, "What did I just say?"

Grant snorted as he said, "You know, take that poem to Elise. She sees things really different; I hear she's pretty philosophical, and she doesn't exactly talk. She sharp eyed?"

Owen scooped up the paper as he said, "Would you liked to ask the twenty plus honey bees who she manages to see in spider webs?"

Gerry gave a small smile at the screen while saying, "She's a good kid, Owen; I think she's going to be something really good for this park. Did she ever find out why Sobek got his tail in a knot yesterday?"

Owen opened his mouth to answer, but Grant said, "Now we can ask why our animals are upset. Animal whisperers are going to be put out of business."

Owen only laughed as he left the office while shaking his head, but he glanced down at the poem again.

Maybe there was a message in the words.

* * *

A final sigh fell from Wu's lips as the song ended once more. He was sincerely sad. If he thought he had a chance to rebuild his life, he would have taken Hart's offer. If he had thought Elise needed him, he would have left, but she didn't need him.

She never needed him; she was such a strong baby. Wu wished he had seen her for who she really was when she had cracked out of her egg.

Elise had looked so confused and in awe of everything; it made Wu smile. She had been so tiny.

But she never needed him; she had found the food on her own. She shared with her sister graciously; she had always been a sweet girl.

Wu needed her so much more than she needed him.

Elise had all the support she needed now. She found her family. Owen was there to act as a father, and so was Sobek. He had taken her under his wing; Wu was glad for that. He never really liked Sobek, but he knew the Spinosaurus was good.

Wu glanced up from his laptop; he could actually see the little waves in the air from the gas. He didn't hear anyone anymore; he assumed he was good to go. He had given Hart an extra five minutes just in case.

Wu flipped the lighter in his hand before pressing his thumb on the rough wheel. One good press and it was all over. He wondered where he was going.

Atoms?

God?

Would he become a ghost?

Wu let out another breath; he wasn't going to find out until he lit the lighter.

It was too bad he would never get to meet Clementine; Wu didn't know where he was going, but he knew a person like him wouldn't end up where a good kid like Clem was. He was sure Elise would meet Clem someday.

Maybe Elise would get to see her sister again, and that was all Wu could ask for.

Wu glanced at the picture of Elise on his laptop; he was sorry for making her do all the dirty work for him. He was going to do his own work now.

"Here's to you, Elise; maybe my leftover years can go to your lifespan."

* * *

"I am so sorry, Mr. Bridges; I don't know what came over me."

Bridges did his best to not look irritated as he held the cloth to his forehead. In his haste to escape the blurring line, he had smacked his head into the coffee table, and now he had a lovely cut on his forehead. He was sure it was worse than what it looked like.

He just felt like he had enough problems with his head.

Bridges only gave a perfect smile as he said, "Nothing to worry about, my dear. It'll be a funny story later on, I'm sure of it."

Lucia only smiled, and Bridges was glad when she didn't try to loop her arm into his as they walked outside. Bridges blinked at seeing the confused people in white coats standing away from the Labs building. He frowned deeply until his ACU Commander trotted over to say, "Sir, we've evacuated the building due to a gas leak. We're getting Repair ready."

" _Gas leak?_ I have this building inspected every month; the pipes are perfectly fine. Who called it?"

The Commander was distracted by a feisty scientist fighting being dragged out, and he sighed before quickly excusing himself to help. Bridges pulled the cloth off, and Lucia quietly said, "I'm glad you have a good system in place, Mr. Bridges. I'd rather see this happening than no protocol."

Bridges sighed softly, but Lucia nudged him as she said, "This will be a funny story later, no?"

The blonde snorted; Lucia was charming in her own way. He had a feeling she acted…harmless for lack of a better word to get his guard down. Now he knew she wasn't afraid to get physical. He just needed to figure out the whys of what she did.

Then life would be simple again.

"You're funny, Lucia, but I may have to cut our tour short so I may be available to my people in case they need me."

Lucia nodded as she replied, "Of course, Robert had always done the same with his own. I think it's important to know your people."

Bridges nodded before glancing to the side when he heard his name being called. He smiled at seeing the vet, and he said, "Lucia, this is my Chief Veterinarian, Dr. Romano."

The vet blinked at Lucia, but she easily offered her hand as she purred, _"Bon giorno."_

Bridges narrowed his eyes at the raised eyebrow Romano gave him. One word about Lucia's butt, and he was going to scream. He didn't want his love life to have any attention. It wasn't a priority for him unless he could use it to his advantage.

The vet only gave a polite response before quietly saying, "We lost the Tyrannosaurus hatchling."

Bridges had expected that one, and he only sighed, "I know you did what you could."

Lucia glanced at him questioningly, and Romano scanned the crowd with a raised eyebrow before looking behind them. Romano went wide eyed as he exclaimed, _"_ _Jack! Che cazzo?!"_

" _Daemon!"_

Bridges heard his name being said before he turned around; he knew something was wrong when Jack said his first name. Lucia let out a gasp, and Bridges froze at all the blood. The man wasn't walking straight, and the eye was swinging from the socket. Bridges almost didn't recognize the lurching man, but he was the first to dart over to him.

Jack finally tripped, but Bridges caught him as he asked, "Jesus Christ, Jack! What the hell happened to you?!"

Bridges had no idea how Jack was even walking, but the man only whimpered, "E-Email…he found it…brass k-knuckles…lost…"

"What?"

Bridges had no idea what to do, but Romano was in front of him while waving over a few ACU. Romano grimaced at the blood, and darted back when Jack suddenly vomited. Bridges curled his nose at the smell, but he said, "We need to get him to the hospital now."

Romano nodded in agreement, but Jack tensed as he wheezed, "It was H-Hart! Clem is dead!"

Bridges froze before Jack suddenly snagged his coat with an iron grip and yanked him down. Bridges almost bumped his head into Jack's, but the man only hissed, "H-He said he…was going to bury us!"

Bridges opened his mouth to reply, but Jack's good eye suddenly rolled back before his body started to shiver violently. Romano gritted his teeth before snapping, "Give me your coats!"

Bridges easily handed his over and was surprised when Lucia did the same. Jack continued to shake violently, but Romano managed to shove the cushioned coats under his head before it could smack against the concrete.

" _Merda!"_

Bridges knew that profanity, but he gritted his teeth. He resisted the urge to hold Jack down, but he gave a sharp whistle before demanding medics get over here as soon as possible. Lucia was surprisingly calm through this, and Bridges was glad for that. Jack suddenly froze as he gave a choked gasp before going limp. Bridges blinked until he realized the man wasn't breathing, and Romano immediately opened the man's mouth. He didn't glance at Bridges as he quietly said, "Daemon."

Bridges placed his hands on the wet chest as Romano cleared the mouth before blowing air in. The duo worked together as best they could until the medics arrived, and Bridges pressed his lips as they worked to bring him back.

"Mr. Bridges?"

Bridges turned around to see his ACU Commander staring at him before saying, "Mr. Hart is the one who called the evacuation."

Bridges blinked before he glanced back at his assistant, and it all somehow clicked with him. The great thing about the demons was their ability to process a lot of information. Clem was dead somehow, and Hart had found out about the email. Bridges could only think of one email that would tip the lawyer over.

The confirmation email that he did indeed reject the match because that was how things were run on the market.

Oops.

The demons suddenly squeaked when they put two and two together, and Bridges froze before asking, "A gas leak?! Get those people away from the building!"

The Commander immediately disappeared before Romano roughly grabbed his arm while growling, "What the fuck was Jack yelling about, Daemon?! What email?!"

Bridges opened his mouth before the sudden, loud roar deafened them. Lucia did scream this time even if no one heard her, and the Labs building was engulfed in flames. Bridges felt the heat before stumbling back at the wave. He covered his face with an arm while bracing against Romano before blinking at the mess. People were screaming, Carnifex was roaring behind them, and the labs were gone.

Bridges could already see the injured people, and he gritted his teeth before turning back to the medics who were staring at the engulfed building with wide eyes. Jack didn't look alive, and Bridges gestured to the man. The medic shook his head, and Bridges pinched his nose before kneeling to his level as he said, "Then cover Jack, I'll make sure he's out of the way. I want you to get your team organized to take care of people."

The duo nodded, and Bridges snagged Romano's arm as he said, "The hospital staff isn't big enough to take care of this; I'll need you and your team on this too."

Romano nodded, and Lucia said, "I can help with that as well, Mr. Bridges."

Bridges blinked, and Lucia added, "I'm a retired nurse; it was how I met Robert."

The blonde didn't need to hear anymore, and he quietly gestured to the medics while saying, "Thank you, Lucia."

The dark haired woman smiled before startling Bridges with another kiss, and she left with the medics. Bridges glanced at Romano who asked, "Didn't her husband die like…"

"Almost a month ago? Yes. Before you ask, no, I don't encourage it. My mother would roll in her grave if she knew I made moves on a recently widowed woman."

Romano somehow managed to ignore the chaos happening, and he said, "She does have a nice butt, and she is Italian."

Bridges made to snarl at the man, but was cut off by petrified shrieks. He froze at seeing dock workers suddenly running away before a thunderous roar shook the air. Bridges paled and the Dock Manager almost tripped over himself in his haste to get to Bridges as he screamed, _"The Tyrannosaurs are loose! Both of them are loose! One is destroying the boats!"_

Another furious roar shook the air, and the man bolted before Bridges snarled at Romano, _"How did that happen?! You have the master card; it's the only one that can open their paddock!"_

Romano opened his mouth before a bellow sounded from a different area, and Romano quietly said, "That's our Triceratops…"

Bridges blinked as he tried to process things before Romano asked, "Is someone setting the animals loose?"

" _How can they get loose?!"_

Romano paled as he hoarsely said, "My apprentice! She went to give the vaccinations to the Ankylosaurs! She has my card key because hers broke!"

Bridges saw red, and he snarled, "Why would she set them loose?!"

Romano immediately grabbed Bridges by the shirt as he snapped, _"Idiota! Hart killed Jack! He has to have the card key!"_

"He blew up my labs!"

Bridges suddenly froze before scanning his gaze across the panicking people. ACU was all over the place, some helping the injured, others running to the docks, but Bridges didn't see the one geneticist.

They were distracted by sobbing, and Romano immediately ran to his crying apprentice as she held her face. Bridges could see the gash on the side of her face, and she whimpered, "T-Tony, some guy stole the card key! He hit me, I'm so sorry! I don't know where he went, I woke up and he was gone! The Ankylosaurs are gone too!"

Romano glanced at Bridges with a paled look, and he gritted his teeth before walking over. Bridges gently brushed the blonde strands away as he asked, "Can you work?"

She nodded, and Bridges said, "I need you to gather the team of vets. Get as many dart guns loaded, send your best ones to the hospital to help move people to the Safe House, but have enough to help ACU tranquilize the animals. Do you understand?"

The woman immediately sniffed as she wiped her face clean, and said, "I can do that."

Bridges nodded; he loved the people he had on his team. They could work, and she gave Romano one more hug before running off with her radio out. Bridges snagged Romano as he said, "I need you, Romano."

"I need to help the hospital."

Bridges shook his head before saying, "We need to find Hart before he does more damage; ACU needs their Commander, and the hospital will make do. I need someone to have my back."

Romano finally nodded, and he said, "We'll check the carnivores' warehouses first."

Bridges immediately began to lead them down the road as he said, "We have to go to the armory first in case something tries to get us."

They started to run when the shaking footsteps sounded their way, and more people began to scream. Bridges didn't like how they seemed to run in the direction opposite of the Armory, but he was sure they could make it.

The duo slid to a stop when the Tyrannosaurus rex suddenly burst from between two buildings before snatching up an unfortunate soul. Romano saw the gold eyes, and the rex shook the man before dropping her prey when she saw them. Romano took a step back, but Bridges said, "We have to get in that building."

"She's standing right in front of the Armory!"

Another round of screaming made Romano turn around, and his eyes widened at the sight of the male marching up the docks with a bent rail in his mouth. He seemed to be chewing it before dropping it at hearing his partner give a roar to join the hunt.

Romano pressed his back against Bridges when they were boxed in by the pair. They were only eight years old, but they were plenty big compared to them. Romano was glad they were inexperienced; they weren't sure what to do with prey that wasn't running and screaming.

"We can do this."

Romano raised an eyebrow as he replied, "What's the plan?"

"We get the guns, Romano. This is just another game of chicken."

Romano carefully eyed the amber eyes of Mario; he hoped the Tyrannosaurus would recognize him, and maybe let them go. Mario didn't seem to know what to do, but he wasn't contemplating letting them go.

"And you said soccer fans were out of their mind; we don't play chicken with the Tyrannosaurs."

"Just don't fall over when you get nudged, okay?"

"Daemon, I hope you remember if that damned Armory door is a push or pull."

Bridges grinned; this was just another game of chicken. The Tyrannosaurus eyed him dangerously with a curled lip; she wasn't experienced. The people she managed to eat had practically ran into her jaws. She couldn't keep up with him.

He could win this easy.

Romano felt Daemon tense, and he asked, "Left or right?"

Mario heard his partner give the low rumble and slowly raised his head with a curled lip. The male lunged, and Bridges shouted, "Left!"

Romano rolled right as the whoosh of air hit his face from the snap of the jaws coming too close.

He didn't look to see if Daemon dodged Maria's jaws.

Romano only ran.

He still had to give his two weeks notice to Daemon after all this.

* * *

 **A/N**

 **And my sharp eyed poets, don't spoil it for others! :3**


	74. Chapter 74

**A/N**

 **Guys! I'm alive I swear!**

 **We have another piece of artwork, this time drawn by Angry Pencil Wielder; the link is on my profile. It's a sketch of Small One!**

 **I would also like to thank Mr. Nemesis X for sharing his knowledge of dinos with me and helping with the accuracy of some of these lesser known ones.**

 **Marq Fyori-Josdyas Auricor also has my thanks for correcting my typos in the last chapt, and the Latin prototype names I had played around.**

 **Lance, your vote has been taken into account!**

 **Elise da indom, you are my sharp eyed poet! Oreos are magical, and I am giving you the warning for death in this chapt!**

 **Me Myself and I, Thank you for saying that; I base Dr. Gerry heavily off my own vet who passed away this year. I have another level of hell to toss Isla Sorna into!**

 **Andrea, yeah sometimes I feel like they're pretty mellow. I know the raptors have calmed down immensely, and I did that because they chose to make Owen the Alpha, he has Elise backing him up, and they're free to run around in the paddocks to do as they please rather than wait on Owen to stimulate them constantly. That being said, I'll never have the girls cuddle or tolerate random strangers, but I feel like I have the Isla Sorna carnivores where they should be.**

 **XGuestXP, I guess Owen would be described as ornery, intelligent, and kind hearted though he has a temper on him. Claire is stubborn, a perfectionist, but she's starting to loosen up. It's kind of hard to describe them instead of just writing them.**

 **Raptorbaiter, A lot of people hate my cliffhangers too, I don't intend to abandon this, and I still have a lot of fun with writing this. I loved Eragon even if I never did read that last book, but I hope I don't lose this fire either.**

 **The Only Potato, I know, flirting makes me sick too, I shan't let you forget Blake! He sits with Autumn! Hart has lost his mind.**

 **MANYOREOS, I hope you have fun! Enjoy your vacation! I love you too! Romano is one of my favorite characters as well!**

 **RayRay, I actually looked up a list of common Italian last names and picked that one; I did the same thing with Hart and Graves.**

 **Kim K's Butt, I got more drama in this chapter. Thank you, I like to write poetry occasionally . I shall give you duct tape because that stuff works pretty nice. The poem gets figured out in this chapter, and I love you too!**

 **Romance Guest, I'm really happy for you! It makes my day that it worked out for you, and I wish you much happiness in that relationship wherever it goes. I shall be having more Sexy, and I just like cliffhangers.**

 **BoopityBoop, it depends on how I pace them; it might go into the 80's but don't hold me to it.**

 **OREO! You write a review whenever you want, and I kind of laughed when you realized Tim is Tim Murphy; better late than never! Whenever you get to this chapt, you also get the warning for death.**

 **Stickman561, that would have been a pretty good plot twist, I hope you like this one instead.**

 **Imtomzizle, you got a warning for this chapter too!**

 **Guys, I thank you sincerely for your comments, reviews, and when you point out spelling or punctuation errors because my editor and I don't always catch them with these longer chapters. In case you haven't heard it today, I love you guys. have a good day/night!**

* * *

"Nivis and Gemina."

Sobek quietly groomed his talons as he relished the silence here. He was feeling very good with life right now. He felt younger, and his scales were regaining their handsome sheen. Sobek knew he was a handsome creature; none were his equal.

Except Wise One, but no male could be his own equal. Even his talons seemed to be sharper.

Sobek crooned to himself; there was only one compliment he truly understood from Death.

Sobek knew he was a damn handsome bastard.

The Spinosaurus continued to groom himself before startling at a sound he never heard before. It wasn't the odd bird either; that thing needed to die soon or something. Sobek glanced around to find the creature before snapping his gaze to across his river at the bleating.

Sobek tilted his head at the furry creature; he knew he had seen something similar to this one. He swore this was the prey he devoured before the humans had fled the island.

This one seemed to be much…chunkier. Its curved horns were thicker than what he remembered on his own prey. Had it made the odd sound? Sobek tilted his head further before deciding to give a fearsome roar to chase it off. This furry thing wasn't worth his time, and he didn't want it near his river.

Sobek wasn't sure what to do when the Boer buck didn't budge. He regarded Sobek with gold eyes before making his own piercing shriek, and Sobek startled at it. Sobek had never heard another creature…scream like that before. It almost sounded like a human, and the Spinosaurus hissed at the thing to stay quiet; he didn't like the loud sounds.

The buck wiggled his short tail a few times before deciding he liked it here, and he began to munch on the lush grass. Sobek wasn't sure what to do. He wanted to just chase it away, but it looked so harmless. It was a plant eater. He would look like a stupid youngling by wasting precious energy on chasing this creature away; it wasn't even a threat to him or his territory. It wasn't worth eating; it was just annoying.

It screamed like a human, and it was just as worthless as one.

Sobek huffed as he went back to his grooming. The screamer could stay until it angered him enough to deem it worth killing.

The buck made soft bleats as he feasted on the green abundance. He had shelter within sight, water next to him, and green grass everywhere. The only problem was the massive creature on the other side of the river, but he was smart. He had out smarted the blue one he smashed his horns into, and he had avoided the other ones who looked like her.

The big white scaly left him alone, but he wanted away from the little scalies. This big red scaly would leave him be, and he couldn't smell the little scalies here.

Flower had found his forever home.

* * *

Lowery frowned at the screen with pressed lips before Claire was behind him asking, "What's happening?"

The tech-geek scribbled the note onto his notepad as he said, "We have six kids in the Lost and Found, two people with heat stroke, another sick pachy, that stego baby got his head stuck in the log again, a Gyrosphere had to be pulled out for cleaning _again_ because a guest drove into the pile of poop, Blue is with Rexy, Delta and Echo are with Elise under the log, and…we got a goat in Sobek's paddock."

Claire blinked before asking, "A goat? Where would the goat come from?"

Lowery sighed as he zoomed the camera in before asking, "Remember when Blue had the crap smacked out of her by that really big goat a couple weeks ago? I think that's the goat."

Claire raised an eyebrow at the furry animal munching peacefully and asked, "How did it get into Sobek's paddock without the girls getting it?"

Lowery shrugged before another person said, "That's actually a _buck_. It's a male who hasn't been castrated; get your facts right, Lowery."

Lowery lowered his brows before pointing to the darkest corner of the room as he retorted, "Don't get PC on me; I have to see enough of that crap on the internet. You can go sit over there until you can quit being sensitive over stupid details that don't matter. It's a goat."

"Buck."

"It'll be Spinosaurus poop tomorrow! How's that for being PC?"

Claire bit her cheek to hide the smile before she said, "Keep the park running you two."

Lowery nodded as he said, "On it, Boss."

Vivian smiled quietly as she continued to type, and Claire finally smiled as the elevator doors shut.

Lowery was ready to throw one of his plastic dinosaurs at the man.

* * *

Elise was content to sit in the shade while Echo and Delta groomed one another; she was thinking about going to talk to Small One soon. She wanted to tell her sister about all the things she learned from Sobek today; maybe she would see Flower too.

He was a nice goat.

She paused when something tickled her sensitive snout and curled her lip at the butterfly. She was not welcoming of this creature sitting on her nose, and she immediately snapped her jaws onto it. She couldn't taste anything, and that was another thing she butted head with Dr. Roth on.

It disturbed Roth, but Elise didn't care. Bridges had only asked once why she ate butterflies; he only blinked when she said it was to avenge her fallen Friend. He had never pressed for details on that one, but he had gone unusually quiet after that.

Elise narrowed her crimson eyes at another butterfly fluttering into her personal space, and she curled her lip again before snapping her jaws.

"I will find out why you hate butterflies so much."

Elise startled at hearing Owen's voice suddenly, and she only crooned to him. Humans didn't like it when butterflies were eaten, but they sold inventions to kill several, less pretty insects. She didn't know what was so special about butterflies, but she wasn't won over by them.

She had once upset a lot of children by snapping her jaws onto two butterflies that had landed on her nose. People had thought it was adorable, but Owen had cringed when the jaws made a loud snap.

Four kids started crying, and Elise despised the insects more after that.

Owen leaned on the railings as he said, "And you will talk to your new therapist about that problem, Elise. I really don't want you getting sick from eating them."

Elise blinked; she didn't know she was getting a new therapist, and she narrowed her eyes as she wrote, _'WHERE IS ROTH'_

Owen mentally smacked himself for letting that slip, and he paused when Elise wrote, _'SHE LEFT'_

Owen stood taller as he quickly said, "No, Elise, she felt like she wasn't making the progress she needed to be with you. She wants someone who connects with you better because you two obviously don't get along."

Elise curled her lip as she wrote, _'SHE LIES SHE WANTED TO LEAVE'_

"Elise, no, that's not what happened. Dr. Roth really cares about you."

The Indominus puffed air through her nose before asking, _'WHY DID SHE NOT ASK IF I WANT A NEW DOCTOR'_

Owen chewed his cheek before asking, "Did Bridges tell you that she doesn't care about you?"

Elise blinked at that and shook her head. He never said that, but she wrote, _'NO HE NEVER SAYS ANYTHING BAD ABOUT HER'_

"Now that I find hard to believe."

Elise wasn't sure why she was offended by that. She really was angry at Bridges for hurting Tyrannosaurs, but she wanted his side of the story now that she had time to think about it. Those ones really were expensive, and Bridges was all about the money. He had to have a good reason for what he did.

But he wasn't a good man; Elise knew she wasn't good either. Elise only puffed air before retorting, _'I DO NOT LIE TO YOU'_

Owen paused before letting out a sigh, "I wasn't meaning that, Elise. I know you won't lie to me."

Elise crooned quietly as she shifted, and Owen gave a crooked grin before adding, "Unless it's to make me feel better about me not having my mustache."

Owen laughed when Elise grew wide eyed, and she chirped at him to assure he did look good with it. She began to write in the dirt, and Owen teased, "Baby, you can't fool me on that one. You had taken way too long to answer, and the way you cringed when I asked you had said everything."

Elise was cringing right now, and she swept the dirt over before writing, _'YOU LOOK GOOD YOU JUST DONT LOOK LIKE YOU'_

Owen laughed again, and Elise smiled as she lowered Owen onto the ground. He smiled at Echo licking the shark's bones clean before he suddenly asked, "Does Sobek ever talk about his vet?"

Elise shook her head; she was amazed he had talked as much as he had. Owen shrugged it off as he explained, "I was just curious since Romano was the one to castrate him. Dr. Gerry just hired Romano here, but…don't say anything to Bridges, okay? That's not our business."

Elise didn't think Bridges would be very happy to hear Romano would be leaving his island to come here.

She knew.

The Indominus was distracted by Owen patting her arm as he said, "I need some help actually with a few things we got from Wu."

Elise eagerly shifted as he tail flicked with interest. Owen laughed as he walked over to lean on her and said, "It's a poem that Dr. Grant thinks Wu encoded a message into. I think he's watched too many TV shows, but we thought you could give the poem a go."

She loved poems, and she knew it was a good one when Owen opened the paper before sighing.

"Christ this is flowery."

* * *

Bridges made another leap to the side when the Tyrannosaurus snapped her jaws at him; he had to get her away from the Armory Building so Romano could get in. Bridges wouldn't go in until he saw the Italian make it first.

Bridges grunted when the large snout grazed by him, and he couldn't help curling his lip. As soon as this was over, he was feeding both these Tyrannosaurs to Carnifex, and he was going to enjoy watching their throats being ripped out.

"Take your time, Romano!"

Bridges couldn't help grinning at the slew of profanity being spewed from the vet's mouth. Bridges knew he was going to receive hell from Romano, but he couldn't help himself; it was too much fun to push his buttons.

The blonde made another dodge before startling when the Tyrannosaurus suddenly roared in pain, and he glanced over to see the other one had snapped his jaws onto her tail. Bridges bolted when he saw Romano burst through the door, and Maria snarled angrily at her partner. She was so angry at Mario that she didn't notice Bridges running into the building before he quickly closed the door behind him.

Bridges leaned on it to catch his breath before glancing at Romano who was leaning on his knees to catch his own breath. Bridges grinned quietly as he said, "Good to see you've been keeping up with your cardio exercise."

Bridges chuckled quietly at the new round of curse words as he strolled over to the rack of guns. It was normally guarded by two ACU members, but Bridges had a very good idea as to where they were at the moment. The blonde then paused when he realized that both Tyrannosaurs were right outside the door. Why wasn't he hearing any shots being fired at them?

Bridges waited a few seconds before the telltale shots went off while being followed by the furious roars. The blonde sniffed as he asked, "Pistol?"

"I want a non-lethal, Daemon."

Bridges raised an eyebrow as he looked over everything before pulling out a stun gun. It would be enough to knock a raptor off its feet, and he tossed it over as he said, "You'll get one shot on that one, Romano. You're taking an actual gun."

Romano growled quietly as he was handed a pistol; he didn't want to kill any of these animals just because they were loose. They needed to arm any capable shooter with a tranquilizer gun.

"Daemon, is this really necessary?"

Bridges loaded his own pistol before tucking it in as he said, "If we were just rounding up animals, I would give you full control of this, Romano. I really would, but Hart is out there."

"So?"

Bridges began to load a shotgun as he said, "Hart just beat Jack to death, Romano, and my labs have been blown up. I don't know what Hart is thinking, but I'm not going after him without some kind of protection."

Romano eyed the silver gun before snapping, "A shotgun is a bit overkill."

"So is beating a man until his eye is knocked out of its socket. Let's go before Hart lets out more animals."

Romano watched Bridges walk to the backdoor before saying, "No."

Bridges blinked at him, and Romano crossed his arms while firmly saying, "I am going nowhere until you explain this mess. What email was Jack talking about, and why would Hart, of all people, lose his mind like that?"

Bridges chewed the inside of his cheek at the crossed arms; he knew that meant the Italian would be going nowhere until he got the answers he wanted, and Bridges sighed. He could still hear the chaos going on outside, but he walked over while saying, "Antonio, of all the people I know, you're the one I respect the most right next to my mother; I need you to know that."

"Do not butter me, Daemon."

Bridges almost snorted before replying, "I think you and Elise are the only ones who aren't swayed when I 'butter'."

Romano narrowed his eyes dangerously, and Bridges was sure the vet was close to losing his temper, but the blonde said, "Antonio, because I _respect_ you as a person and what you do, I don't tell you a lot of what goes on here."

The vet immediately bristled before snarling, _"_ _I wanted to know if you were involved in illegal shit, and you said you weren't!"_

Bridges wasn't bothered by the outburst, and he calmly said, "I keep you in the dark, Romano. Honestly, you act like it's a huge surprise that I lie."

" _Figlio di puttana!_ _You lied to_ _ **me!**_ _After all the shit I've done for you!? Potrei ucciderti!"_

Bridges wanted to sigh when the vet went full Italian. When Romano got so angry that he couldn't speak English, it usually meant he would start physically fighting next. It probably hadn't been a good idea to give him the stun gun when he began to wave it around.

"Romano! Calm down."

Bridges regretted that one; it only made the vet angrier. Telling this Italian to calm down was like telling Elise her sister needed a real name. The blonde sighed before snapping, "Christ, Romano! I lie to protect you and your career!"

Romano paused to take a deep breath, and Bridges cut in, "Knock it off, you know I lie, and I've lied to you because I respect you too much to drag you into the shit I do."

Bridges walked over when Romano bristled again, and he calmly said, "Romano, stop being a stereotypical hothead Italian for five seconds and think about this. I know I do things the law doesn't approve of, but I don't care because I just need to make money. I _also_ know that something could happen at any time because that seems to be the curse that follows dinosaurs."

Bridges pointed to the door when another shrill scream was heard before being cut off by a guttural growl.

"I can't imagine the shit that's going to follow this, but you know what? No matter what the officials dig up, _you_ are going to walk away without a spot on your record because you are in the dark."

Romano clenched his jaw angrily before stiffly asking, "Am I the only one in the dark, Daemon?"

Bridges paused when Carnifex gave a furious roar, and he had to remind himself that the Spinosaurus had no way of getting out; he was the only one who could let Carnifex out. The Italian narrowed his eyes, and Bridges sighed, "I know I'm not the greatest guy, Romano, but this island isn't full of criminals. There's decent people here who just want to work; I have a lot of arrogant scientists trying to make a name for themselves, but I know I have good people here. I don't care about them, but I know I'm supposed to; I try to do right by them."

Another roar echoed, and Bridges gestured to the door as he asked, "Can we please go find Hart now? Before he lets loose something worse? I don't want the Dilophosaurus running around."

Romano pulled out his pistol as he spat, "Fine, but I am putting in my two weeks after this."

Bridges pressed his lips; he was sad to hear that, but he led the way while replying, "Romano, if you stay long enough to help this mess get cleaned up, I'll make sure you get to wherever you want."

Hopefully it would sway the Italian into changing his mind.

Romano sighed when he realized the blonde meant that, and he regretted being so harsh. He just didn't like being lied to; it was one of his hottest buttons. Even if the lying was for his own protection.

Romano did appreciate Bridges respecting him like that.

The duo stepped out cautiously before pausing at seeing the two Tyrannosaurs charging the ACU team. They were firing their sedatives with a few vets next to them, and Romano recognized his own assistant among them. He went wide eyed when Maria lunged at her before an ACU member suddenly shoved the woman out of the way. Bridges gritted his teeth at the sickening crunch as the team scrambled to get out of the way, and Romano looked on helplessly as his blood splattered assistant darted into a nearby building.

Mario let out a bellow when he was shot close to the eye, and he decided he had enough of this. Maria snarled angrily as the duo smashed through the fence before disappearing into the jungle with roars echoing. Bridges gritted his teeth before calling out, "Commander! Get the other animals contained! Let the rexes go!"

The man nodded as he began to bark orders at his own team. Bridges patted Romano's shoulder to follow, and the duo ran towards the warehouses that held their carnivores.

They rounded the corner before startling at a piercing shriek as a man fell hard onto the ground. He rolled onto his back before screaming again when the juvenile Dilophosaurus landed on him, and the frills began to rattle. A sudden bang exploded from Bridges' gun, and the animal fell to the side in a heap as the duo ran over to the man.

Bridges quickly helped him up while the man exclaimed, "Mr. Bridges! Thank God, some guy just turned the Dilophosaurus loose for no reason! The security is dead!"

Bridges wanted to curse, but he gave the man's shoulder a squeeze as he firmly said, "Get to the Safe House, and stay there until further notice. Did you see which way he went after that?"

The man paled drastically as he nodded and hoarsely said, "Mr. Bridges, we hold all our venomous dinosaurs that warehouse. We have the Dilophosaurus and the-"

They froze when they heard the hissing clicks before the three dinosaurs darted into the road. They weren't very tall animals, but were lightly feathered with very large eyes made for seeing in the dark; the animals paused to squint at the sun, but they noticed the humans. The small pack snarled viciously as they bared serrated teeth, and Bridges swore as he took as he began to step back with the other two.

"Get back, get back! You, get to the Safe House, now!"

The man took off running, and Romano aimed his pistol as he snarled, "Daemon, I am not looking at Troodons! You did not bring them back! I know those were supposed to be wiped out! How were you hiding those with the Dilophosaurus?!"

Bridges fired his shotgun when the largest of the Troodon threatened to charge, and it fell into a crumpled heap; its pack members snarled angrily after they realized it was dead. Bridges aimed again as he snapped, "They _were_ all destroyed before Jurassic World opened, but one of our idiots brought back the three embryos. They were never a problem in our cages in the very back of the warehouse, but now I am going to kill Hart."

The animals squealed after one of Romano's shots came too close to them, and they shook their heads at the bright sun before darting towards the fences. Bridges swore loudly when he realized they had escaped through the hole the Tyrannosaurs made, and he pulled his sleeve back to reveal the wrist communicator.

"Commander, this is CEO; respond!"

Romano jumped when he heard another shriek, but it wasn't nearby; he still pressed his back against Bridges, and the Commander finally yelled, "We can't keep up with them! The fire is spreading! The animals just keep coming!"

Bridges gritted his teeth before freezing when more yelling drowned out the radio, and the Commander desperately yelled, "We're losing too many men!"

Romano glanced around as he gripped the pistol before pausing when he saw another juvenile Dilophosaurus poke its head around the corner to stare at them. He knew that one; Napoleon was the leader of the pack of five. There was one dead behind them, and Romano had a feeling the others were with the leader. He carefully aimed his gun before firing. Bridges jumped, but Napoleon gave a squeal when the bullet hit the corner of the building before taking off. Romano let out a breath; he would have felt terrible if he had actually hit the animal.

Bridges wiped his forehead in a poor attempt to quiet the furious demons; he was so close to losing his temper right now. He already had six different ways that he was going to slaughter Hart. He was going to be ruined after this, he just knew it; the only way he would have some small chance at recovering was if Hart had been killed. What Bridges wanted to know was how the pudgy lawyer managed to escape all these dangerous creatures after he set them loose.

Bridges finally took a deep breath before calmly saying, "Commander, let the animals go; we'll get them later. Refocus the priority to containing the fire and protecting the hospital."

Bridges paused before asking, "Commander? Do you read?"

There was a pause, and the man responded, "We need backup, Sir! We need backup from ACU on Nublar!"

Bridges pinched his nose but answered, "I'll contact them as soon as I catch the one who is turning the animals loose. Contain the fire and help the people; let the animals go. We'll catch them later. Be on high alert; two Troodon have escaped past the fence. We won't need to worry about them until dark."

"Yes, Sir."

Bridges shoved his hand into his pocket to twirl the lighter as he felt the pounding headache coming on. He was going to slaughter Hart for this; it wasn't like he wanted Clem to die. Had something gone wrong during surgery? Was the organ bad?

"Daemon."

Bridges let out the breath he wasn't aware he had been holding as he said, "I'm fine."

Romano shook his head as he reached out to squeeze the shoulder. Bridges rubbed his forehead again, and Romano quietly said, "After all this shit is done with, I want you to go get some professional help."

Bridges patted the hand while saying, "I'm sure I'll make lovely headway with group therapy in prison because Hart is going to slowly die."

"Daemon, don't dig yourself a deeper hole here; we'll catch Hart and put him somewhere until officials can deal with him."

Bridges wanted to tell Romano that he was the CEO of this damned island; that put him high enough on the totem pole to deal with Hart as he pleased. He wasn't sure he would even waste Iudex's time with Hart. The pudgy, no good lawyer couldn't even find it in himself to be a strong base for Clementine. He did everything he could to make it seem like Clem wasn't sick when he talked to her. Bridges despised that in the man. Bridges had always bluntly acknowledged Clem's health problems with her, he listened to her legitimate fears, and he supported her in any way he could.

Hart had made Clementine want to ignore what was wrong with herself; she ignored her problems in favor of studying. Bridges made her acknowledge her problems, and he always assured that he would be there to help. Bridges gave Clem a sense of peace.

It made it easier to ignore his own problems.

Bridges jumped when he heard a malicious snarl, but Romano only glanced at him questioningly.

"What'd you hear, Daemon?"

Bridges frowned as he looked around before pausing to stare at a furious Mr. Growls hunching over at the side of a building. The blonde turned to follow the shade's gaze before giving his own snarl.

" _Hart! You're a dead man!"_

The lawyer whirled around as he stood in front of the massive warehouse before giving the bird to Bridges. Mr. Growls hunched over more as he snarled furiously, and Bridges aimed the pistol before shooting. He cursed when he missed and gritted his teeth after he realized he had hit the control pad to the warehouse. Hart only had to jam the crowbar in to force the door open before darting inside.

Bridges began to reload as he stormed over while the demons shrieked for bloody murder. If he would go to prison for murder, it would be for Hart's murder. He was going to enjoy snapping his neck; maybe he would break it just right to only paralyze the man. Bridges liked that idea, and his most ruthless demon demanded that the Troodon be spared; in fact, it was time to really study their brooding behavior. Bridges had heard they nested in live animals and even humans who had been paralyzed by their venom.

Bridges volunteered Hart to be the first nest; now he wished he hadn't shot that Troodon.

The blonde only paused when his most sensible demon, the one who sounded a lot like Romano and was usually shoved aside, gave a mortified shriek. The other demons paused to listen before shrieking as well, and Bridges immediately went into a dead run.

" _Don't do it, Hart! No!"_

* * *

"Sweetly doomed snowflakes."

Owen sighed in exasperation; he wasn't a poem kind of guy. Reading this stuff made him tired, and he didn't care much for sounding flowery. He didn't care if other people liked it, but he didn't.

He glanced at Elise to see her tapping her talon on the ground in thought. He had read the poem four times to her now, and he was getting tired of it. The only reason why Owen kept reading it was because he swore Elise was getting something out of this. He didn't know what because she wouldn't say, but she was thinking long and hard about the words.

Elise tapped the word 'again' that she had carved in the dirt, and Owen sighed, "Baby, how about you just write down the poem? I can't read this thing again. It's too…too much."

Elise snorted in amusement before she wrote, _'HAVE TO MAKE SURE IS WRITTEN EXACTLY THE SAME.'_

Owen nodded in agreement as he read the poem out one more time. Elise followed the format as close as possible, and even copying the punctuation as best she could. When the Indominus was done, Owen clambered up her shoulders before resting on the top of her head to get the same view.

' _This sickening sensation, this unfair creation. With lines crossed and boundaries forgotten. I name one nivis and the other gemina. Never shall the secret be spoken, but only the sharp eyed poet of dead tongue easily reads my poor snowflakes reason for suffering. Sweetly doomed snowflakes.'_

"Alright, my poet, what're you thinking?"

Elise puffed air through her nose as she read it over. Owen had said it was likely that Dr. Wu had written this note, and Wu had said everything was very important. This poem had to be important, and she agreed that there could be a message in it.

Owen stretched out on his stomach as he leaned down the front of Elise's forehead to stare at the words before saying, "I really don't know, but the sharp eyed poet of dead tongue part is interesting. Do you think that means whoever knows the message is dead?"

Elise made a soft sound, and Owen said, "Maybe Wu was talking about Hammond."

Owen glanced to the side when Elise wrote, _'SHARP EYED'_

"…I'm not sure actually, Baby. He had glasses so maybe not."

Elise didn't think this poet was a specific someone but rather someone with a specific set of skills. She began to tap her talon on the ground in thought as she read the poem over again; if someone knew a message was in there, then where would it be hiding? How could one hide something like that?

The Indominus puffed air through her nose; she had to think like a human this time she was sure. She tried not to shift around too much as she asked Owen, _'PURPOSE OF POEMS'_

Owen blinked before answering, "To…be artistic?"

Elise tried to glance up at him; she wanted a solid answer, and Owen huffed before pulling out his radio to ask, "Hey, Lowery? What are you doing?"

There was a pause, and the man answered, "I'm working on the computers."

"Great, so you have time to help us. I need to know the purpose of poems."

Owen read the words over as he waited for the response, and Lowery replied, "I don't think poems are your forte, Owen, and I doubt Claire would like them."

Elise smiled at the sarcasm, and Owen dryly said, "Just give me the purpose of a poem. Elise and I are trying to break one down to see the meaning."

Echo suddenly chirped when she found another chunk of meat she somehow missed, and Delta let out a long sigh as she stretched as far as she could in the thick ferns. Owen snorted at how lazy they had gotten, but lazy raptors were better than frustrated ones. He tapped the radio quietly until Lowery responded; Owen could hear the keys being tapped as the man retorted, "Well, well, Raptor Dad has finally caved into becoming more refined for his girls. I can't wait what else happens to you. Are you going to come to work with peanut butter stains on your tie and a Barbie doll in your pocket?"

Elise didn't understand why Owen would do that, but the man immediately retorted, "Seeing how my girls eat raw meat, I actually do have to keep a spare shirt around for when it gets splattered with blood. I don't carry Barbie dolls, but I do remember one time I had to carry my pinky in a Ziploc bag full of ice in my pocket after Blue bit it off."

Elise gave her sucked in laugh at the silence on Lowery's end, and Owen chuckled quietly before the tech-geek replied, "Why do you have to make everything so dark?"

"Because my girls don't like peanut butter."

Elise crinkled her snout at the memory of the thick stuff. She hadn't liked it, and neither had the other girls. She did recall Rexy liking the stuff, but she kept forgetting to ask Owen for a jar for the elder.

The Indominus glanced up when Lowery finally sighed, "Alright, a poem's purpose is…apparently hard to discern because it is a form of art."

"Fan _tastic."_

Elise snorted again, but Lowery continued, "Blah, blah, blah, clues can be left in the poem itself to hint at the purpose, meh, pointless stuff that I don't want to read, and…oh. Here's something. This article says a poet usually choses each word carefully so it's important to pick apart all the meanings and alternate meanings of each word until you have an accurate message."

Owen blinked at the poem before sagging and almost whining, "But this one is so long…"

Elise chittered her comforts to him, but Lowery only snorted, "Well, I'm off to do my job. Have fun with your poems."

Owen huffed quietly, but Elise felt better at knowing that. Now she knew what a poem was for; she had just thought it was for rhymes. She liked rhyming words, but she normally liked to listen to what little poems she had.

She began to read it again, and Owen sighed, "Alright, we can do this because we two, very intelligent creatures. First line, 'This sickening sensation, this unfair creation.' It sounds like Wu is whining about how he didn't want to make hybrids."

Elise made a soft sound; she wasn't sure this was the right path, but it made sense to her. Wu obviously regretted what he had done, but she wasn't sure if it was actually creating the hybrids.

"With lines crossed and boundaries forgotten…Wu did cross a lot of lines with making you two. He broke a lot of laws."

Elise would agree with that one; maybe Wu was disgusted with himself for doing what he had done. It made sense to her; he didn't want to create hybrids because it went against what Hammond had wanted.

Wu had crossed lines and boundaries so he was disgusted with himself for what he had done.

She wrote that on the side, and Owen nodded in agreement with her before reading aloud the next line.

"I name one nivis and the other gemina. …I might be assuming things here, but I think Wu named you and Small One that."

Elise tilted her head at the words as her chest gave a funny feeling she hadn't expected. Of all the things that had hurt her so badly, being without a name was at the top. She had thought no human had named her aside from the mean things they called her when she hadn't cooperated.

Very few kind words had graced her ears before meeting Owen; she had thought all the dinosaurs had been without names, but it had rubbed salt into open wounds when she had learned differently.

Even when she thought Owen had used the girls just for hunting, he had still given them respectable names.

But she had been named? Wu had named her? Why hadn't he said anything about it in the video? Had Wu decided not to say anything because she had a new name?

Elise made a soft sound; she had a name all along, but what one was she? The Indominus had a feeling she would have been named nivis, but that was such an odd name to her. She liked her name better because she knew there was love and reason behind her name. She didn't know what nivis or gemina meant.

But she still liked the name even if it was odd; maybe she would name her own daughter Nivis if the word was something respectable. Elise paused; she was too young to be thinking about hatchlings of her own. She hadn't judged the world yet.

Maybe for the future Tyrannosaurus if she raised that one; Elise was content with that decision, but distracted when Owen said, "Never shall the secret be spoken, but only the sharp eyed poet of dead tongue easily reads my poor snowflakes reason for suffering. And this is where I get confused because Wu just…I don't know."

Elise puffed air through her nose as she eyed the sentence. This was where Wu had kindly pointed out the secret in the poem to anyone, but a person with certain skills would easily see the secret.

What skills were needed? Someone who was most likely familiar with poems, knew how to read them easily in all their different forms, and 'was of dead tongue'. Elise frowned at that; she didn't know what that meant, and she tapped the chunk of words for Owen to read. He sighed, "I know, Sunshine, it doesn't make sense to me. I really don't know what a poet of dead tongue is. That's why I had thought it meant someone who was already dead when Wu wrote this."

Elise shook her head before writing, _'NO POET HAS TO BE ALIVE'_

Owen gently tapped her head as he asked, "Ever hear the phrase 'two can keep a secret if one of them is dead'? I think that's what Wu was talking about…or maybe he knew a mute."

Elise sat up straighter as she glared at the words, demanding they reveal their secrets to her, but they only remained ever vigilant. She narrowed her eyes at them before writing, _'I THINK CERTAIN SKILLS NEEDED NOT A SPECIFIC PERSON'_

Owen pursed his lips as he thought hard before saying, "You know, that would make sense if I knew what skills we needed."

He glanced over when Elise wrote, _'SHARP EYED POET OF DEAD TONGUE'_

"And that's a riddle in itself, Baby. I was kind of hoping you would be one, and this would be easy."

Elise snorted, but Owen sat back as he said, "Alright, here's what we got. Wu is disgusted with himself because he crossed Hammond's lines when he made hybrids. However, he named you and Small One nevis and gemina for whatever reason. Now, all we need is a sharp eyed poet of dead tongue. So, I guess it could be a certain skill set, but I really don't want to waste time finding a poet."

Elise crooned in agreement before Owen suddenly slid down her shoulder slowly. She was laying on her belly so it wasn't too long of a slide. He plucked the radio up before asking, "Hey, Lowery? Can you Google a 'sharp eyed poet of dead tongue' just to see what comes up?"

There was a pause, and Elise turned her head when she saw Blue trot into the clearing looking much cleaner than when she left. Rexy always did want clean looking hatchlings; she was a proud mother, and Elise crooned at seeing the golden eyes peeking from the thick trees. Rexy could walk quietly when she wanted, and Owen hadn't noticed because Lowery asked, "Why am I the one who has to do this? I feel like the convenient informant in those CSI shows; the tech-geeks who are there just to basically Google things."

Owen paused to glance at Elise before dryly saying, "Because I haven't had a computer installed in Elise's paddock, Lowery. Besides, those are unsung heroes who speed everything up."

Owen held the radio to Elise who made a soft sound, and Owen said, "See? You're our unsung hero, Godfather Uncle Lowery."

Elise turned her gaze back as Rexy adjusted herself into her favorite spot in the concealing jungle. Elise felt like Rexy was safer when Owen wasn't aware of her presence; he couldn't get nervous to encourage her to chase. Rexy liked to chase if it would get her blood going; she hadn't forgotten about Owen's trespassing, but she knew he was very important to Elise.

Elise glanced down; she wanted to ask Rexy for help, but the Tyrannosaurus wasn't exactly literate. She didn't have any other ideas though, and Owen was distracted by Blue thrusting her head into his shoulder. The man crinkled his nose as he asked, "Why do you smell, Blue? …What do you even smell like?"

Elise wanted to laugh, but she poked her head through the brush to give a wet swipe up Rexy's cheek. The Tyrannosaurus rumbled quietly at her before Elise crooned that she needed help; Rexy was intelligent. She was smarter than what humans gave her credit for, but Elise knew she had her limitations.

Elise quietly leaned on the scarred back before rumbling that it had to do with a humans. The elder immediately rested her head on the ground as she answered that humans were too complicated to be understood. Rexy understood them as food, friend, or threat; nothing more. She only liked Tim, Claire, and Grant; she tolerated Owen because her odd balls loved him so much. He wasn't welcome to her nest.

She did respect Gerry for managing to dodge her so much. He was a fast human, especially for his old age. He was also the only human who actually had the bravery to strike her in battle.

Elise paused for a few seconds before clarifying that it was something a human had built, and she wanted to figure it out. The Indominus wished Tyrannosaurs had a broader vocabulary; raptors were more refined. There were more words to play with, but in this language, fewer words had more meaning to them. It got confusing sometimes.

Rexy cracked open her golden eyes to give her daughter a dry look before rumbling that there was no need to dink around with such things. If this thing wasn't useful then leave it alone, if it was blocking the way or potentially useful, then move it around until it became useful or out of the way.

There was no need to complicate simple things; life was easier that way.

Elise flicked her tail in thought while Rexy stretched out onto her side before letting out a content sigh. She was amazed by how the raptors' talking had become something soothing rather than irritating.

Elise pulled away from the foliage to see a nervous Owen staring at her. He pointed to the bushes to silently ask the question, and Elise wrote, _'SHE IS SLEEPING JUST DONT TALK LOUD'_

Owen didn't feel much better, but he sighed while saying, "Lowery didn't find anything."

He could help pausing to give a teasing smile as he asked, "Did Rexy know anything? She can't see very well; I doubt she's a sharp eyed poet."

Elise felt liked Owen was feeling awfully brave by making that comment, but the elder gave no indication of understanding Owen. Elise only wrote, _'SHE SAID DONT COMPLICATE IT'_

Owen blinked before pointing at the bush as he quietly asked, "She knows we're trying to figure out a poem?"

Elise was tempted to tease Owen; it was funny. Humans liked to be around dinosaurs because they felt little around them, but humans panicked at the idea of other creatures rivaling their intelligence. Elise had certainly panicked enough humans.

The idea of a Tyrannosaurus rex understanding a poem would probably break humans. Elise decided she wasn't going to break humans, and she wrote, _'NO I SAID SOMETHING A HUMAN HAD BUILT SHE SAID IGNORE IT OR MAKE IT USEFUL BUT DONT COMPLICATE'_

Owen rubbed the back of his neck while saying, "She's pretty dry…"

Elise let out an irritated huff when she realized her tail had ruined some of the words, and she took a few steps back to put more space in between them and Rexy so Owen would feel better.

But there wasn't enough room to rewrite the poem in the same way. She didn't want to change anything in the poem, but Elise paused to read over what she had. What Rexy said made sense; she didn't need to complicate this. A poem could have several messages depending on who read it, but Wu had a specific message that any sharp eyed poet of dead tongue would know.

Didn't that mean anyone who fit that category would receive the same message?

Elise puffed air through her nose; Rexy said to move it around until it became useful or out of the way. Maybe she could rearrange the poem?

Elise didn't have any other ideas.

Owen stood next to Elise as he asked, "You onto something?"

The Indominus nodded as she rewrote the sentences. She knew to keep those words together, but what if she wrote the sentences by themselves? Poems were meant to be listened to, but this message had to be read.

The answer had to be there plain as day, and she couldn't complicate it.

* * *

"Do you think Rexy has a name for you? You've always been her doctor."

Gerry snorted as he continued through his computer, but he answered, "I did ask Elise once because I was curious."

Grant allowed a small smile to tug at his lips before he asked, "Is it Prick? You are the one with the needles."

The vet snorted quietly; he would admit he had thought it would be something like that as well, but he had been warmly surprised by the nickname.

"She calls me Brave Elder; I did a lot of running from her after the park closed down."

"And how is that brave? I ran from her too."

Gerry grinned at the dry tone; it was fitting that Grant had been named Dusty. He did smell like dirt.

"Yeah, but she was going after my daughter; I hit Rexy's leg with a two by four plank. She had looked pretty surprised."

Grant raised his eyebrows before saying, "I'm surprised she didn't eat you; I think you earned your name."

"I like to think so, Alan. I have a reputation among the animals and handlers that I have to keep up. Now I can tell them Rexy has honor named me so I can really scare them."

"You smacked Rexy's leg with a plank of wood and lived; that's scary enough without her acknowledgement…actually I wonder why she didn't name you Brave Idiot."

Gerry laughed quietly before Grant pulled up a small stack of papers to pass the time; he had read what he needed for the Triceratops. Gerry continued to type away before glancing over when Grant suddenly asked, "Why do you need to know about the Spinosaurus reproductive system?"

Gerry rubbed his eyes as he answered, "Because Elise can apparently breed with them; thank God Sobek is castrated. I can't imagine the hell Owen would raise if any male tried to get frisky with her."

"He would set his raptors on them."

Gerry leaned back in his chair as he retorted, "He would go get Rexy, and that's a team to be feared. Everyone knows Rexy doesn't like the guy, but I just know those two would team up if Elise was in any trouble."

The paleontologist studied the papers before asking, "Is Elise even close to sexual maturity?"

"Don't even think those words around Owen; he'll spit out his drink, and I know that for a fact."

Grant grinned at the paper as he continued to read, but Gerry answered, "I'm not sure, but according to Wu, she'll be done growing at thirteen or fourteen years old."

"So she probably wouldn't get much trouble from Sobek for a few years anyway. I am amazed she wasn't born sterile considering all the different animals in her."

The vet squinted at the ceiling as he said, "I don't know about that part actually; I was leaning more towards her being infertile. I'm sure Elise theoretically can breed right now assuming Wu actually managed to give her a functioning reproductive system; she has to be close to exhibiting signs of being affected during breeding season if she hasn't already. I would have watched Rexy for signs, but she's too old to breed now; I had never paid too much attention before because she's the only Tyrannosaurus. A lot of animals do cycle and whatnot before they're technically supposed to breed; even people."

Grant flipped a page as he sighed, "For some reason, I don't think animals deal with as many teen pregnancies as we do."

"Animals generally aren't as bored as we are."

The paleontologist sighed in agreement before frowning. "Did this come with Wu's package?"

"No, why?"

Grant flipped the paper over as he said, "The ID code doesn't match Elise's. It doesn't have the caret symbol like it should."

Gerry blinked at the paper before snapping, "Don't tell me that damned paper is fake too."

He gave an exasperated sigh as he took the papers before rubbing his face again. Now Gerry was starting to get irritated, but Grant asked, "Exactly what was Bridges before becoming CEO? Is he familiar with this stuff?"

Gerry frowned in thought before quietly saying, "He's a smart guy, and he can fight pretty well. I know he was a lawyer for InGen before moving up on the ladder."

Grant leaned on the desk as he said, "Unless lawyers are required to take some sort of advanced biology class to get their degrees, I don't see how he'd know something like this. I mean, this seems really accurate to me."

Gerry chewed his cheek as he critically read everything before saying, "I know this is Wu's work; everything is right. The terms, diagrams, calculations, and even theories…"

The vet frowned quietly before saying, "I thought they would have been Small One's records because of the RFLP results."

Grant raised an eyebrow as he said, "Didn't Miss Dearing say something about one more experiment he did to Elise and her sister? Maybe they can breed with the Spinosaurus."

"But the papers would only have the species' identification code; that's a specific animal."

Gerry went back to his computer as he growled, "What the hell does the caret symbol mean?"

Grant pressed his lips as he continued to read over the paper, scanning for any signs of errors, and he asked, "Think Elise and Owen made progress?"

"I know Elise is smart enough to figure out that poem."

* * *

"What do we got, Sunshine?"

Elise puffed air before allowing Owen to climb on her to get the same view.

' _This sickening sensation, this unfair creation._

 _With lines crossed and boundaries forgotten._

 _I name one nivis and the other gemina._

 _Never shall the secret be spoken, but only the sharp eyed poet of dead tongue easily reads my poor snowflakes reason for suffering._

 _Sweetly doomed snowflakes.'_

"Alright, we have the same thing in a different format."

Elise puffed air through her nose again; the secret was right in front of her. She just knew it. The Indominus continued to tap quietly as she read over each word. She knew the meanings for all of them.

Except for two words, and she tapped those. Owen stared at them before saying, "I don't know what those mean."

' _ASK LOWERY'_

"Because he's our unsung hero. Hey, Lowery?"

Elise smiled quietly as she read the poem. This was a fascinating puzzle, but she was determined to understand it. If she could figure out Hammond's secret to success, she could figure out this puzzle.

What would Joker do?

Elise paused to think about it before figuring the man would have burned this poem and made his own because he was like that.

Or maybe he would read it differently. Owen had said other places read their words differently, and even some books were read right to left instead of left to right or top to bottom.

She would do that because she felt like Joker would do that, and Rexy had said to not complicate it.

The Indominus didn't pay attention to the radio when Lowery sighed, "What do I need to Google now?"

Owen smiled before he said, "What does nivis mean?"

Elise had decided to read from right to left first, and it sounded dumb. She didn't think there was a message like that, but Wu was crafty; she would leave no stone unturned. Elise only glanced up when Lowery answered, "Latin; it's Latin. Hold on, I'll find a reliable site."

Owen nodded as he slid off Elise's shoulder, and she asked, _'LATIN'_

He nodded before saying, "Yeah, Latin is kind of like the very first language we had, and a lot of our languages owe its form to it in one way or another. Tyrannosaurus rex and Velociraptor are Latin words. Every species that has been discovered is given its scientific name in Latin because it's a dead language."

Elise didn't understand how a language could be dead, and she tilted her head. Owen recognized the confused look, and he explained, "It means no one speaks Latin as their first language anymore, and it won't change over time like languages normally do. English has changed a lot in just the past decade."

Owen paused to scratch his head as he thought before asking, "You know how I said there are different languages all over the world? Like how Jesús speaks Spanish?"

Elise nodded, and Owen said, "Well, even if we speak different languages, scientists all over the world had to agree to use one language when it came to classifying animals so there wouldn't be confusion. Since no one uses Latin as their first language, they use that one. It's dead because no one speaks it for everyday use."

' _LIKE MY LANGUAGE'_

Owen blinked before asking, "Did you talk differently with your sister than you do with the girls?"

Elise paused to remember; it had been such a long time since she had spoken to her sister and gotten a response that she hadn't made up. She did recall it being different, but just the slightest. It was like listening to Americans from the south as compared to Americans from the north. They could both understand one another, but sometimes words got a little mixed up or there were words that one used that the other didn't.

Elise had words that the girls didn't understand sometimes, and she finally nodded. There was a difference even if it wasn't a big one. Owen seemed to sag before quietly saying, "Well…I guess then that's a yes since you don't use that language anymore, but those people know Latin to a degree, do you understand?"

Elise nodded again; it was a language that wasn't used because others didn't speak it. It was her language in its purest form; now she wanted to learn Latin.

Would her language become alive again if she deemed this world worthy of another Indominus?

Elise didn't know, but she went back to reading the poem when Lowery answered, "Owen, nivis means 'snow' in Latin."

Owen nodded as he scratched that in the dirt before asking, "How about gemina?"

"Can you spell it?"

Elise tilted her head suddenly when she realized something. A poet of dead tongue. She had heard language being described as tongues before, and she knew a few words in Spanish because Owen liked _lengua_ tacos, and Jesús had said that was tender meat from cheeks or tongue of animals.

Latin was a dead language, but people still knew it.

Latin was a dead tongue.

A sharp eyed poet who knew Latin!

Elise made an excited croon that caused Owen to snap his gaze at her. She quickly wrote down her discovery, and he gave that warm smile that still made her feel good about herself.

The one where he knew she was smart and was always happy when she proved it.

Owen continued to talk to Lowery as Elise gave a pleased flick of her tail, but she reminded herself to remain focused. Her trainers, Sam and Derick, had drilled it into her head that it was important to remain focused on tasks. It wasn't good to be distracted; she had to be focused and aware.

She scanned her eyes down the poem before doing a double take, and her flicking tail froze.

She had found a word hiding in plain sight; it was staring her right in the face.

The Indominus blinked at the dirt as she half heard Lowery say, "I'm getting a lot of mixed results for gemina, Owen. It's a name, not a popular one, but it means dove."

Owen supposed that wasn't a bad name; it certainly seemed fitting of Small One. He knew Elise had to be named Nivis since she was so snowy white. Small One looked like a gentle dove.

"What else does it mean?"

The man paused before answering, "If it's not a name, then it means twin. It seems like when I want the meaning of the name, the results say dove, when it's the word, it means twin."

Owen raised an eyebrow when he realized how intently focused Elise was, and he walked close to her.

"Baby? You look like you found a great secret."

Owen had meant it as a joke, but Elise pointed at the poem. He blinked at it before saying, "I don't see what you're seeing, Baby."

She continued to point intently, and Owen read the poem over again.

' _This sickening sensation, this unfair creation._

 _With lines crossed and boundaries forgotten._

 _I name one nivis and the other gemina._

 _Never shall the secret be spoken, but only the sharp eyed poet of dead tongue easily reads my poor snowflakes reason for suffering._

 _Sweetly doomed snowflakes.'_

"I'm still not seeing it, Baby."

Elise finally huffed before she suddenly wiped the dirt away. Owen thought she had briefly lost her patience with him until she pointed again. Owen blinked at it before he slowly unfolded his paper to glance at the original poem.

He stared at the dirt again.

Wu hadn't capitalized the word gemina, but he had said it was a name. Elise let out a breath; this was the secret. A sharp eyed poet of dead tongue knew the secret reason for suffering. Elise knew the secret now, and so did Owen.

But neither knew how it was the reason.

 _T_

 _W_

 _I_

 _N_

 _S_

Owen slowly turned to Elise who met his gaze with an unreadable expression. He didn't want to assume anything because now they had a very big problem if what he thought was true.

But he didn't think it was possible.

Owen plucked up his radio before asking, "Hey, Doc? I have a super quick question…"

* * *

"No, Judge Knight, he won't answer his phone, and I can't get Jack to answer either."

The peppered haired woman frowned before asking, "Isn't Mr. Bridges better about this sort of thing? I don't believe I've ever had any trouble with reaching him; I'm starting to get concerned for them."

Claire hated to admit it, but she was as well. Bridges knew cell phone calls were a must to answer; it was one silent agreement they had between one another. When she called via cellphone, he answered no matter what and vice versa.

Even at four in the morning, and she had done her fair share of midnight calls to him. Claire had remembered when Rexy had fallen ill out of nowhere and for no reason Gerry could see. The Tyrannosaurus had been getting progressively worse throughout the night, and Claire had called Bridges at three in the morning.

He had answered after the third ring. As much as Claire disliked the man, he had his redeeming qualities, and the way he had immediately gotten his own vet up during that call to help Rexy had certainly won favors with Claire. Rexy had ended up having food poisoning, but Claire still appreciated Bridges for what he had done.

Claire brushed some hair away as she said, "It's not like Mr. Bridges to not answer his phone; he's always answered it."

The judge frowned more deeply before flickering her gaze over when Graves said, "I only got Hart to answer once, but I couldn't get anything out of him. I heard a lot of animals though."

"How long ago?"

Graves checked his phone before answering, "About fifteen minutes ago."

Judge Knight pressed her lips in thought before glancing over to Claire. The redhead was sure she was going to ask her to make a quick flight over there to check up on things. Claire was ready to go; she wondered if Bridges was dead, but Judge Knight suddenly asked, "How is Miss Elise holding up? I'm sure this was a lot to take in."

Claire couldn't stop her proud smile as she answered, "She was calmer than the rest of us…or I haven't learned to read her, but she took it very well. Elise thinks things through."

Judge Knight gave a rare smile as she said, "Elise has received a very old soul to call her own; I couldn't guess her age to be honest. I was very surprised to learn she's six."

"She should be an adult in a few more years."

The judge nodded as she said, "But I certainly hope she retains that innocent charm of hers for the rest of her life. I would hate for her to stop seeing the world as she does."

Claire agreed with that, but she was distracted by Judge Knight saying, "Now, I have heard a rumor that you finally have a plan for your Velociraptors besides letting them roam between Rexy and Elise's paddocks."

Graves chuckled quietly, and Claire smiled as she said, "They aren't technically supposed to be in there; they really were only supposed to be there for a few hours, but things worked out differently. They're happier there."

"I do appreciate your ability to recognize what's best for the animals, the fact that you take their happiness into consideration speaks volumes, Miss Dearing."

Claire was warmed by that, and she said, "Mr. Grady feels like his pack is in a good enough spot to introduce more raptors. I actually gave the green light to my geneticists to start creating the next clutch. We should have some babies in a few months; Mr. Grady shall spend however long it takes to train them properly, and we won't need to rush building the race track."

Judge Knight nodded with interest before flickering her gaze to the silver haired man, and asked, "Trying again?"

Graves sighed as he put the ringing phone to his ear, "I had planned on taking my grandkids fishing today; they only stay little for so long, and they aren't glued to phones yet. I know Mr. Hart has been stressed about his sick daughter lately, but even a quick text would be appreciated."

Claire folded her hands in thought before offering, "I can go take a helicopter there, Judge Knight. It's not too far of a fly, and I am getting concerned."

"You may have to do that, and if he's alive, you have my permission to chew him out. Our time is valuable."

They both glanced over when Grave hung up his phone before asking, "Has Mr. hart sent you an email by chance? I know he likes to do that compared to texts or calls if he's in a rush."

The judge raised her eyebrows as she said, "I haven't checked my email today actually."

Claire glanced around her office before jumping when her door suddenly opened. She frowned at seeing Owen barge in; he knew better than that, and she pointed for him to get out. He firmly shook his head while walking over as he quietly said, "Claire, I think we might have a massive problem, but I really hope I'm just freaking out over nothing."

Claire blinked, and he put several papers on her desk as Gerry hobbled in followed by Grant.

"What's going on?"

Judge Knight glanced up before asking, "Mr. Grady, is there a problem?"

Owen opened his mouth, but Gerry said, "Miss Claire, I think we might have an animal unaccounted for."

Claire raised her eyebrows before slowly saying, "That…can be handled later."

"Not with this one."

Claire blinked; she really wasn't sure what to do here. Gerry was not one to barge into her office without a very good reason, and she glanced over to the judge before saying, "Okay?"

Owen spread the papers onto her desk as he started to say, "Look at these records for Elise and Small One-"

Judge Knight suddenly said, "Mr. Grady, if this pertains to Elise and Small One, and if you want anything you say to be taken seriously and permitted to be considered evidence for whatever reason, I suggest you speak up so we may hear."

Owen blinked before going back to the papers as he said, "Look, this is the introduction sheets for Elise, Small One, and Mystery."

"I thought we agreed Mystery is faked by Mr. Bridges."

Owen shook his head as he said, "Look at how similar these are Claire. There's no way Bridges could have made this paper up without looking at these other two. Look at the listings of the genetic donors and amber mine samples; they're exactly the same."

Claire frowned as she looked over the three pages with Mystery, Elise, and Small One listed respectively.

* * *

Species: _Indomitus rex_

Species ID: IR

IR Subject ID: IR-01

Birth Weight: 7.2lbs.

Birth Date: 12/4/09

Base Genome: Species TR.

Donor Species: Subject TR-01 _(Alive as of 2009)_ , Subject SA-01* _(Alive as of 2009),_ Subject VM-07 _(Presumed deceased as of 1993; genetic sample survived)_. Subject HS-1, Deceased.

Amber Mine Samples: _Carnotaurus sastrei, Majungasaurus crenatissmus, Rugops primus, Giganotosaurus carolinii._

Total Dinosauria: 7 species.

* * *

Species: _Indominus rex_

Species ID: IR

IR Subject ID: IR-01^

Birth Weight: 4.2lbs.

Birth Date: 12/5/09

Base Genome: Species TR.

Donor Species: Subject TR-01 _(Alive as of 2009)_ , Subject SA-01* _(Alive as of 2009),_ Subject VM-07 _(Presumed deceased as of 1993; genetic sample survived)_. Subject HS-1, Deceased.

Amber Mine Samples: _Carnotaurus sastrei, Majungasaurus crenatissmus, Rugops primus, Giganotosaurus carolinii._

Total Dinosauria: 7 species.

* * *

Species: _Indominus rex_

Species ID: IR

IR Subject ID: IR-02^

Birth Weight: 3.8lbs.

Birth Date: 12/5/09

Base Genome: Species TR.

Donor Species: Subject TR-01 _(Alive as of 2009)_ , Subject SA-01* _(Alive as of 2009),_ Subject VM-07 _(Presumed deceased as of 1993; genetic sample survived)_. Subject HS-1, Deceased.

Amber Mine Samples: _Carnotaurus sastrei, Majungasaurus crenatissmus, Rugops primus, Giganotosaurus carolinii._

Total Dinosauria: 7 species.

* * *

"I…I'm not following."

Owen reminded himself not to use a certain tone with Claire because she misinterpreted it as being talked to like she was an idiot. He pointed to the donor samples as he said, "Claire, these are long species names that aren't even in alphabetical order. If you were making these records for Elise and Small One, wouldn't you copy down this list in the same order since it was already done?"

Claire narrowed her eyes before saying, "But this first sheet is like the others if we compare that."

"Exactly."

Claire wasn't seeing it, and Owen asked, "How can Bridges make up this first introduction sheet so perfectly? The only parts that don't match up are things that would be different if this was another animal."

Claire froze, and Judge Knight dangerously asked, "Are you suggesting there is another Indominus rex out there, Mr. Grady?"

Grant peered around the computer to say, "No, but I do think there is an _Indomitus_ rex out there, Judge. It's a one letter difference, and I think Wu did that on purpose. This record isn't faked."

Claire immediately put her hands up as she firmly said, "I saw those _two_ eggs. Two. Only two. And we had plenty of security to monitor those _two_ eggs. We had _two_ Indominus born, and I know Wu wasn't able to send a third egg out. There's no way. Mr. Masrani was always absolute when it came to egg count; that was the one thing he had paid most attention to in order to prevent _this_ very thing. Only a certain amount of eggs are allowed to be produce in a month, and not one egg more was made without his knowing. It's exactly why we barcode them, physically count them, and keep cameras on them."

Owen opened his mouth, and Claire added, "There is no way, we never had a miscount of eggs; our computers count the amount that are made, and I'm the only one who knows the code to see the number. Those Indominus eggs were a very difficult and unique code combination; our computers would have known if three eggs were made."

Owen leaned on the desk as he said, "There were only two eggs made, Claire."

Claire looked him over, and Judge Knight leaned back in her chair as she asked, "So exactly how do you get three animals from two eggs, Mr. Grady? I am very curious about this."

Owen chewed his cheek before saying, "Elise and Small One are twins; they were born from the same egg."

Claire froze; there was no way that had happened, and she blurted, "No. We've never had twins in eggs; we put the embryos in."

Gerry finally sighed as he placed another stack of papers on the desk while saying, "We've had twins for Jurassic Park. They were fraternal twins."

" _No-"_

Gerry held his hand up before pulling out the pictures. Claire swallowed as she looked over the different animals. There were Velociraptor twins, Triceratops twins, Gallimimus twins, and even Tyrannosaurus twins.

They were all underweight and only the Gallimimus ones were alive.

Gerry tapped the pictures as he said, "It was a short experiment Mr. Hammond had tried to humor since making the eggs were so expensive then. He figured they could cut the costs through twins, but it was hard to do. Just about all of the twins were born dead for some reason. Either one would die while they were still developing before its body would basically rot and kill its twin, there wouldn't be enough yolk, or something else would go wrong. Twins aren't supposed to happen in eggs; they do, it's really rare, even rarer when both survive, but it's been done."

Claire could felt numb as her mind reeled with this, but she could feel the warmth of her temper slowly starting to rise when Gerry pointed to Elise's ID code.

"See that caret symbol?"

Claire stiffly nodded, and Gerry directed her attention to very old sheets of paper that had yellowed slightly. It was the introduction paper for a Gallimimus, and Gerry said, "Mr. Hammond had stopped the twin experiment after deciding he'd rather spend the extra money for healthy animals, but these Gallimimus twins were the only ones who survived. That's what the caret symbol is for in our records. Fraternal twins; we even have a symbol for identical twins in the system, but we've never had identical twins."

Claire shook her head as she refused to believe this nonsense, and she said, "No, I saw both eggs, _both of th-"_

She paused to really think back. She had seen both eggs, and Claire scanned her gaze down the records to help refresh her memory. Mystery had been born on the fourth of December, but Elise and Small One had been born the day after.

Claire hadn't gone in to check the eggs every day; only every couple days.

She didn't remember seeing eggshells when Elise and Small One had been born.

"Oh, God…"

Claire had never thought twice about it because eggshells were always removed as soon as the hatchling had been born. She rarely saw the shells next to the newborns because they had a staff specifically there to clean that up. She had seen two eggs, and she had looked at two sisters under the heating lamp.

Why would she look for a third?

Judge Knight's expression was unreadable when Owen pointed at more papers as he said, "Look, we had Elise and Small One's weights before we got anything else, and the ideal weight was seven pounds. The Indomitus was seven pounds, but Elise and Small One were sharing an egg; there's no way to fit fourteen pounds _and_ a yolk in there."

Claire paused before breathing, "It's why she was so little and sick…"

Gerry crossed his arms while saying, "Only one Gallimimus twin made it to adulthood; the other one didn't grow like she was supposed to. I'm guessing Small One had the same thing happen to her. Elise just got more yolk in the egg. I would have known if I had seen them sooner; before Elise was already Rexy's size and Small One was just a skeleton by the time I met them."

Owen pulled out a folded paper as he said, "Look at this, Claire; it's a poem Wu had mailed with Elise's records. Elise figured it out; the letter at the start of each sentence spells out twins."

Claire blinked before saying, "It's an acrostic poem."

Owen didn't know there was a name for such poems, but he added, "Wu said he named Elise and Small One. Nivis means snow in Latin, and gemina means twin. They're twins, Claire."

Claire was growing angrier, and Gerry pulled aside one more sheet of paper as he said, "This is the reproductive system of the Indomitus; I don't think Elise can breed with the Spinosaurus."

Claire paled with anger, but Owen said, "It's why Elise can't understand Sobek as well as she should. She has a hard time understanding what he says, but she should be able to understand him if she could theoretically breed with him."

Judge Knight darkened as she asked, "Miss Dearing, didn't you say Mr. Bridges had handed those records over to you?"

The redhead gave a single nod, "The ones I had shown you."

Judge Knight narrowed her eyes dangerously before saying, "I don't think Mr. Bridges was aware of what he had handed over. In fact, I am suspicious that he had asked for a certain thing, and handed those papers over without fully reading them."

Owen raised an eyebrow at the woman's sharp tone; Judge Knight looked incredibly offended, and she curtly said, "There are too many coincidences for me to ignore here, but what is really concerning to me is the fact Mr. Bridges cannot be reached after Dr. Wu's package arrived. He obviously has some sort of access to Dr. Wu, and if not, then he should know something about this Indomitus. I have no idea how that animal slipped by, but I do know where I intend to look first."

Owen mentally cringed; he was looking at the human Rexy right here. The Big Boss was furious, and the hammer was coming down hard. Judge Knight deepened her frown as she said, "Miss Dearing, I don't want you to go to Isla Sorna. I am putting out a warrant for Mr. Bridges' arrest as well as a search warrant to investigate InGen property and Isla Sorna. I will be going through several loop holes to get officials over there, but that's my job."

Claire nodded, and Judge Knight paused before quietly asking, "Miss Dearing, looking over these records, it certainly seems like the Indomitus is very much like the Indominus. If she is like Elise…?"

Claire nodded again before saying, "We will take her in."

Owen didn't like any of this; this was not good. He really wanted Claire or Judge Knight to say he was crazy, but they had taken him seriously. Judge Knight nodded before signing off, and Graves sighed, "I wonder if Hart knew about this…"

The silver haired man sighed again before signing off, and Owen met Claire's gaze. They were both thinking the same thing; they had been to Isla Sorna only a month ago to meet Sobek.

So where was the Indomitus?

* * *

Hart wheezed for air as he stumbled through the warehouse; he had been in here before, and he couldn't believe he had almost forgotten about this animal. He really needed to thank Bridges for destroying the control panel since Romano's keycard wouldn't have worked on this warehouse.

Why was Bridges so kind to the Italian? Romano never knew about the illegal things going on here, but Hart had his suspicions as to why that was. There was just something about the way Bridges would light up around Romano. Hart had honestly thought the Italian had something over Bridges.

Until Bridges dove into the closed space with a furious, full grown Spinosaurus just to save Romano. Hart knew he wasn't a brave person, but one wouldn't do that for just anyone. Hart only grew more confused around Lucia Dodgson because Bridges would allow the flirting.

Hart had only given this hard thoughts because he had wanted to steal someone precious from Bridges too. He knew the man had no family left, but Hart knew Bridges had to like someone.

He had narrowed it down to Romano or Lucia, but it was so hard to tell. Bridges didn't do anything to stop Lucia's flirting, he was warm to her, but Bridges held so much respect for Romano even if they butted heads.

Hart wasn't sure as he stumbled towards the massive paddock doors.

It could be either one; Bridges was softer toward Lucia, but he would take on Sobek for Romano. Hart couldn't tell if Bridges liked Lucia or pretended to because of that fact that she owned BioSyn and was very interested in purchasing this animal like Robert had planned to over six years ago. That would bring in big bucks, and Hart was sure he would allow a woman to get flirty if she was going to purchase a dinosaur who was worth of twenty-six million dollars from him.

The warehouse ceiling had been opened to allow sunlight, and today was bright. It was very sunny today as it had been for the past week despite the little midnight showers. Hart could hear the animal pacing around, and he paused to gaze at the thick doors.

They had never been opened before, and they couldn't be opened by just anyone.

Hart was smart through; anything could be overridden in an emergency. This was an emergency; it was time to drag Bridges' darkest secret out. Why not show Lucia the animal her husband had invested money into? Bridges had gotten his investment back on proving Elise could be trained; Hart had worked his fingers to the bone in jumping through loopholes because of one stupid letter.

Maybe it was why Bridges had allowed the flirting to go on; to make things easier for Hart.

The pudgy lawyer supposed it had worked out better for him; all the security was gone from here to assist everyone else. Bridges had rarely allowed anyone in here. Hart just had to do his work before Bridges showed up.

He wheezed again when he swung the crowbar into the locked box. He had to swing it again before the lock chipped off, and the box's lid swung open. Hart had never thought one emergency release handle would look so beautiful, but it was so strikingly shiny. It had never been touched, but it didn't stop Hart from gritting his teeth as he pulled it down.

Alarms immediately began to blare to the point of threatening to deafen, and the lawyer wheezed quietly as he ran back over to the control panel. It was polite enough to ask if Hart really wanted those paddock doors open, and Hart pressed 'yes' before frowning when the screen demanded a password because it didn't think this was a good idea.

Hart only had to try three different combinations; as smart as Bridges was, his passwords were not hard to figure out.

It was Bridges' mother's birthday; Hart was so messed up that he couldn't remember how he knew that. It had been some conversations about birthdays; how much Bridges missed his mother.

The screen turned a cheery green as it gave the system the okay to turn the next level of hell loose onto the unsuspecting world.

Another alarm blared over the emergency alarm, and Hart wheezed as he backed up with wide eyes until he pressed into the darkest wall possible. The massive doors slowly slid open before the thudding steps told of a powerful creature. Sharp talons raked over cement before the doors were suddenly shoved open, and Hart froze.

It had crazy eyes.

* * *

Bridges screeched to a halt when the alarms went off, and he stuck his arm out when the Italian almost ran past him. Romano blinked at him in confusion, and Bridges tried to do the calculations in his head; how much time did he have?

The second alarm sounded, and Bridges tightened his grip on Romano's shirt as he began to pull the Italian away.

"Daemon? What's in there?"

Bridges held his breath before suddenly saying, "Run."

"What?"

They both jumped when the warehouse doors suddenly shook as something massive smashed into it. Bridges grew wide eyed as he said, "Run, Romano. Get to the Safe House, a boat, or even the damned jungle."

The doors smashed again, and Bridges gritted his teeth as he yelled into his wrist communicator, "Commander! Get everyone and anyone into a building! Now! Forget the fire!"

Romano refused to budge when Bridges tried to shove him, and the blonde snarled, "Get the fuck out of here!"

"No! What did you put in there?!"

Bridges managed to shove Romano back a few feet, but the Italian kept a firm grip on his arm as Bridges growled, "You have to go now! I can lead it away while everyone finds shelter! Make sure the Commander knows he can use lethals if it comes to that."

Romano frowned before tightening his grip on Bridges' arm as he said, "I am done letting you do stupid things, Daemon! I am done with being in the dark! Either you explain, or I sit right here! What is in-"

The sound of steel doors being forced to open the wrong way cut Romano off, and Bridges gripped Romano's arm as the massive creature slowly emerged from the confining cage it had known its whole life.

The blood red gaze carefully surveyed everything around it.

It hardly acknowledged the cuts on the silver scales as it seemed momentarily overwhelmed with how big the world suddenly was. Romano swallowed before whispering, "Daemon, you did not."

Bridges licked his lips as he tried to think of what to do. He took a deep breath as he closed his eyes when his wrist communicator crackled, and the silver beast snapped its blood red gaze onto the two humans standing alone in the middle of the road.

" _CEO! What's going on?!"_

Romano took another step back as he continued to hold Bridges' arm while hissing, _"Daemon, if we live, I will kill you."_

"That's a big 'if', Romano."

The Italian swallowed again when the animal curled its lip high, and he whispered, "Why do you have an Indominus?"

Bridges let a small giggle burst from his lips; it was so funny. He had cheated the system, but now it was backfiring. He knew the word Indominus was a fake word, but it could be translated into Untamable King if he wanted.

He had two words to describe the same creature because it meant the same thing. Indomitus meant untamable while Indominus meant non-master; something that couldn't be mastered.

"I don't, that's an Indomitus; kind of like how you pronounce tomato, but it's enough to split hairs on paper."

Romano went wide eyed when the Indomitus rex suddenly sucked in a large amount of air, and he braced for the thunderous roar. He knew how powerful Elise's roar could be; up to a hundred and forty decibels. It was as loud as the liftoff of a Boeing 747 airplane.

A hushed rasp almost squeaked before it became quiet, and Romano blinked; the world had paused as if surprised. The Indomitus had put her heart into that roar, and she seemed to grow furious when she couldn't even shake a leaf.

Romano turned to Bridges to silently ask the question, and the blonde said, "You can't hide something that big in a place like this when you know it's going to roar."

The Italian didn't understand for a few seconds until he turned his gaze back to the Indomitus when she stood impressively. She was massive and muscular with silver scales weaving over the proud skeleton. Her snout seemed to be crudely scarred over as if rubbed raw many times, and those massive talons on her strong hands curled dangerously as if itching to tear flesh apart. The thumbs proclaimed the human DNA though the blood-filled eyes with the whites showing lacked that spark of humanity that twinkled in Elise's crimson ones. Romano saw the single scar going down her throat, and he snarled, _"You destroyed her vocal cords?!"_

Bridges was going to respond before the ground began to shake, and the Indomitus was charging them with a gaping maw full of crooked, crowded teeth. Bridges dropped the shotgun before bolting as he tugged Romano's arm.

"Time to go!"

Romano didn't have to be told twice, and the duo ran back down the road that they came. Bridges counted the thunderous strides as he made the calculations before suddenly yanking Romano to the side with him in order to make a sharp turn down another road. Romano yelped at the sharp clap of strong jaws closing on empty air before he yelled, "How did Owen calm down Elise?!"

Bridges led them down another road as he replied, "Not going to work! Get to the Commander, get everyone somewhere safe, and I stall her! Go!"

Romano darted down the street he was pushed towards as Bridges went in the opposite direction. The Indomitus stumbled into a stop as she panted with a lolled tongue; she didn't know who to chase, but Bridges glanced back before stopping. He waved his hands as he yelled, "Hey! Over here!"

There wasn't any reasoning with this one; she wasn't Elise. Bridges knew because he had tried; she was a smart creature, but she was never willing to cooperate with him. The Indomitus curled her lip before glancing over to see the Italian still running; Bridges didn't think as he pulled out his pistol before firing at the Indomitus' face.

The silvery beast parted her jaws as a squeaked roar of fury hardly reached Bridges' ears; it almost ruined the moment to see something so powerful and massive unable to produce sound.

It didn't make her any less terrifying when she charged him with bloodthirsty eyes. Bridges had no idea where to lead her, but he just knew to run away from the burning labs.

If she stayed focused on him, he could lead her away.

* * *

Hart wheezed quietly as he held his chest. He was reeling with what he had just done. This one was worse than Elise ever could be, and he had just set her loose on this island. Hart couldn't think anymore, and he was getting too tired to run.

He couldn't go back home; Hart simply could not bring himself to enter his empty home back in the States. He was so angry and hurt that he just wanted to hurt others. Hart didn't want to go back home because that meant he would have to plan a funeral for his wife of twenty years, and his only daughter.

He couldn't do that. Hart didn't want to think about the two caskets that would have to be closed. There was only so much one could to for corpses like that, and he was going to have to face his in-laws. Hart's father-in-law had always disapproved of them; he had always said his daughter married a mistake.

How was Hart supposed to face that? He knew he wouldn't see his wife's father until the funerals.

Hart would have to give speeches, ask people to show up, and he would have to feed them. He didn't have that kind of money, he didn't have that kind of support.

Hart didn't have the strength.

He wasn't ready to be alone. How was he supposed to go to bed without his wife's comforting voice to wish him a goodnight? What about his need to hear his strong daughter tell him five things she had learned in the day?

How was Arthur Hart supposed to pick up the pieces of his shattered life when the most important parts had been lost forever because the ambulance had crashed in a deadly highway accident?

The lawyer wheeze again in a panic as he forced himself to move. There had to be more he could do here; he still had the keycard. He could turn more animals loose. It was wrong to keep them in cages. Where were the adult Tyrannosaurs? Hart knew Bridges had a breeding pair, but where were they?

Maybe he could find a pachy to turn loose. Anything to drag Bridges down with him.

The man decided to simply go to the next warehouse as he could hear the Indomitus' footsteps fading. He hoped she wouldn't roll over for Bridges like Elise had for Owen. That had been pathetic to see such a monster stopped by a single word.

Almost embarrassing or even the start of a fluffy Disney movie.

Hart never liked Elise because she was too odd minded; she reminded him of a hippie. He didn't like those types of people. It creeped him out how something that had caused so much destruction suddenly snapped into an overstuffed teddy bear.

Nothing but sunshine, rainbows, and daisies in Jurassic World now because Owen had kissed Elise's nose better. Everything was fine and dandy because Elise _had a hard childhood_ ; she _hadn't known better_.

Excuses, excuses, excuses, and Elise was only given a stern conversation to set her morals straight. People slaughtered, animals butchered, and lives ruined all because one animal had decided to throw a tantrum.

Hart spat as he slid the keycard through the door before pushing it open. If any human had done even half the things Elise had done, they would have been executed or locked away for the safety of society. But Elise was living with a family, love, and free to roam as she pleased.

Hart didn't buy one second of her bloody charade around children, and he saw red when it suddenly clicked with him.

Hart didn't like Elise because she was just like Bridges. There was no way something that had murdered like that could be as innocent as the world saw her; there were too many things alike between the two.

Elise was a natural around children, and Bridges had never faltered around Clem.

Both were charismatic and charming.

Elise and Bridges had power to their names.

Both had a dangerous side prowling in the dark.

Elise and Bridges were incredibly intelligent about avoiding consequences.

They both needed to be put in a loony bin.

And both had a talent for giving Hart the worst of shivers down his spine; they even seemed to be close buddies with one another. How fitting.

Hart coughed as his lungs burned; he wasn't meant for this kind of extraneous exercise. He had no idea what was in here, but he glanced at the side to half look at the name.

Concavenator.

He didn't know it, but he didn't care; he was sure he had released all of the carnivores already.

The lawyer went through the same process of using the card key to get through security. He would leave the doors open to let the animal out; he just didn't know if this one was big enough to go through the normal doors or if it had to go out through a different set like the bigger ones.

Hart was familiar with most of the ones he had set free, but he had no idea how big this one was or if it even ate meat. The lawyer wheeze again; he had released the most dangerous ones so he could risk a quick peek.

Hart tried to calm his breathing as he slowly opened the door to peer into the room with a cushy wood shaving floor. It smelled nice in here, but he didn't see any dinosaur. The lawyer took a step in as he looked around while walking in. He could see the open gates at the end of the room where a small paddock permitted the animal to get fresh air.

Hart didn't see anything, and he assumed that meant there wasn't any dinosaur here.

The lawyer jumped at a chirp before whirling around to see the small dinosaur blocking his way. He cursed himself for not paying more attention, but this one looked harmless if not adorable.

This was a Concavenator?

It was almost adorable with its peach fuzz feathers on its arms, and Hart almost wanted to laugh at the hump on the scaled back. It wasn't a colorful dinosaur by any means, but a small pattern did seem to be appearing on the hump as well as light stripes decorating the neck and tail. The Concavenator only came to his hips, and Hart didn't feel threatened by the milky teeth just barely poking from under the upper lip.

This could definitely fit through the door, and Hart sighed as he approached it. Maybe he could scare it away, and the man raised his arms to make himself seem bigger.

The animal's eyes widened at how much bigger Hart suddenly seemed, and it let out a panicked shriek that made Hart wince.

"Just move you stupid ani-"

Hart never processed the sound of heavy footsteps until something had bashed its skull into his side. He went flying before skidding on his belly with little grace as all the air was knocked from his lungs.

He slowly pushed himself up as the Concavenator chirped excitedly, and Hart gasped for air while turning around. He paled when he realized how badly he had messed up.

The adorable Concavenator was bouncing around the powerful legs of a much less adorable, and full grown Concavenator.

Hart had made the stupid mistake of scaring the baby into calling for its mother, and Mommy was not a little lady. She easily held a few inches over his own head, and she was a lot longer than the baby thrusting its face into her strong chest.

She did not have milky teeth, and she flexed the two claws on her strong arms; she could slash at him if she wanted. Hart slowly stood up as he quietly said, "Easy, Mommy; it's okay. I'm not going to hurt the baby."

The mother curled her lip as she let out a long growl when Hart began to slowly scoot for the door. She could through it fit as well, and the hump on her own back was much more prominent than her child's. Hart swallowed when she suddenly hissed while lowering herself as if readying to leap. Hart panicked into bolting for the door, and he went as fast as he could.

He could make it outside, he could do it, and he wou-

Hart yelled when he was knocked onto the cement ground. His lip split open when his face hit the floor, and he flipped around to kick at the mother. She easily dodged the kick before snapping her jaws into his leg and began to vigorously shake back and forth. Hart screamed in pain as he tried to get away before the Concavenator abruptly let go. She eyed him oddly before making a low croon, but Hart pushed himself to get up. His leg was bleeding heavily, and he couldn't put weight onto it.

The lawyer stumbled before whimpering in pain as the adrenaline began to fail him; his muscles were shaking from overexertion. He was so exhausted mentally and physically that he could only turn his gaze back to the duo.

The mother had lowered her head to nudge the baby affectionately before the hatchling took a few unsure steps forward. Hart was confused by the action until the baby glanced back to its parent for some reassurance. He watched the mother snap her jaws impressively, and the baby chirped as it finally understood. Hart's eyes widened before he scrambled towards the door only to trip again.

The Concavenator mother gave her hatchling a nip on the tail, and the baby squealed as it wriggled its hips. Hart wheezed as he looked back just in time to see the hatchling make an enthusiastic leap at him. Hart was reminded of how Clem would run to tackle him in the rare moments she had felt well enough to play.

Then the sharp claws and teeth began to tear through skin and clothes.

The Concavenator mother watched with a critical eye before rising to her full height as the pride threatened to burst from her chest. She was so proud of her son that she hardly heard the screams of pain before they slowly wheezed into nothing. She had no idea why this human was so overrun, but it made for an easier kill. Her son chirped at her, and she made a delighted croon.

Mommy Concavenator was so proud that her son had made his first kill.


	75. Chapter 75

**A/N**

 **Hey guys! How's life? It's getting cold, and we got snow today! Winter is coming; if you see a dairyman or livestock handler, give them a hug and tell them it'll be alright. Winter is just as stressful on the handler as the animal.**

 **MANYOREOS, I'll never give up on this story! I'm happy to make you smile!**

 **Me Myself and I, I shall do my best! And Hart's death was a hat tip towards the second movie!**

 **Elise da Indom, more Oreo magic!**

 **Herpaderpaflerpa, maybe in the future.**

 **Romance Guest, I hope all went well!**

 **Anonymous again, that's a one shot planned with the Carcharodontasaurus.**

 **Punches wRaptor, hi! I never thought about how that would hurt her claws; I'll work on something for that. I like that second and thrid idea as well, especially with Blue rolling around on the ball. That makes for a really funny image to me. Thanks for writing that!**

 **Guest, no, Rexy never had a twin. InGen owns the Indomitus, and one of the Indominus. Gerry smacked Rexy in the TellTale Jurassic Park game.**

 **Kim K's Butt, *hands over more duct tape* I hope Halloween was fun, sounds like a great costume! And the name Tacita inspired me to find the Indomitus' name, so thank you! Love you!**

 **Discorded-q, we'd love to see them when you get the chance to upload them! I have had people asking for pictures of that!**

 **Guest, you should write a story on the diablous rex so it can have it's own spotlight.**

 **OREO, I love incorporating humor to lighten things up; I shall read that book when I get the chance! Because I love to read. I hope you had a happy Halloween too!**

 **Lance! happy late birthday! You're a couple months older than me!**

 **Imtomzizle, you're welcome, and I did not dress up. I bought my own candy and ate it at home :D**

 **AnOreoThin, I have a collection of one-shots planned for after this story, but I have a prequel that I want to write with Elise and her sister.**

 **The Only Potato! Sobek knows he sexy. It's alright to be lazy, I'm lazy too sometimes. *Blocks!* I need Bridges alive!**

 **Thanks Bluninja for commenting corrections! I appreciate it!**

 **Once again, thank you guys much and mighty for your reviews, comments, and reading this story! I love you guys! have a good day/night!**

* * *

 _In the absence of effective restorative experiences, the reactions to trauma will find expression..." ― Judith Spencer_

* * *

"Iudex Carnifex's Verdict."

"Where would they even hide the Indomitus? This is crazy…"

Grant sank into the couch as he said, "Owen, you'd be amazed at what people can accomplish when they're motivated enough."

Owen frowned before saying, "But look at how big Elise is, and she was smaller than the Indomitus. Even if her paddock was small, it's still a huge paddock compared to us."

Gerry pressed his lips in thought while glancing around until his eyes fell onto a globe that Masrani had owned. He walked over while saying, "While it is the authorities' hands now, we can speculate to help. We are the ones most familiar with dinosaurs. We think Ingen knows where this girly is at?"

"I know Mr. Bridges would know," Claire started, "It explains everything. He never paid attention to Elise until she gained fame. What Dr. Wu has said made sense; InGen was ignoring Elise and Small One because they had their own Indomitus."

Owen felt a feeling of dread in his stomach as he rubbed his forehead. He prayed that Bridges was smart enough to try and socialize with this animal. He prayed the Indomitus had someone to grow up with so she wasn't isolated.

It didn't sit well with him. Bridges had to be having trouble with his Indomitus if he wanted to train Elise for getting his investment back. Owen suddenly froze before asking, "Where's Derick and Sam?"

Claire blinked, and Owen said, "Bridges personally picked those two to train Elise. What if they were supposed to be the Indomitus' trainers? It makes sense if they're having trouble with the Indomitus. Elise is practically teaching them how to work with her…"

Claire licked her lips before quietly saying, "I'll call Judge Knight to let her know…"

Owen sighed as he pinched his nose before Gerry suddenly said, "If I had a completely brand new species of dinosaur…where would I put her?"

Grant scratched at his beard as he said, "Something that expensive? I wouldn't feel like risking anything when she was little. Who knows how touchy these animals are with the weather; especially a hybrid of that many different animals."

Owen frowned at the globe. "Where does InGen have all their land? We can narrow it down to isolated areas."

Claire hung up her phone before quietly saying, "Judge Knight wants Sam and Derick arrested and put in custody until she can get things figured out. She doesn't want to risk them running off."

Owen felt sad at that; Sam had given Elise an amazing amount of confidence in her training. The gruff man was responsible for polishing her leadership skills, and Derick loved Elise. They played together, and he taught her to stay focused.

Owen didn't want to think they didn't care about her, but he nodded.

Grant turned to Claire as he asked, "How much land does InGen own?"

Claire paused to think and answered, "Isla Sorna is where they deal with anything and everything dinosaur. I do believe they are doing business with BioSyn in California in order to advance our technology. As far as land goes, Isla Sorna is the first to come to mind."

"I'd hide a dinosaur there," Gerry said as he continued to look over the globe, "That's the least suspicious spot, and the weather is kindest to dinosaurs there. It's where they're meant to be; especially one as loud as Elise."

Owen crossed his arms as he said, "There's no way Bridges is ballsy enough to hide an Indomitus there."

Grant raised an eyebrow as he said, "Bridges is ballsy enough to pick a fight with an ACU Commander and comfortably push Elise's buttons when he gets the chance."

"He's raising a Spinosaurus," Gerry suddenly said, "That's how he really started to climb the ladder; he knows how to deal with large animals…"

The vet was quiet for a few seconds before he said, "I think Bridges would try to train the Indomitus."

Owen opened his mouth, and Grant said, "I believe that. Maybe Derick and Sam are just ways for Bridges to learn without looking suspicious. It explains why he was never afraid of Elise."

Gerry quietly spun the globe around as he asked, "Where does Mr. Bridges go?"

They turned to Claire, and she sighed as she tried to think. Now she wished she paid more attention to Bridges' ramblings, but she thought back to the backgrounds of their online calls. It always bugged her because the stupid window liked to glare in the screen.

A big window; it had to be Bridges' office, and she knew she heard roaring there.

"He does most of his business on Isla Sorna; he likes the air there."

"Well," Gerry shrugged, "I guess it's a good thing Judge Knight is looking there first."

Grant sighed as he adjusted his handkerchief before saying, "Too bad we don't have eyes there to tell us faster."

Owen had secretly hoped Claire would have eyes on Sorna because big companies were shady like that. He didn't think Jurassic World was shady, but still…

Owen leaned on the desk as he quietly asked, "Is Isla Sorna big enough to hide an Indomitus?"

"We hid Elise and her sister in the Restricted Area; it's possible."

Owen rubbed his neck before arguing, "But Sorna is half wild… I mean…"

Gerry hobbled over to sit next to Grant while saying, "Yes, but that also means very few people are there to snoop. I bet Bridges is smart enough to hide a dinosaur out there. Just look how comfortable he is around the Spinosaurus, and Elise will never get to the theoretical full size of a Spinosaurus which should be close to sixty feet from nose to tail. Elise is only supposed to get to fifty feet long."

Grant was frowning quietly in thought while Claire said, "This is just speculation, and we can't jump the gun."

Claire rested her cheek on her hand as she quietly murmured, "I just hope she's okay…"

Owen softened at seeing Claire worried about an animal she should have known about. He just hoped it wouldn't be too late to help this girl. It pained Owen to think about Elise alone in her paddock, but she at least had her sister to talk to.

Was Bridges smart enough to give her someone to socialize with? Owen would even be grateful if Bridges himself socialized with her just so long as she wasn't left alone.

Alone in the dark; Elise had said that a lot. She hated being alone in the dark because everyone was asleep, and she was forced to realize she was alone. The night was very silent, and Elise said she visited memories to pass the time. She had gone through a period of being nocturnal simply because she couldn't sleep when she was alone.

"Wait a second…"

Owen startled from his thoughts when Grant slowly sat up as he said, "We do have eyes…an eye…"

Owen raised his eyebrow when Grant pointed at him as he said, "We have Sobek."

"I think you finding out Rexy nicknamed you went to your head a little bit, Alan. We don't know what Sobek's memory is like."

Grant gave Gerry a look before saying, "Look, the Indomitus is six? I met Sobek eight years before Elise was born, and he remembered me. That animal is way too territorial to let anything slide by him. Humans can't taste that good to something like Sobek's size, but he went out of his way to personally hunt us down."

Grant pointed to the outside world as he said, "Sobek remembered me easily; he looked at me for two seconds before growing furious. If he can remember one human from over a decade ago, I bet he can remember something."

Owen pressed his lips in thought, and the paleontologist shrugged, "It's worth a try; that was his island. Elise has a unique roar; maybe he at least heard or smelled something; I just can't see much slipping by Sobek."

Claire didn't look convinced, but Owen suddenly said, "Sobek named Bridges; he calls him Death…"

Gerry raised his eyebrows, and Owen said, "I think Dr. Grant is right; if Sobek knows Bridges well enough to name him, I think he would have seen something going on. If not, then we can eliminate his territory at least."

The office was quiet for a few seconds, and Claire finally asked, "And you intend to ask him how?"

"Me?"

Grant snorted before saying, "Sobek doesn't know Claire, he probably calls Gerry 'Prickles', and God knows what he calls me. Sobek likes you, Owen; you probably have a nice name."

Owen pressed his lips as he glanced at Claire; he had walked into that one, and he did like Sobek. He just didn't want to waltz into his territory though, and he would have to in order to bring Elise to translate. Owen didn't want Elise to ask questions by herself, but Owen paused…

He could set the tone right; he remembered what Elise had suggested. Sobek loved sharks, but he was eating only bull sharks.

Owen knew where to get a great white.

"Is Lilly willing to spare a shark, Claire?"

* * *

"I can't believe this is the first time we've actually met, Owen."

The dark haired woman, dressed in a blue top, tan skirt, and navy blue handkerchief tied around her neck, beamed at Elise before adding, "It's good to meet you as well, Miss Elise. I hear several good things about you."

The duo eyed the seemingly innocent lagoon waters before Owen said, "Yeah…we aren't…fans of water, but the kids say lots of good things about Lilly."

Elise crouched low as she kept a careful eye on the water's surface. She was not happy about that experience, and that had been one of the first things she talked about with Roth freely. Elise did not enjoy swimming and visiting the beach had been an attempt to overcome the traumatic experience.

It had only added to her fear of what lurked in the water. Elise wasn't afraid of the water, she was afraid of what was in it.

Owen cleared his throat as he asked, "Think you can spare a shark, Miss Clark?"

The woman gave a warm smile as she nodded. "Of course, Miss Dearing had already called me. We keep our sharks over here."

Owen glanced at Elise warily when the Mosasaur handler began to walk towards the half dome arena where the guests could sit to see Lilly's shows. Elise gave Owen a warning look; she had drilled it into his head that he was not allowed near the lagoon. If she couldn't snag him out of the way, he was too close to the water because Elise was not going near that again.

Guests were taking pictures of seeing Elise out of her paddock; it was simply easier to have Elise carry the shark rather than having it brought over. Elise was happy to see the park when guests were still here, and Owen felt better with her near him.

He really hadn't wanted to go near the waters either.

"You two don't have to worry about Lilly; she's quite shy actually."

Owen blinked while Elise stumbled in her stepping before garbling at the woman. Either there was another Mosasaurus in that lagoon with Lilly, or Miss Courtney Clark did not know her animal very well. The Mosasaur Elise had fought was not shy one bit. Owen elbowed Elise for being rude, but Courtney smiled as she said, "I know she can be a little intimidating with her size, but she's a good girl; it's just easy to excite her, and she doesn't like strangers in her home."

" _Strangers?_ Does she let you swim in there?"

Courtney immediately laughed, "No of course not, but I don't try. I used to swim with her, but she had been much smaller then. I think I stopped swimming with her when she grew to be my size. She loves having her head brushed."

"You brush her head?"

Courtney smiled at the disbelieving tone, and she pointed across the waters as she said, "It's how I can spend time with her without actually going into the water. We have a large brush in the waters over there that looks something like you'd see in a carwash. Every night, Lilly kind of floats under the bristle brushes while I control how it spins. She gets her skin cleaned, and we can see each other. It's our quality time."

Owen applauded the woman for actually figuring out how to bond with the giant sea lizard without going into the water. Elise paused when she swore the waters rippled, and she eyed them suspiciously; they were far too close to the lagoon.

She was created to be the most dangerous thing here? Elise did not think so after that unpleasant encounter. Lilly could eat her; nothing ate Lilly.

The sea lizard suddenly breached with a spectacular yet graceful leap out of the water. She only got a third of the way out, but it was enough to make Elise immediately flatten to the ground before snagging Owen close to her side.

Elise narrowed her eyes at the foamy surface when Lilly splashed back under, and Courtney said, "She's just getting a breath of air, Elise. I promise Lilly will leave you alone so long as you leave her waters alone."

Lilly could have her water if that's all she wanted, but Elise didn't take her eyes off it while they continued to follow Courtney to the back of the dome half arena. The duo relaxed in the shade of the arena while Courtney used her keycard to open a large door that blended seamlessly into the cement wall when it was shut.

"This is where we keep out sharks actually; this place serves as a storage area as well as seating. We don't keep many sharks here at one time though; only three days' worth so they stay fresh."

Owen raised an eyebrow when the cool air reached his face, but it was odd to see all the sharks hanging from their tails and ready to be the next sacrifice. They all seemed to be close to the same size, and Owen had wondered where Claire got her constant supply of the sharks; he never bothered to ask.

"Pick whatever one you'd like, Miss Elise."

Elise blinked at the sharks; she had no idea what one would be best. The fattest one? Biggest? They all looked the same to her, and she made a soft sound to Owen. He rubbed the back of his neck as he asked, "You got a recommendation? We specialize in…cows and goats…"

Courtney smiled before she walked over to eye the different choices. Elise wondered if Lilly had a preference; Rexy didn't seem to mind what the goat tasted like just as long as it made for a good chase.

"What's this shark for?"

Courtney turned to Elise as she asked, "Were you curious about how it tasted?"

Elise blinked as she shook her head, and Owen answered, "We…um, needed to go…talk to our cranky dragon, Smaug, and he likes sharks. This was kind of a peace offering to get him in a good mood."

Courtney blinked before realization hit her, and she asked, "You're going to _talk_ to Sobek?"

Owen realized just how tree huggy that sounded, and he opened his mouth to explain, but Courtney turned back as she said, "Goodness, I remember how touchy Smaug was in the movie. I'd hate to see how Sobek earned that nickname; I haven't gone to see him yet."

The woman eyed the choices again before pointing at one as she said, "The ones with yellow tags are the freshest, and this is the best one out of that particular bunch. I think Sobek will like that one."

Elise blinked at the shark Courtney was pointing to before snagging it in her jaws. She was surprised that it actually tasted different compared to the sharks in Sobek's river, but she glanced down when Courtney said, "Let me soak the shark in some seawater; I doubt Sobek would like a dry shark."

Owen raised an eyebrow as the dark haired woman pulled out the hose from inside the storage before she began to shower the shark. Elise turned it over, and Owen finally blurted, "I think you're the nicest handler I've met here besides Tim, and…I was pretty sure you'd be mad at us for putting Lilly in danger."

Elise crooned her agreement; she and Owen had braced for rude behavior considering their actions. Lilly could have been killed with what they had pulled; with what Elise had pulled. Lilly could have beached herself or even speared herself on the fence. Elise could have slashed a weak spot, but the duo was sure they had put some sort of stress on the lizard.

Courtney paused to look at Owen before asking, "Don't you talk to other handlers here? There are plenty of nice people here, Owen."

Owen shared a glance with Elise to confirm they were thinking the same thing, and he said, "Well, I'm sure, but I've burned those bridges. Wasn't Lilly upset with us trespassing her lagoon?"

Courtney smiled as she continued to hose down the shark and she said, "I had heard about the doughnut fiasco, but I know you were trying to save that man, and Elise was just trying to save you."

Courtney paused to inspect the shark before smiling at Elise as she said, "And I know Miss Elise didn't have to be as gentle as she was with Lilly. I saw how you tried to cover her eyes to calm her down; that hasn't worked since she was my size, but it was a gentle approach."

The woman began to spray the shark again as she added, "And it brought attendance back to Lilly's shows. Sharks are one thing, but people were floored that Lilly wouldn't hesitate to attack someone as big as you, Miss Elise."

Elise was confused; she was pretty sure Courtney shouldn't have considered that incident a good thing, but she didn't smell an ill will from the woman.

That was nice, because she knew why Owen avoided certain parts of the park, and she felt bad for it. Some people were still rightfully angry with her, and she wouldn't blame them for being mad.

Like Blake; Elise was happy to know he went back to his therapist. She wondered when he would come back because she was eager to be challenged by him.

Elise knew he wouldn't hold back with her, and she relished the opportunity to earn his respect.

She knew she could do it; she would get his forgiveness one day.

Courtney finally put the hose away as she said, "I'm not mad at you two; really, I'm not. You could have done much worse, and Lilly was hardly upset by any of it. She's not a fragile creature."

Owen rubbed the back of his neck as he glanced at Elise before saying, "Well, we appreciate that, really. You have the right to be angry."

Elise made a soft sound to confirm her agreement as she sniffed the shark. Courtney allowed the door to slide shut again before she regarded the two with a small smile. Owen was ready to leave, but Courtney suddenly said, "You know there's more handlers than just the Petting Zoo."

"Yeah, the Aviary handlers are real charming, and so are the Ankylosaurs'."

Elise winced at that one. Owen had stopped using his locker; he had simply avoided the Break Room, and she knew he missed having his own office in the Restricted Area with the girls. She had tried to make up for it by creating something of a shelter under the false log next to his large hammock. Elise knew Owen loved the space to call his own.

But she hated how he received trouble because he had fought for her.

Courtney's smile faded as she said, "Well, it's understandable, but that doesn't mean you should be a stranger. I think we have new employees we know better than you. You and Miss Elise are one of the most popular shows, and we hardly know you."

Owen pressed his lips; he wasn't exactly on good terms with the park considering his girls had ravaged it happily. Elise reaped chaos in her own way, and Blue had apparently made a pit stop with the girls to snack on the one compy pack that had actually been handled.

Of all the compy packs his girls could have gone after, they went after that one. Owen had to hear about how the handler had found the chewed up pieces of his pack.

Owen didn't blame the guy for being upset, and Blue had retorted that obviously that prey hadn't wanted to live very much since they had been so easy to kill.

Owen was the leader of the dinosaurs that had caused the most amount of destruction combined. They weren't angry at the Aviary assets because Elise had set them free. Blue and the girls had ravaged the ACU teams.

"I think I'll take my chances with my girls; I like spending time with them, and I have a nice space to call my own under the log."

Elise beamed at Owen happily, and Courtney smiled as she said, "Well, I can understand that much but don't forget to socialize with the people too."

Owen nodded at the before the duo bid Courtney farewell. She insisted they come around more often, and another breaching by Lilly erased any and all possibilities of that happening. Owen was glad to leave on a happy note, and Elise was glad to carry such a big shark. She was sure Sobek would want to know how and where she got this from.

She would tell him that Owen caught the shark just because.

It was nice to walk through the park with all the guests here; they called out her name happily though Elise could tell when she saw someone she had hurt. It made her sad, but she knew she could only do good from now on.

It was nice to have Commander Lopez and a few other ACU members there to clear the streets, but Elise was still mindful of where she stepped; she knew children liked to dart.

And she was right. Elise heard the telltale gasp from a parent, and she simply stopped walking. Many of the other sounds garbled together, but she knew the gasp of a parent; it meant their munchkin had escaped them.

"Elise! Did you go fishing with Lilly?"

Owen scooped the curious kid up as he answered, "Lilly was nice enough to share a shark with Elise."

"Lilly has eighty-eight teeth."

The man handed the child back to his parents as he retorted, "And Elise has seen all of them."

Elise snorted at that as she kept her talons snagged into the slippery skin; she really hoped she wouldn't drop the shark because Sobek wouldn't like that. She was sure she was pushing things by going back into his territory so soon after being told to leave.

"Can I give Elise a kiss?"

Owen was going to tell the kid he could at her show, but Elise had already pressed her snout against the child tenderly. He put all the love he could muster into the loud kiss before Elise crooned her thanks, and she nuzzled Owen to get a move on before the other kids demanded the same.

It was odd to smell all the different smells, but Elise could pick out a few. She smelled Lowery's favorite burgers, the fresh churros, and the sweet cream of ice cream. She liked ice cream, but she didn't like a lot of it.

Elise was glad to see the park busy, but she was happy to get back to her quiet paddock where she could hear herself think. That had been one of the hardest things to get used to after leaving the paddock; all the noise. It had hurt her ears, given her a headache, and actually scared her a little.

Now she was used to it, but she still liked the quiet.

"Alright, Ghost; give 'em hell."

Elise puffed air onto Lopez as she crooned her thanks to him. Owen gave his own thanks as the doors slid shut behind them, and Elise shifted to scoop Owen onto her shoulders. The walls soon disappeared behind them, and Owen suddenly said, "Baby, we really need to be careful about how we do this because I know talking to Sobek won't be like talking to you."

Elise nodded her agreement as Owen kept a grip on her shoulders and added, "I doubt it will be like when Claire had talked to Rexy through you either. Claire was in the log, and Rexy knew her. I really don't want to push Sobek's buttons. If he wants us to leave, we leave, okay?"

The Indominus nodded again, and Owen suddenly asked, "Are you okay, Elise? You're really calm considering…everything…"

Elise turned to glance at Owen with a confused expression; she had no idea why Owen wanted to talk to Sobek. He had left in a rush after she found the word in the poem, and then he rushed back saying they had to talk with Sobek. She went with him to get the shark, and now they were here.

Owen blinked before realization dawned on him, and he said, "Baby, put me down because I really need to talk to you."

Elise was startled at the serious tone, but she easily complied. Owen ran a hand through his hair in thought before he asked, "Do you know why Wu had written the word twins in the poem?"

The Indominus shook her head; she didn't know what twins were. It was a word she had heard before but never really took the time to put a meaning to. Owen gave a slow nod as he said, "Okay. Elise, Baby, you know how babies start off; they grow in the mother's womb or the egg."

Elise knew that much; Claire talked to her about this, and Owen said, "Sometimes there's more than one baby at a time; sometimes there's two babies at once or three, four, we've even had a human have eight babies at once."

Elise wanted to know how that mother fared with eight children, but Owen continued, "When it's two babies growing in the womb at the same time, we call them twins."

He carefully looked Elise over for some kind of a reaction, but she wouldn't betray any emotion. Owen pressed his lips before saying, "Elise, you and your sister were twins; you were both born from the same egg."

Elise narrowed her eyes as she tried to think back to her birth; she didn't remember much. She couldn't recall being born or even imprinting on Wu. The Indominus suddenly paused.

Hadn't Claire said something about two eggs?

Elise turned her gaze back to Owen who said, "We think there's another Indominus out there."

Elise stopped breathing; she wasn't alone? Her language wasn't dead? There were more of her kind? The Indominus glanced down when Owen said, "I think that's what Wu's been trying to tell us, Baby. The first files that we got weren't yours or Small One's, they belong to this Indomitus, and we're trying to find her."

Elise snapped out of her shock to write, _'YOU DONT KNOW WHERE SHE IS'_

"We didn't even know she existed until you helped figure out the poem. Judge Knight thinks Bridges knows where she's at."

Elise curled her lip; now their game was back on. She was going to beat the life out of the man when she saw him next time. She was going to win this game just to rub it in his face, and then she would bury him in the sweet earth.

The cool, soft earth could suck the poison from his festering corpse; she was sure nothing would ever grow over him, but he would be in Mother Earth's embrace.

"Elise?"

The Indominus let out a sigh as she turned her gaze back to Owen, and he said, "This is why we're going to Sobek; we think the Indomitus might be on Isla Sorna. Sobek might have seen something; if not, then we can at least eliminate his territory."

Elise's head was whirling; she had another of her kind. Another with white scales and red eyes; someone who could talk to humans and dinosaurs too.

Her language wasn't dead; Elise wasn't alone.

She was so happy to hear that, but she was suddenly afraid for this one. Was she fine? Was Bridges taking care of her? Elise suddenly frowned; why hadn't she ever caught this one's scent on him if he was around her?

She really only could smell the reek of death; Sobek's scent was the only she knew that could dilute the rotting smell. Maybe because Sobek would never bend to Bridges or maybe because Bridges was willing to bend to Sobek.

There was a trick there, Elise just knew it.

"Baby?"

Elise let out a sound; she was fine. She could panic and faint over things after they made sure this new one was safe. Elise didn't understand why Owen called her an Indomitus, but it was close enough for her.

She scooped Owen onto her shoulders before continuing on her way with a fast trot.

Maybe Bridges would surprise the world with a shred of decency.

* * *

Bridges yelped when the jaws snapped just a little too close to his back, but it only encouraged him to run faster. She was learning a little too fast for his liking; Bridges had actually smacked into her snout when he had tried to make a sharp turn. It was a pattern of his that neither Sobek nor Carnifex had ever learned. After so many steps the animal took, Bridges would turn because they gained ground.

The Indomitus had only jumped the gun, and snapped too soon. It was almost funny; there had been a brief second where they had stared at each other in shock. Bridges was in disbelief that he had actually forgotten how intelligent she technically was.

It hadn't stopped him from deeming her less intelligent than Elise, but Bridges realized something.

Just because she wasn't smart in speaking like him, didn't mean she was dumb. Even if she did dumb things that weren't right. She chewed the walls mindlessly until her snout rubbed raw; it wasn't like he didn't give her things to chew, but she chewed the walls. She'd scratch herself, and Bridges would be forced to sedate her in order to treat her.

Even if she couldn't communicate in any way whatsoever with him. It wasn't like he hadn't tried, but she just couldn't comprehend when he was trying to teach her sign language. She was difficult to teach anything to; he raised her like he had Carnifex. He tried to at least, but she wasn't right in the head after losing her voice; he would have taken that back if he could.

She was almost normal before that, but she was just getting worse and worse. Bridges didn't know what to do for her because he didn't know what was wrong with her. Something just seemed to fry in her brain, and Bridges didn't know how to undo that. He left her alone for fear of making her worse, but she kept getting worse on her own.

There was no winning with her.

That was just the bottom of the barrel with this one, and it had all happened after the removal of her cords. Bridges wasn't sure if the event traumatized her or if she had been a bad apple all along.

Bridges didn't risk glancing behind him as he tore down another road before while yelling into his wrist communicator, "Control! Control! Open the northern gate right now!"

The man decided to dodge to the right this time, and he was sincerely glad he made that choice. The Indomitus had figured out his second pattern of dodging a little sooner. It was a blessed sight to see their northern gates already sliding open; he would lose her in the jungle. She couldn't get off the island, and there had to be plenty out there to distract her.

Maybe she would go fight the Tyrannosaurus out there or even the raptor pack. It didn't matter to Bridges so long as he got her out of this area.

And then he would snap Hart's neck so the Troodon could use him as a nest.

Bridges panicked when the Indomitus realized she had two perfectly functional hands that could swipe him up; he was getting tired. He exercised every day, but this was a lot of running. He was just glad she was intent on eating him first, and everyone else had run from this area.

The man only glanced back when the Indomitus managed to stumble after trying to snag him. She wasn't used to chasing prey like this, and he was grateful for the ground he put between them. By the time she managed to get back up, Bridges had already run past the wide open gate.

He had every intent of running straight into the tree line to lose her, but his demons suddenly pointed out that they couldn't hear the thunderous steps.

Bridges risked another glance behind him before sliding to a stop at the sight of the Indomitus at the edge of the road. She was glancing at him furiously, but she refused to step off the asphalt road. Bridges raised an eyebrow; he wasn't sure what to do because he had no idea what she was doing.

The man watched the Indomitus take a few steps to the side before suddenly giving the loudest roar she could muster, which only sounded like a squeaky toy that smoked. The man grew incredibly confused when she swiped at the ground before leaping back as if startled.

Bridges glanced at the ground before looking to her as his intelligent demons scrambled to come up with some sort of explanation.

At least he was getting a chance to catch his breath.

* * *

What was this before her? She didn't know it, and she didn't like it. The Indomitus curled her lip as she tried to intimidate this…odd creature that she didn't understand. Its fur was a bright color she had never seen. Was it fur? It felt like fur a little bit.

She was fed creatures that made low sounds, but their fur was dark as night, not this bright, bold color. She knew she was much bigger than Bad Smell over there, so maybe this brightly colored creature couldn't feel him walking on it.

But she was heavy, and she couldn't tell how big this creature was. The fur stretched as far as she could see, and she didn't like the tall things the seemed to whisper as its own fur shook.

This world was really big, and she didn't like how big it felt; she liked chasing Bad Smell because she felt big in chasing him. He had made her angry when he fired the loud thing at her; she didn't like the loud sounds because they hurt her head.

The Indomitus knew this hard, black surface beneath her feet was not a living thing; it was the ground, but what was this that pressed next to it? The fur was sort of soft, and she almost liked the look of it.

There was only one way to get to Bad Smell; she would have to risk walking on this fur.

* * *

Bridges raised an eyebrow as he watched the Indomitus gingerly press her hand onto the lush grass before suddenly yanking her hand back with wide eyes. The blonde was really confused when she suddenly swiped at a dandelion before one demon suggested an idea that was completely bizarre, but it made sense.

The Indomitus had simply forgotten what grass was; it had been awhile since she had seen any.

* * *

Elise continued to walk quietly through the jungle as she tasted the air; she was sure Sobek was still by his river. He had wanted a nice nap after his fight with Rexy, but she hoped he wouldn't be too angry with her coming back uninvited.

This was important though, and Owen continued to quietly pat her snowy scales in comfort.

It wasn't long before she broke from the trees, and the chuckling river was in front of them. Elise was glad to see Sobek lightly dozing with his head tucked between his forelimbs. He seemed so peaceful looking that Owen found it hard to believe that he had one of the worst tempers an animal could have.

Elise wasn't sure how to wake Sobek, but she made a light croon as she walked over. Sobek hardly stirred, but Owen quietly said, "I remember Bridges saying he was kind of losing his hearing, Baby."

Elise huffed; she wasn't going to shake Sobek awake. He wasn't used to big creatures like her waking him up, and he would probably snap his jaws at her. Elise didn't want to start a fight, but she walked a little closer before startling at a piercing shriek. Sobek snapped his head up with confusion glazing his eye as he stared across the river. Owen followed his gaze before saying, "That is a goat…"

Elise crooned; it was Flower!

Sobek startled again at hearing the unwelcome trespassers, and he snapped his gaze back to them with a snarl as he rose. Elise lowered herself slightly as she hissed that she wanted to talk. Sobek only snapped that she had both humans and pack hunters in her territory. Those talked all day; he was not in the mood to talk to her any longer.

She needed to leave before he lost his temper.

Owen didn't speak Spinosaurus, but he knew this conversation was over. They would try again later because Sobek had been put into a bad mood from the stupid goat. He leaned over as he said, "Baby, give him the shark and leave as politely as possible, okay?"

Elise wanted to try harder, but Owen said, "He's made up his mind, Elise. Give him the shark; we'll try later."

The Indominus sighed before quietly growling that he could have this prey she had caught. She was sorry for trespassing. Sobek only sniffed at her as he eyed the fat prey; it had been a long time since he had seen one of those. If he wasn't so cranky then he might have actually felt impressed enough to ask where she had gotten it.

Elise gently set the shark down before turning her back to leave, and Sobek tilted his head at the human on the snowy shoulders. He sniffed the air intently before catching Stranger's scent; Sobek hissed at the duo.

Why was Stranger with her?

Elise paused to carefully word her answer; Sobek could change his mind if he thought the matters were pressing enough. She swished her tail as she replied that her human needed his help; he had questions about the old island because he needed to find something there.

Sobek immediately snarled that Stranger had no need to go there; Death was dangerous. Pack hunters were no more safe there than the powerful ones.

Elise narrowed her eyes as she hissed that Death had angered a lot of humans including hers. They were going to make sure he paid for the wrongs he did, but they needed to find something on the island. Elise swished her tail again as she hissed that he knew Death better than them; they needed knowledge of the island.

Owen had a feeling Elise had said something Sobek didn't care for when he seemed to stand taller than what he already was before walking over like the powerful dragon he was. All Owen needed to see was the smoke curling from the flared nostrils as he towered over Elise who refused to give ground.

Sobek briefly regarded the human before snarling at the youngling. He made sure to speak slowly so she understood his words; she was foolish and naïve about the world. Size was equal to physical power, but there was reason the little pack hunters were feared. He had not named Death because of his smell, but because he was the physical representation of True Death.

True Death had no face or form; all he left in his wake was his scent and cold bodies, but Death was an imposter who did the same.

His heir did not need to go to that island, and neither did Stranger. They belonged here.

Elise sagged as she caught most of the words; Sobek was concerned for their safety even if he was chewing their butts off for being stupid. She didn't stop herself from ducking her head in apology.

They didn't even know if what they were looking for was on the other island. They just wanted to ask a few questions, and then they would leave Sobek be.

Sobek wanted to huff as he snagged the shark up; he didn't care if they talked their mouths off. He didn't want to see Stranger die nor did he want Wise One to lose the closest thing she had for a hatchling.

Sobek made up his mind. Due to her concerning amount of naivety and stubbornness, he would help Wise One curb the stupid from Twisted One. This was too large a job for Wise One alone to handle.

He would have to help raise the idiot and make an Alpha out of her.

Owen raised an eyebrow as Sobek gracefully sat himself back down with a large sigh; for the first time, he looked tired and old. Owen felt bad for stressing the animal, but Sobek suddenly stripped a large chunk of the shark's flesh off before swallowing. He growled at the Indominus to talk; they had until he finished eating the fat prey before he chased them away to Wise One's territory.

Elise walked over to sit across from Sobek though she gave him his space, and she crooned at Owen. The man slid off her shoulders before startling when Sobek gave another growl as he stared at him. Elise huffed quietly, and Owen asked, "Do I get to hear it?"

The Indominus only scratched in the dirt, _'WE ARE IDIOTS'_

Owen raised an eyebrow before he pulled the large map of Isla Sorna from his pocket. He unfolded it and set it on the ground before sitting down as he said, "Alright, where to begin…"

Owen scratched his jaw before asking, "Has Sobek seen anyone like you, Elise?"

Elise crooned the question before Sobek immediately snarled. The Indominus eyed the Spinosaurus dryly as she wrote, _'HE SAID HE SEEN PLENTY OF IDIOTS LIKE ME'_

Owen, despite the seriousness of the situation, couldn't stop himself from covering the mouth to hide the laugh. Elise huffed again before making her question more specific, and Owen pressed the radio button as he said, "Hey, Claire? We're talking to Sobek right now in case you wanted answers…"

Claire was quick to respond, "Yes, I want to know; I just have no idea how I'm going to tell Judge Knight if he knows something. It's so…"

"Odd asking an animal?"

Claire replied her agreement, and Owen glanced over when Elise shook her head. Sobek had never seen any creature that looked even remotely like her. He ran a hand through his hair before asking, "What about smells? Has he heard anything that roared like you?"

Sobek eyed the Indominus dryly; he knew what creatures roamed his island, and he had never seen, heard, or smelled anything like her before. She was completely new to him.

Yet it seemed fitting that Death would keep something like her in his den, tucked away from the rest of the world. Twisted One could talk with humans, pack hunters, and powerful ones; that could truly be useful if done right.

Death was cunning enough to try that, but never had Sobek seen something like Twisted One.

The Spinosaurus ripped another chunk of his fat prey up as Stranger garbled another question. Twisted One moved her hands oddly before scratching in the dirt, and she finally asked him if he had ever smelled anything like her on Death.

Sobek sniffed before hissing. Death's scent was always stronger than any others. It was why his scent clung to the fallen powerful ones he had slaughtered without good reason.

Elise sighed as she wrote that down, and Owen blinked at the words before quietly asking, "Bridges hunts Tyrannosaurs?"

The radio crackled, and Claire dangerously asked, _"What? Mr. Bridges does what?"_

Elise cringed; she had forgotten to tell Owen that part. She sighed as she quickly wrote everything Sobek had told her this morning. How Bridges wasn't welcome here, the Tyrannosaurs that he found dead with Bridges' scent on them.

The little hatchlings that had been found broken in their nests as their parents lied dead not far off.

Claire demanded that Owen read everything to her, and he gave a sad sigh as he stared at the words. He held his head as he tried to understand that; he couldn't though.

There was nothing to reason in pointless violence.

Owen only glanced over when Claire spoke on the radio; she sounded dangerously calm. Both Elise and Owen shivered at it.

"Owen, does Sobek think Bridges would hide the Indomitus on Isla Sorna? Where was his territory at so we can eliminate it?"

Elise hissed the questions as best she could, and Sobek paused to eat another chunk of the shark as he went through his memory. She wanted to know if the humans had built anything deep in the island that Death would visit.

Sobek didn't allow the humans to expand that far. They were allowed only a corner of the island for their odd homes and grounds. Everything else was still free. Sobek did his best to describe his home, the valley he hunted, the swamps, and the river. The abandoned human nests were his.

Owen marked the map as he eyed the written words and said into the radio, "Sobek held a pretty large territory, Claire; basically most of the northern parts of the island, and I think he hunted in the western valley every couple days. He didn't wander into the eastern parts but…"

Owen carefully read over the words as Elise wrote them down, and he said, "There's a raptor pack that lives there; I guess one of them really liked to invade his territory for whatever reason. Oh, I guess there's one Tyrannosaurus who lives in the western valley; Sobek calls him Limper. So, he's crippled?"

Elise shrugged; she assumed the same thing. She was lucky to be understanding what she was.

There was a pause before Claire skeptically asked, "Are you sure? Because that leaves where Bridges keeps all his buildings. There's no way he could keep an Indomitus there; even Elise roared loudly in her old paddock. She's too famous and her roar is too unique for people to not know. Everyone knows Elise's and Rexy's roars."

Owen pressed his lips as he glanced over to Sobek; he sat close to Elise just in case the animal decided to eat him, but Sobek liked him for whatever reason. Sobek only stared at him with an unreadable expression, and he asked, "Is there anyway Bridges could keep something as big as you quiet?"

Elise hadn't realized Owen had been musing allowed, and she asked the question. Sobek would have scoffed if he could before sinking his talons into the skin of the half eaten shark. Stranger was smart; Sobek would give him his ear and wisdom.

The Spinosaurus shifted into a more comfortable position as he answered the question. Death was True Death's shadow. He could do everything True Death could except keep balance.

True Death could silence any and all creatures; it was his nature for he was the final battle that would never be won. Sobek himself knew he would lose his own battle against True Death one day.

Death could do that. He left cold bodies in his wake that reeked of his scent. If True Death could silence a creature as large as himself, then Death could silence a creature like Twisted One.

Sobek just didn't know how, and he didn't want to think about it.

Owen let out a breath at the written words in the dirt. The world had opened up a lot more because he was seeing Bridges through Sobek's eye.

Owen swallowed before reading the message to Claire as he stared at Sobek.

* * *

The redhead slowly leaned back into her chair as she absorbed the words. She was reeling and refusing to believe any of this. Mr. Bridges could be a creeper, but killing baby Tyrannosaurs as well as their parents was quite the accusation.

How could he do something like that?

Sobek called him Death; what a terrible thing to be named. Claire clenched her jaw; this wasn't right. Animals were animals; they couldn't think like humans, and they weren't supposed to communicate like this.

It sounded like a dark Disney movie. The animals could talk to the humans, and they knew exactly who the bad guys were.

Sobek knew Bridges killed Tyrannosaurs, but there had to be a reason.

What scared Claire the most was Sobek's certainty that Bridges would figure out how to keep the Indomitus quiet. The image of cruel muzzles filled her mind, and Claire hated it. What if the poor baby was stuffed into some dark place all day with no one to talk to?

But she reminded herself to stay rational; the Indomitus had to be way too expensive for Bridges to abuse. There was no value in a damaged animal. There just wasn't.

Still, Claire couldn't shrug off Sobek's words because deep down she knew she would have believed it without a doubt if Rexy had said it.

Claire ground her teeth angrily; when she pictured the Indomitus being muzzled, she thought of Elise being muzzled. Did Bridges ever take off the muzzle? What if her poor nose was rubbed raw?

What if they were too late to help?

Claire eyed the phone next to her before picking it up.

She was going to lose her temper.

* * *

Bridges pressed his lips at what he was witnessing. The Indomitus had taken to stretching herself as far as possible to reach him without stepping on the grass.

This was pathetic; he wasn't even going to try and sell this to Lucia anymore. It was almost embarrassing, and he sighed as he pinched his nose. Steel doors, unbreakable gates, and even weapons could not compare to the line drawn by the grass.

Grass.

He should have planted grass in front of her warehouse if she was so adamant about not touching it.

The blonde sighed but continued to stare at the silvery animal when Romano suddenly spoke on his wrist communicator.

"Daemon? Are you fine?"

Bridges lowered his eyebrows when the animal suddenly jumped after accidentally touching the grass, and he replied, "I'm peachy. Are you getting everyone into the Safe House?"

The Italian paused before answering, "We have a lot of hurt people, Daemon, but we're getting them moved as best we can. We had to drive the Dilophosaurus away before we could do anything, and there are some people who can't be moved from the hospital. Commander Vincent divided the team up, but there aren't very many guards left."

Bridges sighed again; the Indomitus was intent on killing him first, and he was fine with that. She was a terrible hunter, but he didn't care.

His employees were safe, and all he needed to do was get Romano to bring a tranquilizer powerful enough to bring her down.

The blonde figured now was a good time as any to bring something out to sedate the Indomitus, and he opened his mouth to reply only to have his phone start vibrating. The Indomitus was still trying to figure out how to get him so Bridges sighed as he pulled out his phone before blinking.

It was Claire.

Bridges raised an eyebrow before clearing his throat; it would look more suspicious if he didn't answer the phone, and it wasn't like the Indomitus could make any sound. Bridges took a deep breath as he reminded himself to remain calm, charming, and normal.

"Good morning, Miss Dearing, what can I do-"

" _Bridges you sonofabitch!"_

Bridges startled into holding the phone away from himself, and even the Indomitus paused slightly at the furious woman. Bridges had to actually double check to make sure he was talking to Claire and not a date scorned.

It was Claire.

Bridges was baffled, and he tried to say, "Miss Dearing, I don't understand-"

" _Don't feed me that shit! Where is the Indomitus?!"_

Bridges let out a short laugh before saying, "Miss Dearing, I don't have an Indominus. I'm not sure where you got that idea, but-"

The man was cut off again by Claire snarling, _"I never said Indominus, I said_ _ **Indomitus**_ _; there's one letter difference."_

Bridges paled as he spluttered, "I-I don't know what you're talking about!"

This was bad this was very bad, and Claire sensed it; she was worse than a shark in bloody waters. No mercy for Bridges, and she didn't care if she lied a little bit.

" _Sobek told Elise everything! Where is the Indomitus, Bridges? I swear to God if you've hurt her-"_

Bridges couldn't stop himself from cutting in; he had to convince her she was wrong even for a few hours. No one except Romano had seen the Indomitus. She was a lost cause; they could put her down and get rid of the body before anyone could get here.

Hopefully.

"Miss Dearing, as much as I adore Sobek, are you really going to take his word seriously? He's an old _animal_."

Claire almost sounded smugly furious as she snarled, _"And what about all those Tyrannosaurs you slaughtered? Sobek could smell you on those little babies you killed."_

Bridges let out a bark of a laugh that seemed to anger the Indomitus; the man ignored her as he cruelly said, "How appropriate of you to get flustered over the most over exaggerated dinosaur this planet has had the misfortune to dig up. Did you lose your temper at discovering this made up Indomitus or when you found out pointless animals had been exterminated?"

Bridges glared at the phone when Claire snapped, _"I lost my temper when I realized I had taken in Sobek for the_ _ **Indomitus'**_ _records! I lost my temper when I realized you have been keeping the Indomitus hidden on that damned island, and I have had it with you, Bridges!"_

The man finally lost his temper and yelled, "You've had it?! _You've had it?!_ I've had it with _you!_ I am a patient man, Claire, but God help me, I will _not_ put up with this pointless horseshit! Who the hell do you think you are to throw accusations at me after talking to a damned _Spinosaurus?!_ "

Bridges was so focused on his screaming match with Claire that he hardly heard the roar in the distance, but the Indomitus did. Bridges had turned his back to her in his need to pace around as he yelled, "Your company is worthless! I can't believe what you've done to Sobek! I don't give a damn! You…I would never! Claire, I swear to Christ! …You know what?! How about you take those records and shove them-"

Bridges let out a gasp when he realized the Indomitus had already backtracked down to road and towards the direction of where all his people were hiding. He almost dropped his phone as he began to shoot his pistol at the Indomitus to grab her attention; Bridges had even run back onto the road in hopes of baiting her back, and Claire was yelling at him on the phone.

"Hey! Tacet! Tacet!"

Bridges swore when the Indomitus briefly glanced back at him. He aimed the pistol to shoot again before his gun clicked apologetically; he was out of bullets. Tacet regarded him seriously for a few seconds before Carnifex gave another roar; she tried to do the same as she began to walk in the Spinosaurus' direction.

Bridges paled before he began to run; he had to beat the Indomitus there, and he glanced at his phone to see Claire was still on. He bit his lip as he tried to form a plan before finally saying, "Claire, I will call you back!"

Bridges fumbled to get the phone in his pocket before yelling into his wrist communicator, "Romano! Get everyone out of the streets right now! _She's headed your way, and I can't get her attention!"_

* * *

The Italian swallowed as he paled before glancing to the street before him. The Safe House was in the center of this mess with Bridges' office not far from it; at least it wasn't near the fire. Romano could see it from where he was at, and he jumped when Commander Vincent was next to him.

"Where's CEO?"

Romano wanted to answer but they jumped at the squeals of car tires trying to make too sharp a turn. The jeep suddenly slid into a pole before wrapping around it, and Romano could hear the telltale thuds. Vincent went wide eyed as he hoarsely said, "Oh, Christ, I thought the rexes would have gone down by now."

Romano shivered as he snapped, "Daemon said to get everyone off the streets right now! We have to move because this is worse than Mario and Maria!"

The Commander paused when the sounds of another car crash echoed. Romano urged the man to get moving as the steps drew nearer. People began to panic, but Romano was grateful there weren't very many.

He wished there were more ACU guards here; the ones they had were struggling to keep the chaos under control. How did everything get so messed up so quickly? Romano just wanted to put in his two weeks and go home.

The Italian paled when he got a glimpse of the silvery scales, but Commander Vincent was next to him as he said, "We need to get out of here, Romano!"

The vet glanced around as the last of the stragglers finally made it to shelter. He nodded. "To the Safe House until Daemon says otherwise."

The duo bolted as another jeep became a toy for Tacet, but Romano paused when he heard his name being yelled. The Commander continued to run towards the Safe House, but Romano darted over to the dark haired woman grabbing his attention.

Romano grabbed Lucia's arm as he quickly said, "We need to leave, now!"

"Where's Mr. Bridges?"

Romano continued to tug Lucia along as he said, "Daemon can take care of himself, but we have to go."

"Dr. Romano, where are-"

"The Safe House, it's better suited for what's coming."

The duo ran as fast as they could before the Indomitus turned the corner to bare her teeth at them. Romano mentally thanked his stars that Lucia could run in her low heels, and Vincent waved them in before shutting the door.

There were a lot of people in here, and the majority were injured in some way. Lucia hugged herself quietly before the Commander hoarsely said, "Please tell me I didn't see the Indomitus."

Romano frowned as he snapped, "Hart turned her loose, and you knew about her?"

The dark haired man pressed his lips as he wiped his face; his look of defeat said it all. He glanced towards the door nervously as the footsteps drew nearer. The Commander gritted his teeth before shushing the nervous people.

There was a brief moment of silence before the harsh sound of sharp talons raked down the side of the reinforced home. Romano swallowed as the shivers went down his back; he could just picture the Indomitus raking her claws along almost delicately as she searched for the right weak spot.

He prayed Daemon had been honest when he said this home was inspected every month for any weaknesses. It could handle even Sobek, but this was something worse.

Romano wasn't sure what scared him more. An animal roaring furiously or something this quiet as it tried to get in. She tried to roar, but it came out a harsh whispers.

It scared him, and it got worse when the sounds suddenly paused though the roof seemed to creak under a heavy weight slowly pressing on it.

Bridges slid to a stop at seeing the silvery scales leaning on the Safe House, and he swallowed as he tried to figure out what to do. Something was off though, and he narrowed his eyes at the Indomitus who was doing…nothing.

She had simply stopped trying to break into the house, and Bridges blinked at the look in her eyes. He knew that look, and he could never figure out what to do with it. Tacet would mentally check out, and he could never predict when she would go or come back. He had figured out that she couldn't handle a lot of excitement; she simply shut down.

Other times, it was at random.

There was even once where she had snagged a cow to eat before she mentally left. The cow had struggled out of her grasp as her mouth hung open, and a vacant look filled her eyes. She was completely unresponsive at that point. Tacet wouldn't respond to noise, pain, and Bridges could never figure out how long these things would last.

Sometimes it was only a few seconds or minutes, but it always startled Bridges.

Tacet was a gone at the moment, and Bridges glanced to the Armory to see if he could get a tranquilizer gun before a soft sound suddenly grabbed his attention. He cursed the awareness flooding Tacet's eyes again, but he knew what to do with the confusion. If there was one thing he could do correctly with this animal, it was keeping her calm when she came out of these trances.

They scared her, and Bridges never grew angry at her for that much.

"Tacet, Honey, look at me. Tacet."

The Indomitus blinked a few times as she glanced around. She didn't know this place. Why was she here? Where was her home? She didn't know this place nor could she remember walking here. What was the last thing she remembered?

She had heard loud sounds in her home…she cut herself on the sharp doors when she forced them open…it had made her really angry.

The Indomitus heard the calm human voice that she knew, and she glanced over to see Bad Smell standing there looking at her.

"Tacet, it's okay, Honey."

The Indomitus made a soft rasp when Bridges gave a gentle whistle. She knew that whistle; she was supposed to follow like when she was smaller than Bad Smell. She couldn't remember much from then, but something very bad had happened. It made her sad, angry, and confused.

It hurt to think about, and it scared her; she usually felt guilty when she tried to remember that.

She always grew confused around Bad Smell because he never hurt her, but she knew he had somehow. Tacet could feel it in her gut, but her mind was not willing to cooperate. There had been blood.

Had she hurt Bad Smell? Tacet wondered if he had hurt her; she knew he had, but she remembered the pain in her throat. She couldn't talk like she vaguely remembered.

Tacet did remember how she used to talk to Bad Smell all the time, but then the bad thing happened.

It had been an accident, hadn't it? Tacet felt like she had hurt Bad Smell first.

Another gentle whistle grabbed her attention, and Bad Smell said, "Tacet, follow me."

The Indomitus swished her tail quietly, and Bridges took a few steps back when she began to slowly walk towards him. She was never aggressive after coming out of the trances if he was there for her to focus on first.

"There's a good girl."

Tacet swished her tail again as her mind wandered off. She was a good girl, but she didn't know what that was. Was Bad Smell a good girl? Tacet didn't think so because she _knew_ she wasn't like Bad Smell or the others who looked like him.

Those were…humans? Yes. Those were humans; Tacet remembered that much. She wasn't a human.

Tacet suddenly paused.

 _She wasn't a human like Bad Smell._

So why was she following him? Clearly they were not alike, and he was much smaller than her. Could she kill him easily? Tacet slowly tilted her head as she carefully looked the little human over.

Yes.

Bridges did not like the way the bloodied eyes glazed over slightly as her head almost lolled to the side. The man ignored his vibrating phone as he tried to think of a plan; she was going to snap again, but maybe he could get her away from the Safe House.

Romano could come tranquilize her, and they could get ahold of this mess.

"Tacet, it's okay. Follow me."

Tacet took another step forward because she remembered that order, but there was something important that she was supposed to do. One of her many instincts told her to…do something?

Why was she over here again? Wasn't there…another…?

Or was it humans?

Tacet blinked as her instincts snarled at her for forgetting; there were humans in the little, hard nest that she had been trying to get into.

Was that why she was over here? She forgot how she knew humans were in the nest, but she was supposed to eat them because they were prey.

She, as a good girl, was higher on the food chain than these humans, and that made them her prey.

Bad Smell was prey, and he was the reason for the old hurt in her throat. It made her scared and angry; now her head was hurting. It was making her angry; she needed to do something else to make the pain go away. She didn't like to dwell on things because it made her head hurt.

Bridges jumped the Indomitus gave her head a shake before suddenly lashing at the Safe House again. She bit and slashed at it with renewed vigor though she made little progress, but Bridges could hear the peoples' panicked yells from inside.

The man gritted his teeth as he ran back to the Armory; he had to get a tranquilizer gun, and then this would all be over.

Bridges fumbled with the door as he swore he heard metal protesting the abuse before he opened the door to run inside. A loud rattling startled Bridges, and he briefly stared at the two dinosaurs hunched over the half eaten body before the panicked demons screamed at him to shut the damned door.

A loud splat smacked into the door just as Bridges shut it, and he simply blinked.

Two Dilophosaurus were in his Armory building, and he had no idea why. All Bridges knew was he wouldn't be getting in there. He didn't have ammo for his pistol, and he had dropped the shotgun by Tacet's warehouse.

The blonde gritted his teeth. Did he have time to get the gun? Bridges desperately began to look around for uniformed men, dead or alive, he just had to get a gun. He could grab Tacet's attention.

Bridges froze on the street when Tacet managed to pull a reinforced, steel bar from the house to expose the hardy brick. She was going to get inside; a lot of his people were in there. Bridges could not allow the Safe House to be ruined, and his wrist communicator startled him before Romano quietly asked, "Daemon, where are you? The Indomitus is breaking in!"

Bridges let out his breath as he finally realized that he would have to take a drastic measure. Tacet was focused intently on getting to the people inside his Safe House. Bridges could not care if they were killed or eaten, but he had made a promise that he would keep this island as safe as possible for them.

It was his job, and Romano was in there.

"Tacet! Eyes on me!"

The Indomitus hardly paid him any mind, and Bridges gritted his teeth. Tacet was a lost cause. Her mind was fried, she couldn't function, and he doubted she could fight worth a damn. He had to get rid of her before Claire's cavalry showed up.

Bridges rubbed his forehead; he couldn't think with all the demons screaming at him for all the stupid mistakes he made with Tacet. He should have just cut his losses and put her down after Elise had agreed to be trained. He had gotten greedy with the idea of putting Tacet through the same training; he thought he could have sold her to Lucia.

Bridges had been wrong, and now his people were paying for it.

Tacet needed to be put down because she was nothing more than a very large pest at this point.

Bridges froze; Tacet was a pest, and he glanced down the road towards his office. The demons shrieked that this was a very bad idea though the one that sounded like Romano demanded he do something to help.

Most of the demons wanted him to leave; cut his losses and go, but Bridges couldn't find it in himself to do that. He was many things, but Bridges was never a coward. He wouldn't leave this mess unless someone capable was here to clean it up.

Tacet snagged her teeth into another set of bars, and Romano yelled his name through the radio. It was all Bridges needed to hear in order to get him running down the road. He could fight fire with fire, and he yelled into his communicator, "Romano! I'm here, just keep everyone in the building!"

Bridges slid to a stop as he stared at the massive doors before him. The labs were still burning strong, but they didn't seem to be in danger of catching anything else. The communicator crackled as Romano asked in a panicked voice, "Daemon?! What are you doing?!"

Bridges let out a shaky breath. "God, hopefully the right thing…"

He couldn't hear anything from the other side and that was good. There were two ways to open these doors. The first way was in a non-emergency, and Bridges didn't have time to go through the numerous security points.

There was an emergency box that yielded to his keycard though it asked for a password that Bridges easily entered before it lit up green. The alarms blared though Bridges immediately shut them off because there was no need to aggravate this animal. Bridges was going to try something he could allow himself to describe as crazy.

This idea was crazy, and a demon quietly tried to say that was a bad word before the others snapped at it to shut up.

Bridges needed a clear head to focus, and he ignored the disapproving Mr. Growls rocking back and forth in a dark shadow of his office building.

He let out a breath as he squared his shoulders while the doors pulled apart. He could see the dirt torn from where the massive feet had clawed through, and when the doors had opened enough, Bridges took a deep breath before giving the long, shrill summoning whistle.

There was a brief pause before the birds in the trees gave startled squawks as the fiery scales roughly pushed past them, and Bridges gave another sharp whistle. The emerald gaze snapped to him, and Bridges hoped this was Carnifex. The brute was more aggressive than Iudex, but he was slightly easier to work with; Carnifex wasn't mouthy like Iudex.

Even if they were the same Spinosaurus.

The Spinosaurus blinked at him before immediately bolting over; Bridges could feel the ground shaking with each step, and he narrowed his eyes at how Carnifex had lowered himself to snap him up. Bridges made the mental calculations, the chances, and the final prayers, before he suddenly snapped his arms up as he sharply said, _"Halt!"_

The Spinosaurus startled at the sharp tone, and his memories from younger days told him to stop immediately or he was going to get the sharp pinch on the back of his neck for disobeying. Bridges refused to show any weakness as the Carnifex curled his lip high before snapping his jaws; it had been a long time since Bridges had used the halt command, but he was glad to see it still worked.

"Carnifex."

Bridges knew the Spinosaurus was _this close_ to figuring out he could just eat him, but Bridges wasn't going to give him the chance to think much of it. Instead the blonde firmly said, "Carnifex, follow me for a treat."

Carnifex knew that word; he was going to get a fight! The doors were opened, and Father was ordering him to follow. Carnifex would perhaps fight him later? The Spinosaurus liked that idea, and he trotted to keep up with the human who had bolted. Carnifex wanted to stop and smell everything, but Father kept calling for his attention.

Carnifex wanted the treat.

Bridges didn't want to turn his back to Carnifex, and he was forced to do an odd sideways trot. Tacet was still focused on the building with her snout bloodied from rubbing on the harsh surface, and Bridges slid to a stop before pointing as he snapped, "Have fun, Carnifex!"

Carnifex was smart enough to learn to follow the pointing finger, and he looked for the easy kills. The Spinosaurus blinked at the silver scales, and he wasn't sure what to do. That wasn't an easy kill, but it was big enough to be.

Father pointed, and Iudex Carnifex would make his judgment.

The Spinosaurus let out a loud roar as he marched past Bridges, and Tacet snapped her gaze up. She blinked at the fiery scales, the proud sail; she had never seen another like this one before, but she knew the roar!

The Spinosaurus lashed his tail as he paused at the end of the road with nothing in between them before he let out a hiss. Tacet tilted her head, but a feeling of euphoria filled her.

 _She understood him._

Tacet made a delighted gasp as she looked the male over. She had found another of her kind! This was what she was, and she desperately wanted to talk with him now.

Carnifex curled his lip high as he waited for the responding roar from this creature, but he wasn't getting anything. The breeze shifted towards Carnifex, and the male paused at the scent that boiled the blood in his veins; this was a female.

But she didn't look quite like what his instincts said she was supposed to look like. Carnifex paused when the Indomitus lowered her head to the ground, and he startled at the song going through the ground. He lowered his own head to smell the vibrations that tickled his sensitive snout.

This was the female he had been communicating with; it was her song he had been hearing after the days began to turn much warmer.

Bridges blinked when Carnifex threw his head back to make an impressive roar as Tacet kept her head low to the ground. He flickered his gaze between the two before Carnifex approached the Indomitus with a low rumble vibrating in his throat.

Bridges had never heard that sound before, and he frowned at the unaggressive behavior he was seeing. Carnifex should have slaughtered Tacet on sight; she looked more like a Tyrannosaurus than she did Spinosaurus.

Why wasn't he attacking her? Bridges had put Carnifex into the mindset of attacking, and it wasn't like she could talk him out of it.

She couldn't talk.

Carnifex kept his guard up as he thoroughly inspected this female; he was depending on instinct to fill in what he didn't know. He needed to present a good kill to her, but he wanted to make sure she was fit to be his mate.

Her scales were shiny, she had muscle to her frame, and he saw no reason as to why she wasn't fit to bring about healthy hatchlings. She had some cuts around her shoulders and sides, but nothing concerning.

He would protect her as long as instinct demanded he do so assuming she accepted him. Carnifex didn't see a reason why she shouldn't; he was in his prime. A little young, but he was large for his age, and the other one could not beat him in a fight.

Carnifex stiffened; he couldn't let the Old One catch wind of this female, but he had to entice her to follow him. He had to present himself as the better choice.

Carnifex made a deep, constant rumble that vibrated in his chest as he carefully pressed against this silvery one. Hopefully his young would take on his colors, but Carnifex didn't care. She was a female, and he wanted to pass his genes along.

Bridges raised his eyebrow at the deep rumbles Carnifex was making, and the male almost tenderly rubbed his dangerous snout down the silvery neck. Tacet had his full attention, and Bridges frowned when she seemed to keep her snout away from his when he tried to gently press his face to hers.

How would she know how to interact with Carnifex? Bridges wasn't understanding this, but this was the most patient and gentle he had ever seen in the Spinosaurus. The deep rumbles continued on, and Bridges didn't care much for how it seemed to vibrate in the air.

Tacet appeared to appreciate it, and Carnifex suddenly puffed air through his nostrils as he threw back his head to make another impressive roar that echoed for miles. The Indomitus wasn't at all bothered by it, but Carnifex pressed close to her as he began to rub along her side. Tacet snapped her jaws at the male when he tried to circle behind her, but Carnifex wasn't put off by the show of teeth.

He understood, but he made another deep rumbled as he ran his throat up her back again. Carnifex knew he had her attention, and he hissed gently as he encouraged her to follow him; he had a kill near his own nest.

Sobek would have never allowed Madre into his territory, but Carnifex was inexperienced and eager. He would have to risk fighting Tacet to drive her from his territory afterwards.

Bridges was incredibly confused when Tacet continued to allow Carnifex to rub against her before following him. The man made sure to hide as best he could when they passed him, and Bridges curled his lip at a strong musk.

 _What was that?_

Bridges had to cover his nose as he turned his gaze over to the labs in concern. What if something poisonous was burning through the air now? The blonde turned his attention back to the duo when Tacet paused to carefully smell Carnifex before rubbing her jaw along his back.

Bridges paused; was that Carnifex who smelled? It was a musky smell, but he hadn't smelled like that as far as Bridges knew. Carnifex made another deep rumble as he stood impressively, and Bridges rolled his eyes.

Carnifex was showing off for the girl.

The demons paused from their arguing, and Bridges went wide eyed at the realization of what he had just done. He scrambled his mind to recollect memories with Carnifex's birth, but it seemed like the right time. The Spinosaurus had been agitated for the past few days, and Bridges paled.

Claire had said she had Tacet's records. Wu had lied to him, and Bridges quietly swore.

It wasn't the Indominus who could breed with the Spinosaurus, but the Indomitus. Wu knew all along that Bridges would take Tacet.

She could breed with a Spinosaurus.

But weren't they both too young? Bridges had thought so, but he wasn't sure now. They were both well fed animals, and Carnifex was much larger than what Sobek had been at his age. Was that enough to tilt the odds in his favor?

But Tacet was only six! Bridges didn't know when she would be mature, but there was no way she would attract Carnifex's attention if she wasn't close. Was she close enough? Tacet was certainly larger than Elise, and Wu had said full size was fifty feet from nose to tail. Last Bridges had checked, Elise was forty-one feet, Tacet was at forty-five.

Was Tacet's healthy weight and size enough to allow for early mating? Bridges knew she should have waited a few years, but technically speaking….

Bridges ran a hand through his messy, blonde hair in distress; he had just given Carnifex a reason to defend Tacet. He had really shot himself in the foot this time. Bridges had loaded, aimed, and shot himself in the damned foot.

This was bad, but the man suddenly froze.

Carnifex was leading Tacet back to his paddock with perfectly functional doors. Bridges could shut the doors behind them and go on from there.

Now Bridges didn't give a damn what the duo were going to do because he could shut the door!

Neither of the animals noticed Bridges quietly following from a distance, and he all but cried when they slipped past the doors easily.

He just had to push a few buttons, and this mess would be on its way to being cleaned up. Bridges was going to put the fire out first; he knew Wu had to be in that mess somewhere.

Bridges was going to slap Wu's corpse as hard as he could just to make himself feel better. He didn't know how Wu was part of this, but those labs had been expensive.

* * *

The Indomitus froze at the sight of the tall things she had never seen before though they looked dully familiar. She didn't like the bright green fur around the area, but she glanced up at the bright male who had been so kind to her. His scent sent delightful shivers down her spine, and she could finally follow at least one instinct when she was around him. She needed to be impressed by the territory he held, and the kill he would present to her.

He roared impressively as he bravely rubbed against the tall tree that held Tacet's attention.

She wasn't sure what to do when it didn't react to being touched, but it had to be fine if Kind One wasn't being attacked.

Tacet made a raspy hiss at the male before he suddenly pushed the tree over to prove his strength. The Indomitus was impressed, and she made another hiss to show for it. She couldn't talk like she wished she could, but she could hiss. It was enough for her.

The Indomitus made to follow the male before startling at a soft sound behind her, and she blinked at the closing doors. Tacet didn't want the doors to shut, and she glanced to the fallen tree next to her.

A part of her wanted to know what would happen if she put the tree in the way.

* * *

Bridges nearly leapt out of his skin when the leafy top of a tree was suddenly shoved forward. His jaw dropped when he realized it was in the way, and he prayed the doors would ignore it. For once, let the safety features not work.

The doors hardly tapped the bark of the tree before slowly opening back up because there was clearly something in the way. Bridges would not allow that to happen, and he unlatched the hidden cover to the main computer of the system; he would override the safeties if he had to.

But the system would not allow that since it was a silly thing to do. The system would not allow the possibility of closing on a living creature.

Bridges ran a hand through his hair again before letting out a small gasp as his shoulder protested angrily at everything it had been put through. The wound had opened again, and his ruined white shirt was now staining at the shoulder.

The man turned back to the computer; he didn't know how to force an override, and he didn't want to sit out here while bleeding. There could still be something out there who would risk hunting him if they deemed him weak enough.

Bridges let out another breath as he stared at the massive doors; he had to go get someone to walk him through this. He didn't fancy the target on his forehead with being wounded, and he needed to regroup with his Commander.

Bridges swallowed as he listened to the fading footsteps; he could get this done in a timely manner. Maybe Spinosaurus courtships took time; Carnifex didn't seem to be in a rush.

He could do this, and the blonde winced at his protesting shoulder as he ran back to the Safe House. He didn't want to run into anything else.

Bridges lightly cursed under his breath as he fumbled with the doorknob before opening the door. He heard a startled shriek and turned just in time to see Lucia swing a plank of wood at him. Despite reacting, Bridges' jaw was still clipped hard enough to knock him over. Bridges could taste blood, and he heard yelling as calloused hands snagged him back inside before the door shut.

Romano gaped at Lucia who dropped the plank as she said, "I thought it would be a Velociraptor! I heard they could open doors!"

"Our raptors do not even come close to here!"

Lucia pressed her lips in shame before the Commander motioned Romano over. The vet kneeled in front of the dazed blonde as he quietly asked, "Daemon? Can you hear me?"

Bridges winced before holding up his finger, and Romano sighed as he inspected the bleeding jaw. _"_ _Che casino_ _, Daemon."_

Bridges winced again at the fingers before finally saying, "Still don't know Italian, Romano."

Romano quietly sighed, "You're a mess, Daemon; this is a mess."

Bridges batted the hand away as he retorted, "But I am a good looking mess."

Romano pinched his nose in aggravation as Lucia kneeled down next to him. "Mr. Bridges, I am so sorry…"

Bridges rubbed his tender jaw as he tried to brush it off by saying, "At least no raptor will get through the door on your watch."

The woman gave a strained smile before Commander Vincent finally asked, "How're things out there?"

Bridges sighed as he batted Lucia's hands away from his shoulder; he didn't want to be touched at the moment. He glanced around to see the scared faces looking to him for a plan, and he said to the Commander, "I need someone to override the safety system for Carnifex's paddock."

Romano immediately snarled, "You did not let him out!"

"I did, and he managed to get the Indomitus into his paddock as well. They're both in there right now, but there's a damned tree in the way."

The Commander crossed his arms as he said, "We need tranquilizers from the Armory."

"Vince, unless you have good guns on you," Bridges said, "We're out of luck because there are two Dilophosaurus in there right now."

The dark haired man looked grim as he said, "We're low on ammo; I had sent one of my own there to bring back more. Now I know why he never came back."

"Tell me you have tranquilizer guns elsewhere."

The man gestured to a few against the wall as he said, "We're out of darts; Vet Building doesn't have anymore. Our last boxes were in the Armory."

Bridges pressed his lips before asking, "How's the hospital?"

Vince crossed his arms tiredly to answer, "I have most of my men over there to defend the place; we have a lot of people who are hurt really bad. Our hospital is good, but it's not meant to handle this sort of thing for very long; we have to get them to mainland as soon as we can."

Romano came back with a first-aid kit, and Bridges said, "You save that for someone who needs it. Just stop the bleeding, Romano."

The vet nodded quietly as Commander Vince gravely said, "I don't want to wait here until dark, Sir. The gates are down, and who knows what'll smell all the blood. You know what hunts here at night; we'll be sitting ducks."

Bridges sighed as he pinched his nose though he nodded. He knew what he had to do, and he pulled out his phone to make the calls. He blinked at the text message from Judge Knight.

Wonderful; there was a warrant for his arrest. Bridges sighed as he ignored it; he wouldn't leave this island until he knew things were under control. He sure as hell wasn't going to prison, but he wouldn't abandon his people.

"Has anyone seen Hart?"

Bridges was slightly hoping Hart would be somewhere within reach, but he glanced up when a quiet looking man said, "Mr. Bridges…I take care of the Concavenators, and Control told me that they were turned loose; they saw them…eating…whoever turned them loose."

"Pudgy man who is balding?"

The quiet man rubbed his hands nervously as he said, "They think so, from what the cameras said, but…the mother sort of used him to teach her son how to hunt…"

Bridges blinked; Hart was dead. There was some hope for him after all, and he found that end fitting. He was in debt to this mother, and he began to dial the phone as he asked, "What're those animals' names? What did you name them?"

The man seemed startled but he answered, "Uh, the mother is Gypsy, and her son is Quasimodo…"

Bridges quietly promised to make sure those two could live a long happy life. He personally thanked Mommy Gypsy for giving Hart a probably slow death through her inexperienced son.

Bridges was satisfied with that, and he put the ringing phone to his ear with a sigh. He wondered if he could get someone from Control to help him override the paddock doors. He was tempted to do that first but shutting the doors wasn't going to speed up the process of getting his people to mainland. They needed more men, more weapons.

And a certain dinosaur who could keep the chaos in order because she was good around that sort of thing. Claire could take the damned Indomitus, and Carnifex could roam the wild or go to Jurassic World.

Bridges would get things in order, and then he was gone; he had plans that he could fall back on. Strings to pull, places to flee, friends to call; he could do this. It was time for a career change anyway.

The blonde glanced at a tired Romano when the phone answered.

"Miss Dearing, InGen has declared an Emergency Evacuation on Isla Sorna; we need everything you've got."


	76. Chapter 76

**A/N**

 **Hey guys! I'm alive and cold! I apologize about the delay; school and cows first, but good news is the chapter is long. Bad news is it's not incredibly exciting.**

 **Elise's fangirl, go forth and bathe in the fountain of creation; just give me credit for what's mine.**

 **XGuestXP, basically what they can breed with.**

 **Romance Guest, I hope her dad isn't a fellow reader. XD But I'm happy for you.**

 **Punches WRaptors, One: that is sort of what I have her do along with a twist from a video game character who has inspired a few of her traits. Two: I was Darth Vader in sixth grade and I ruled that class that day; it was glorious. Maybe I can write a one shot on it. Three: I thought it was sort of obvious already, but maybe I hadn't explained it. That could be my bad! Lastly, I had seriously considered giving her a uniform, but she will get something after finishing her training!**

 **Imtomzizle, I hope you enjoy the snow! And the thing has yet to be done! :p But I sincerely thank you; it means a lot to me to hear that.**

 **Elise da Indom, I explain her name in this chapter; the Oreos compelled me! and I send forth my own Oreos to make you feel better!**

 **Lance, I get the same way! I still need to watch my Jurassic World; it's just sitting there.**

 **MANYOREOS, That's a good suggestion actually.**

 **Me Myself and I, We bring everyone! Even...John Cena! I'm sorry, I couldn't help myself.**

 **Kim K's Butt, I grew up in a house with Portuguese people; I can withstand the shockwave! I really liked the name, so thank you for suggesting it. I shan't spill the secret! I swear! Alright, we're married; I'll change my Facebook status and everything. Love the song btw.**

 **VibrantSnow9047, I don't consider that a flame because your review was I guess review worthy; I'm pretty sure I know why you found it distasteful, and I touched up on it. Thank you for saying something.**

 **Reader No.123456, Precisely!**

 **DraconicBlizzard, I hope you caught up on sleep!**

 **The Linge, your review made me laugh really hard, and I thank you for that.**

 **I 3 bunny butts, it's okay, I'm not a romantic either, and the Nebelwerfer looks amazing! I had to look it up, but it looks so cool!**

 **Anonymous, I guess I do have a lot of pairings set up :p And thank you, it's amazing to have reached 75 chapters!**

 **The Only Potato, I am the eldest sister; I know how to block! Thank you for the hugs!**

 **Miraak, I actually had a bit of a hard time starting this since I had gone a few days without writing. As far as writer's block goes, not yet, and I hope not. As far as advice goes, I say make sure you enjoy what you write, tell the readers what you need them to see or think about, and let their own imagination to the work for other things if that makes sense. *Whispers* I'm sure Hermaeus Mora has a book with some advice too...**

 **Guest, Tacet doesn't eat junk food.**

 **dinofan, I deleted that comment because it just a comment to another reader, and I like to prevent that kind of thing in the reviews sections; no hard feelings! I thank you for being willing to wait and understanding. Thank you.**

 ***Warning*** **Chapter got dark again with encouraging suicide in one of my scenes with Bridges so, I couldn't find a lifeline that deals with what Bridges has specifically. I'm just going to put the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline number here again because I know that's a solid place. It's free; it's available 24/7, and they have a nice website.**

 **1-800-273-8255. Again, I know most of you are in a good place, but just in case.**

 **Lastly, I sincerely thank you guys for your patience and wonderful comments and** **critiques. I cannot believe we hit 4,000 reviews! You guys! I remember getting excited over ten reviews. I am really humbled by this. I thank you again, and just in case you haven't heard it today, I love you. Have a good day/night!**

* * *

"Dreams, Voices, and a Turkish Angora."

Carnifex continued to groom his talons as thoroughly as possible while keeping an eye on the female; she wasn't much of a talker, but he found some appeal in that because there would be less of a chance of Old One catching wind of her. The Spinosaurus did find it odd how she didn't seem eager to make it known she was looking for the best male possible. Granted, Carnifex knew she wouldn't have to look any further than him, but still.

The fiery Spinosaurus actually wondered if she simply struggled to talk since their conversations had been very limited, but it didn't matter to him. There were plenty of ways to communicate without vocalization, and she was expressive in her body language.

Regardless, what mattered was she wasn't quite ready to accept him as her mate, and Carnifex found it easier to be patient if he focused on grooming himself. He wasn't used to waiting around, but his instincts demanded he wait for her consent.

He wouldn't force her simply because it wouldn't end well for either of them, and he knew there was a possibility he would cross paths with her in the future. He would want her to accept him again.

The Spinosaurus paused from his grooming when Tacet slowly sank onto her side, and she let out a long sigh. The Indomitus had finally figured out this brightly colored fur wouldn't hurt anyone, but it actually felt nice against her scales. She slowly rubbed her face through the lush grass as the smells of the world gently filled her nose.

Kind One's presence had helped her a lot; she was secretly looking to him for guidance in how to react to everything here. He sat on this lush fur so it had to be nice, and the tall things surrounding them were also ignored though they provided nice shade.

It was very quiet right here like in her old nest, but there was something nice about the other's presence to assure her everything was fine.

It still made Tacet tense when the breeze would come through and shake the trees' leaves, but she did her best to ignore it as Carnifex never acknowledged it.

The Indomitus stretched out as far as she could as a feeling of peace filled her; this was a nice place to rest without any humans to hurt them. She wondered if there were more of her kind nearby, but she wasn't sure what she was supposed to do around them.

She knew what to do around Kind One, but what if she met others?

Tacet startled when the Spinosaurus began another soothing rumble in his chest before gently pressing his dangerous jaws against her side; she enjoyed seeing a soft side to the fierce male. It made her feel safe, and she knew he could be deadly.

He had boasted about easy kills that he enjoyed fighting; Tacet had never seen such large bones before, but she startled at the smell on the bleached decorations; they carried Bad Smell's scent. Tacet wished she could have asked Kind One about Bad Smell, but she had to settle for small talk.

It was still much nicer than having to talk to Bad Smell; he tried to teach her things that she didn't understand. She would get confused, and her head would hurt.

Or she would simply forget what she was taught, and Bad Smell would grow frustrated; Tacet always felt bad for that. She felt guilty for having a poor memory.

Had it been her fault?

The Indomitus didn't like the dull aching starting in her head, and she focused on the healthy scales next to her. She was impressed by this male, and her instinct did find the kill acceptable. She didn't recognize what it was, but it had been a healthy and large animal; it seemed Kind One was an experienced hunter.

And he wasn't pushy; her instincts warned against that behavior if she saw it, but he had been respectful of her space.

Carnifex continued to rub his jaw along the silvery back as he rumbled; he knew she was seriously considering him, and that was good. He would be a willing and patient male; he could afford to devote all the time she needed. Carnifex wouldn't act concerned about defending his territory or hunting for another meal unless she wanted more prey.

He was confident, healthy, and patient; he was the best.

Carnifex finally rested his head on the cut shoulders before cleaning the blood off them; he wished he had experience to tell him if he was doing this right, but he simply knew he needed to present himself as the very best from all angles.

He was a fierce warrior, a skilled hunter, and a gentle mate; Soft Voice needed to feel safe around him.

The Spinosaurus paused when the Indomitus suddenly shifted away, and he was concerned he had done something wrong until she walked over to his kill. Carnifex carefully watched as she inspected the prey thoroughly before she tore a large chunk of meat off.

She had accepted his kill, and Carnifex was delighted; he was one step closer.

He still had to wait though; she hadn't accepted _him_ , but in due time. Soft Voice still wasn't willing to turn her back to him, but Carnifex went back to grooming his talons; gentle mates didn't force themselves onto others because there was no need. If she didn't accept him then he would chase her away for wasting his time and eating his kill, but that seemed like a small possibility.

Carnifex could afford to wait.

* * *

"…Yes, Judge, that's…correct…"

Romano stared at the tired looking blonde with pity; the bridge of Daemon's nose had gone red from the excessive pulling he was doing.

Things weren't looking good for the CEO, but Romano was sad to say it was for the best. Bridges was looking at a lot of jail time, but Romano was hopeful this meant Bridges would get the help he needed.

Unless of course the American justice system worked how it usually did; Bridges would only face a couple years because he was rich. The Italian scoffed at the idea, but he knew it would be true unless Judge Knight would be the one to preside over that case.

Bridges wouldn't see the light of day until the jail ceiling came crumbling down hundreds of years later if Judge Knight had anything to say about it.

At least they had managed to find a quiet room in the house away from the other people. Vince was using his radio to keep in touch with the hospital, and Lucia was tending to the injured people here. The Italian had snagged a small granola bar to eat just to calm his nerves.

Romano had also given himself the duty of looking after Bridges after the blonde wandered off to find a quiet spot; it was a warning sign the Italian wasn't sure if Bridges was aware of.

Bridges would intentionally or unintentionally isolate himself when another hallucination was going to happen. It had taken a long time for Romano to realize it, but the warning sign hadn't failed him yet; there was always the possibility that Bridges had wanted a private spot to talk to Judge Knight.

But he was pulling at the bridge of his nose, and that was another sign.

Daemon was getting really stressed.

"Of course not, she was incredibly expensive, Judge. Why would I abuse her? …Yes, of course she's physically scarred…she claws herself…I don't know why… No…I raised her liked I did Carnifex, I…she's isolated for her own safety…"

Romano took another bite of his granola as he sighed when Bridges began to pace around. The blonde refused to sit down to eat, and Romano noticed how Bridges had finally caved into pulling his lighter out.

Click, click, click, pause, click, click, click, pause.

Bridges would click, click, click, stare at the flame, and repeat; it was annoying to Romano, but he knew he had his own irritating habits.

The Italian stared at Bridges again when he said, "Look, Your Honor, I have no intent of fleeing this mess, but I really wish you would focus on getting help over here, please. I have injured people."

The blonde paused mid-step before growling, "I will _not_ accept responsibility for Hart's actions…no you may not go after Control for this! Hart had my Chief Veterinarian's master keycard _which he stole after attacking another employee_ ; it overrides any order Control sends out…Jurassic World has the same system in place! Hart beat my assistant to death! Jack's eye was knocked out! Jack is lying dead in the damned street because of Hart!"

Bridges was growing incredibly frustrated, but he jumped at the harsh cracking before the liquid spilled onto his hand. He chewed his lips at the broken lighter but let out a sigh of relief when Romano simply pulled out another. The blonde turned to start the pattern over as he listened to the unhappy judge before jumping again when Romano suddenly snagged his hand with a dry look on his face. Bridges blinked at him until the Italian wiped the fluid off and lightly tapped Bridges' forehead for being an _idiota._

Bridges had to sigh; that would have been the icing on today's disastrous cake; he could have accidentally set his lighter fluid soaked hand on fire.

Romano went back to his chair as he shook his head before Bridges frowned at the phone and replied, "No, I did not know Carnifex would react like that…I don't know, I assume they're mating or going to. I-"

Bridges was cut off by the question, and he raised his eyebrows as he slowly answered, "I…Sobek is Carnifex's biological father…why?"

Romano raised an eyebrow as he mentally asked the same question; he was growing incredibly antsy with how little progress was being made here. They didn't even know if Claire would be sending over her ACU team because the redhead had immediately sent Bridges over to talk with Judge Marie Knight.

The Italian knew Bridges had done a lot of wrong things, and he was sure Judge Knight was concerned about the man fleeing, but she needed to evaluate her priorities.

Was making sure Bridges stayed in one spot really more important than getting help to the several injured people here? Claire's ACU teams had a small, rare opening to get here while both Carnifex and the Indomitus were distracted.

Romano jumped when Bridges suddenly smacked his fist onto the wall as he snapped, "How was I to know that?! No, I had no intent of that….because Carnifex is too young! You know what? I had intent to sell Tacet to BioSyn so go talk to Lucia; she's in the next room trying to save a man's arm!"

The blonde gritted his teeth as he took a deep breath before calmly saying, "Your Honor, I have sincerely tried to help you understand the severity of this situation. Tacet is fine with Carnifex, but I have several, critically injured people here, and night is coming."

Romano rested his head on his folded arms as he leaned on the table when Bridges glanced at him; the Italian rolled his eyes at the woman's voice, and Bridges pinched his nose again. Romano couldn't exactly hear what was being said from the other end, but he knew it wasn't kind.

Romano quietly sighed again as he glanced around the small room with boxes full of supplies for this kind of emergency. Romano had actually never been in here before, but it was good to see the home had been well maintained. There was a bunker underneath the main house where several people were already resting.

Bridges had prepared for the worst, and Romano admired him for that.

The blonde took another deep breath before finally saying, "Your Honor, you have until nightfall to get Miss Dearing's ACU team over here because the moment the sun sets, I am fleeing this island regardless of what happens."

Romano blinked as he snapped his gaze to Bridges who stood tall and unwavering against the woman's raised voice. He finally cut in by saying, "I have the means to flee this island, Judge, and I will do so with Dr…"

Bridges glanced at Romano who immediately replied with a dangerous glare, and Bridges finished, "Wu. I will flee with Dr. Wu...yes, he's alive…I have him in the Safe House with me right now. If you are so adamant about arresting us, I suggest you do so before nightfall."

Romano slowly covered his face at what Bridges had just done; now Bridges really would be in trouble after this. The blonde raised an eyebrow at Judge Knight before he said, "Nightfall, Judge; you have until then."

A silence fell in the room as Bridges hung up before he ran a hand through his hair for the umpteenth time today; this was a complete mess, and his head was really hurting. He couldn't tell if it was from the demons' arguing or the fact that his head was injured. His jaw was starting to swell, but at least Romano had stopped the bleeding in his shoulder.

Bridges couldn't stop himself from flicking the lighter again until Romano suddenly said, "This is a mess, Daemon."

"Messes can be cleaned."

Romano lightly snorted as he asked, "Did you really consider kidnapping me just now?"

The blonde CEO resumed with the lighter while answering, "I wouldn't kidnap you without your permission; I respect you too much."

Romano threw a hand up as he retorted, "That is not kidnapping, it is running away."

Bridges took a deep breath as he ignored the light headed feeling that was slowly creeping; he didn't like it, and he waved his own hand as he absentmindedly replied, "Then run away with me, I don't care as long as it looks like kidnapping."

Romano raised his eyebrows as he stared at the man's back before narrowing his eyes. Was Daemon swaying slightly? Romano slowly stood up before Bridges suddenly cleared his throat to say, "We need to get back to Commander Vince and work something out; I need to know what's going on in Control."

The vet nodded; maybe he wasn't going to pass out. Bridges hadn't sounded so…wispy that time, and he wasn't swaying anymore. Bridges rubbed his forehead again as he began to walk to the door before suddenly stumbling, and Romano grabbed the outstretched arm to steady him as he said, "Easy, Daemon; I think you need to sit down."

Bridges slowly pulled his arm away as he coolly replied, "Romano, I have a lot of people who need to see me doing something but sitting is not what they would like to see."

Romano might have let Bridges go if the blonde wasn't starting to sway again, and he firmly said, "Take two minutes to sit, Daemon, and eat something for the love of everything."

Bridges swayed again as he glared at the vet before retorting, "I am…perfectly fine…"

Romano only sighed when Bridges began to sink, but he wrapped an arm around the blonde to help him down; at least he was going down slow. There wouldn't be a risk of him hitting his head again; it had been smacked around enough for today.

Romano shook his head at how hard Bridges fought as he mumbled, "Let…me up."

The vet leaned over him as he replied, "Daemon, I do not know who is worse; you or Sobek."

Romano held Bridges' head as he pulled the chair's cushion off before allowing Bridges to use it as a pillow. The vet wasn't sure what else to do, and he quietly asked, "How bad is it, Daemon? Do I need to go get the pills?"

Bridges frowned deeply as he half replied, "Sobek is the snitch…"

Romano blinked at him as he watched Bridges slip under, and he sighed. The vet wasn't sure what to do for Bridges at the moment; he wished he could have gotten the pills for the blonde, but he really didn't want to run to the office for them.

Romano glanced at Bridges again before he decided to simply sit here until he woke up; it was all he could do at the moment. The animals were loose, most of the people had found shelter, and they could only hope Judge Knight had taken Bridges' threat seriously.

" _Che casino, Daemon."_

* * *

Elise stretched in the grass as she opened her eyes before glancing around for Owen, but she didn't see him. They had settled for a nap after talking to Sobek, and she knew he wouldn't have walked all the way back to the log by himself.

He was too afraid of running into Rexy by himself.

Elise twitched her tail in thought before startling when something suddenly collided into her side with a delighted squeal. Elise let out a yelp as she landed on her back before blinking at the pleased creature sitting on her belly, and Elise made a happy cry at seeing the gold flecked, scarlet eyes.

Small One!

Her grey sister suddenly thrust her face against Elise's as she made soft sounds of how much she missed seeing her, but she was happy. Elise gently pinned her sister as she began to tenderly lick the grey scales; she didn't care if this was another dream.

It had been too long since she had dreamt of her sister, and this time she no longer looked thin or ill. Elise was delighted to see the scales actually held some sheen, but those precious eyes were so alive with love that it made her heart hurt.

Elise pressed as close to her sister as she could to catch that missed smell of her other half, and she startled at smelling a bit of the oak plant's tender leaves mixed in the natural perfume. Small One gently batted her sister's nose before skittering away to playfully roll in the grass as she made delighted sounds.

Elise wriggled her hips before launching herself after her sister, and Small One immediately leapt up as she darted away from her twin. Elise loved this game so much, and she wondered if Small One would have ever gotten caught by Sobek.

She had always been a good hider.

Elise really didn't care at the moment because she felt right with the world in chasing her sister through her paddock, and Elise didn't fail to notice they were in the new one.

This had to be a good dream, and Elise made a delighted sound as she tore after her sister who replied with her own cry. The two sisters dodged one another as they bounced around the plains before Elise was finally able to tackle her twin.

Had Small One always been able to run so fast? She normally grew tired much faster than this, but the smaller sister only batted her twin's muzzle gently until Elise yielded into letting her up. Elise took the opportunity to look around, and she was surprised to see they were by the pond though the oak sapling wasn't here.

It made sense to Elise; Small One was obviously here as she was supposed to be rather than growing as the tree. Elise just wished she knew where Owen was at the moment; she was a little confused, but happy.

It was too bad Roth would never meet Small One like this.

Elise was distracted by her sister calling her over to the clear pond with frogs sitting contently on the lily pads gently floating over calm waters. The world was at harmony, and even the gentle wind danced through the tall grass in all her splendor. It made Elise happy to see everything so vividly, and she lied close to her sister as she began to chitter that she had news she had been meaning to tell her.

Small One pressed her head into Elise's face like she used to while making the soft reply; she already knew about the other one. Elise blinked in confusion, and her sister chirped in amusement that Wind had told her; Elise was getting slow in relaying news.

The larger Indominus glanced away in shame of not being able to spend as much time with her sister, but Small One only crooned that it was fine; Elise was supposed to be spending less time with her.

Elise snapped her gaze back as she growled that it was not supposed to be like that! She had promised that she would never leave or forget her, and she intended to keep her promise. Elise swore that she would talk to her sister everyday so she would never be forgotten.

Small One snorted, and Elise suddenly startled at realizing her sister looked more mature even if they were as small as hatchlings. The grey Indominus tenderly pressed against her sister as she softly chittered that she wasn't going to be forgotten because now she had a picture of herself in the log for all the little munchkins to see.

Small One lightly dabbed her claws into the pond's surface as she gently added that Roth had good intentions in what she was trying to do; Small One wanted her sister to _really_ move on as well.

Elise didn't like the tight feeling in her chest as she stared at her little sister; something just hurt more after realizing they had grown in the same egg. Elise wondered if they had curled close around one another in the egg like they had when they used to sleep together.

Would they have still slept like that if Small One hadn't died? Elise was sure of it, and she felt a pang on loneliness in her chest at the thought of moving on. It was something she had obsessed over in order to avoid acknowledging the fact that she was the only of her kind.

Elise startled when her sister lightly batted her nose before chittering that she wasn't the only of her kind anymore. There was the other one who was older than them, and there were the embryos. Elise wasn't alone anymore.

The snowy Indominus softly whined; she didn't know if the world was ready for more of their kind, but Small One nipped the snowy shoulder before motioning for Elise to look at a leaf floating in the water.

Elise didn't think much of it, but Small One dabbed her talon into the water before they watched the ripples lightly bounce the leaf around. Elise remembered playing with the leaves in the slow part of her stream when she had still lived in her old paddock; it had been a way to pass the time.

Small One crooned that her actions were the ripples, and Elise nodded at that; she knew this. She replied that her actions affected the leaf no matter what she did, but it was up to her to make the ripples good or bad for the leaf.

The grey Indominus nodded, and Elise noticed that; Small One never nodded because she had never learned what that action meant, but Elise didn't say anything about it. Small One simply chittered that the world probably wasn't ready for more Indominus right now, but Elise could get it ready for more.

Elise had plenty of time to add more, but she needed to enjoy life right now so she could show the future ones how to do the same.

Elise flicked her tail in thought before Small One chirped that it was probably time to go; this would be goodbye for a while.

The snowy Indominus all but panicked at that, but her grey sister assured that they would see each other again one day. Elise would become brown bones in the earth like her, but they would see each other again, until then, Small One insisted she needed to focus on becoming a strong tree. The grey hatchling added that Elise needed to give her attention to this other one.

It was time to move on, and that was okay; Small One insisted she was fine. Elise had kept her promise.

Now it was time to focus on other things.

Elise whined at that, but her sister suddenly batted her head gently; whiners didn't get past the tall walls.

The snowy Indominus had to smile at that; she remembered telling her sister that phrase in their old paddock. It did no good to whine because the walls wouldn't yield to that; they had to work and be smart if they wanted to be free.

Small One suddenly leapt up before she thrusted her head into Elise as she chittered her comfort; maybe she could stick around as a tree until the world was ready for more of their kind.

Maybe she could get another chance at life in a healthy body like Elise.

Elise did feel better at that, but she didn't want this to be goodbye; she didn't want to move on. Small One flicked her tail as she retorted that Elise needed to, and she would eventually.

It didn't mean Elise would forget her, they could still play in her dreams, but Elise simply wouldn't ache as much at the thought of her. It would be fine to visit her less often, and it was okay to enjoy life.

Small One promised she was fine.

Elise glanced at her talons before hearing the far away roar of Rexy calling her. Elise tilted her head at the plains before turning to ask her sister if she wanted to see Rexy, and the Indominus blinked.

Her sister was gone.

Elise sagged quietly as she finally rested her head on her hands; she was still sad, but Small One had made sense. She had given her blessing to go forth and enjoy life, but Elise wouldn't forget her.

Maybe it meant the burden of taking care of her sister had finally been removed from her shoulder, and Elise slowly lifted her head. Small One's picture was in the false log, several guests had already seen it, and people really could believe that her twin sister had existed.

Small One wasn't in danger of being forgotten.

Elise crooned happily before a falling leaf caught her attention, and it made a gentle ripple as it landed in the clear pond. Elise titled her head at it before glancing behind her to gape at the massive tree before her.

Was that how big the oak was supposed to become? She had never seen such a proud tree in her life, and the leaves looked different from the ones she was used to seeing. Elise didn't even think she could wrap herself around the base of the trunk; it was breathtaking, and she loved how the leaves whispered in the light breeze.

That was Small One, and Elise was amazed at the fact that her small twin now towered over her. Small One was big enough to _shelter her_ , and Elise felt incredibly happy at that for some reason. Elise didn't need to protect her sister anymore; she was strong enough now.

She could do this, and she had to focus on the Indomitus; they were practically sisters. She had an older sister to reunite with, and Small One was always here.

She would see her sister again.

Elise turned her gaze back to the pond to see the branches stretching far over her, and she could even hear birds singing their songs from up high.

It was going to be okay.

A sharp pain at Elise's hips caused her to yelp before she whirled around with wide eyes as the tree's branch slowly moved back to place.

Did she just get smacked by a tree?

* * *

Rexy let out a small huff when her youngling didn't wake up; White One hardly slept this hard, but there were days where she had to get a good nip at the hips.

Apparently this was one of those days, and the elder swished her tail as she looked for signs of her youngling waking up.

White One only relaxed again, and Rexy let out a rumble as she lowered her jaws next to the snowy scales before nipping them a little harder; it was the middle of the day, this wasn't the time to be sleeping this hard.

And Rexy wanted to know why her youngling smelled so strongly of Rude One; she didn't want to provoke the old dinosaur if she didn't have to. Rexy wasn't ready for another fight, and she didn't want White One to be doing stupid things.

Elise finally snapped her eyes open as she flinched away from the sharp teeth with a protesting whine though Rexy only puffed air through her nose when Echo suddenly tackled Elise's face. The Indominus startled at it, but she glanced over when Rexy rumbled that she was going to patrol the territory again.

Rexy wanted to know if her youngling intended to sleep the day away, and the Indominus crooned that she was only taking a small nap with-

Elise paused to glance around herself; she didn't see Owen anywhere. The Indominus slowly glanced at her mother who only rumbled that her human was a poor hider. Elise followed the golden gaze towards a thick pile of bushes just in time to see Blue launch herself onto the unsuspecting prey, and Owen let out a loud yell as the duo rolled out.

Elise lightly snorted when Rexy rumbled that she needed to teach her human how to hide better; the Tyrannosaurus knew her tall son was getting better about skirting around her home though he did it much less often now.

Elise pressed her face close to her mother's as she promised she would try to help him, and Rexy wished her the best of luck as she began to walk away. Rexy told her youngling not to go provoking their neighbor and to stay out of trouble.

But she would come to her aid if needed.

Elise crooned as she watched Rexy stroll away with Delta and Echo chasing one another playfully. The Indominus glanced over to see Blue had managed to pin Owen in the dirt with a smug look on her face though she bounced up at Rexy's call. The Beta gave a small chirp to Owen to make sure he knew she had won that round before she took off after the Tyrannosaurus.

Elise snorted again as she walked over to Owen who was dusting himself off, and he glanced up as he said, "You were sleeping really hard, Baby. Are you sure you're okay?"

Elise nodded as she scooped Owen close to him before writing in the dirt, _'REXY SAYS YOU ARE A POOR HIDER'_

Owen snorted at the words before retorting, "It doesn't help when the wind beneath my wings rats me out; I'm glad you guys trust Rexy not to eat me."

' _JUST DONT MAKE HER WANT TO CHASE YOU'_

Owen couldn't stop his small laugh as he pulled a twig from his hair. "I'll try to remember that, Baby Girl. Now," He paused to check his watch before adding, "We should probably get going; next show starts soon."

Elise scooped her human close to her chest before she began to walk back to the thick jungle; she knew Owen liked to ride her shoulders, but sometimes she just liked to cuddle him close.

He was her precious treasure, and Owen chuckled at the tender croon.

"That nap must have been really good, Baby."

Elise nodded as she began to tell Owen about her dream; sometimes she was happy he didn't understand when she vocalized her thoughts. It was a way to get if off her chest without fear of Owen analyzing her words.

She told Owen how she saw her sister again and how she looked so healthy and alive; those eyes sparkled so vividly. Elise hoped that maybe she would get a daughter someday who looked like Small One, but Elise decided she would name her daughter Nivis because she liked that name. Even if Wu had abandoned them, he had the decency to name them; Elise would thank him by naming her firstborn daughter Nivis.

Owen only smiled as he stretched out in the gentle palm while staring at Elise. She could talk all day if she wanted, and he really hoped this new Indomitus was just as talkative. These two could talk each other's ears off.

It had scared the life out of him to see Rexy coming over the hill, but he was glad she didn't seem intent on chasing him. Owen had to snort at Elise's words of advice: don't make Rexy want to chase him. That was like asking Blue not to jump him for Oreos.

The man only batted Elise's talons as she continued to talk.

Elise was bittersweet about saying that Small One had given her blessing to live life without her.

But it was going to be okay; Small One had promised she was fine.

That made things easier for Elise.

* * *

"Does Rexy really tolerate all that junk in her nest? Where would Delta even find a watch out there?"

Elise shrugged; she had no idea how the girls found half the things they did, but she assumed it had been left behind from other humans. The girls had practically struck gold after they had been allowed to go near Sobek's fence; Elise had never seen such a variety of junk in the nest before.

Rexy had looked like she wanted to ask, but she didn't seem to care so long as the findings didn't clutter over to her side.

Owen looked impressed before asking, "Is the watch any good? I've been needing a new one."

Elise gave her sucked in laugh as the false log came into view, but she was surprised to see Claire standing near the rails. Elise thought she looked incredibly serious, but it didn't stop Elise from giving a crooned greeting. Owen peered over the large fingers before he waved, and Claire gave her own small wave.

Elise allowed the man to step into the log as he smiled at Claire. "Hello, Boss, we find anything?"

Claire nodded before she said, "I know where the Indomitus is, and Dr. Wu…"

Owen blinked in shock as he blurted, "Holy shit you're amazing."

Elise garbled in agreement, and Claire couldn't stop her small smile at the duo as she said, "Sobek was right though, the Indomitus is on Isla Sorna; she's been stored in a giant warehouse not incredibly far from where we met Sobek."

Owen raised his eyebrows as he asked, "So, she's…in what kind of shape?"

Claire pressed her lips, and Owen grew somber when he added, "Sobek knew Bridges could keep her quiet. How did he do it?"

The redhead folded her hands before glancing at Elise and answering, "He had her vocal cords snipped, like debarking a dog; Bridges told Judge Knight everything."

Owen slowly glanced at Elise as he tried to imagine her not talking; Elise always liked to talk even when she knew she wasn't being understood. His girls chittered at each other constantly; Echo even talked in her sleep sometimes.

People talked all the time.

"Please tell me she's not alone."

Claire opened her mouth to answer, but Owen suddenly said, "You know what? Just tell me how she is when we bring her over here; we can work with her. I won't give up on this kid. When are we bringing her over?"

Claire took a deep breath, and Elise flared her nostrils because she was confused as to why Claire was hiding behind her poker face.

Claire was afraid, and Elise didn't understand that.

The redhead finally said, "Bridges has declared an Emergency Evacuation on Isla Sorna; Mr. Hart lost his mind, and turned _all_ the animals loose. His labs have caught fire, and he has several injured people who need to be transported to mainland. Judge Knight has ordered me to send my ACU teams over there…"

Owen blinked in shock before Claire glanced at Elise again, and he firmly said, "No. Elise stays right here; she's not going to that island."

"Carnifex and Tacet are loose right where all those people are."

"I have no idea who those two are."

Claire took a breath before sighing, "Tacet is the Indomitus, and Carnifex is Sobek and Madre del Diablo's biological son."

Owen raised his eyebrow as he asked, "Why does Bridges keep a Spinosaurus so close to his buildings? Madre has been dead for how long? How big is Carnifex?"

"Tacet is a little longer than Elise, and Carnifex is…big enough to mate with her."

Owen raised an eyebrow at Claire stiff tone, and she added, "Which is apparently what they are doing right now; it's the right time of the year for Spinosaurus to mate, and it is why Judge Knight insists we make our move now. Carnifex and Tacet are in his paddock which is pressed right up against Bridges' office."

Claire blinked at the duo when a similar looked crossed their faces; it was the look of them zoning out as they had to pause to really think about something. Claire wasn't sure if Elise had learned it from Owen, but she pressed her lips.

She was happy Elise was related to Mr. Hammond, but things like this made her wonder if Elise had Owen's blood.

Owen was trying to figure out why he had never noticed a Spinosaurus' paddock the last time he visited, and why Bridges kept one so close to his office.

Why hadn't Sobek said anything about Carnifex? That was his son…

Elise was lost in her own thoughts of realizing that her older sister was without her vocal cords; now she intended to bury Bridges deep in the cold earth, but there was something that didn't seem right about her sister mating with Carnifex; she couldn't figure out why.

Something was off…and she even raised her index talon in thought; something Owen did when he was really thinking. If Claire wasn't so upset out having to send Elise over there, she would have found it really funny.

Elise didn't notice as she pondered; she knew she wasn't an expert in mating, but Claire had explained it pretty well. There were certain things that weren't supposed to happen.

Sobek was Carnifex's father.

Tacet was essentially Elise's older sister.

And Elise was also related to Sobek, but probably not as much as Tacet because Elise couldn't understand Sobek very well.

So...

Elise blinked before making a shocked whine. Owen glanced at her with a raised eyebrow, and Claire said, "We're having the ship brought over so Elise can be transported…it was Judge Knight's orders…"

Owen shook his head before firmly replying, "No, just send over the tranquilizers with your sharpest men."

Claire sagged sadly as she replied, "Elise is one of my sharpest…"

Elise glanced at Owen when he looked ready to argue, and she made a soft sound to grab his attention. Owen immediately pointed at her as he said, "Absolutely not; you are too young."

Elise scoffed at the man before she wrote in the dirt, _'I AM SIX I CAN MAKE MY OWN DECISIONS'_

Owen blinked before leaning his forehead on the cement wall as he moaned, "I'm not ready for that line, Elise. You are six years old! I'm in my thirties!"

' _REXY CALLS YOU OLD ONE'_

" _She does not!"_

Claire blinked; she actually didn't know what Rexy called Owen. She knew Rexy called Tim 'Tall Son', and she was called 'Red Daughter'. The woman gave herself a shake as she said, "Owen, Elise is part of the Emergency ACU team."

"She's _training_ to be on the team."

Claire really hated arguing against Owen on this because she agreed with him; she had sincerely fought Judge Knight on this, but the woman had wanted Elise there to assure Tacet things were fine. Claire wasn't sure if Elise's presence would actually help Tacet considering she had Carnifex for company.

Claire was going to beat Bridges for his cruelty; she had been curious enough to research where the name Tacet had come from.

In Latin, it meant 'it is silent'.

It was also an indication for a voice or instrument to be silent, Claire didn't know which one Bridges had intended, but she simply knew she was going to punch him in the face the next time she saw him. She had a stainless record, she could afford to get in trouble for punching Bridges.

Now she was sincerely sorry for how she had scolded Blake for swinging at the blonde, and she intended to apologize for that the next time she saw him. Maybe she would punch Bridges for the both of them.

Claire took a breath before saying, "Elise has a right to say what she wants, Owen."

The Indominus puffed air onto her gratefully before writing, _'I WANT TO HELP'_

Owen ran a hand through his hair as he asked, "What about the prion infected raptors?"

"Judge Knight asked Bridges; he hasn't seen any sign of them. The only ones he knows of were the ones Sobek had talked about."

"The Tyrannosaurus? I really don't feel like Elise getting into a fight with that one!"

Claire put her hands on her hips as she retorted, "Sobek said he was crippled. Besides, Dr. Gerry found the papers on Elise's reproduction system; she can breed with Tyrannosaurs. If the male sees her…well…you know."

Owen actually paled before saying, "We don't even know if it's the right time of the year for that! For all we know Limper will be territorial. It's bad enough we'll have to deal with Carnifex and Tacet."

Claire glanced at Elise before asking, "Sweetie, I…have you been noticing any changes in your-"

Owen clutched his head as he paled into a gaunt grey and exclaimed, _"Oh my God, Claire! You cannot ask my six year old baby stuff like that!"_

Claire rolled her eyes as she asked, "Elise, has Rexy been cleaning her nest out or rebuilding it in any way. I know she's a little old…have you been getting the urge to build a nest or find a mate?"

Elise glanced at Owen who had all but died standing up; she was very tempted to say yes just to mess with him, but she reminded herself that this was a serious situation. Neither Sam nor Sobek would have appreciated the jokes.

She shook her head; in all honesty, Rexy hadn't said anything about her nest, and Elise felt no need to build her own. She wasn't in the mood to find a male.

Unless she felt like giving Owen a heart attack.

Claire turned back to Owen who was lightly thumping his chest, and she said, "It's probably not the right time then, Owen, but you heard what Sobek had said; Limper hangs around the valley. That's quite a ways from where Elise has to be. You guys are going to dock near the southeast since the new ones have apparently been destroyed."

"Why do we need Elise there? It doesn't make sense. Why can't they just tranquilize the animals? Doesn't Bridges have his own ACU team to combine with yours?"

Claire pressed her lips as she looked down before answering, "Most of them have been killed or severely injured; they don't have any more tranquilizers because they used most of them on the eight year old Tyrannosaurs and other animals, but those are most likely down by now. They want Elise there to basically warn other carnivores off and to comfort Tacet. She hasn't responded very well to Bridges' training."

Owen crossed his arms as he asked, "What kind of training has he tried to do? I can't see him as a very good trainer, Claire; it just makes me more nervous on what state of mind Tacet is in."

The redhead sighed sadly as she glanced at Elise from the corner of her eye, and she replied, "He tried to teach her sign, but he swears on his first Bible he never hurt her. He said he tried to raise her like he did Carnifex, and in his words 'isolated her for her own safety'."

" _Isolated her for her own safety? Why is she isolated for her own safety?"_

Claire shrugged, and Owen simply gaped before he asked, "So she's never had social interaction for who knows how long?"

"Bridges said he visited her daily to talk to her."

"Why aren't you questioning his training methods? We don't know what kind of a trainer he is, and he's a liar, Claire. A liar."

Claire took a deep breath before sighing, "He's trained Carnifex, and I talked to Dr. Gerry about him; he knows that Spinosaurus is in prime condition, and actually a little overfed."

Owen shook his head as he replied, "But that's an animal who has responded to Bridges well enough; Tacet obviously has some problems…"

The man crossed his arms before finally saying, "I don't like any of this; I don't see how it's going to end well. Not for those people, Tacet, Elise, or any of us; I don't like how Tacet isn't responding even remotely like Elise had."

Claire nodded in agreement as she said, "I know, but Tacet wasn't violent around Carnifex; Bridges swears she's not an aggressive animal as long as she doesn't get overstimulated with too much noise or things going on. She just likes to be left alone…in her paddock…"

Owen blinked at Claire before waving his hands as he said, "Whoa, whoa. Exactly why do we need Elise to go over there when Tacet is like that? How do we know Tacet will react well to Elise?"

Claire rubbed her forehead as she answered, "Judge Knight has ordered the best of my ACU members to immediately head over to Isla Sorna to assist in the Emergency Evacuation, arrest Bridges, Dr. Wu,…Lucia Dodgson, and secure Tacet. Commander Lopez will be leading, and he wants Elise with him to assist in securing and defending the area since several dangerous carnivores are going to be drawn to that area with all the blood."

Owen held his head in thought; he wasn't happy about this, but Elise gently nuzzled him. It was going to be fine. The man sighed quietly before Claire added, "Commander Lopez wants you to help him in case he meets the raptors, and he wants you to help him plan. He knows you'll help him make this a quick in and out job."

Owen rubbed his forehead tiredly before finally asking, "We don't get much of a choice, do we?"

Claire shook her head, and Owen sighed as he glanced at Elise; she only crooned gently at him. Owen let out another sigh before saying, "Fine; we'll go get ready. When's the boat going to be here?"

Claire glanced at her watch as she said, "About another hour; it's big enough to transport Elise and Tacet."

Owen nodded as he turned to Elise to say, "You better go give Mama a kiss, but please do not stress her out; I'm not sure you should say anything. I want to talk to the girls before we leave though, okay?"

Elise garbled at him before disappearing into the jungle, and Owen closed the window. The duo walked out of the tunnel together, and Owen didn't fail to notice the disappointed looks from guests who were reading the 'Closed' next to the entrance of the log.

Owen would admit he was sad when he had to close the gate behind him.

* * *

"Please tell me you will come back, Owen. You know Blue won't take one order from me unless she wants an Oreo."

Owen snorted as he took the bags from Barry, and he replied, "Well, just in case, you better stock up on Oreos."

Barry sighed in exasperation before retorting, "Actually, I think the girls will simply stay with Rexy; I think you need to be asking her to keep them in line."

"And if I thought Rexy liked me enough, I would actually try that."

The man gave a rich chuckle as he wiped his face but said, "I'll wait out here for you two; try not to stress the girls."

Owen nodded in agreement as he adjusted his uniform once more. He really hated wearing them, but Lopez wouldn't be swayed in his decision; Owen finally agreed on the grounds that he needed to look like an ACU member if he was going to be part of the team.

At least he would be better protected than what his normal clothes could offer.

Owen opened the door to see the clearing was empty, but he shut it behind him before giving the shrill whistle; it wasn't long before he heard his best girl giving a loud shriek.

Owen only had to wait a few minutes before the blue scales burst from the brushes, and Blue paused at the sight of him. The man pulled out an Oreo as he greeted, "There's my best girl."

Blue easily caught the Oreo in her mouth before trotting over to the man to inspect his skins. She remembered the ones with dangerous sticks wore skins like these, and he smelled like that pack. Blue didn't like the idea of Stupid Alpha joining the dangerous pack, but he said, "You left those three in the dust, didn't you?"

Blue chirped as she continued to smell the uniform before Echo and Delta appeared with Elise behind them. The duo seemed confused with Owen's change in clothing, but Elise chittered that everything was fine.

Alpha simply wanted to talk.

Blue let out a suspicious chirp as she stared at Owen; she knew she hadn't done anything he _specifically_ said not to do. There was no way she was in trouble with him; Stern One didn't let them have that much fun.

But there was still the horned one that had rammed into her during her hunt with Stern One; Blue wanted to find that one. She needed to prove she wasn't going to be bested by the prey.

Owen snorted at his best girl as Elise sat close to him, and he said, "Alight girls, Elise and I need to leave for a little bit, but we'll probably see you later tomorrow."

Elise chittered the translations, and Blue made a loud bark; absolutely not. She was not going to allow her Alphas to find trouble without her; they needed her to scare the trouble off. Elise opened her mouth, and Owen said, "Yeah, I don't need translation for that; her look says it all."

Elise snorted in amusement as Owen said, "This is going to be like the last time I was gone for a couple days; Barry is in charge until I get back."

Blue tapped her sickle claw at the barks and chitters before she threw her head back to make a loud whine; Barry was not going to be in charge of her. He could share nests with them, but she would not be taking an order from him; he was too low in the pack to hold any authority over them.

Owen had expected that, and he resisted the urge to roll his eyes as he picked up the plastic bags. The girls perked up with interest as Owen said, "Barry knows he can go to Rexy if you three pull anything."

Blue flicked her tail at that translation; Stern One held a lot of authority in the pack. When had Barry befriended her? Blue had never seen the two together.

Maybe Stupid Alpha was bluffing…

Owen pulled the first item out as he said, "Alright, Delta, come here, Babe."

The raptor chirped eagerly as she snagged the Ziploc bag before pausing. She sniffed the bag eagerly before making a delighted trill.

It was her shiny treasure from the old nest! She had been very sad in leaving them behind, but she hadn't wanted to leave this place to retrieve them. Owen snorted as his green girl began to shake the bag of bottle caps before he called Echo over. The bronze raptor froze at having her soft blanket gently draped over her nose.

"For you my bunny."

Echo trilled warmly at having her soft blanket, decorated with fluffy little bunnies, in her possession again. She had missed rubbing her face in this, but it was lacking the nice twigs that scratched her scales just right. It smelled like when she had been first given it, but she could fix it.

Owen sighed quietly when Echo began to roll the recently washed blanket on the earthly ground, but her delighted trills said it all. He pulled out the last item as Blue was curiously watching her sisters.

"Blue, eyes on me."

The blue streaked raptor turned her gaze back before blinking at the black leather. Owen extended the mangled boot out as he softly said, "My best girl, I'm trusting you to keep the girls safe while Elise and I are gone. Please don't go provoking Sobek, and listen to Rexy and Barry."

Blue simply stared at the boot she had stolen from Stupid Alpha so long ago; she had actually forgotten about it until now. She had only needed it to remind him that he wasn't high and mighty; it was her way of saying that she didn't have to listen to him simply because he barked an order.

Blue hadn't felt the need to humble her Alpha after he started talking with them, but now he wanted to give her this?

He trusted her…

The Beta made a soft sound as she carefully sank her claws into the well-worn leather…she had missed chewing this, and it always had been amusing to keep it right out of his reach.

Stupid Alpha trusted her enough to keep the pack while he was gone, and he proved it by handing over the foot skin she had worked so hard to always keep from him.

Stupid Alpha did smart things once in a while, and Blue would always be amazed by it.

Owen chuckled when Blue thrust her head into his shoulder, and he wrapped his arms around the scaled neck as he softly said, "Yeah, there's my best girl. I know you'll take care of these two."

The man couldn't help scanning the trees to see if he could spot that blazing gold fire silently judging him, but he didn't see the elder; he assumed she was sleeping. Owen stroked the neck as he pulled back while saying, "Alright girls, get going. No trouble."

The raptors chirped before startling Owen by simply tackling him to the ground. Elise curled around the smaller members tightly, and Owen let out a laugh at the girls piled onto him. Despite hugging them close to him, he couldn't help saying, "Hey, we'll be back by tomorrow, okay?"

The raptors only pressed closer at the rough tone with no bite to it, and Owen sighed in defeat. He really didn't like going away from his girls, but he knew Blue would keep them safe. Owen wasn't sure how safe the rest of the park would be if the girls got loose, but Blue would keep the pack together.

He just didn't expect this farewell to be hard, but he found himself sad when he had to finally shoo them off to go find Rexy. Elise sat tall next to Owen until the paddock doors could be opened, and they were greeted by Commander Lopez ready to escort them to the docks along with Claire.

* * *

Elise had never been to the docks before, but she was very much so impressed by the size of the ship; she felt little next to it. Apparently the ship that brought guests here was smaller, but it still looked pretty big to Elise; she could see it patiently waiting for this ship to get out of the way.

Claire mentally thanked her construction workers for having the foresight to actually construct docks that could support Elise, and the hardest part had been finding something Elise could actually use to step onto the ship; they hadn't been sure if she needed it.

ACU members were still loading emergency supplies for medics as Elise sat by the docks. Owen crossed his arms at the sight before glancing over when Claire gently touched his arm, and he pulled her close to him so he could kiss her forehead.

"Please don't do anything stupid."

Owen snorted as he said, "I just got done telling the girls the same thing."

Claire smiled before the duo glanced over at seeing Lowery trotting towards them. Claire frowned; he wasn't on break, but the tech-geek paused to catch his breath when he stopped in front of them. Lowery caught Claire's look, and he said, "I know, I know, but I had to say bye to my niece. Godfather Uncle Lowery has the right too…"

Elise crooned tenderly as she pressed her face close to him. The man hesitated before he tried to wrap his arms around her face in one of the most awkward hugs Owen had ever seen. Elise didn't seem to mind, and Lowery cleared his throat as he pulled back before saying, "Now, what I really want to say is, Elise, you have to come back alive, okay? I have decided that I am going to write a biography on you; I'm going to call it 'Elise America Grady'. I think it'll be a big hit."

Owen raised his eyebrow, but Elise humored the man with a loving kiss. Lowery grimaced at the slobber on him, but he said, "Yeah…I can just picture you doing that to everyone who asks you to sign the book."

Elise knew what a biography was, Owen had told her it was a type of book that was written about someone. She didn't think Lowery would be interested in writing, but she would always encourage creating books; they were wonderful things.

She liked fairy tales; even if half the stories could be dark.

"This island is cursed; I find out I have family with me, and now you have to leave."

Elise blinked before making another croon at seeing Tim walking over. She immediately pinned him close to her side as she shivered her jaws at him. Tim smiled as he said, "You just come back safe, Aunt Elise, okay?"

Owen snorted as he asked, "Aunt Elise?"

Tim grinned at him when he retorted, "Yes, Aunt Elise; I think it has a nice ring to it."

The man with the baseball cap patted the snowy scales as he added, "I'll make sure my sister gets you scribbled into the family tree, and I'll tell you all about my grandpa when you get back."

Elise was warmed as she realized the full force of what Tim was basically saying to her. They were related through blood, and he intended to make sure she was part of his family; he had accepted her as part of his family.

Elise knew there was a reason why Rexy adored this man so much, and she intended to make sure she was good family to him. There was something comforting about realizing she had blood family she could look back to. Sobek, Rexy, and now Tim could tell her all about her human blood.

Owen smiled before glancing over when Commander Lopez walked over to say, "You and Ghost are last ones to load; we need to go."

Owen nodded as the Commander trotted off, and Elise gave another gentle nuzzle on Tim before slobbering on Lowery; the tech-geek huffed but didn't show any anger. Claire gave a gentle kiss on Elise's nose before the Indominus crooned at Owen for them to get going.

Owen watched Elise walk towards the ship before he turned to Claire as he said, "I'll be back."

"With Elise."

"Yes, Ma'am."

Claire smiled, and Owen felt better when she decided to walk with him along the docks. Elise was gingerly testing her weight on the hardy metal before quickly stepping onto the ship. It felt so odd to her, and she felt the need to smell everything on here.

She really hoped it wouldn't sink because she wasn't a pirate who could swim. She wondered if the assassin Edward's ship ever sank. Was that part of the game Lowery played? If the ship sank, did they have to swim back to land?

Elise made a soft sound.

Owen chuckled at her before turning back to Claire; he took a breath before saying, "I told Blue to behave."

"I'm sure she will."

He smiled before Claire suddenly said, "Here, I want you to take this with you."

Owen blinked at the faded red stick before asking, "A…flare?"

Claire wanted to roll her eyes, but she tucked it into Owen's pocket as she said, "It's my flare, and it's lucky; I want you to keep it with you."

Owen glanced at it before he said, "But…Rexy isn't going with us…"

Claire finally rolled her eyes, and she sighed, "Just take the flare, Owen; they're always useful."

The man had to smile at the firm tone; he was taking the flare with him, and he quietly said, "Thank you."

Claire gave a small smile before startling when claws suddenly snagged Owen up, and Elise set the man down next to her with an irritated Lopez staring at Owen. The Commander huffed, "We'll be back tomorrow, Grady, calm down."

Owen had to snort, but he waved at Claire when Lopez gave the go for the ship to start moving. Elise glanced out to the open seas, and she wasn't sure if she liked all that blue water full of aggressive sharks.

At least Lilly would be the biggest thing she would ever see.

Tim and Lowery waved their farewells before returning back to work, and Elise startled at finally feeling the ship move; it was an odd feeling. She was floating on water.

Humans were such odd creatures; clever, but odd. Only humans would covet the abilities of other animals such as the swimming fish of the sea or the flying birds in the sky.

The Indominus started when Owen suddenly exclaimed, "Oh, shit! Elise, put me back on the docks really fast!"

Elise garbled that he better hurry up with whatever nonsense he needed to do because Lopez would not be willing to stop this ship for him. Owen jumped from Elise's hand before running towards Claire who had started to walk away, and she let out a startled yelp when she was suddenly turned around. Claire was so startled at being kissed that she almost slapped Owen as a reaction, but she melted into the embrace happily when the calloused fingers tenderly brushed her cheek as Owen pulled her close to him.

Elise puffed air through her nose at seeing the passionate kiss; she hoped Lopez wouldn't come over to see Owen had abandoned ship for a smooch, but it warmed Elise to see the love. She knew her human parents weren't mushy, and that made this kiss more precious.

The Indominus glanced down to see Owen didn't have much dock left, and she let out a roar to grab his attention. The man glanced at her, and Elise gestured to the ship still sailing away without him.

"Shit…"

Claire covered her mouth as she watched Owen tear down the docks before making an impressive leap into Elise's extended hand. The Indominus had an amused look on her face as she gave another farewell roar to Claire before retreating to the center of the deck.

Owen chuckled quietly before Lopez eyed him as he asked, "I hope you didn't just jump off this ship."

"Nope."

Elise crooned that it was the truth, and Lopez sighed as he rolled his eyes before motioning for them to follow them below deck. Lopez gestured around as he said, "Feast your eyes, people…and dinosaur, this is the same ship from the San Diego incident."

Owen raised an eyebrow as he followed the man below deck, and Elise carefully sniffed the steps before following. She found it very odd to be in the belly of this ship, and Owen asked, "Didn't that ship crash really hard into the docks?"

"Well, from what I understand, it was either buy a brand new ship or do some repair on this one; you can imagine which one was cheaper. Plus those docks were shit apparently; they didn't do much."

Owen wasn't comforted by that, but Elise didn't notice as she picked her spot to curl up tightly. She glanced at the other ACU members sitting down, and Lopez rubbed his hands together as he said, "Alright people, we have a few hours to get our plan worked out. Here's how it's going down…"

Elise shared a glance with Owen, and he winked at her before going back to the Commander; the Indominus puffed air through her nose as she listened.

She really hoped Tacet would be fine; she was nervous about messing this up. She wanted things to work smoothly, and she was going to have a long talk with Bridges.

Elise also hoped Rexy wouldn't get too mad about being gone for one night.

* * *

"… _Wake up."_

Bridges jolted awake at the hushed growl before he swallowed the tight feeling in his throat. He had been badly startled; it was the worst feeling in his chest where the fear almost hurt. He could feel his heart hammering, but he only sat up slowly.

It took him a few seconds to realize he was still in the supply room of the Safe House, but he didn't know where Romano was, and his head was hurting.

The blonde glanced around before sniffing at the floor; Romano could have had the decency to have at least used the chair cushion for a pillow, but he had been resting on the cement instead.

Bridges gingerly touched his throbbing head; everything hurt, but he had to suck it up and be a leader. He took a deep breath calm himself before walking into the next room.

It was empty.

Bridges raised an eyebrow as he glanced around; the room was completely empty and void of any life or furniture. Bridges swore this room had been full of injured people; he remembered a man's arm had bled onto the carpet.

Where was the blood?

Bridges paused because he was confused now. Had he dreamt the whole thing up?

Maybe he had hit his head a little harder on the coffee table than he had realized. Regardless, Bridges intended to double check the labs.

Tacet was going to be put down, and he would butter Lucia up with a dinner.

" _Daemon…"_

Bridges shivered at the growl before he glanced around for the cryptic metronome of a shadow, but he didn't see Mr. Growls.

That wasn't good, but Bridges wasn't going to acknowledge that; he was fine. He just needed to go take another nap in his office; on the comfortable couch, not the damned cement floor.

No wonder his head hurt like hell.

The blonde paused at the door to smooth his hair back before glancing down. Where had his suit jacket gone?

Hadn't he given it to Romano when Jack started to have seizures? But that had happened after he hit his head on the coffee table.

So where was his jacket?

Bridges sighed in exasperation before he opened the door; he confused to the point of being disoriented. He felt heavy, and he couldn't remember anything much.

A sharp snap caused the man to jump, and he froze at the sight of Carnifex chewing the leg bone of a long dead Tyrannosaurus. Bridges glanced around for any sign of his ACU team, but the Spinosaurus hardly acknowledged him.

Bridges frowned as he began to realize how destroyed and empty the area was; he could see smoke from his burning labs, and now the bloodstains were obvious to him. How many people had died?

"Send me Sobek, Daemon; get angry."

Bridges startled at the voice rumbling, and he snapped his gaze over to Carnifex who had finally noticed him. The Spinosaurus was staring at him with an unreadable expression before he suddenly said, "The snitch abandoned us, Daemon; I want Sobek's blood. Don't you want to see me rip Sobek's throat out?"

The blonde swallowed as he realized the full force of the situation he was in, and he held his aching head as he quietly said, "Oh no…"

Bridges glanced up at the shaking steps before the familiar, haunting voice lamented, _"We were born sick, and we love it. We're all sick, and you know it. All you have are us demons…so you best act grateful for the company!"_

Bridges yelped when the jaws full of sharp teeth snapped dangerously close to him before a deep chuckle rumbled wickedly. The blonde winced at the pounding in his chest as he took a step away from the other Spinosaurus who walked over to Carnifex.

Carnifex eyed his twin brother before rumbling, "Tell Daemon to bring Sobek here, Iudex, and send over Romano while you're at it. The cheap ass Italian is a traitorous _bastardo._ "

Bridges suppressed his shiver; he really hated it when Carnifex started talking, but Iudex only batted his brother's nose fondly. The two Spinosaurus were practically a mirror of one another though Iudex had a more dangerous air about him; his emerald eyes were wickedly dark. Carnifex looked bored.

Bridges took as step back when Iudex smiled at him as he dangerously purred, "Well…it's been too long since we've really talked, hasn't it?"

The blonde stiffened before snapping, "I'm not talking to you two; I have work to do."

The duo darkened when Bridges turned around, but the blonde let out a startled yell at the tall shade towering over him. Bridges stumbled away from Mr. Growls when he snarled, _"Burn it; burn everything. I promise to go away if you burn things for me…"_

Bridges winced as he flinched away; he couldn't let Growls see he was feeling afraid, but it always scared him when the shade became much more vivid than a simple shadow sulking in the corner of the room. Growls was tall, and he hunched over in a sickly way with knobby, curled claws poking from his robes.

Mr. Growls had been the first to appear; Bridges couldn't remember how old he was when he first heard him in his head.

The blonde glanced over his shoulder when Iudex rumbled, "We have problems, Daemon; you've really messed up this time. Perhaps it's time to call it quits, no?"

Bridges frowned before he said, "No…"

Carnifex paused from his bone, and Iudex purred, "What a selfish bastard you are; show some compassion for us poor demons stuck with you."

"No."

Iudex's tail curled as he soothingly growled in a deep, rumbling voice, "Horizontal slashes are for attention, and vertical ones are for results; I want results, Daemon."

"I said no, Iudex."

The Spinosaurus sniffed haughtily as he curled his lip at the blonde, and Bridges carefully watched Mr. Growls skulk over to hide in the Spinosaurus' shadow.

Iudex had always been the boss after he showed up; Mr. Growls just wasn't as charismatic, and Carnifex didn't care.

The Spinosaurus with dark eyes casually examined the claws on his hand as he dangerously said, "You've messed up terribly, Daemon, and I'm not sure I'm willing to help. You always muck up the plans, but this takes the cake, do you know that?"

Bridges narrowed his eyes before snapping, "I did not! I can't help it if Hart loses his damned mind! There are things I can't control!"

Mr. Growls shifted in the shadow as he rasped, _"Burn it; let the fire consume the evidence of your mistakes. Burn it, burn everything…burn it…"_

Carnifex curled his own lip as he snapped, "There's no satisfaction in burning; I want to slaughter Sobek and Romano. You know damned well Sobek snitched to Elise, and Romano is abandoning us."

" _Burn him, burn them, burn everything…"_

Carnifex rolled his eyes before retorting, "At least let me mangle them before we burn them; we need some blood soaked ashes."

" _Burn…atone for your sins, and burn…"_

Bridges took a deep breath as he tried to ignore the arguing, but it was so hard. The trio was standing right in front of him, but their voices echoed in his head. It hurt to listen, and he was confused.

He was getting scared.

The blonde glanced up when Iudex warmly rumbled, "I bet you could get rid of us with a well-placed bullet, Daemon. We're right there in your head, put a nice hole through your temple so we can be free. Don't you want to get rid of us? I promise it will work."

Bridges lowered his brows as he dryly said, "Of course it will work; I'll be dead."

Iudex lidded his eyes as he began to tap his long snout with a sharp claw, and he sighed, "Why not do something nice for the community?"

The Spinosaurus suddenly perked up as he exclaimed, "I know! Be an organ donor, Daemon, to atone for the blood of little Clem that stains your hands. Take the blade to your wrists, swing from the ceiling fan, or jump from a tall building; anything to rid yourself of us."

"Shut. Up."

Iudex snorted before bringing his dangerous jaws close to Bridges as he crooned, "How adorable you are sometimes. _You_ are the bottom of the totem pole around here, Daemon. You owe us."

"I owe you nothing!"

Iudex rose tall over Bridges as he snarled, "I am the judge! I know right from wrong, and we are all guilty of being sick! Carnifex has graciously disposed of your _pests!"_

The Spinosaurus gestured to the rocking shade as he snapped, "And Mr. Growls warns you of danger! Need I remind you of the times you owed your life to him?!"

" _I will always be with you…burn the house…"_

Bridges finally clutched his head as he screwed his eyes shut before shouting, "Go away! I want you to all go away!"

The blonde actually whimpered as he continued to hold his head before cracking open an eye when he was greeted with silence. Bridges took in a shaky breath as he surveyed the empty street; they were gone. His head was silent.

They were gone.

Bridges let out a giggle; his demons were gone. He did it, and the man turned around before blinking at the door to the Safe House.

The doorknob was gone.

Bridges frowned before turning back to the street and letting out a shriek at the bared ivory daggers so close to his face, and Iudex snarled, "Did you think you could really be rid of us so easily?!"

The man stumbled away from the livid Spinosaurus as Carnifex snapped his jaws behind his brother, and Growls narrowed his eyes dangerously.

"We've rotted with you for _years,_ Daemon! Did you really think that would work?"

Bridges glanced behind him; he wondered if he could make a run for it, and Iudex snarled, "That is how you thank us?! Telling us to leave?! You are just as worthless as Tacet if not more so! At least she can provide young to Carnifex!"

Bridges told himself that they couldn't hurt him; they were just voices. This was just a very bad dream.

Iudex narrowed his dark eyes as he snarled, "You didn't listen to the plan! We told you to run, Daemon! Now look at us; we're stuck in the corner of the Safe House like a trapped rat! Sobek told everything to that overstuffed, plushy dinosaur who pretends to care about us!"

Bridges finally snapped, "Don't you dare speak ill of Elise! She does care! And I care about her."

" _Then burn her…"_

"Rip her throat out."

Bridges glared at the other two before Iudex hissed, "Do you really think she's going to care about you after hearing what Sobek has to say? How else do you think they managed to find Tacet so easily? Sobek told Elise everything, and she told Dearing…"

The blonde clenched his jaw as he snapped, "She isn't judgmental, Iudex."

Iudex curled his lip high as a dangerous growl vibrated the air, and Bridges winced as he took a step back. It was intimidating to see the two Spinosaurus snarling at him, and Mr. Growls seemed to grow taller despite that he continued to hunch over. In all honesty, the shade had always scared Bridges the most.

He couldn't hide from shadows.

Iudex splayed his clawed hand to swipe at Bridges before a voice purred, "Oh, Pumpkin, do get off your soap box."

Bridges jumped at the female voice before he blinked at Iudex and followed his gaze. Bridges blinked again at the fluffy white cat sitting regally right next to his shoes. Bridges had seen cats like this one before, and the cat suddenly said, "Honestly, Iudex, I have no idea where you find the energy to do so much talking; I think you just like to hear yourself."

Bridges raised his eyebrows; he had never heard this voice before nor had he ever heard anyone back talk Iudex so bravely. She wasn't even a stocky cat who looked like she could put up a fight. She was fine boned with a soft looking, long haired, and snowy coat. She had a long body and a very fluffy tail.

The man continued to stare at the cat until she turned her gaze to him; she had very blue eyes, and she placed a fine paw on his shoe as she said, "Don't worry, Sweetheart, I'm on your side."

Bridges couldn't stop himself from saying, "I'm…not all that fond of white cats."

"That's quite alright, I'm not very fond of blonde humans, but we'll make it work."

Bridges blinked, but he supposed he had walked into that one, and she didn't seem to bear him any ill will.

But Iudex had been charming in his own way when he first showed up as well; Bridges wasn't sure if he was ready to deal with yet another demon.

The cat kept her paw on Bridges' shoe as she turned to Iudex to say, "You just come up with a good plan, Pumpkin, and I'll make sure nothing gets messed up."

Iudex narrowed his eyes at the cat before growling at Bridges, _"A fronte praecipitium a tergo lupi, Daemon._ That is where we are."

Bridges glanced down when the cat gently batted his leg as she said, "I need a translation, Sweetheart, I don't speak Latin."

The blonde still wasn't sure what to do with the cat, but if all else failed, he could let these three get her while he ran. His head still hurt, but he wiped his face as he answered, "We are essentially between a wolf and a cliff; a rock and a hard place."

The cat paused before she simply said, "Well, kill the wolf then. Goodness, Iudex, you give up too easily.

The Spinosaurus let out a dangerous growl, and Carnifex finally snapped, "I want Sobek and Romano slaughtered."

The cat only scoffed, "We've had enough killing for today; Sobek can rot on oddball Jurassic World. As for Romano…"

Bridges lowered his brows when the cat licked her fluffy chest before purring, "He's too handsome! Forgive me, Sweetheart, I have such a soft spot for good looking Italians, and Miss Lucia has a figure I could stare at all day!"

Iudex lowered himself next to his brother as Mr. Growls rasped, _"Too dangerous…don't trust the ice cream…burn her…"_

Bridges pinched his nose; he was getting tired. He still felt confused, and his head was hurting; he just wanted to sleep the day away. The cat comfortingly batted his shoe as she said, "Don't worry, Sweetheart. Pumpkin and I will work it out; it's best you be going. I know how to play this fun game with all those people, and then we can learn Italian after this is all over; we're too beautiful for prison."

The blonde glanced behind him when the door opened, but Iudex rose as he purred, "My fluffy cat, that is not how we send Daemon away."

Bridges snapped his gaze back in time to see the wide open maw full of ivories rushing towards him, and he screamed.

* * *

Bridges bolted up with wide eyes before letting out a yelp when he felt hands on his shoulders; Mr. Growls was going to eat him.

"Daemon, easy, _calmati."_

Bridges flinched back though Romano kept a firm hand on his uninjured shoulder as he quietly said, "It's okay; you fainted."

Bridges blinked in confusion as he tried to get his heartrate under control; he was grateful he didn't have any heart problems.

Yet; his own father had died of a heart attack on the recliner chair.

Romano kneeled in front of his as he asked, "Do I need to go get your pills?"

The blonde shook himself before snapping, "I am not going to risk myself or anyone else for useless things. I'm…I'm fine."

Romano wasn't fazed by the snappish tone, and he patiently waited as Bridges held his head. He took deep breaths before finally asking, "How long was I out?"

The Italian helped him stand up as he answered, "A few hours; I was getting worried. You don't normally stay out that long, but I have some good news."

Bridges glanced at the man hopefully, and Romano said, "Claire sent over her best ACU members, and Control managed to stay online; three Dilophosaurus got into the building after chasing someone, but Control is still good to go."

"Christ, if it's not the damned raptors terrorizing everyone, it's the Dilophosaurus."

Romano snorted in agreement before adding, "Control got into contact with Commander Lopez about a half hour ago; they're going to drop off their men near the old docks, and they have Elise. Once Tacet and Carnifex are sedated, they'll send helicopters over to speed up the evacuation. Carnifex isn't letting anything land here; he's being really territorial."

Bridges rolled his eyes; Carnifex was causing trouble for him, but he said, "Thank God Elise is at least coming. We actually have a chance of this not ending in a disaster."

Elise was a capable creature; she knew how to work through a mess. Bridges felt a weight lift off his shoulders; he could do this.

Romano nodded in agreement, and Bridges quietly asked, "What does everyone out there know?"

The vet crossed his arms as he sighed, "Commander Vince knows you have a warrant for your arrest…he honestly doesn't care; he told Lopez that he knew you wouldn't flee. It wasn't like you."

"And he's right unfortunately; I won't be trying anything until this is over."

Bridges began to walk towards the door, and Romano suddenly said, "You've done some messed up things, Daemon, but I'll never say you aren't a good leader."

Bridges paused by the door as he gave a small smile before he said, "I hope you find a job that makes you happy. Are you going to try Jurassic World?"

Romano hesitated, and Bridges snorted, "Smart man; you got the job before giving me the two weeks' notice just in case."

The vet shrugged as he nodded, and Bridges added, "They'd be stupid not to take you, and I'm sure Sobek will be thrilled to see you."

"Eh, I do not think that last part will be true."

Bridges chuckled quietly before opening the door; he could see the somber people quietly huddled together, and he sighed. He didn't care about them, but he had obligations as their leader to take care of them. Bridges spotted Vince rubbing his forehead tiredly, but he paused when Romano suddenly hissed, "Daemon, Lucia also knows-"

" _Brutto figlio di puttana bastardo!"_

Bridges snapped his gaze back just in time to see the furious, Italian woman swing the plank of wood, and he immediately ducked. He could feel the air whoosh by, and he was pretty sure Lucia hadn't swung that hard when she thought he was an intruding raptor.

Bridges stumbled back as Lucia made to swing again before her hands were snagged by Vince. The furious woman made to kick at him, but Vince easily blocked it as he took the plank of wood from her, and he snapped, "Knock it off; we have enough blood. I don't need you hitting my boss."

Lucia spat on Vince as he tried to herd her away from the blonde, and she screeched, _"Vai all'inferno! Pezzo di merda!"_

Bridges kept his face straight as he said, "I still don't know Italian, Mrs. Dodgson."

Romano stood next to the blonde as he said, "She is not wishing you a merry Christmas."

Bridges had to snort, but Lucia snarled, "How dare you?! You sold me out!"

Vince did his best to keep Lucia under control, but she was an angry Italian woman. Bridges crossed his arms as he remained unaffected by her furious words; she had nothing on Romano's temper.

However, the blonde finally snapped, "Mrs. Dodgson, I suggest you stop acting like an immature child. You knew full well the business you were doing with me was illegal. We've been caught, and the best thing to do is be helpful in cleaning up the mess Hart set off."

Lucia curled her lip as she snarled, "I will not go down for this mess!"

Bridges threw his hands up as he said, "You took a helicopter here, go take that one!"

Romano leaned close to Bridges as he quietly said, "Carnifex heard the chopper coming in while you were out; you don't have a helicopter anymore, and neither does Lucia…"

"Oh…"

Vince had to snort as he shook his head; he knew Bridges did illegal things, and he knew about the Indomitus, but the blonde had done favors for him. Bridges did take care of his employees.

Bridges had risked his own life to stop the Indomitus from attacking them by getting a Spinosaurus to follow him. It had earned plenty of points with Vince, and he finally said to Lucia, "Just sit down; these people need to rest, and you're going to draw something over here."

The Italian woman finally bit her lip before haughtily walking away to lean against the wall, and Bridges resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Vince motioned him over close to the door before he quietly said, "We have a couple people who are still bleeding, but we're out of medical supplies; the hospital can't spare anything more."

Bridges heard the hidden desperation in the tone; Vince didn't know what else to do, and he glanced over to his employees to see a few looked just a little too pale.

He turned back when Vince added, "We used up the last of our ammo in getting those three Dilophosaurus, and the Vet Building is too far to go without a weapon. I don't know where else to find medical supplies. We scrounged as many buildings as we could."

Bridges nodded quietly as tried to think, but he said, "I need someone from Control to override Carnifex's paddock doors."

"We already did that; it almost worked, but the Indomitus shoved a big boulder in the way after the trunk started to break. The doors couldn't handle it; I don't think the boulder even cracked. Control says the door slides pretty easy now that it's busted."

Bridges sighed, "Of course; she can't go a few days without trying to carve out her own eyes, but she learns how to break an expensive door."

Vince shrugged, and Bridges rubbed his eyes as he tried to think of something before he paused.

"Have you tried my office?"

The Commander blinked before saying, "I…didn't think you'd have medical supplies…or weapons."

Bridges lightly patted the man's back as he said, "I have both; I have a couple med kits in that building, and I know I have a pistol in my office. I can get those two Dilophosaurus in the Armory. It's better than just sitting around."

Vince nodded, and Romano said, "I'll go with you, Daemon."

Bridges was glad when the little demons huffed at the show of loyalty, and he asked Vince, "When is Lopez and his team supposed to be here?"

"He gave us an ETA of an hour and a half; it'll probably take another half hour for Elise to get here if she hustles."

Bridges nodded as he glanced at his employees one more time before he said, "Alright."

The vet had already opened the door to glance around cautiously before making motion to get going. Bridges paused at the door when Vince said, "Sir," he hesitated before awkwardly adding, "I am supposed to keep you and Ms. Lucia here…so…"

Bridges nodded again as he said, "I've got two hours; I'll be back before then so you don't look bad."

"I appreciate that, Sir."

The blonde knew that was true, but he pointed to the sulking Italian as he quietly said, "Please don't let her guard the door."

Vince couldn't stop his small smile as he nodded, and Bridges shut the door behind him before standing next to Romano. The blonde couldn't help but to look around for the fluffy cat or Mr. Growls, but he saw neither.

That didn't bother him, and he asked, "Did you want to help or make sure I didn't try anything?"

Romano rolled his eyes as he scratched his beard. "Both, but mostly the first one. I do want you to get help."

"I found help," Bridges suddenly said.

He just had no idea where the cat came from; usually the demons had been inspired by someone. Her attitude was so familiar, but he never heard anyone talk like her; it was going to drive him up a wall. At least she was keeping the other three quiet; it was kind of nice to be able to hear himself think in this chaos.

Hopefully she would be able to come up with a good plan with Iudex.

And then Bridges could leave this mess in Elise's capable hands.

"Let's go, Romano."

* * *

"You're a mess, Ghost."

Elise gave a light moan to retort that she didn't care one bit; she was miserable. She had been stuck on this ship for four and a half hours; she had thrown up thrice times, and she swore the regurgitated meat had attracted some sharks.

The only funny part was when Owen had thrown up after seeing Elise throw up suddenly. His face had been priceless at seeing the meat go splat into the saltwater; Lopez had laughed until he cried after realizing that the water had actually splashed back onto Owen.

Another sudden dip with a large wave caused Elise's stomach to give an unsavory churn before she suddenly belched.

She was burping so much, and it was making her sick; Elise could smell her own breath. It didn't smell very good.

Lopez couldn't stop his laugh as he patted her gently. Elise's eyes glazed over as she wondered why any human would willingly travel the seas; she liked land that didn't move under her feet. It was almost worse inside the ship, and she was flat on her side on the open deck as she let out another moan. She could hear Sam and Sobek growling at her for being a wimp, but Elise didn't care.

She wasn't a sea creature.

Owen patted her belly soothingly before shuffling his cards again. It had been a good way to pass the time, and he glanced over when Meyers placed down a few cards as she said, "I have three aces."

The other guards grimaced at the large pile of cards in the middle, and Owen said, "I call bullshit."

The woman glared at him hatefully; she only had two cards left, and Owen smirked victoriously as she was forced to scrape the pile back. Meyers shuffled the cards around before whistling, "I am in the presence of some liars; shame on all of you."

Owen chuckled quietly before glancing over when another guard near the railings suddenly said, "Hey, Ghost! I think the sharks are back for seconds on desserts!"

Elise let out a loud, wet belch as her response.

Owen couldn't stop himself from gagging, and Lopez shook his head.

Only an hour to go.


	77. Chapter 77

**A/N**

 **Guess who's back? Back again! Grab an Oreo, tell a friend! Hey guys! it has sincerely been far too long since we've talked! I am incredibly sorry for the long delay, winter has been harsh on our wifi. I have no idea why it got knocked out, but it was a very long, dark time. I hope to avoid any of those delays again, but I shall try to make it up. I will post chapter 78 right after this one AND I have a Christmas one shot already written that I plan to post Christmas Eve or Christmas Day depending on what you guys want.**

 **Reader No. 123456, I thought about bringing Rexy and Sobek. I shall be doing a prequel for this!**

 **Elise da Indom, I'm so happy you feel better!**

 **Evil Jesus, That's fine! I tried to do well in math, that didn't work either. Thank you for the luck! I love my cows!**

 **Kim K's Butt, I'd love to see that on the Tropes, but you'd be out of luck. Though fun fact of irony; I am the worst romantic. You are very correct on your assumption. I love giving scares and Ben & Jerry's. You and MANYOREOS aren't alone; my editor is on that ship too. Love you much!**

 **MANYOREOS, You shouldn't be ashamed because that is an awesome ship name. Thank you for the Oreos!**

 **VibrantSnow9047, I never thought that in all honesty. You had a very valid point in your previous review.**

 **Elise's fangirl, you're welcome! My editor is on Wattpad as well, I look out for it. Have fun! And that pun was brilliant; I must use it somewhere.**

 **Trip the wild ra, I'm sure I can make him worse; he's my favorite villain as well!**

 **The Only Potato, love you too! Throwing Oreos and potatoes almost worked!**

 **Sobek spinoking, I really love writing Iudex during Bridges' hallucinations, but it's hard to pick just one character. I really love to write Elise and Bridges though.**

 **I 3 Bunny Butts, facts are good; we walk away learning something! And what a wonderful treasure of an old song. I'm happy to see it preserved on YouTube.**

 **Guest, I know. It gets difficult with making sure I'm accurate with the Sign Language as I actually know very little of it. It was easy with simple sentences, but the more complicated ones I figured it would be easier if she learned to write. She's still learning Sign; I just don't touch up on it as much.**

 **Miraak, I got lost in the books!**

 **mahsa, that won't work in the area I live in just because we're literally in the middle of nowhere; thank you though!**

 **AmeKage, thank you very much! I'm sorry I wasn't able to keep the chapters going before you could reach 76. I love bringing those old details from the other movies or books simply because it is who they are. These characters are so much fun to write with their own individual way of thinking.**

 **GoofBall, I love your name. Secondly thank you very much; that humbles me. Lowery was so funny in the movie, and I do wished they had done more with all the characters in the movie. Especially the raptors. Elise, Rexy, Sobek, and Blue are such great characters to write; they're hilarious. I actually didn't like the Spinosaurus in the third movie, but Sobek turned out so much better than I thought he would have. I picture Smaug talking when I write Sobek. Raptor Races probably won't happen till the epilogue!**

 **39eo, thank you for the Oreo! Oreo for you for reading so fast!**

 **Mason Skies, you get an Oreo!**

 **Now, I cannot believe a whole month passed, good God! I sincerely thank you guys for your patience, I am so sorry I couldn't get the chapters out sooner, and I hope you enjoy. Thank you so much for reading this story, leaving your thoughts, and just making this story so much more fun to write. To my fellow college students, good luck in finals; it'll be okay.**

 **Once again, thank you much and mighty! Have a wonderful day/night, I love you guys!**

* * *

 _My breast is cold as the clay;  
My breath is earthly strong.  
And if you kiss my cold, clay lips,  
Your days will not be long._

 _How oft on yonder grave, Sweetheart.  
Where we were wont to walk,  
The fairest flower that I ere saw  
Has withered to a stalk._

 _-The Unquiet Grave_

* * *

"Lonicera and the Tyrant King."

Fuego snapped his eyes open when a scent drifted into his sensitive nostrils; something was off. He could see his two pack mates still napping, but the Alpha slowly rose as he glanced around the quiet jungle void of prey at the moment.

The raptor parted his jaws to taste the air before immediately tensing.

Another of his kind was near, but he had never smelled her before; he hadn't realized there were more of his kind here. He had thought the humans killed them all, but Fuego gave a low growl to alert his pack.

He knew he should have led them back to the ruined nests, but Dawn's spirits had been down. Fuego hadn't wanted to hurt them any more by going back to the depressing eggshells.

The nests were probably overrun by the scavengers anyway, and they would have to find a new area to nest.

They had left the picked clean kill from Limper in favor of melting back into the thick jungle, but something was wrong with where the humans resided. Fuego had never heard so many loud sounds from over there, and he was sort of curious as to what was happening.

If he had a larger pack, he might have gone to investigate, but he heard furious roars that had sounded similar to Proud One. Fuego had loved to push that one's buttons by trespassing into his territory. He would always entice the spined one into chasing him before losing him in the thick jungle. The raptor had hardly strayed far into the territory, he liked to sit right on the edge before bolting when Proud One gave chase.

Fuego hadn't wanted to see this new spined one since the jungle wasn't as thick over by the humans, and he hoped the angry carnivore would stay over there.

The fiery Alpha lashed his tail against his against his large Beta, and Cheshire leapt up with a startled yelp. Fuego hissed at him to be quiet, and Dawn blinked sleepy eyes before yawning. She always had the dullest senses of the pack, but Fuego could never figure out why.

Cheshire pressed close to Fuego as he tasted the air before quietly chirping that he smelled another. Fuego puffed air through his nose as he glanced around for any sign of the intruder before giving a loud bark to show their self. He was a confident, strong Alpha who wasn't afraid to take on an intruder.

There was a pause before a responding bark was given, and Fuego narrowed his eyes at the thick brush. He wanted to know why this other was hiding in the cover so he gave another sharp bark.

He wouldn't tolerate cowards who hid in brush.

The three raptors waited until an offended chitter was given, and they tensed as another raptor parted from the cover. Fuego tilted his head; he could smell that this was the female, but her size was confusing him.

She smelled mature, but she was smaller; she was almost Prey Alpha's height. Fuego knew he was tall, but he doubted this female could see over the tall grass in the valley.

That amused him for some reason, but Fuego gave a low growl at her as he lashed his tail. He wanted to know where her pack was and why she was so close to his.

The new Velociraptor cocked her head at him. Fuego had never seen her before, but she bore the reddish markings on her back as the rest of her hide was a lighter color. Gold eyes assessed him with little fear, and he wondered if she was older than him; she certainly had enough scars on her.

Fuego paused when the female replied that she was in need of a pack as hers had died long ago. she had spent much of her life in the large spined one's territory, eating off his kills, but he was gone now. She didn't have anyone's kills to scavenge, and she needed a pack to join.

The female paused to smell the air before chittering that she had a mate who she had hunted with after the pack died, but she lost him in a storm; the female didn't know where he went. She had decided to leave her small territory in search of her mate or a new pack.

Fuego glanced at his Beta though Cheshire didn't give much of a reaction for him to read, Fuego knew he was thinking. He turned back when the female chittered that there used to be a strong pack not far from the valley, but they had died. She had seen the bones as well as the unhatched eggs. That pack had died from an illness that had killed her old pack.

It was not safe there.

Fuego curled his lip; he didn't want a sick stranger around his pack, and he snapped his jaws at her to go away. Cheshire startled at it, but the female refused to budge; she barked that she was fine. She never caught the sickness when it hit her pack, and she hadn't lingered where the other pack had died.

She was fine.

Fuego let out a long growl, but Cheshire quietly chittered that they needed a larger pack if they wanted to survive. They had been lucky to get that kill, and there wouldn't be eggs for a while. It wouldn't hurt to have another to their pack.

The Alpha let out a growl as he walked over to the new raptor before sizing her up. She was smaller than him, but she didn't look sick by any means. She was a little thin, but so was he. Fuego didn't want to realize his pack was desperate for numbers, but Cheshire was right.

A pack of four had a better chance of surviving than a pack of three, and she looked like she could hold her own in a fight. Her hide had scars, but her teeth and claws were sharp.

They needed members like that, and Fuego huffed when she lowered her head in acknowledgment of his position in the pack; that was enough for him. She needed pack, and he needed good numbers. She looked smart enough to last, and Fuego softly barked as he turned away. They could go see if the nests could be salvaged, if not, they would find a new place to nest before it grew too dark.

Dawn seemed happy to have another female in the pack, and she hadn't hesitated to rub herself against the new female. Fuego sniffed at that before he picked up the pace; he wanted to see if she could keep up with them.

Fuego would call this new raptor Short One.

* * *

"You'd think they would be done by now."

Romano rolled his eyes as they heard another roar from Carnifex before he replied, "Maybe if we had paid attention to Sobek and Madre, we could have had an idea of how long Carnifex will tolerate her."

Bridges snorted as he led the way into another room in his office; they had managed to find three first aid kits, and his pistol. The blonde felt much better with it in his hands even though he was sure no dinosaur had managed to infiltrate his office, but they hadn't run into anyone else either.

It was almost unnerving to see everything so suddenly abandoned. Computers had been left on, ceiling fans were still spinning, and even some coffee cups managed to stay a little warm.

Bridges quickly glanced around the small break room before eyeing the trail of blood leading from the bathroom as he retorted, "I tried, I really did, but I'm still amazed Sobek actually managed to keep her calm enough to mate her. Even you know how off in the head she was."

Romano glanced over his shoulder when he asked, "She was like that when you got her, wasn't she?"

"Robert had sworn she wasn't like that when he sold her to me, I should have realized he was lying when she was so cheap."

The Italian shut the door behind him before sighing, "And you were going to do the same with Lucia and Tacet."

"I like to give as good as I get, Romano, but Tacet isn't aggressive…normally."

Bridges began to walk to the bathroom before Romano suddenly asked, "Why'd you isolate her, Daemon?" The blonde stared at the vet, and Romano rubbed his forehead when he added, "I mean, you're smart, but this has got to be one of the stupidest things you've done! You talk to Elise how often? Hasn't she ever said anything about how badly it scarred her to be alone?"

Bridges really didn't feel like this was the time to be talking about this, but he glanced at his watch before sighing, "Romano, I swear to you I treated Tacet like I did Carnifex. I let her sleep in my room, I fed her, and I talked to her; she was fine."

Romano furrowed his brows when he asked, "So…what? She got too big, and you didn't want anyone to see her?"

Bridges was offended the vet would assume he would do something that idiotic, and he crossed his arms as he snapped, "Of course not, I thought she had primate DNA in her. I knew she had to be socialized, but she just…snapped. I don't know why, but she's happiest in that paddock; it's not like I didn't try to put vegetation or other animals with her."

Romano gaped when he exclaimed, _"She doesn't even have trees or grass in her paddock? Is it just cement walls?"_

Bridges glared at the man to lower his voice, but he said, "She could never handle it, Romano, and I don't understand why she's fine with it now. You don't understand, this is the most normal I've seen her behave in years; something about Carnifex just calms her down."

The vet wiped his face as he began to pace around, and Bridges crossed his arms before the former suddenly said, "It has to be because she finally has an instinct she can act on. It's breeding season for Spinosaurus, she has a male in front of her…"

Romano paused from his pacing when he asked, "Did Elise ever say anything about…getting mixed…thoughts, I guess?"

"What?"

The vet tried not to sigh before rewording, "Elise and Tacet are made up of so many different animals that I cannot imagine how hard it would be for them to function. I don't know how they do it. All those different instincts just mashed together in one brain. How do they know which one to listen to?"

Bridges lowered his brows when he dryly said, "You're making it sound like she has schizophrenia, Romano." The vet glanced up at the sharp tone and quietly asked, "And does she? There's no way someone as human as Elise, who has suffered everything that she has, hasn't developed some kind of disorder that humans suffer from."

Bridges walked back over to the bathroom door as he said, "Her less than stellar therapist can't figure out anything with Elise, but I think she has some sort of depression because Elise is like clockwork almost. Most days she's really happy and herself, but it never fails for her to just go down for no reason. She doesn't want to eat, talk, or do her shows; she just wants to sit in the fountain, but Roth is so damned focused on Elise's little sister that she hasn't made any progress."

The blonde glanced down at the bloody footprints before pressing his ear against the door to listen for anything, and Romano crossed his arms when he said, "And I'm sure you haven't butted in those sessions in anyway seeing how you so strongly believe in help for the mentally ill."

Bridges didn't hear anything, and he leaned back when he replied, "I believe the American medical system is based on the foundation of profit because we're just cars to doctors."

Romano blinked before asking, "What?"

Bridges checked his pistol once more and glanced at Romano when he said, "Come on, you can't tell me you've never seen the pattern before."

The Italian frowned, and Bridges shrugged as he said, "It's too easy to make money off sick people, Romano, kind of like a mechanic who works on junky cars. You know how they stay in business, how they keep those customers coming back, they fix the car up just enough to get it rolling smoothly for a few months before it has to come back to the shop. It's the same thing with people who just can't stay healthy for whatever reason; you give them pills, tell them to come back when the bottle is done, and bill them. It's the cycle."

The blonde suddenly chuckled before he asked, "I mean, haven't you ever noticed how when someone recovers from a serious injury or a surgery is success, everyone says 'Thank God'? But when things go bad or the patient dies, it's always the doctor's fault? How come we never give thanks to the doctor when things go good? It's almost like…you have to thank God for helping the patient survive the injury _and_ the doctor."

Romano licked his lips as he gathered his thoughts before retorting, "That is not what doctors do, Daemon, they are here to make people better. They take an oath; it's not like they enjoy seeing sick people stay sick. I never liked seeing Sobek come back to my office."

Bridges opened the door as he said, "That's because you're one of the rare ones, Romano."

The Italian huffed, but Bridges froze at the fresh coat of color on his walls, and he grimly said, "I think I know where Hart caught Jack."

Romano walked over before he sucked in a breath at all the blood splattered everywhere. The mirror had been smashed, there were holes in the wall, and even the toilet lid had been broken off. Bridges rubbed his forehead, and Romano asked, "Getting another headache?"

"I've had one all day, Romano, but I just don't understand why Hart attacked Jack like this…" Bridges would understand if Hart had attacked him like this, but Jack hadn't done anything. Maybe Hart had figured out that Jack had known about it; that had been a good enough reason to beat him senseless.

"…Do we need to get your pills?"

Bridges rolled his eyes in irritation as he walked in, mindful of the drying puddle of blood, as he snapped, "Those are worthless, Romano. Unless you're trying to keep me down until Lopez's ACU team shows up."

Romano watched him unhook the first aid kit from the wall, Hart had missed a rare opportunity of gruesome irony by not using it to bash against Jack, but Bridges was grateful for that.

"I'm trying to help you get better."

Bridges paused from the kit before he replied, "You're one of the rare ones, Romano, it's too bad you're a vet and not a psychologist. I might have actually made some progress with you." The blonde opened the kit as he glanced at Romano while adding, "And don't think I never saw that psychology book in your office; I doubt you were trying to diagnose Fuego."

"…He almost fits the profile for a separation anxiety disorder."

Bridges raised his eyebrows as he replied, "Even I knew Fuego couldn't wait to get away from Derick, and he left some raptors behind." The vet snorted at the man before saying, "Daemon, that book is for humans, and I was profiling the animals as a joke since you're so damned difficult to profile."

Bridges rolled his eyes as they left the bathroom and said, "Forgive me for trying not to blur our business relationship by keeping my personal problems to myself."

"I shall forgive if you get help for yourself…and if you tell me the name of that wine you always keep in your office."

Bridges grimaced as Romano opened the other first aid kit so they could add this one's supplies to it. They hadn't wanted to carry multiple kits, and Bridges answered, "Romano, I think you'd have a legitimate heart attack if I told you what I pay for that kind of wine."

The Italian froze as Bridges carefully added the supplies. "How much did it cost?"

The blonde shrugged when he answered, "Three digits." Bridges had to smirk at the mortified gasp from Romano because he was sure the Italian would sooner try to nest with Sobek than let a penny be pried from his fist.

The funny thing was Romano never cared about how expensive anything was when it came to helping an animal. The vet never thought twice about buying new equipment or text books so long as it was with the intent of helping an animal.

"What does the name Tacet mean?"

Bridges lost his smirk when he quietly said, "In Latin, it translates to 'it is silent." Romano immediately glared at him, and the blonde quickly snapped, "I didn't name her Tacet when I first got her, Romano. I hadn't planned on snipping her cords. Her name used to be Lonicera, but I had called her Cera for short."

"Sara?"

Bridges shook his head when he replied, "C-E-R-A, but she stopped responding to the name after she snapped; it's like I had a completely different Indomitus. Cera was a sweet, smart baby. I never had something so cuddly and chittery before, but she was learning how to be quiet, Romano. I had honestly managed to train her to be quiet on command. There wasn't any need to snip her cords."

Romano glanced down before asking, "What does Lonicera mean? And why can't you pick simple names?" The blonde had to chuckle at that as he answered, "I like names with meaning behind them, Romano. Lonicera is part of the scientific name for the honeysuckle flowers, but I used to have honeysuckle roses around here. She loved to play in those flowers, and she always come over with one in her mouth. The oddest part was she was always giving them to me. She'd leave them on my bed, in my shoes, or my coffee."

Bridges then frowned as he added, "You know, I had tried putting those flowers in her paddock, but…she wouldn't go near them."

Romano furrowed his brows, and Bridges gave a sad chuckle before sighing, "You know, when she was little I'd leave her in my home when I'd go to work since she never did anything besides ruffle the sheets and pillows on my bed. It never failed when I came home, a lot of the house is wood flooring, and the main hall has a rug; she always slid on that rug."

Bridges closed the kit carefully as he added, "I'd call her, and she'd come running from wherever she was sleeping; she never not slid on that rug. Sometimes she take a big leap at it so she could slide down the hall to me or she'd try to make a sharp turn, get caught on the rug, and she'd go sliding into the next room. The funniest part was the long screech she'd make while sliding. She sounded like a car smashing its brakes, and it always made me laugh."

The blonde sighed again, and Romano quietly asked, "Nothing ever went wrong? How'd you discipline her?" Bridges rubbed his face when he answered, "I'd pinch the back of her neck like I did with Carnifex; it's how a lot of these carnivores grab their hatchlings' attention. I never hit her, Romano. When does it ever work to hit an animal?"

"So why is she so scarred? Her snout is…"

"Rubbed raw." Bridges leaned on the counter as he continued, "She chews the walls. She won't chew anything else, and no there isn't paint on the walls. She might as well eat lead paint considering how she acts. Sometimes she just rakes herself, Romano. Just…digs her talons in her scales and pulls down, but she never hits anything major."

Bridges glanced down at his folded arms before almost sadly saying, "I don't understand it. Her mind is so fried…my favorite flower has gone and withered into this hollow shell, and there's nothing left of Lonicera, Romano. Tacet has no personality whatsoever; she's just blank. She just stares at you like she's barely functioning, then she'll snap into this angry monster."

The vet raised his eyebrows as he glanced at the clock. He knew they had to get back, but they had time to spare. He glanced at the door again before saying, "This doesn't make sense, Daemon. She sounded happy and fine as a baby so there has to be something that happened. Why'd you snip her cords if she was learning to be quiet?"

Bridges took a breath to think and finally answered, "She was getting big, and I think she was almost to my hips when she just…attacked my arm in the middle of the night. I don't know if something scared her or she figured out I was food, but I had to go to the hospital at three in the morning. They took forever with the stitches, and I didn't get home until after work…she was a mess."

Bridges sighed at the memory as he ran his hand through his hair. "She clawed herself, she was crying, but she wouldn't let me near her. I had to sedate her…it was like she didn't know me."

Romano frowned before asking, "Did anything happen before that? Maybe you accidentally stepped on her tail? Did you have to hit her to get her off you when she attacked?"

Bridges stared at him when he said, "No, I just yelled really loud, and she took off into the corner. I didn't hit her because Carnifex did the same thing with my leg. I just assumed it was time for her to get her own paddock like I had with Carnifex."

The blonde paused to sigh again before adding, "She wasn't the same after that; she'd sit and stare at the corner of the house all day and yowl all night. It went on for a week before I finally took her to Dr. Salvador, he was also in charge of Elise and her sister."

Romano lowered his brows, and Bridges snapped, "I didn't know the vet was going to just let her sister die. I thought he would have put some effort into them, but I drilled it into his head to make sure he did fine with Tacet."

The Italian pinched his nose before saying, "I can already tell that _idiota_ messed up with Tacet. You don't literally snip the cords, you're supposed to remove the tissue that the cords vibrate against. She shouldn't be silent like she is, Daemon, if Salvador had done it correctly, she would have been half a loud as Elise can be. It's not supposed to mute them, it's supposed to make their voices soft."

Bridges flickered his gaze to the door when Carnifex gave another roar, and Romano added, "The fact that Tacet can hardly squeak already says how badly he messed up!"

"…She can talk to Carnifex somehow."

The Italian rubbed his forehead in aggravation before he froze and asked, "She understands Carnifex…but didn't you say something about how Elise can't understand Sobek?" Bridges nodded, and Romano paled as he asked, "So what if Carnifex sees Elise? She may not even be able to breed with Spinosaurus. Carnifex is going to attack her, and we don't know if she can even talk to Tacet."

Bridges hadn't thought about that, and Romano asked, "Are they planning on Elise talking Carnifex and Tacet down?"

The blonde didn't answer, but the way his face paled was answer enough for Romano.

"Oh God…"

Romano nodded in agreement as he took the kit back before they began to trot out. Bridges held his pistol ready as he glanced around while snapping, "We'll have to get in contact with them and make sure their plan is good because I don't want Elise to get caught in a fight."

"I agree with you on that one."

Bridges opened the exit door to the office before pausing to glance around; he wasn't sure if he liked everything being so quiet until Carnifex gave a long roar. Bridges rolled his eyes since the Spinosaurus was probably trying to ward off any other male that could be nearby.

He wondered if Tacet would have tried to make calls to grab other males' attention. Bridges wasn't sure how that worked. Was the female content with one male before she wouldn't be receptive any longer, or was it something similar to other animals who liked to find multiple mates?

Bridges would simply count his blessings that included the fact that he only had one male Spinosaurus on this island.

The duo hadn't run into any trouble as they snuck back to the Safe House though Bridges had almost startled into shooting a rat that had knocked over a can. Romano had lightly snorted at that, but Bridges glanced around attentively as he opened the door before pausing.

He hadn't wanted to get hit by Lucia again, but Commander Vince quickly beckoned them in, and Bridges was surprised to see a few more people in the room.

"I'm glad you two made it back."

Romano nodded as he walked over to the most injured person there, but Bridges had caught what the man had really meant.

Vince was surprised to see he really had come back rather than fled.

Regardless, the blonde held up his pistol as he said, "Fully loaded, and I have one more clip in my pocket which means we can get those Dilophosaurus out of the Armory." Bridges paused when Vince pressed his lips before saying, "I've been thinking, and that pistol won't be quiet, I want to wait for Lopez and his team before we do anything. Right now the dinosaurs have settled, but I don't want to grab Carnifex or Tacet's attention."

Bridges blinked and Vince added, "But it's your final call…"

The blonde tucked set the pistol on the table as he said, "No, I agree, and we don't need to be riling those two up at the moment; good thinking."

Vince gave a small smile at that, and Bridges smoothed out the map on the table before leaning on it as he said, "I need you to walk me through the plan, Vince, I want to make sure this is going to be as smooth as possible."

The Commander nodded as he pointed to the eastern edge of the island when he said, "This is where they plan to drop off the team, at the old docks, before they follow this river to the main one."

"They're planning to follow the river?"

Vince nodded as he said, "It's the easiest way to get to us, and I figured Elise was big enough to scare off anything they ran into." Bridges nodded in agreement before he suddenly paused at the purring demon in his head; she had a valid point.

"The river runs right along Carnifex's paddock. Tacet is going to smell Elise before they can even get to the gates." Bridges shook his head while adding, "No, they have to divert away from the river probably here and circle around until they hit the main road so they can get through the gates, thank God there's no breeze today."

Vince nodded as he plucked up the radio while adding, "That helped keep the fire just with the labs because this whole place could've burned down if we had wind."

Bridges nodded in agreement as Vince pressed the button before saying, "Control, this is ACU Vince, I need to know if Lopez is close enough for radio connection." The man tapped his radio on the desk before the response came. "Vince, we confirmed Lopez and his team are going to drop at the Eastern Docks ETA ten minutes, but no connection is available."

The man rubbed his forehead when he replied, "Well, we need to change a few details since CEO made a valid point about following the river all the way; Lopez has to divert from the river so the Indomitus or Spinosaurus don't catch wind of Ghost."

Bridges raised an eyebrow when he asked, "Ghost?" Vince nodded as he replied, "It's what Lopez's team calls Elise; it's her codename so to speak. We started using it too."

Bridges paused before shrugging, it was a good nickname, and he walked over to Romano who was tending to a large slash on a man's arm. The blonde kneeled down as Romano softly said, "It's going to need stitches as soon as possible, but the bleeding stopped. I just need to bind it."

Bridges quietly agreed as he handed the gauze over along with the medical wrap before he gently held the arm while Romano wrapped it. The injured man softly murmured his thanks, and Bridges glanced over when the radio crackled, "CEO, we have a problem."

The blonde only sighed as he walked over before grabbing the radio and asking, "What happened?"

Romano shook his head as he moved onto the next person as Lucia was still sulking in the corner of the room, but she glanced over when the vet quietly asked for her help. The next person had suffered bad burns, and the widow chewed her lip before walking over. Bridges was glad to see she was still willing to help his own even if he had sold her out.

Hopefully it would count for something when they were standing in court.

Bridges brought his attention back to the radio when Control said, "We have two problems. The Triceratops that were turned loose ended up stampeding eastwards. They hit the small tower that covers that section of the island so we won't be able to communicate with Lopez once he's over there."

The blonde blinked before replying, "How did the trics manage to knock over a tower, and why can't you communicate with them still? Haven't you been doing that?"

There was a pause before the reply came, "We stopped using the eastern docks because of the quiet zone over that part of the ocean, CEO, remember? We couldn't get anything to work radio wise. The ship entered that zone about a half hour ago. And the tower's base structure took heavy damage in the last storm…it was actually scheduled to be repaired tomorrow…"

Bridges pinched his nose in thought before saying, "We can't let the team go up the river, and Tacet will have smelled them by the time they hit that western tower's range. We'll have to send someone to meet them, and they can use a jeep and take the old road."

Vince nodded in agreement and they glanced down when the radio responded, "And that's the other problem since it seems Fuego and his pack are pretty close to the area. I don't know why they aren't by their nests, but I'm looking at the trackers' pings from the past couple days….something happened. Those raptors aren't doing what they normally do."

Bridges pressed his lips as he resisted the urge to sigh in defeat; even Fuego and his pack were working against him. He had no doubt those raptors had heard all the commotion, and he wished he paid more attention to them. He didn't know how large that pack had grown.

Sobek had always kept the raptor population under control, and he had lived fairly close to their current settlement for the last month. He'd go back to his territory for a few days, but he'd never be gone for long.

Bridges wondered if he would be in this mess had Sobek not left. Maybe the Spinosaurus would have simply killed Tacet, and the mess would have been over. For some reason, Bridges just couldn't see Sobek accepting the Indomitus as a mate. Maybe it was because the older Spinosaurus had already mated with another of his own kind, but Carnifex had never seen another of his own.

But wasn't there something in the hardwiring of the brain that just automatically said, 'Yes, that's what you are' or 'Nope, that is not another of your kind. You are not that.'

Bridges would grant that Tacet's fried brain probably couldn't comprehend the basic functions of living, but Carnifex was normal, wasn't he? He had been conditioned to react violently towards Tyrannosaurus-

The man froze; Carnifex knew what a Tyrannosaurus smelled like.

Rexy was a Tyrannosaurus, and Elise hardly strayed far from her mother, they shared a nest. Elise probably reeked like a Tyrannosaurus.

It wouldn't matter if Elise could even talk to Carnifex if he caught even a whiff of her because it would cause the male to react how Bridges had trained him to.

The blonde would allow Iudex to harshly reprimand him for that fatal mistake. He had shot himself in the foot by conditioning his largest dinosaur to react murderously towards this island's only salvation.

"We have to go now." Bridges startled Vince when he suddenly spoke, but the Commander replied, "Who are we going to send? All my men are absolutely needed where they are."

Bridges rubbed his forehead in hopes of coaxing some kind of good idea from his head's newest addition, and he was pleased when she gave a purr even if it was an obvious idea. The blonde glanced at his Commander when he answered, "Then you'll have to go, Vince, or I'll go. It doesn't matter to me, but I know you've been given orders on keeping me here."

Vince sighed as he flickered his gaze to Romano, but the vet was needed here as well; he was keeping Lucia busy. They were both tending to the injured here, and Vince wanted to go himself though he wouldn't go alone. That would be suicide.

Bridges had proven himself multiple times, and at this point, the Commander really didn't care about protocol anymore. He was irritated with how long it took to get help here in the first place. Bridges had risked his life, protected his people, even saved a few, and kept his word about not running away.

That was enough for Vince, and he finally said, "I'll go, but I want you with me. You have good aim with your gun, and the dinosaurs are leaving this place alone for now. Romano has to help Lucia, and he can watch her. I trust you not to run off, but you'll probably be arrested when they see you."

Bridges would agree with that since he had a feeling Lucia wasn't stupid enough to try and flee in this chaos. She was going to fall back onto her wealth to rescue her from the life of prison. Bridges was sure he could hire a lawyer to get him out of this mess.

Assuming they actually did succeed in arresting him, but the blonde said, "I'll deal with that when I get there. The important thing is getting to them before Tacet smells them; I know you'll get them here just fine."

Vince nodded before turning to the Italian vet to say, "Dr. Romano, you're in charge while we're gone, bolt the door behind us. Hopefully Fuego and his pack won't come here."

The man didn't glance up from the wound as he replied, "Fuego won't come here willingly; he's too wary of this place. Please don't go provoking him."

Bridges snorted, and he glanced over when Vince said, "Control this is Commander, I'm going to meet Lopez to change the plan. I'm taking CEO with me."

There was a pause before the radio crackled, "Commander, we have another problem, we can't ping current locations of any animals in the eastern tower's range now that it's down. We can't see the raptors. We just know they were headed there from the western tower."

Vince grimaced, but Romano rolled his eyes as he said, "Just don't provoke Fuego; there's no way he's not the Alpha of his pack. Daemon, don't point your gun at him or turn your back, alright?"

" _Don't point my gun at him?"_

The Italian gave an exasperated sigh as he stared at Bridges while replying, "Yes, don't point your gun at him. Fuego, as hot headed as he is, doesn't like stranger humans. I doubt he'll go after you without good reason."

Bridges blinked before shaking his head as he snapped, "Are you serious, Romano? If I see a _Velociraptor,_ I am aiming and shooting this gun at it."

The Italian tossed his hands up as he retorted, "I like Fuego, Daemon, and I don't want you to shoot him unless he's attacking you. You don't know him, but I do. Don't shoot at Fuego if he's just looking because then he'll take it personally."

Bridges glanced over when Vince opened the door, and he sighed, "Fine, and when he comes knocking at the door like the gentleman he is, I hope you treat him to a glass of wine until I get back."

Romano narrowed his eyes at the snappish tone, and retorted, "Only if you insist, Daemon." Bridges turned around to give his own reply, but he paused at the Italian's sharp gaze; Romano was not in the mood to put up with his comments. It was the look to behave, to not cause trouble, and Bridges sighed as he shut the door behind him.

The Italian vet shook his head as the room grew quiet again, but Lucia snorted quietly before she asked, "And who taught you to give such a glare, Dr. Romano?"

"…Sobek. Daemon always backs off when he gives his glare so I thought I'd learn it too."

* * *

"Elise, Baby, the guys are just messing with you."

The Indominus crooned softly as she peered into the ocean waters intently; she was very curious, and she ignored Owen's exasperated sigh. The Indominus only flicked her tail as another ACU guard said, "Come on, Grady, have a little imagination."

Owen rolled his eyes at his tough baby. He was so happy they were almost ready to dock, but he retorted, "I am not telling Elise there are mermaids in the ocean because there aren't any."

"Have you ever seen a mermaid?"

Owen frowned as he put his hands on his hips, and the other guard smirked, "I thought so, hear that, Ghost? There's a chance they exist."

Elise flicked her tail again because she wanted to see a mermaid. What if they were real? No one had seen them, but the legends had to derive from something. Elise always wondered where such stories came from. Dragons, mermaids, griffins, and even trolls.

Where was the inspiration? Humans were odd, but maybe such creatures had existed. Dinosaurs had existed for a long time, but humans hadn't known about them until they saw the bones.

Maybe these creatures had been known, but they were gone now all people had today were the stories.

Owen shook his head again before glancing to his side when Lopez walked over to say, "We have a bit of a problem as far as getting Ghost off the ship since old docks won't support her weight."

The man raised an eyebrow as he glanced over to his tough baby before saying, "Okay…"

"She's going to have to get off here and swim to shore, but it's not far."

Owen peered over the railing to judge the distance himself before he sighed; it really wasn't too far of a swim. Elise would be fine, but he just hoped the sharks had gone away by now. The Indominus had finally quit heaving, and Owen was grateful for it.

His own stomach couldn't handle seeing Elise dry heave or throw up again.

"I'm going with her. Alright, Elise, the mermaids obviously aren't here. It's time to focus."

The Indominus crooned almost sadly though another guard said, "It's a good thing, Ghost, mermaids cause ships to wreck." Elise blinked, but a tap at her side caused her to gently scoop Owen onto her shoulders before he climbed up higher to the top of her neck. Owen peered over at the blue waters as he said, "Alright…try not to belly flop this, but don't dive head first if that makes sense, Elise."

The Indominus blinked, but she didn't think too much of it. She was just jumping into the water; all she had to make sure was she didn't hit the boat on the way down.

"Don't squish the mermaid, Ghost."

Elise huffed because there were no mermaids here.

But it didn't stop her from checking once more before she simply dove in. Owen braced as he held onto Elise as best her could when the waters splashed high around them. He wondered if the ship would actually feel that, but he instinctively held his breath when the water briefly went over his head.

Elise's first time diving into the water hadn't been perfect, but no one got hurt. Owen would give her a pass on it, and the Indominus puffed air through her nostrils as her head came up. Owen was reminded of a whale coming up for air with the way she blew the water from her nose, and he chuckled as he said, "Baby, we're headed that way. Nice and easy."

Elise crooned to the man as she began to swim through the water; she was glad Owen had come with her. She felt better about meeting anything. Elise didn't know what Owen could do, but she felt better at not being alone.

And Owen was out of the way, high on her neck even though she would make sure nothing would get him. Plus Lilly wasn't here to sneak up on her; Elise would take any shark over the Mosasaur every day. They were practically finger food to Elise if she compared them to Lilly.

Elise was delighted when she felt her feet brush with the soft sand sooner than she expected as the ship docked quietly, and she shook the water from herself as her gaze was caught by something in the open ocean.

The Indominus paused with the ocean waves gently lapping at her toes as she squinted at seeing the splayed tailfin melt back under the ocean surface, and she blinked.

It kind of looked like it…was it the right size? It seemed so to Elise, but Owen rolled his eyes as he said, "Baby, those were probably dolphins. Mermaids aren't real; let's make sure the area is safe while these guys unload the vehicles."

The Indominus narrowed her eyes at the open ocean though the owner of the tailfin was long gone, but Owen was probably right about it being a dolphin. Whatever that was, but Elise flicked her tail as she turned her gaze to the thick jungle that didn't seem too different than the Restricted Area.

It would be good to make sure this place was safe since it was her job here.

But Elise gave a final glance at the ocean as she walked towards the jungle with Owen still on her shoulders.

Mermaids were still an option for her; that could have been a mermaid. It might not have been.

But who was to say it wasn't a mermaid? It was enough for Elise because the world was big.

It was possible to her.

* * *

"Hello, Rexy…I hope you're not too mad…"

Claire bit her lip as she rubbed her fingers along the hem of her sleeve nervously. The Tyrannosaurus on the other side of the viewing glass gave no indication of hearing her, but Claire wondered if Rexy could hear her.

Elise did when they had the one conversation. It had been incredibly odd to Claire, but she didn't regret it.

Rexy liked it when she talked to her because it reminded her of when Hammond had come for his visits.

Claire had left that conversation wondering what Mr. Hammond would have said had he been given the opportunity to talk to his best girl through Elise.

Rexy was Hammond's best girl.

The Tyrannosaurus had been slightly agitated after Elise had left; it was like she somehow knew her daughter wasn't in her well protected territory anymore. Claire wasn't sure if Rexy hadn't fully comprehended it yet or if the elder wasn't willing to acknowledge it yet.

Rexy hadn't been so focused on the goats in her later shows, and Lowery had caught sight of the forest scales around Elise's viewing log when her roars hadn't been responded to.

Claire really wished she could just assure the Tyrannosaurus that Elise was perfectly fine, but she was nervous too.

Had she made the right decision? She hadn't been given much of a choice, but she had still pushed for Elise to go. Claire was the one who had talked Owen into it.

"I'm sure they're fine, Rexy, Owen would never let anything hurt Elise. He's too protective. …Remember when he crawled into your nest just to check on her?"

Claire smiled at the memory as Rexy shifted from one foot to the other. She was currently burning a hole through the jungle with her blazing glare as she stood almost perfectly still next to the log. Rexy normally liked to groom herself here or even sit, but Claire knew the elder was upset when she simply…glared.

The only sign of life on the dinosaur was the long tail gently waving back and forth with the three raptors curled around one another for a late nap. The sun had almost set, but Rexy had one more show before the work day was over.

It was funny to Claire, Rexy admitted the goats weren't exactly something she ate because she liked until they had gotten more challenging lately.

The Tyrannosaurus had simply been bored, and it was something to do when it came to eating these goats. There was something about the red flare that made her feel good. The humans in the log never provoked her into chasing, it was the feeling they gave off. They weren't afraid of her.

Claire had never realized Rexy had been that aware of her surroundings. She knew the dinosaur was intelligent, but she assumed Rexy hadn't known the people were there.

Rexy knew. She had always seen the guests and even heard them on their louder days.

She simply held no interest in eating them; it felt like it would disturb the calm feeling in the air she had come to appreciate in her older life.

"Do you _really_ like Sobek? He's kind of…cranky…"

Rexy gave no indication of her feelings towards the Spinosaurus, but Claire knew Rexy liked him or at least found him tolerable.

Sobek would be dead if she hadn't.

"He really helped us today…I'm kind of glad we brought him over. …I love Elise, but Sobek isn't afraid to be stern with her." Claire paused to think before she added, "I know you aren't either, but…I don't know...Sobek just seems to fit the last piece of the puzzle. I feel like Elise has everyone she needs to grow up happy and healthy."

The redhead rocked on her heels for a few seconds before glancing up at the unmoving dinosaur as she quietly asked, "Do you think you have room for one more in the nest? I'm sure Tacet will need a good mom in her life…"

Claire paused to peer at the raptors still snoozing; she remembered when the idea of raptors being part of an attraction was a farfetched idea. When it wasn't a surprise to hear another worker had been killed by them, and when things seemed tenser.

Only Rexy could get the Raptor Squad to behave, Alpha Owen including. The Tyrannosaurus was truly a godsend.

"I know you've done a lot of adopting this year…this last month, but you have room for one more, right? You've got…six kids? Blue, Delta, Echo, Elise, Timmy, and me. Seven is a good number…"

Claire smiled as she caught sight of a scar under the Tyrannosaur's small arm, and she asked, "Did you know Timmy and I would hide in the bushes whenever you passed by? I forgot to ask Elise that. Timmy would always give pretend tours of the park because he knew all the animals so well, and you'd be the grand finale. Did you know that?"

The redhead glanced around the empty log as Rexy made a low rumble. Claire had no idea if she was simply making a sound or answering her, but Claire rubbed her hands against one another almost sheepishly as she half quietly laughed, "He'd tell me about the Dilophosaurus and how far they could spit…the compies…how the Triceratops were like elephants in their herd structure..."

Claire paused to remember all of it before she continued, "It was always facts; Timmy is like a walking encyclopedia for dinosaurs…but he wouldn't talk only facts when we got to you. He started telling stories about you…how no raptor pack could beat you…you hated jeeps just because…"

Rexy shifted again, and Claire's eyes rested on the white scars raking down the powerful neck. They had to have hurt when they were still fresh, and it was amazing they hadn't infected; Rexy was tough like that. Claire took a breath before saying, "And how you would always be here to help, you always knew exactly where to be. It's why you were right there at the Old Center to save Timmy and them from the Big One."

Claire glanced down again before she furrowed her brows, and said, "The one thing I always wanted to know from you was how you knew to be there. How did you know you were needed there, Rexy? Why'd you save them? It's not like those raptors had to look tasty…"

She finally shrugged to herself as she said, "I can always have Elise ask you, but it was those stories Timmy always told at the end of the tour that stuck with me. He made you so much more…real to me, if that makes sense."

Claire frowned as she thought about it, and Rexy raised her head higher slightly to scent the air before going back to her former stance. Claire shifted on her heels as she said, "It's just…those other dinosaurs never seemed as real…I couldn't get to know any of them, and as I got older, they just became numbers to me. They were animals with their own facts, but…but you had stories to you that I never forgot."

Claire suddenly smiled as she glanced at Rexy again to continue, "And they were all good stories too; Timmy is a good story teller. I think it helped him cope with how badly you scared him when you first met. You were the Tyrant King who rightfully ruled this island, but you weren't happy with how it was being run at the time; it's why you tore down the fence. You reclaimed the island because people didn't respect you or other dinosaurs."

Rexy suddenly puffed air through her nose, and it caused Claire's smile to grow wider. The Tyrannosaurus knew her very presence demanded respect because she wielded her power with grace and dignity. Even Sobek had acknowledged it. Claire had no idea why it seemed to relax the male after being beat, but it had.

"You didn't like the jeeps so you threw them away because they did the island no good…but you didn't realize the kids in the jeep were good at the time. At least that's what Timmy always said, but he was a pill...he still is."

Claire never forgot the story Tim wove about Rexy, and he embellished it each time they went to her paddock. At some points it didn't make much sense, like when the jeep had been tossed over, Claire was sure it was his way of coping, but the best part was always the ending.

When the Tyrant King realized she had to help the few good humans on the island; she had to save them from the bad raptors who killed for sport. She had decided good humans could live on her island, and so it was her duty to protect them as well.

And the Tyrant King had done so in the nick of time, catching the villain mid-leap with the intent to kill the good humans. She saved the humans she deemed part of her island; she rescued them.

Then she was no longer a Tyrant, but a good ruler. Thus she was dubbed Rexy by the humans.

Claire smiled as she remembered how Timmy had told it. She never thought Rexy was the most sophisticated of names, but it seemed right for this Tyrannosaurus.

"Timmy never could figure out how you knew to be there either. It didn't make sense that you were told by anyone, but we could never figure it out."

The redhead had never talked to Rexy about this, but now she was curious; she wanted to talk more with Rexy through Elise. The last conversation they had was short because Claire hadn't known what to say.

Claire let out a startled gasp when Lowery's voice suddenly echoed in the silent room as he walked in. "Hey, Claire. Mind if I interrupt the conference meeting with Big Boss-"

Rexy hadn't appreciated Claire's startling, and the Tyrannosaurus snapped her gaze into the log with a sharp growl and a puff of air that fogged the glass. Lowery immediately yelped at the burning golden gaze torching his very soul, and he stumbled back around the corner as he said, "Nope, I'm sorry, Big Boss! I'm going, I'll wait! Sorry, sorry, sorry!"

Claire remained still as the massive jaws lingered by the glass while the powerful gusts of warm air continued to fog the thick glass. Rexy lashed her tail a few times before slowly turning her head back to face the jungle. Claire pressed her lips as she waited before saying, "It's alright, Lowery, you just scared me."

The tech-geek poked his head around the corner as he said, "Not to undermine you, but I'm not stepping over there until Rexy says it's fine."

Claire gave a small smile; she wasn't offended at all, and she asked, "What are you doing here? I thought your break wasn't for another hour or so." Lowery paused to stare at Rexy for a few seconds to make sure it was safe before he almost sheepishly said, "Yeah, but…I don't know, you seemed really worried. I had brought you some coffee, but I kind of just dropped it now…Rexy scared me."

The redhead peered around the corner to see Lowery was currently bent over wiping up the spilled coffee, and her smiled grew wider; she appreciated the gesture. It was funny to see Rexy could scare the coffee out of anyone.

She wondered how far Owen would have thrown his own drink.

Claire shrugged her shoulders when the man glanced up as she said, "I was just…talking with Rexy, I know it sounds silly."

Lowery snorted as he threw the soaked napkins away when he replied, "I listen to Owen talk with his raptors and Elise almost all day; they're always talking. It's kind of funny how not talkative Owen gets around people."

"…Sometimes it's easier to talk to the animals."

Lowery eyed Rexy warily as he slowly scooched over to Claire, but the Tyrannosaurus didn't acknowledge him. The man finally huffed as he gestured to Rexy while saying, "Well it certainly seems like Rexy was enjoying the conversation. She didn't appreciate my interruption."

"You just startled me, Lowery, she's fine."

Lowery still didn't look convinced, and he scratched at his jaw before suddenly pausing to smell his hands. "Great, now my face smells like coffee…but I thought I'd just let you know that the ship should be docking right now. We've been keeping in touch with Sorna's Control through the phones, but the reception is really crappy."

Claire nodded with a sigh as she crossed her arms; it was a bad habit she was trying to break. She always had to be careful about her body language because crossing her arms closed her up, and it made her look less friendly to guests.

Masrani had always been so easily open to other people, she missed him, and Claire wondered if Rexy ever knew Simon. She didn't think the man had really visited any dinosaur in particular.

Lowery wrung his hands for a few seconds before asking, "Nervous?"

Claire wanted to say no because she had to be a leader, but she found herself admitting, "I don't know if I made the right decision. I just really hope Owen can get ahold of Tacet like he did with Elise."

Lowery was pretty sure Elise had only spared Owen because of how he selflessly defended Blue at the risk of his own life. Unless Owen found another raptor to do that with, it probably wasn't going to end well.

The man was afraid to entertain the thought of Tacet turning out to be what Elise would have been had Owen not stopped her. He pressed his lips before sighing, "Owen has the best chance of talking her down, and maybe Elise can talk sense into her."

Claire nodded in agreement, but she couldn't stop herself from saying, "I'm just terrified of what Bridges says about Tacet…it's not good. Tacet's paddock is just…cement walls and wood shavings for the floor. She doesn't get plants…no company…and sometimes she doesn't even get to see the sky. She's just locked up in this prison cell."

She caught Lowery's confused look and said, "I know, but he said he had to keep her there. Tacet struggles to function."

The man pressed his lips as he gave Claire a sideways glance that said it all; a confirmation of her worst fear at the moment.

Tacet didn't have a good chance of recovering.

The duo fell silent as they stared at the window where Rexy was still glaring into the jungle. If Claire didn't know better, she would have said Rexy was waiting for Elise to come home.

The ship probably wouldn't be back until early morning, but Claire was already planning to cancel the first show just to let Elise sleep in.

She just hoped Rexy wouldn't be too upset with Elise not coming home for the night. It was probably a mother's worst nightmare when baby didn't come home in time.

Claire couldn't help but to wonder if Rexy had stayed up worrying about Jr. when he hadn't come home. How long had Rexy waited for her adopted son to come home before she realized he wouldn't be coming home? Had she realized he drowned?

The redhead didn't like that feeling in her gut; she just couldn't stop worrying about the what if's. What if something went wrong? What if Tacet couldn't be saved? What if Elise didn't come home?

What if Owen didn't come home either?

"Please say something funny."

Lowery blinked at his boss' strained voice before he scrambled his mind to think of something. No one had ever really asked him to cheer them up before; he wasn't sure what to do. Claire glanced at him when he slowly asked, "Did I tell you about my personal challenge with Subway points?"

"…No."

Lowery stared at the forest hide as he shrugged, "I decided to challenge myself to see how many points I can get on my Subway card while working here."

Claire blinked at that before a sudden thought struck her, and she glanced at Lowery as she quietly said, "We don't have a Subway here, Lowery…"

"And _that_ is the challenge."

* * *

"Seems pretty quiet so far; I think we might have gotten lucky, Lopez. The nocturnal animals are still asleep and the others are going back to their nests."

The Commander nodded in agreement as he turned to his team of three armored vehicles as he said, "We stick to the river until we reach the base where we'll send Meyers to scout the area. If the Spino and Indomitus aren't in sight, we move the team while Ghost stays out of sight. Control had said those two were still in their paddock, and if we can hit them with a dart from Bridges' balcony, we'll be in business."

The leader paused to glance at Elise when she stood taller as if she heard something, but he continued when she lowered herself slightly. "If the Indomitus or the Spino are in view, we let Ghost talk them down or coax them into the paddock where she can slide the door shut, and we proceed."

Lopez swept his gaze over his team sternly as he said, "We have been ordered to arrest Bridges, Dr. Wu, and Lucia Dodgson on sight. Once those three are contained, we'll work to evacuate. We do it in that order. We had orders from Judge Knight and CEO that Tacet cannot be harmed. She goes home with us, and the top priority is to neutralize her with as little trauma as possible. No exceptions, understood?"

The teams nodded as they stood tall and proud while Elise made a soft sound as she glanced around, everything smelled so different here, but she was glad for her heat vision. She would be able to see anything that came their way; she just had to remain calm.

She had her wisdom and tools to do well. Rexy told her not to complicate things, Sobek taught her to fight, Joker rolled with the chaos, but a small nagging from Lowery's wisdom didn't leave her brain.

Nothing is true, and everything is permitted.

Elise had a feeling Bridges would lie to worm his way out of things, but she had a few questions for him. She would get her conversation with him before he was taken away; she had the right to know some things.

But the Indominus had no intent of going against any orders; that was too dangerous with her inexperience. She had a feeling that creed was used by assassins with experience in their lives, and Elise didn't feel she had that kind of experience.

She would trust Lopez and Owen.

Lopez opened the door to his vehicle as he said, "Alright you beautiful ladies, I want to be back in my office by eight A.M sharp for my morning coffee and news report. Let's get this done. Ghost, you're leading to make sure we don't run into anyone; follow the river. Grady, I'll watch for a hand signal. I have no idea why our shit isn't working, but we'll manage."

Elise scooped Owen onto her shoulders when he nodded, and he patted her neck as he softly said, "Lead the way, Baby Girl. Hustle but don't rush. There's no need to tire yourself or run into anything. Stay focused and quiet so we don't make Tacet or Carnifex nervous. If they're mating, they're going to be really wary of trespassers; it's a vulnerable time."

Elise gave a gentle wave of her tail as she glanced back to the vehicles to see them ready to follow, and she set off. She walked a little faster than normal, but she had time to sort through any scent that hit her. Elise reminded herself not to slow down without good reason though.

She knew the difference between herbivore and carnivore smells, and there was a great danger in using the river as a guide. She didn't know what used this as their water supply. Owen shifted on her neck, and Elise found some irony as she remained on high alert.

The Indominus remembered the last time she had used a river as a guide, and how alert she had been. How angry and violent she felt, but it was so much different this time.

She was actually here with good intent.

And she was leading the ACU rather than ambushing them, protecting rather than hunting.

Elise had come a long way.

She was proud of herself.


	78. Chapter 78

_When will we meet again, Sweetheart?  
When will we meet again?  
When the autumn leaves that fall from the trees  
Are green and spring up again._

 _-Unquiet Grave_

* * *

"Tyrannosaurus Butterflies"

"Christ, I had forgotten how bad these roads were."

Vince nodded in agreement as they winced at another large pothole jostling the jeep before he replied, "The storm really did a number on it. It was another reason why we had Lopez follow the river."

Bridges sighed as he leaned back into his chair while saying, "I meant to have the road cleaned, but it just…slipped my mind…"

Vince glanced over before he quietly said, "Happens to the best of us, Sir."

The blonde almost waved off the manners though he did glance into the side mirror of the jeep to take a look at himself. He was a mess, this had to be the worst he had looked in years. Not even his down days had been this bad on him.

His blonde hair was a mess despite all the combing back he had done; it was gross and almost greasy. The snowy, pristine shirt he wore was torn, soiled, and bloodied especially at his shoulder. He was glad no one had asked where the wound came from, those were details that needn't be talked about.

It was so odd to think about now that he actually had a chance to _think_.

Jack was dead, his labs were gone, Wu had probably died in the explosion, but Bridges had to say something to get Knight to bring the ACU team here. He didn't care where Wu was at the moment. What mattered was Elise was here to take this bloody chaos into her capable claws.

Bridges was grateful she was here. He hoped it meant things would be better. Life seemed to go her way much more often, fate had decided she had been screwed enough and was now bestowing a generous amount of good luck to her.

He just hoped it wouldn't run out when she got here because this island was unlucky. Bridges didn't care much for superstition, but something had always seemed off with this island. The air wasn't as right, one got used to it if they lived here long enough, but the luck here just wasn't as kind. Bad things happened more often; the animals were meaner, more diseases, and people had a tendency to go missing here.

Not just into Carnifex's paddock either, and Bridges grimaced. He really hoped Carnifex ate the pests whole, and he wondered what the chances of Lopez's team discovering the remains were.

Given how the island was, the chances were pretty good, and Bridges doubted Knight would be stupid enough to believe that all those skeletons belonged to workers. The math wouldn't work.

Only five workers had been killed by Carnifex, but Bridges had sent plenty more pests to him than that.

He was in trouble.

"Ah, shit."

The blonde startled at his Commander's cursing before he let out his own exasperated sigh at seeing the massive tree that had fallen over across the road. There was no way in heaven, hell, or purgatory that it was going to be moved anytime soon. Bridges wondered if Elise could even scoot it out of the way, it had to be one of their oldest trees here.

Perfect, simply perfect.

Bridges sighed as he got out of the jeep before shutting the door behind him as he walked over to inspect it anyway. This was definitely a casualty of the storm, or just another way for life to screw him.

Vince scratched his head as he eyed the tree before asking, "What are the chances we can drive around?" Bridges pressed his lips until he answered, "I'll go this way, you go that way, just don't go out of earshot."

"I don't think we're in their territory just yet, but I'll give a holler if I see anything. It's getting dark, they'll be active."

Bridges nodded as he pulled out his pistol before walking down the tree towards the base of the trunk. He actually couldn't see the bottom of the tree through the thick brush lining the road, and it only made him more nervous as he carefully walked by. Unless the jeep had something sharp in the emergency kit, the jeep wasn't going this way because the foliage was too thick.

It still didn't stop the man from allowing his curiosity to get the better of him as he failed to notice the slight breeze picking up. He did glance up when the leaves gave whispered sighs as they danced on the branches, but the man raised his eyebrows at the torn roots.

This was definitely a tree that had been here a long time. It looked like it was on its way to dying as the roots didn't look quite right. Bridges rubbed his face as he tried to recall the signs of sickness. Of all the things he never thought he would have to pay attention to as CEO, the trees' health was not one of them.

It was probably one of the most important things right next to the animals' health. If the trees got sick, they would be in a lot of trouble. He remembered how a disease, the name had slipped his at the moment, had swept across the eastern part of the island. They had to burn and cut down trees just to stop it from spreading.

That had been a dark time. Bridges had lost sleep over trees of all things, but they had pulled through. He always pulled through.

Him and his little demons, and he wondered what this new one was named. They had all showed up with their own names except for Mr. Growls; Bridges had named him when he was little.

When he thought the shade was a friend, but then the bad thoughts came. He had to burn things though he didn't know why, but he liked to.

The man sighed quietly as he walked over to the roots that had been violently torn from the cool earth during the storm, but he frowned as he inspected it. He didn't know why he was caring right now when he had things to do.

It wasn't like he would be CEO by tomorrow morning, but old habits died hard. He had to care about this island even if he technically didn't care. It seemed harder to care without Sobek; it was another reason why he started to visit Elise so frequently. What a good kid, and she was so smart. Bridges loved that.

The man frowned when he heard the echoing thuds of heavy footsteps, and he paused as he went down the list of species on his island that could walk like that.

Was it their crippled Tyrannosaur? That wasn't right because he lived in the western valley. Bridges listened intently to the thud. It was familiar, and he sucked in a breath.

It was Elise!

Bridges all but forgot about Vince as he trotted into the jungle at a quick pace though he kept a sharp eye out for anything. They weren't in their territory, but they were really close. Bridges knew all too well how hard it was to spot them.

The blonde paused in a clearing when he couldn't hear the footsteps anymore. He was tempted to give a whistle to grab Elise's attention, but he wasn't one hundred percent sure it was her. He had Sobek's footsteps memorized, and he swore he heard Elise walk enough to know her.

But this island had the worst of luck, and it would be the icing on the burnt cake to run into the crippled Tyrannosaur.

Bridges was so busy thinking that he didn't see the massive animal approach him until the large foot sank into the soft earth, and the man yelped as he immediately aimed the gun before letting out a sigh.

"Sweetheart…just…please don't…Christ…."

Elise tilted her head as she let out a sigh; she had expected her temper to flare at seeing Bridges, but he looked so tired and pathetic at the moment. She actually felt bad for scaring him, and she made a soft sound as she lowered herself to his level before nudging the wounded shoulder. He was definitely hurt, but the blonde lowered the gun as he said, "I'm sorry…it's been a long day. Thank God you're here."

The Indominus gently nudged the shoulder again with her snout, and Bridges sighed, "The bleeding stopped. It's fine, Sweetheart, but I'm glad I caught you here. I have my commander with me because we had to change the plans, but our tower got knocked over. It's why the radios aren't working."

Elise made another soft sound as she glanced around for the other. They had hit a bit of a road block by the river. It seemed the earth was particularly soft here, and a lot of trees had fallen in this area. She had been keeping watch of the area while moving the trees before she caught Bridges' scent on the breeze.

' _WHERE IS THE COMMANDER'_

"He's on the other side of the tree blocking the main road we took to get to you. Elise, Sweetheart, I really need you to listen to me. You cannot talk Carnifex down because he'll never listen to you."

Elise puffed air through her nose as she let out a low growl. She knew she hadn't gotten along with Sobek at first, but she could understand him better. She was sure the conversation wouldn't be perfect, but she had charisma.

Bridges put a hand on the ebony talon when it sank into the earth to write her retort, and he gently said, "Elise…Carnifex will attack you the moment he gets a whiff of you. It's…it's how I trained him to react to the smell of Tyrannosaurs."

Elise blinked at him before writing, _'WHY'_

The blonde swallowed when Elise narrowed her eyes because she wasn't leaving without her answers, and Bridges finally said, "Because I let Carnifex fight youngling Tyrannosaurs for fun, and he kills them. It's how he's been trained to react to them, but that's not his fault, it's mine. He gets frustrated in his paddock, and a good fight gets him to behave. Once he smells Rexy on you, Elise, he's going to go right into fight mode. He's conditioned to react like that."

Elise immediately snagged her talon away from the blonde as she curled her lip high in disgust. It was bad enough this man had hunted parents and hatchlings down, but he fed younglings to Carnifex? Did Bridges have any sort of morals? Where were his lines?

Bridges raised an eyebrow at the show of aggression, he was never afraid of her. It frustrated but challenged Elise; she was always forced to think around Bridges because he wasn't intimidated.

Now was as good a time as any to talk, and Elise gracefully sat on her haunches as she wrote, _'WHY DO YOU HUNT THE REXES'_

Bridges blinked at the words before he said, "Look, Sweetheart, I know you're probably disturbed by whatever Sobek told you, but we have to focu-"

' _NO WE HAVE TIME I WANT TO KNOW WHY YOU HURT THEM YOU HURT BABIES FOR NO REASON'_

The blonde put his hands on his hips as he dryly said, "They're just Tyrannosaurs, Elise. It's not like I'll ever go after Rexy, don't look at me like that." Elise had clenched her jaw tightly as she gave her coldest glare at him. Bridges was foul, and she was tempted to bury him right here. She would find the tree that had fallen, and she would plant it right over him.

Small One had been given a fragile baby tree to be part of, and Bridges would get a broken dead one.

"Knock it off, Elise. You know damn well you're no better than I am."

Elise actually blinked at the sharp snap from the irritated man, before she retorted, _'I NEVER HURT BABIES I KILLED WRONGLY BUT NOT ANYMORE'_

"Really? Are you _really_ sure about that?"

The Indominus narrowed her eyes, Bridges was playing a game with her, and she was in the dark. He had something that she had forgotten about. She had to be careful, but Bridges wasn't in the mood to play. He pretended to think hard as he scratched his head and sarcastically asked, "What…was that thing you and I talked about that one time? You know, that _thing_ that just…disturbed Roth. I had to defend you, but I swear it disturbed Owen too…kind of like how you're bothered about the Tyrannosaurs."

Elise didn't know what Bridges was talking about, but that unsure feeling crept into her gut. One of her worst fears was scaring or disappointing Owen because he was her parent. Her first human friend she trusted her life with. She always wanted to make him proud, and nothing made her happier than when he introduced her as his daughter. She always felt so accepted and loved when she heard it.

What had she done?

The Indominus refused to show her feelings around Bridges, and he lightly palmed his forehead like he remembered as he mockingly said, _"That's right._ It was those damned butterflies you're always so fond of killing. I've never actually seen you spare a butterfly, am I right?"

Elise didn't respond, and Bridges turned almost cruel as he continued, "As I recall, you just feel better after killing those damned things because of what they did to you. You know, I'm not bothered by it, want to know why? Because I do the exact same thing with Tyrannosaurs."

The Indominus remained silent though she wanted to say she had reason for killing those butterflies. They had robbed her of a friend, but Bridges was way ahead of her. He held up a hand as he snapped, "Don't you dare think I do it for fun. I've been wronged by those stupid things, my mother couldn't live the rest of her days here because of a Tyrannosaurus. Her last days were filled with nightmares of that thing! Sobek was the only reason why she didn't get eaten by that Tyrannosaur!"

Elise growled softly at the raised voice, but Bridges took a deep breath to calm himself before saying, "What you do is no different than what I do just because they're smaller. You'll spare and treasure every other little thing, but butterflies all die."

Bridges waited for a response, and Elise wanted to retort that he couldn't judge an entire species on one individual's actions before she caught herself.

Only one butterfly had knocked Friend into the stream, and she didn't even think the insects talked to one another. Bridges was right; what she did with butterflies was no different than what he did with Tyrannosaurs.

She was no better than him, and the Indominus glared at the man though she was angry at herself. She was a hypocrite.

Elise has promised to never hurt, never kill without reason. Violence was a last resort, and all life was treasured.

Until she saw the fluttering insects. Hypocrites were the worst thing in the world. It made her lower than Bridges, but she wouldn't let him see that. She just wanted to bury him, but she couldn't do that either since Judge Knight wanted Bridges alive.

Elise sat taller as a though struck her. She knew how to work Bridges, and she wrote, _'NEVER HURT ANYONE EVER AGAIN'_

Bridges raised an eyebrow but smirked as he coldly replied, "I don't try to, but I make a nice exception for Tyrannosaurs because they're my butterflies, Sweetheart."

A part of Elise wanted to argue that butterflies were less important than the mighty kings that were Tyrannosaurs, but that logic just seemed pathetic. She openly defended the good honey bees of the world, took lost frogs back to ponds, and made sure Owen didn't kill Mr. Spider who still had laid claim to his only tie.

Could she truly keep her promises if she deemed the fluttering insects less important because of one individual who was probably dead by now? Was that really fair to the butterflies who weren't hurting anyone?

It seemed like most humans loved the colorful creatures, and Elise was reminded of how upset children had gotten when she snapped her jaws around an unsuspecting butterfly.

The looks of horror were something akin to what she felt at learning Bridges hurt Tyrannosaurs.

The Tyrannosaurus Rex was just Bridges' butterfly. What he did was no worse than what Elise did with the insect. She killed wrongfully like him.

They were similar, and Elise's actions had voided her the right to judge Bridges for this. He was a foul human for all the suffering he had caused, but she was no cleaner than him, only sorrier.

The Indominus huffed as Bridges smirked victoriously. He knew he had won this round, but she wrote, _'GOOD POINT BUT NEVER HURT ANOTHER AND I LEAVE BUTTERFLIES ALONE FOREVER'_

Bridges almost laughed at the childish logic, but Elise snapped her jaws; she was serious. They had to remain on even playing ground. If she truly wished to never hurt another, he would have to do the same or else she would be considered better.

She would leave butterflies alone, and he had to leave Tyrannosaurs alone. It wouldn't make him perfect, but it was a step in the right direction.

Bridges let out a sigh when he realized she was serious though both paused when a nosy, fluttering insect decided to test the authenticity of Elise's word. She had no idea why every butterfly liked to land on her nose, but she worked very hard not to snap her jaws out of muscle memory. She couldn't stop her lip from curling though she sternly told herself this was an innocent who never knew a bright blue beetle had provided comfort to a little Indominus years ago.

Elise only kept herself calm as she pressed her talon close before the colorful butterfly almost skipped onto the talon, and she brought it close to Bridges.

It was her challenge to him, and the man never backed down from Elise's challenges.

He simply stared at the little thing minding its own business before he stuck his own finger close for it to walk on. Bridges had an irresistible urge to just pull the wings off or smash the bug to see Elise's reaction, but he couldn't.

He'd lose if he did that.

They both glared at the bug while watching each other from the corners of their eyes before the butterfly decided it was time to move on. It fluttered into the jungle, and Bridges crossed his arms as he coolly said, "Good job, Sweetheart."

' _DONT HURT ANY MORE REXES AND I LEAVE BUTTERFLIES ALONE'_

"And why would I do that? You may have a conscious, but I don't."

Elise stared at him for a few seconds as she thought about the reply that immediately came to her mind. She found her relationship with Bridges to be very odd because it was unhealthy, but there was some unspoken rule they had bonded over. She hadn't even been sure what the rule was until now. She hadn't realized it then, but now it made sense.

Great minds think alike, pigeon flies with pigeon, hawk with hawk, like takes to like, and each thing seeks their own semblance.

Elise almost sighed as she wrote, _'BECAUSE WE ARE NO BETTER THAN EACH OTHER I WONT GET WORSE AND YOU CANT GET WORSE SO LETS GET BETTER TOGETHER'_

Bridges almost snapped at Elise that he was perfectly capable of getting much worse, but something about this touched him. It gave him feelings that he hadn't felt in a long time.

Let's get better together.

They were both sick and they loved it, they were sick and they knew it. Bridges was so tired of people telling him he was sick, that he needed to get help because it made him feel like he was broken or wrong.

It isolated him in a way that made him more dependent on the little demons for company. They never tried to say they were perfect, and Iudex knew better than any of them that they were ill. They talked to him, they knew his secrets, they belittled and bullied him through encouraging suicide, murder, and arson, but they were all he had for company in the dark night.

Elise was no better when she made them equals. They had played like equals in terms of intelligence, but she freely admitted she wasn't right in the head.

Just like him.

They were both sick, and they knew it. She had killed her fair share of humans for no good reason just like him, Elise had slaughtered animals for pleasure as he had, and Elise struggled to better her mental problems with a therapist who focused on the wrong things.

Just like him. Bridges relied on Romano as heavily as Elise did on Owen for mental stability. Rexy was her mother as Sobek was a stern father who Bridges could actually get along with. Apples to apples, murders to murders; their hands were stained, their minds were off, but they had each other.

Bridges never had anyone freely admit they were sick, but Elise was sick like him.

He was sick, but he was fine like Elise. They could function though they weren't where everyone else was. They were junky cars who didn't get the same motors as the others.

The blonde sighed as he rubbed his forehead, for once his demons didn't have much to say besides the purring one. She had a very soothing voice, and Bridges glanced up as he realized something before he stared at the words again. Elise wouldn't judge him, and she promised to get better with him.

They were sick, but they were going to get better together. She proved she was willing and capable.

He would have to do the same or the game would be lost.

In a much softer tone that lacked the normal bite, Bridges sighed, "Alright, Sweetheart…alright…next Tyrannosaur I see, I won't hurt..."

Elise puffed air through her nose before she decided to do the man a single kindness. She ignored the foul smell of the rotting corpse as she gently pressed her snout to him, and Bridges awkwardly paused before he almost flinched as he placed his hand on her nose.

Elise wondered if Bridges had been hit in his life, Owen had said something about always being able to tell if an animal was abused judging from how they reacted to being touched. Generally the ones who flinched had been hit. The blonde didn't know what to do with this affection, and Elise pitied him.

The worst part after realizing all the terrible he had done was the pity she held for him. She wondered if Owen had pitied her like this. It wasn't a pleasant feeling because there wasn't much she could do besides a gentle touch and a few words.

However now she deemed him completely responsible for his own actions. He had no excuse to hurt others who did him no harm. She promised to get better with him, and she made sure he knew a kind touch. Both these things Owen had done with her.

Bridges had never touched an animal of this size besides Sobek when he was incredibly ill. He never recalled actually having any physical contact with Elise before, but this was new to him.

It was like a hug, but he couldn't figure out why she wanted a hug. He suspected it was most likely to mush him into keeping his promise to leave Tyrannosaurs be.

But this once Bridges would allow himself to believe Elise would hug him because she cared. She was wary of him, but he could trust her like she could trust him.

The blonde cleared his throat as he pulled back before turning to walk away as he said, "Right then, I'll be going-"

Bridges startled when he collided with the other body, and he yelped when his shirt was roughly grabbed. He blinked at Owen's hard gaze, and the latter coolly snapped, "The only place you're going is a prison cell just like Tacet's, only a lot smaller."

Bridges lowered his brows as he retorted, "Bravo line. How long have you been wanting to use that one? Tacet's situation is similar to a mentally ill person beyond all help, the difference is the padding on the walls, but she'd chew that right off, I assure you."

"You won't get that luxury after all the shit you've pulled with me, but your mouth will be full of padding after I've knocked all your teeth out."

The blonde scoffed as he smacked Owen's hands off before he said, "I don't recall doing anything to you." Bridges' head snapped back when the hard fist crashed into his nose, and the blonde stumbled onto the ground as he felt the blood dribbling. Owen only cracked his knuckles as he said, "I don't appreciate the stupid little game you've been playing with my daughter."

"I can see the family resemblance."

Owen grinned at the sarcastic bite as he walked over while saying, "You certainly will when I screw your head back on right. Next punch is from Sobek; you'll never believe what he had to say about you."

Bridges immediately stood though he startled when Elise placed her large hand between them and gave a reprimanding growl at Owen. He was supposed to wait behind Bridges just in case the man tried to run. Carnivores could smell blood, this was putting the team in danger, and she wrote that down while keeping Bridges close to her.

Both humans read it, and Bridges held his nose as he dryly said, "I'm not seeing the resemblance because she actually thinks."

Owen darkened as Bridges added, "Unlike the idiots who went swimming in the damned Mosasaur Lagoon."

Elise snapped her jaws to get them to stop as she glanced around, but Owen frowned in thought. Something had never seemed right about how they never found anything on that one paintball guy.

Not alone.

Owen still didn't understand what it meant, but he was just never comfortable with assuming it was tree huggers since they all adored Elise. Most didn't put the animal in harms way aside from PETA, but it couldn't have been them.

They didn't care about dinosaurs; they were interested in farms.

Now that Owen had time to really think about it, Bridges loved to push buttons, and he had shown up not long after that incident.

What would have happened if Elise had killed one of those men?

That attack had been provoking, and Bridges was provoking. He pushed and pushed until he got a reaction.

Unless it was with Elise who never gave him the reaction he wanted.

Owen blinked at the man before suddenly saying, "You sonofabitch, you sent those paintball attackers after us."

Bridges raised his eyebrows as he easily replied, "You have no proof that I had anything to do with that."

Owen glared at the blonde as he pointed his finger while snapping, "That damned attack has you written all over it. You've always pushed people since day one. Claire, Blake, me, and Elise; you've always pushed."

"Get over yourself, Grady, I'm not here to hold everyone's hand while singing Kumbaya. You'd be amazed at how much you learn about a person when they lose their temper."

Owen got into the man's face as he growled, "You're about to learn _a lot_ about me right now. I want to know exactly why you sent those men after us."

Bridges only sniffed, "I don't have time for this. I have injured people back at the base, and you're wasting all of our time. Go get your damned teams."

Owen clenched his fist before he quietly said, "You know, I learned a lot about you through Sobek."

"That's nice. Do you feel comfortable enough to ask me out to dinner now? Grab a drink sometime? You're a bit too masculine unfortunately."

Owen ignored the snarky retort, and he continued, "Sobek had a lot to say. Did you know liars smell? They smell bad, but you apparently reek like a corpse. Rexy and the girls call you Dead One. Sobek calls you Death."

Bridges almost sighed, "Is there a point to all this? I really would rather be taken to prison than talk with you."

Owen would give the man points for keeping his cool, but he could play this stupid game too, and he said, "Sure there's a point, I'm not going anywhere until you tell me why you sent those paintball guys after us. I just wanted you to know that Elise will tell me if you're lying since she has you figured out."

Owen took a step back as he crossed his arms while continued, "You're the one holding us up, Bridges, I'll leave as soon as I have my answer."

Bridges sighed, he wasn't in the mood for this bullshit, but Elise glanced over him with a questioning look in her eye.

She wanted to know as well, and Bridges supposed he wouldn't deny her that much. She was as close to a friend as he was ever going to get. Friends were honest with each other, or at least he assumed so. He didn't know what he and Romano were since he worked hard to keep their relationship strictly business. Bridges respected the man too much to even think of blurring that line. Even for a friendship, but employees didn't do all the things Romano did.

Bridges glanced up at Elise as he sighed, "I knew you were trainable after watching Owen stop your rampage, but I just needed a reason to get Claire to sell you. I knew you had a temper as well, and I wanted to push that. I figured those four would have provoked you into rampaging into killing someone...I was hoping Owen actually. Being shot at would rile you up, but then it'd look terrible after it was found out that it was simply paint."

The blonde turned his gaze back to Owen when he sucked in an angry breath before Bridges snapped, "Don't get pissed because I told you the truth. Nothing aggravates me more than someone who gets what they asked for, and they lose their mind."

Owen clenched his jaw, and Bridges turned back to Elise to continue, "But that last idiot wasn't supposed to stay there for that long, he was supposed to come right back. What happened with the Mosasaur was never planned, but at least it showed me how loyal you are to Owen. It was why I pretty much gave up on buying you."

Owen took a quiet breath before holding it as he counted to ten in hopes of calming himself, but Bridges raised an eyebrow as he politely asked, "That answer enough for you? I sent those paintball men to provoke Elise into munching you. It was a failed scheme to get Claire to sell her. Happy now?"

Elise glanced to her adopted father as he glared at Bridges before flickering his gaze to her. She could see how close he was to losing his temper, and she gave a slight shake of her head. As terrible as it was, Bridges wasn't going to react regardless of whether or not Owen lost his temper.

Bridges liked to push people like he was pushing now. More importantly, he wasn't intimidated.

Owen continued to stare at Elise for a few more seconds before he suddenly asked, "Those four knew about Tacet, didn't they? They were way too fearless around her, and they moved like they had worked with an Indominus."

Not alone. It was starting to make sense to Owen. The man had said not alone, but Owen had never been able to figure out who the man talked about.

Elise was alone in being the only of her kind until they discovered Tacet. Owen stared at Bridges for his answer, and the blonde finally snapped, "You don't send Triceratops handlers to round up the Velociraptors, do you?"

What Owen really wanted to know was why the man had risked his life in Lilly's lagoon rather than keep his mouth shut, but Bridges was probably a ruthless boss. He wanted to know why that man had even tried to say something about Tacet, but Bridges wasn't in the mood to talk. That was fine as Bridges was going to rot in prison for a long time. Owen had plenty of time to ask him then.

Owen uncrossed his arms; they had killed enough time here, and he had gotten most of his answers. Bridges was a sick individual who needed to rot in prison for the rest of his life. Owen didn't care how difficult Tacet could be, it would never be a good enough excuse for locking her away so cruelly. Owen wondered if dying was more merciful than being raised by someone like Bridges. It was no wonder Tacet was so dysfunctional.

"You're a sick bastard, and you deserve a very long life of misery."

Bridges only sniffed as Owen turned to Elise as he said, "I'll go get Lopez, and you just get Vince over here before he gets eaten."

Elise nodded quietly as Owen disappeared into the brush, and Bridges waited a few seconds before innocently asking, "So Grady was privy to our entire conversation?"

The Indominus still had her hand close to him, and she gently pressed it against Bridges as she nodded; she didn't know why she was getting so touchy with him. It was like she didn't want him to believe he was beyond help. Elise had never given up on anyone before.

She had never deemed anyone a lost cause.

If she could be helped despite everything she had done, then maybe Bridges could be helped too. She knew he would have to pay for his crimes, but maybe if he knew someone believed in him…

Maybe he would get help for himself, and Elise knew how easy it was to give up when everyone else had. She wouldn't admit she didn't have a lot of faith in a turnaround with Bridges, but there was a slimmer of hope.

At least she thought so.

Bridges crossed his arms before giving a shrill whistle; he hoped Vince could hear that far, but he wasn't in the mood to talk to Elise at the moment. He felt a little betrayed that she let Owen eavesdrop on their conversation.

Bridges narrowed his eyes when Elise gently nudged him though he glanced over when she wrote, _'DID YOU TELL ROMANO YOU LIKE HIM YET'_

The blonde almost choked on his spit as that feeling reeled in the pit of his stomach. Never had he spun around so fast in his life in his haste to face Elise as he snapped, "You have no business knowing those personal details."

Elise blinked innocently at him as Bridges crossed his arms tightly while turning his back again. He glared at the jungle as they sat in silence for a few minutes before Bridges snapped, "But just so you're not assuming things, I am _not_ gay. Romano is just an employee."

The blonde waited for Elise to respond, and he glanced up when she didn't do anything. He watched her nostrils flare carefully to catch the scents, and he defensively growled, "I'm telling the truth."

The Indominus tilted her head; she really hadn't realized this was a hot button for Bridges, but apparently this was a touchy subject more humans than needed. Elise had no idea why this was a problem, but she remembered how she had been so confused the first time an older teen had asked for a few minutes to talk to her alone. She had smelled the sadness, the hurt, the uncertainty, and the teen had almost worked himself into a panic before tearfully admitting he liked boys rather than girls.

Elise hadn't seen a problem with that because she got along better with men too, but that had been the misunderstanding.

The teen had been attracted to males romantically, and that had gone over Elise's head as well. She had grown especially confused when the teen had asked if she was okay with that because he had never told anyone else that before.

Elise knew she was famous, but she didn't understand the significance of someone telling her if they liked males or females. She liked the color purple, but she felt no fear of telling anyone that.

That had been a long talk with Owen after the teen had left feeling much lighter. Elise had been left feeling more confused after that. It even had a name: coming out of the closet. She didn't understand that phrase either as she knew closets were for clothes, not people...sometimes moths though. She didn't care about moths, but they ate clothes apparently. Jackie had told her that after telling a funny story about how her sister had been afraid of moths. Elise recalled how she had asked Owen out of concern if the moths ate people who were in closets.

Owen had said it wasn't always accepted for various reasons. Some people couldn't openly admit what gender they were attracted to because it was too dangerous, it was an unaccepting area, or they simply couldn't come to terms with it themselves.

That last part always made Elise the saddest.

Bridges stood stiffly as Elise simply wrote, _'ITS OKAY'_

" _No, it is_ _ **not."**_

Elise puffed air through her nose, and Bridges crossed his arms tightly again as he snapped, "It's wrong, unnatural, disgusting, and gives me the worst of feelings. Elise, being _that_ is so wrong."

Elise was pretty sure she was considered unnatural; air conditioning was unnatural too, but she didn't understand why some humans dug their heels in so hard about this. Weren't they aware of how much their words hurt others? It was why that teen had nearly cried during his confession.

He had felt wrong, but the Indominus puffed air through her nose again. Bridges shifted in agitation as he finally huffed, "Look, you believe whatever you want, but don't try to change my opinions. I know it's wrong, I know what's clearly written in the Bible, and I _know_ what I feel in my gut."

Elise nudged the man gently to show she hadn't meant to anger him. She had been curious as to whether or not Bridges had told Romano he liked him. They certainly sounded like good friends to her.

Maybe she had been wrong, Bridges and Romano could simply be very good friends. She couldn't see how Bridges could like men if he was so repulsed by the very idea. It was obvious Bridges liked to woo women, but Elise just never saw the spark there.

There was a spark when he talked about Romano. Elise always saw that crooked grin when he told her funny stories about the Italian.

Still, Elise wasn't convinced anymore because of the mixed signals. Elise just couldn't see Bridges being attracted to men when he hated the idea.

Or did Bridges struggle to simply accept that part of himself? If he hated it despite being it, then didn't it mean he would have to hate himself?

That didn't happen, did it? A human hating itself for being a human? Elise really hoped not; she couldn't imagine waking up every day and telling herself that she hated what she was. How dark and cruel the world would be if she couldn't even love her own self.

Life would be miserable.

It hurt Elise to think about, but she recalled the days she had briefly hated how she looked when compared to Rexy. When she had to depend on others to love her before she could love herself. She had learned to love how she looked though, and her jaw wasn't so crooked anymore.

The Indominus glanced at Bridges again before she wrote, _'DIDNT MEAN TO MAKE YOU MAD I JUST KNOW YOU LIKE ROMANO A LOT HE SOUNDED LIKE A VERY GOOD FRIEND'_

Bridges chewed his lips as he read that over, Elise didn't fail to notice his agitated behavior, and the man finally huffed, "It's just a touchy subject, and I never want anyone to think I'm gay. Romano is an employee and as his boss, it's wrong to ever blur that line to prevent problems in the future."

' _CLAIRE IS FRIENDS WITH HER EMPLOYEES'_

" _I'm_ not Claire, Sweetheart." Bridges faced his back to Elise as he turned the tables before innocently asking, "Who do you like? Hmm? Boys or girls?"

Bridges had meant that sarcastically, he wanted off this subject, but it was part of the stupid game they played to keep it even. They asked each other the same questions, and he had slipped up. Bridges raised an eyebrow when the Indominus paused to think long and hard.

This was going to be good.

Elise actually didn't know; she hadn't put much thought into this before because it wasn't a concern. She hadn't felt ready to give Owen a heart attack so romance hadn't been important to her. It wasn't like she had anyone to mate with either.

Her tail lightly thumped in thought as she wondered what she wanted in a partner. Elise wanted someone who loved her despite what she was. She wanted someone who could accept that she was part of a Velociraptor pack, lived in close proximity with humans, and would be willing to defend her way of life.

That right there had probably eliminated every dinosaur out there regardless of gender, species, or even age. The idea of taking a human as a life partner romantically didn't sit well with her, and even a Velociraptor mate seemed off, they were both too small. She wanted a mate close to her size so she could cuddle them freely. She didn't want to worry about squishing her mate.

Lots of cuddling; she wanted a lot of cuddling in her relationship, but that didn't seem plausible.

Maybe she wasn't meant to take a life mate. There was no one else even if she wanted a mate. Carnifex was too violent from the sounds of it, and they were closely related if she understood correctly. Elise couldn't think of anyone else.

Bridges lowered his brows when Elise finally shrugged and wrote, _'DONT MATTER THERES NO ONE FOR ME'_

The blonde pressed his lips at the words, but he wouldn't be ending this subject without an answer, and he said, "You don't need someone around to know what you want. It's not that hard, Sweetheart. Boys or girls?"

Elise didn't think she'd really care on the gender as long as she had a life partner who met the quota. Did it matter? She was just supposed to be happy right? As long as she wasn't hurting anyone it was fine. She knew it was wrong to be closely related since it brought about inbred hatchlings. It was wrong to take a mate who was too young as well, and it was wrong to take another's mate.

She didn't even have certain species in mind let alone a gender. Maybe she would find out someday or she wouldn't. It wasn't a concern to her right now, but Bridges wanted an answer. Elise would be truthful.

' _DOESNT MATTER TO ME'_

Although the Indominus realized that Owen always seemed to be against the idea of her being with a boy. Maybe he wanted her to meet a girl; girls were nice, but boys were too.

The Indominus huffed, and Bridges was starting to realize this wasn't a priority or concern of Elise's. He finally uncrossed his arms as he sighed, "You're something else, Sweetheart."

' _WERE SOMETHING ELSE'_

Bridges snorted at her before Elise suddenly paused to think, and she wrote, _'DID YOU REALLY HAVE TO LOCK TACET UP'_

Elise lowered her head to his level in case he tried to speak a lie, but she blinked when she smelled sadness. Bridges tucked a hand in his pocket as he softly said, "Elise, I'd give anything to bring back the Indomitus I knew. I _swear_ to you I never wanted her to go downhill like that."

The blonde faced her fully as the hint of desperation filled his voice when he said, "Elise, you have to be so careful around her. Tacet cannot handle being confused or overloaded. I have no idea what she'll do at seeing you, but I swear I keep her in there because I have to."

He paused to lick his lips nervously, something Elise hadn't seen him do before, and he continued, "She can't handle anywhere else. Elise, Tacet does one of four things. She either ceases to function, goes on a rampage, claws herself, or wanders around her paddock while chewing the wall. I have no idea why she's acting more normal around Carnifex, but you have to be so careful about not tipping her into a rampage because it'll be awhile before she just shuts down."

Elise flared her nostrils to catch the breath of fresh air from the truth in his words, and she sagged at this. She had hoped Bridges had lied, and the man glanced over before suddenly pointing to white flowers as he softly said, "Her real name is Lonicera, I named her that before she snapped."

Bridges paused before turning back to the Indominus as he said, "If you can actually bring Lonicera back, Elise, I would be so grateful. She loves honeysuckle flowers, playing Hide and Seek, spaghetti is her favorite food, she used to cuddle this giant teddy bear when I wasn't home. and…"

The blonde trailed off when he realized he had been babbling and cleared his throat before saying, "I doubt you'll be able to find Lonicera in there, but…I just want you to know…the Indomitus I knew and really adored was Lonicera, not Tacet. I don't know why she turned out like this, but I swear I never abused her. I didn't even want to snip her cords, I had to…"

Elise flicked her tail in thought, but she was smelling the truth. She was amazed to hear the tender affection in Bridges' voice at talking about Lonicera. Elise would be sure to tell Owen this name. She liked how Lonicera sounded.

But Bridges had made it sound like a different Indomitus though maybe it was his way of coping. Elise wondered why Tacet had snapped if things had gone so well, but she did believe Bridges. He was too smart to hit an animal, and Tacet was an Indomitus not a Tyrannosaurus. She knew she was supposed to question the truth, but it was hard to when she simply smelled the lies.

Bridges wasn't lying, and Elise would give him that much.

She gave a single nod as her way of telling him she would remember that before Bridges glanced over when the brush rustled, and Vince stepped out as he sighed, "Thank God you found them, Mr. Bridges. Now we can get to work."

The blonde nodded though Elise turned to see Owen leading Lopez, Meyers, and a few other guards with him. She assumed the rest were with the vehicles. Lopez raised an eyebrow at the duo before he said, "You two look like hell."

Vince shrugged his shoulders as he walked over to give Lopez a firm handshake as he said, "And then some, but I can't say it's just another day in Isla Sorna unfortunately."

Lopez nodded in agreement as he glanced at Bridges before dryly saying, "I see you've taken the order of keeping Bridges under your watch at all times to a new level."

Vince only shrugged again as he said, "Mr. Bridges had been nothing but helpful today. I know he's got a warrant, but he's had all his opportunities to flee. He never took them."

Lopez paused to glance at the blonde man who certainly looked like he had been doing his share of help to clean the mess he started, Lopez would give him points for that much.

"What about Lucia Dodgson and Dr. Wu?"

Vince only rubbed the back of his neck as he sighed, "Dodgson is in the Safe House helping Dr. Romano tend to the injured. She tried to flee, but Carnifex isn't too fond of helicopters. As for Wu, we have no idea, I assume he's a pile of ash in the labs."

There was a pause before Lopez turned his sharp gaze to Bridges as he said, "Judge Knight had quoted you verbatim on Dr. Wu's whereabouts, you threatened to flee with him by sundown."

Bridges flickered his gaze up to Elise when she sighed, he loved how quickly she figured things out with him. He truly wished she would become more than just a search animal; he hoped she would strive to do more in her life than what a simple dog could do.

The blonde kept his poker face as he nonchalantly said, "I had to say something to get Judge Knight to move, I haven't seen Wu today, but he was always sitting in his labs. He's probably ash or dinosaur food, but none of the others saw him. I lied to get help here sooner to my people; sue me."

Lopez sighed as he rolled his eyes while tossing handcuff over to Meyers and said, "Well, then, you're under arrest. Meyers will read you your rights since American guards are arresting you."

"I used to be a lawyer, please save your breath for something more useful."

Meyers was glad for that much as she walked over, and Bridges said, "Before you startle into shooting me like every American officer on the news, I have my pistol tucked into my belt. Give it to Vince since he'll need it more than me."

Owen frowned as he shook his head; his own uncle had been a police officer until he died. He hated how the police had been given such a terrible name by the few bad apples. However the media never seemed interested in shining a light on the good ones, the exceptional ones, the ones who made a difference in the world.

It was easier to hate them all rather than just the bad ones.

Meyers rolled her eyes as she pulled out the pistol before handing it to Vince as she asked, "Anything else?"

Bridges paused, and Lopez was sure the man would make a dirty joke, it was usually the case when he had female guards. However, Bridges only said, "Left pocket has my master card; it'll unlock any door to any building. I'm sure it'll be useful somehow."

"Nothing else?"

Bridges almost sighed an exasperation though he calmly answered, "My phone, but the battery is dead, nothing useful there. I didn't come to work prepared for this damned mess...I thought it'd be just another day."

Lopez believed that, and he felt the man truly was too tired to do anything more. Bridges probably knew it would be easier on him if he cooperated, and Lopez nodded as he motioned for the cuffs to be put on although Bridges only held his hands out in front of him. Meyers raised her eyebrows as she dryly said, "Hands behind your back."

Bridges didn't get snappy with her as he sighed, "I'd be appreciative if the hands were in front, I beat the hell out of my shoulder."

Lopez almost snorted as he asked, "And if you try anything with us?"

"Shoot me then, I doubt I'd get very far."

Lopez would have said no had the circumstances been different, but he didn't feel like fighting Bridges. He glanced over to Vince who only nodded his head. Bridges had his opportunities to run, and he had gone out of his way to help his people.

"Fine. Let's go."

Elise carefully watched how Bridges seemed to turn tired like he knew his adventure was over. He didn't fight the cuffs being clicked on and followed as a docile sheep while Lopez led the way with Vince next to him as he said, "Our vehicles are by the river, we got stopped by the trees."

Vince nodded when he replied, "Us too, but it's a good thing you guys got stopped. Mr. Bridges had a good point about the plan. That river will go right by Carnifex's paddock, and those two will smell Ghost easy."

Owen resisted the urge to smack the back of Bridges' head as he added, "Carnifex has also been conditioned to kill Tyrannosaurs on sight thanks to this guy; he likes to feed the younglings to his Spinosaurus. No wonder Sobek had it with you, Bridges."

Lopez glanced over his shoulder as he said, "Enough, Grady, you had your swing at him. I see the bloodied nose. I'm not in the mood to be sued over excessive show of force or verbal abuse."

Elise had to smile when Bridges sighed, "Oh Christ I'm not that damned petty, I'll just break Grady's nose next chance I get." Owen rolled his eyes when Meyers smirked as she kept her firm hand on Bridges' shoulder.

Vince shook his head though he turned back to Lopez as he said, "We need to change the plan just a little bit then. Carnifex and Tacet were still in the paddock, but we have to divert to the old road as soon as possible."

Lopez glanced up at Elise as he said, "Well, we're in luck because we have our very own little bulldozer. We can clear a small path for the vehicles; Ghost has a knack for weaving through a tight jungle."

Elise stepped around another as she squished between two more to prove his point though the group paused when they came to the sight of the river. Elise had never seen creatures like them before, but Lopez sighed, "Great, we got stegos. Ghost, please don't make them nervous because they aren't the brightest of creatures."

Elise didn't see how the herbivores could be dangerous from where they were since the remaining team had done a good job of keeping the smaller herd away from the vehicles. She did pause at seeing the massive spikes waving on muscled tails; those would hurt worse than the Ankylosaurs' club tails. She knew how those felt, and she didn't want to try fighting these ones.

There was no need, but Vince quietly said, "We're in luck since babies don't come around for another month or so. It's one less thing to watch for, but there's the leader over there. She's got the broken plate on her back. She's not jumpy around cars."

"She'll be jumpy around Ghost."

Right on cue, the Alpha of the small herd turned her head to eye the newcomers before she let out a warning bellow at the sight of Elise. Her large plates flushed with the crimson blood to give a warning display to the carnivore, and Elise took a step back. She didn't know what else to do, but it didn't seem to comfort the herd.

The Indominus cringed at how the rest of the herd formed a defensive wall that blocked the way back to the ship, and they had no intent of moving. Elise only glanced down when she heard a small whistle, and Bridges made a motion of his hands to lie down.

Elise didn't know what that would do, but she complied as best she could until she rested her large head on the ground. Bridges stood next to her as he said, "This isn't Jurassic World, Sweetheart, they have to assume you're going to hunt at all times, especially now that it's so close to dark. Staring at them won't make them feel better, but looking like you just want to sleep will."

Elise thought about that before she glanced to her side to make sure things were clear, and she rolled flat onto her side as she let out a large sigh. Owen had to snort at the job well done, but the Stegosaurus herd gradually relaxed enough for the Alpha to lead them across the river and into the jungle for the night.

The Indominus rolled back up as she gave Bridges a happy look that his advice had actually worked. Bridges only nodded his head before Lopez said, "Now let's get moving. Meyers, you take a team of two and a vehicle to escort Bridges back to the ship; I know it'll still be there. It agreed to wait two hours there before heading to the west docks. Ghost will be clearing the way, but it'll take a few minutes. You should be back in time."

Meyers nodded as she picked her two men before escorting Bridges over to the vehicle. The blonde cooperated willingly enough though Elise tilted her head when the man suddenly stumbled. It wasn't too bad, but it certainly seemed he was tired.

Meyers remained patient as Bridges didn't give her lip, and he was sandwiched between the two guards. Bridges flickered his gaze over to Elise once more, and she gave the slightest wave of her hand in farewell. The blonde seemed to pause at that before he gave his own small wave as the door shut. They watched the armored vehicle leave before Elise turned to Owen when he said, "You know you don't have to be nice to him, Elise. He doesn't deserve it."

Elise tilted her head before she wrote, _'EVERYONE DESERVES A SINGLE KINDNESS SO THEY CANT USE IT AS AN EXCUSE'_

Owen was never going to get used to how Elise saw things; it was so refreshing though frustrating at times. If only the world thought like her, but it was almost naïve at times. He supposed there was nothing wrong with being kind to people, but some just didn't deserve it.

The man gave his small, proud smile to let her know he approved of that though he retorted, "How about I give him this single boot up his ass? He can have toes for teeth."

Elise's sucked in laugh was loud though infectious, and Lopez had to chew the inside of his cheek to stop his smile at the sound. It was great; he never knew what to do with her laugh, but he finally cleared his throat as he said, "Alright, Ghost, Grady will tell you what trees to take down. We're wasting time."

The Indominus sniffed quietly as she calmed down before following Owen easily as he patted the first tree as he said, "This one, Baby, push it that way, okay?"

Elise nodded as she sized up the tall tree, and Owen said, "Just push it down."

The Indominus couldn't stop the excited flick of her tail as the almost childish gleam lit her eyes when she wrote, _'LIKE GODZILLA'_

Owen didn't stop his smile as he nodded and answered, "Just like him, have at it."

The snowy dinosaur had to stop her smile as she placed her forelimbs on the large trunk before slowly easing her weight onto it. The tree swayed some before Elise couldn't push it further, and she decided to try to rock it. She remembered how Gray had said it was how the larger herbivores probably cleared forests so long ago.

The tree rocked back and forth until the sharp sound of wood splintering filled the air harshly, and the heavy thud echoed in the forest. Elise made to push the next tree Owen had marked before a guard suddenly asked, "Hey, Ghost, if a tree falls in the forest, and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?"

Lopez rolled his eyes, but Elise nodded as she pushed the tree down. That was an easy answer because it was simply how life worked regardless of who was around.

And Lowery had already explained it to her once in a bout of his randomness. Sounds were waves, and waves were always made with sound. A tree hitting the ground made waves, thus sound was created, and the answer to the riddle was answered.

Owen smiled at his tough baby clearing a path quickly and effectively while Vince and Lopez focused on revising the plan. It was a bump in the road, but he would rather take a few extra minutes to create a new plan than fumble in to wing it.

"This one next, Baby."

Elise crooned as she made sure it had to be taken down before agreeing; she wouldn't push down a tree if not needed. Owen nodded in approval as he patted his vest out of habit before frowning when he realized he was missing something.

The man checked all his pockets three or four times before frowning as he glanced around.

Claire's lucky flare was gone.

* * *

Tim leaned on the railings as he continued, "Now, we do have evidence of Tyrannosaurs hunting in packs though those were most likely family groups. While obviously Velociraptors and Tyrannosaurs wouldn't work in teams to hunt together like this under normal circumstances, our very own Rexy has accepted our three Velociraptors into her family. The Beta of the pack is ornery Blue with the stripe along her eyes. You can see Delta, the green raptor, hiding in the brush across from her younger sister, Echo who has the scar on her jaw."

Tim paused to flicker his gaze at Rexy once more as he continued, "This is a great example of pack hunting since we get to see the raptors work to chase the prey to the one highest in the pack, Rexy, to make the kill."

He stood straight to push the release button, and the silver chain rattled loudly as it hit the ground. The Boer goat shifted nervously before Blue suddenly burst from the brush behind it as she gave a loud shriek. The animal all but tripped over itself in its haste to get away while Echo and Delta forced it to run right towards Rexy.

Tim smiled at the cheering as he waited for Mama to make the swift kill before his face fell.

The goat ran right past Rexy.

He watched her eyes follow the goat as it ran away, before Tim turned to the raptors to see their reaction. Blue looked incredibly confused with her claws splayed and tail raised to run like she wanted to chase, but this wasn't how it was done.

All three raptors were staring at the elder for explanation, and Tim knew something was really wrong. He had learned to read the girls in their own way, but he knew the hunt wasn't supposed to go like that.

What really concerned him was how Blue felt it was more important to check up on Rexy rather than finish this incredibly easy hunt.

The Beta gave a shiver of her jaws as she trotted over before giving a soft bark. Blue stretched her nose as high as she could while making soft sounds, and Rexy finally lowered her head to gently swipe her tongue up the raptor. Blue lightly snagged her claws into the forest lip like she had the strength to actually keep Rexy's head down while she began to comfortingly groom the scarred muzzle.

Delta and Echo circled around one another almost nervously as they made chirps, and Tim startled when he almost forgot he had a crowd of very confused guests. He glanced into the log to see Claire frowning in concern as he said, "I apologize for that folks, but I'm sure Rexy is still full from her feeding. She had a large meal this morning. We thank you for coming to see her and the Raptor Squad, and we hope you have a wonderful evening here at Jurassic World."

Tim immediately shut of his mic as he leaned over the railing to really get a good look at Rexy. She had been fine this morning, but then she had grown agitated, and now she was down. His first thought was she simply missed Elise, but Tim didn't want to assume just yet.

She looked physically fine; Rexy could obviously keep her balance while allowing Blue to groom her muzzle. He watched her side to count her steady breaths before pulling out his binoculars to see the finer details on her.

Rexy wasn't runny at the nose, her eyes were free of any goop, her scales were shiny, but she just seemed…sad almost. Tim wondered if she was tired from today's fight. Sobek and she had fought hard though he felt the elder would have recovered by now.

Sobek had been tested for the diseases before he got here so he couldn't have given her anything aside from a few scars.

Tim pressed his lips as he lowered his binoculars before glancing at Echo and Delta; they seemed agitated, and he recalled what Owen had told him about the Pig Runs. They always grew agitated when they lost a pig because one of their own wasn't feeling well. It was how Owen knew one of his girls were getting sick for some reason.

He really hoped Rexy wasn't getting sick but in some attempt to comfort the girls, Tim gave a whistle as he said, "Hey, girlies, you earned your treats today. Especially since Owen isn't here."

Blue glanced over when she heard the familiar phrase from Kind One. He had the treats to give them after the hunt, but he didn't reward like Stupid Alpha did. Blue knew they actually had to complete their challenge before they got a treat.

Stupid Alpha wouldn't have rewarded this failed hunt.

The blue scaled raptor watcher her sisters catch their treats before her own name was called. Blue would never say no to an Oreo, and she quickly pressed her face against the forest muzzle before darting over to catch the falling Oreo.

Blue trilled to herself before she glanced over at hearing the Tyrannosaurus let out a long breath; Stern One smelled sad, and Blue didn't like that. Stern One was supposed to be stern, not sad, and Blue shifted. Stupid Alpha had put her in charge of this pack until he came back, and Blue had accepted that Stern One was part of their pack despite that some rules didn't touch her.

Blue still had to take care of her, she had to make her happy, and the raptor glanced down to the cookie in her claws.

Oreos had never not made her happy. Would they cheer up Stern One? Blue chirped as she trotted over to find out. Stern One was incredibly important to her, and Blue was more than willing to give up a few Oreos for the sake of her best friend.

Tim watched as Blue made something of a demanding bark though the raptor tried not to be too stern, and Rexy easily complied. Blue glanced to her Oreo again before she shivered her jaws as she lightly poked the lip with the cookie. Tim blinked before startling when Blue simply shoved the cookie under the lip.

He was reminded of the Pocahontas movie where the raccoon shoved a dog treat into a moose's mouth. Tim had no idea why he thought of that, he hadn't seen the movie in forever, and he would have laughed if he hadn't been so concerned.

An odd expression seemed to cross the Tyrannosaur's face before she glanced to a hopeful Blue chittering softly to her, and the raptor almost shrieked indignantly when the cookie landed on the ground.

Oreos were made for mouths not dirt, and Blue hastily picked it up before she gave a reprimanding bark that had little bite. Rexy didn't care if the cookie hit the ground, but she was aware that she had upset Blue in some form. She gave a gentle swipe up Blue before giving another sigh, and Tim could see the raptor thinking hard before she gave a nudge at the muzzle.

Blue held the Oreo in front of her when Rexy swiped her tongue though she did the unfathomable and let go of the cookie so the Tyrannosaurus could take it.

Blue didn't leap into Rexy's mouth this time.

Tim almost laughed as he watched Rexy swallow the cookie, he doubted she even realized it was there, but Blue was intelligent. He would give her that much, and he watched the raptor sag slightly when Rexy didn't go back to her normal self.

Rexy finally lifted her head with a low rumble as she turned to melt into the jungle with a flick of her tail. The raptors made soft sounds though they followed, but Blue waited until she was the last one left.

Oreos didn't work…

The raptor made a soft whine before she hastily melted into the jungle to take her rightful spot on Stern One's shoulders. Why did Stupid Alpha have to leave? Now Stern One was sad for no reason.

And she was out of Oreos. Blue wasn't happy.

* * *

Sobek lifted his head at the sound of the long roar from his Wise One; she had been calling out quite frequently for most of the day. He knew those cries of a mother searching for her hatchling.

Or youngling.

The Spinosaurus shifted as he listened intently for Twisted One's responding roar, but it never came. Sobek tilted his head when Wise One gave another long roar, and he huffed before standing to give his own roar. If Twisted One didn't respond to her mother, she better respond to him.

He didn't get a reply, and the Spinosaurus let out a long growl before Flower made a soft bleating sound. The buck had comfortably curled up in the thick brush, and Sobek had was just getting ready to sleep. They were two old men in their twilight years; bedtime was now.

But not until the youngling came home, and Sobek allowed an irritated snarl to fall from his jaws. Twisted One was his responsibility as well since he had to help curb the stupid naivety from her.

At least she had an easy trail to follow from his territory, but Sobek wasn't sure what he would do if it led to Wise One's territory. He wouldn't trespass her home because he hadn't earned the right. He respected her too much to anger her.

The Spinosaurus kept his head low as the muscle memory of years of tracking worked for him. He would occasionally lift his head to taste the wind though he didn't receive much help; he had to depend on the trail Twisted One left behind.

That didn't make Sobek feel very good, and it actually irritated him that the odd dinosaur had the audacity to worry her mother like this. It was aggravating to the Spinosaurus, and he would bite the manners into her or drive her from Wise One's territory if she intended to act like this.

Sobek would not put up with this behavior; this was not how things were done. He didn't care if he never raised a hatchling of his own before because instinct had plenty to say.

Twisted One was in a lot of trouble with him. Sobek was already feeling cranky.

* * *

Rexy lowered her nose to the ground once more as she tried to catch the freshest scent of her youngling, but it was hard. Her senses were dulling, and it was hard to catch a fresh scent when White One traveled through here so frequently.

Why wasn't she calling back? White One had never done this before, and it was starting to scare Rexy.

It was getting dark as well, but Rexy never went to nest without all her offspring with her. At least the raptors were being patient in following her around like good little hatchlings. Blue One was being extra affectionate in attempt to comfort her, and Rexy did feel better with her here.

The Tyrannosaurus paused to smell the air again; she hated hunting in the dark. Her eyes were bad enough as it was in the day, but age hadn't been kind to them. Rexy found herself glancing to Blue One more frequently for her reaction. Blue One could see in the dark.

They weren't far from the false log, and the trail had gone through here somehow. Rexy just needed to sort through this overlapping part. She didn't want to waste time with trails that wouldn't lead her anywhere.

The blue raptor glanced at the elder in concern before she suddenly whirled around with a sharp snarl as her sisters did the same. Rexy startled into snapping her gaze up as the rusty scales stepped onto the trail before he paused at seeing them.

Rexy knew he wasn't supposed to be here, but the Spinosaurus made a soft hiss as he lowered his head to sniff the ground like he was searching as well. Rexy didn't feel threatened by him, but it didn't stop her from walking over with a rumble vibrating in her throat.

She had never seen Rude One out of his territory before, and that made her nervous. She could beat him in a fight, but White One couldn't without the help of her pack. What if she had gotten into another fight with the old male?

It didn't make sense though, Rexy would have heard the fighting. The pack would have been upset, and Rude One had been too tired to do much after their fight.

She had told White One not to bother him.

Sobek lifted his head when Rexy got too close though she was on his blindside, and his muzzle accidentally bumped into hers when she paused to catch the smells. Sobek glanced around patiently as the Tyrannosaurus inspected him.

He knew better than to aggravate an agitated mother.

Rexy puffed air through her nostrils as she sorted the smells; she caught the strong scent of the odd prey White One had shown her today, but that was mostly it. Was that all Rude One ever ate? Rexy wasn't sure if she needed to be relieved that she couldn't smell White One's blood or not, but she paused when the rusty one shifted.

She remained careful and cautious as her powerful jaws almost brushed him when she smelled around his chest. Rexy could smell her youngling on the male, but she wasn't convinced he had killed or even fought her.

Rude One smelled like her youngling had rubbed on him.

Rexy stepped away with a low rumble; this was almost worse than last time. She wasn't sure if she needed to give up or if her youngling needed help. White One wasn't ready to leave the nest. Rexy knew that much.

The Tyrannosaurus made another soft sound as she turned to walk away and startled when the long snout pressed onto her back. Rexy was almost sure the male had taken advantage of her exposed side to attack though she paused when he did nothing harmful. he became confused when Rude One's jaws began to vibrate in an odd way.

Rexy craned her neck to eye the rusty dinosaur when he gently rubbed his jaws along her shoulders like he had this morning after their fight. She detected no ill will though she flicked her tail on his side when she continued to walk on.

She had no time for whatever he was doing.

Sobek puffed air through his nostrils when the long tail flicked his chest before he calmly followed to the clearing where Rexy had been trying to sort through the scents. Rexy had lowered her head to the ground to find the freshest trail and paused when the rusted snout came close to hers. Rexy wasn't sure what Rude One was doing, but it was starting to irritate her.

She wasn't in the mood to put up with him.

Sobek was mindful of the impatient gaze that hardly burned him, and he only made a low sound as he tasted the air. They had to be close, this trail was the freshest one he had come across all night. He had hope he would have been able to keep her calm with the rumbles that shook his nose.

It was supposed to be only for courting, but Sobek never forgot how it had calmed Crazy One; he couldn't think of any other way to communicate that he wasn't a threat to her. He wasn't trying to court Wise One, but he needed her calm.

The massive carnivores raised their heads at the same time as they weren't ready to trust one another like that. Neither felt ready to really expose their necks to one another though Rexy eyed Sobek as he parted his jaws to taste the air. Blue lashed her tail as she stood next to Rexy with a dangerous air about her and muscles bunched to jump Sobek at the first wrong move. Delta and Echo remained close to one another as they circled almost nervously while glancing to Blue for the signal to attack.

The small pack jumped when Sobek suddenly let out a long, loud roar, and Rexy's lip lightly curled. She didn't find that to be a challenge, but she didn't know what it was exactly. The Big Boss eyed her rival as he walked further down the trail before pausing to smell the ground.

Curiosity got the better of Rexy when Rude One glanced back at her, and she kept an eye on the male as she carefully smelled the earth.

White One's scent; it was fresher than the others. Rexy didn't take Rude One to be a tracker, but he had managed to find it. Maybe it was because he wasn't used to her scent, and the Tyrannosaurus lifted her head to give the come home roar to her youngling.

She didn't get a response back though Sobek gave his own roar not long after before he paused to listen. Rexy found that odd, but she still wasn't going to trust him though the duo continued down the path peacefully with the raptors following quietly.

The trail was practically a straight shot, and Rexy could smell the raptors' scent mingling with White One's as well. The large carnivores would pause to give their long roars before waiting in silence, and then continuing down the trail. Rexy didn't fail to notice how Rude One's roar was similar to hers.

She just didn't understand why he would be looking for her youngling.

The odd group paused when they came to the towering wall before them before Rexy began to work the ground. She could smell her youngling, her hatchlings, and even Irritating One. Rexy recalled how White One had tried so hard to get her to call the aggravating human Old One, but she hadn't been swayed.

Rexy almost whined in frustration. This couldn't be happening, her youngling had to have gone somewhere else. She had to be fine; she was smart.

Sobek turned to the large walls before him as he lowered his snout to catch the smells. They were dull to him, but he caught Stranger and Twisted One. Sobek wondered if these were the kinds of walls that could move apart because it smelled like the duo had simply gone to the other side.

The Spinosaurus huffed once more as he gave a final roar for Twisted One to get her butt home before he hovered his sensitive snout against the seamless door. Maybe there was a weak point he could break through like the hot fences.

Sobek had never broken through something as solid as this though, and he took a step back with an almost sad hiss as he glanced back to his Wise One; he had wanted to bring their youngling home safe and sound.

This parenting thing was harder than he realized.

Rexy had paused at the sad sound before she rumbled while inspecting the door for herself as the rusty one made soft hisses to her. She didn't know what they meant, but Rexy was intelligent enough to realize the basic meaning.

White One had to have gone through here, and Rexy took a step back with a soft whine that finally broke from her throat. She couldn't break through this, and she didn't know how to get by these tall walls. She had patrolled her territory for over twenty years; these walls had never been broken.

The Tyrannosaurus took another step back as she blinked at the ground while trying to absorb this. Wherever her youngling had gone, Rexy couldn't follow to save her youngling like last time.

The bitter, heavy feeling hurt as the old memories came back. Rexy hadn't been able to get to her son, she had found him washed on the bank. Rexy remembered how she thought he had been sleeping in the dying light. She recalled how irritated she had been at thinking he was lazing around while ignoring her.

Just one. All she wanted was to raise just one offspring into adulthood successfully. Her most promising youngling was gone, and Rexy knew she hadn't been ready to leave the nest. White One wouldn't have left without saying something.

Neither White One nor Irritating One would have left their pack behind.

Blue made a startled chirp when the eldest suddenly lied down as a large sigh was exhaled from her lungs. Sobek made a low growl at her in hopes of getting her back up, but he paused at the soft whine.

She was sad; his Wise One was sad.

Just one. Rexy had wanted just one to make it to adulthood. Now she had outlived another. It didn't lessen the pain in her chest, the failure and the fear of not hearing the roars of her own child. There was something heart wrenchingly familiar about actually knowing she would have to get used to the smell of her youngling fading from the world.

It was so hard not to assume the worst, but she knew her youngling; White One had never pulled this before. She liked to chitter about everything with her mother, and she wouldn't have left without saying anything.

White One wouldn't have left her pack behind, and Rexy knew raptors _always_ stayed as one pack.

Rexy glanced over to the three raptors who were softly chittering their concerns to her before she did her best to wrap her body around them protectively. She reminded herself she still had three.

Three who would never grow bigger than what they were. Three who weren't her own kind no matter how hard she squinted at them.

Sobek thought the sight of Death would be the worst thing in the world, maybe even Damned Dusty Human strolling through his territory, but it wasn't.

This was the most upsetting to him, and he didn't know why. His Wise One laying there defeated just hurt to look at, and Sobek growled at the door. Both Stranger and White One were gone together. He knew they took care of each other. They would be fine.

Wise One was grieving her lost youngling, _their_ lost youngling, and Sobek paused at a recalled detail.

His old island. Twisted One had wanted to go after Death with Stranger. That had to be where they went, and Sobek took a step back. He couldn't stop them because of this wall before them.

The Spinosaurus almost slumped next to the Tyrannosaurus before he rested his large head close to hers. They kept just a little bit of space between them as Sobek gave his own soft sound of defeat.

If those two had gone to his old island to confront Death then his Wise One was right to grieve.

Foolish youngling, arrogant pack hunter. Death would make quick work of them because he had no lines. Not even the most cunning pack hunter could outwit Death. The only difference between Death and True Death was the latter's ability to keep balance.

Rexy glanced over at the soft sound; she was too upset to chase him away, and the warmth was nice on her aching bones. It would be one less thing to hurt in the morning, and she glanced over when the raptors pressed close to her side as they realized they would be sleeping here for the night. She didn't have her nest wall to lean against, but Sobek didn't seem to mind when Rexy shifted some of her weight onto him. It hurt her left leg when she lied on it all night.

It seemed he was sad at losing White One as well, his roars had sounded like hers, and Rexy recalled how excited her youngling had been when she brought the odd prey from Rude One's territory. Her scent was on him so maybe she had found her other parent in him.

A part of Rexy knew it was easier to raise young with a mate, but she never had the opportunity. By no means was she considering Rude One a mate, but she wouldn't have minded the idea of him helping raise her if that had been his intent.

At least she had someone to be sad with. Maybe they would have another fight later, but the thought didn't bring much comfort.

Rexy shifted her head to lie alongside Sobek's as she gave another glance at the three raptors, Blue had claimed her shoulder for the night.

She still had her oddballs.

Maybe Irritating One would bring her youngling home safely. Rexy would be less impatient with the human if he did. She liked to pick on him and chase him, but she would be more tolerant if White One was fine.

Until then, she would protect her oddballs. It was all she could do.


	79. Chapter 79

**A/N**

 **Hey guys! It's the tardy author who promised gifts come Christmas! In all seriousness, I do apologize for being late. I had planned to post my one shot on Christmas, but then I realized I had incorporated a few spoilers that I hadn't gotten to in this story yet. So I had decided to write the story far enough to cover that, and one chapter turned to two, then three, and now five. Yes, five whole chapters for you guys. Plus the one shot I'll post later.**

 **Anyway, it's nice to hear from you guys again!**

 **Romance Guest, I'm glad to hear that! Just brush off the teasing, they're just jelly.**

 **Joey Baldwin, I really miss posting every day as well; it was a lot easier back then.**

 **DraconicBlizzard, May your phone always land on soft pillows and never crash again.**

 **Reader No.123456, that's quite alright, and your English is wonderful!**

 **Evil Jesus, I have returned!**

 **MANYOREOS, We just got some more snow where I'm at. We had three inches come Christmas morning.**

 **OreoIcecream, that's probably my favorite flavor right behind coffee ice cream.**

 **Guest, not at all, ship away!**

 **Elise da indom, I'm happy to make your day! Sorry to make you wait so long!**

 **GoofBall, she's my hero too! It tugged my own heart to write that with Rexy.**

 **sobek spino king, I'm sure Bridges can figure out a way to do that.**

 **Chaotician, I sincerely appreciate your faith in me and how I plan to deal with my villains. That is Bridges' main purpose with Elise because other people simply won't push her buttons; they just like to cuddle her. Sobek and Rexy are still something I never thought I'd even write. That is one of my favorite scenes from TLW, and I can very much so see those two pulling that even with an adult Elise.**

 **Miraak! I'm glad I've proven worthy!**

 **Kim K's Butt, do we have medical insurance? This Catholic will only be happy if you're happy! As far as being a hopeless romantic, well, as really odd as it sounds considering how fluffy this story is, I'm one who likes to tread 'feelings territory' with others. :P And Petra is a cute name that I'll consider if no one likes the ones I picked. As far as finals, well, I didn't study and ended up with a 70% Go me. Much love from your mellow, Catholic author wife! And I've been sitting in the dark side since sixth grade, them Oreos are looong gone!**

 **discorded-q, let us know when you get the pics up, but no worries!**

 **wildmane, it's a good song, lovely choice.**

 **The Only Potato, the only time my family is really interacting with one another is when the cows are out. xD And I still think the first movie is actually my favorite one. And we got a new wifi router thingy that's actually really powerful, it goes all the way out to our milk barn.**

 **Semicolon Guest, I really REALLY appreciate you saying that because I really hadn't realized how many I used! I went back and cut out a massive amount because I did mess up with using those semicolons. Thank you again for saying that.**

 **I 3 Bunny Butts, well, I have a map of Isla Sorna that I try to go off of, and it doesn't seem to be too mountainous.**

 **80sanimegeek, I hope you had a merry Christmas as well as a happy new year!**

 **Lance, a merry late Christmas to you as well! And a blonde Bradly Cooper does actually look a lot like what I picture Bridges to be like.**

 **OREO, I'm glad to hear you're doing well, and this story isn't going anywhere. I'll keep that in mind with the new Star Wars.**

 **RainbowKittyRune! The girls are six years old; they're the same age as Elise.**

 **Darrkrebs, I actually don't familiarize myself with a lot of actors or actresses. I really struggle to picture people sometimes, but Mr. Eckhart also looks a lot like Bridges. Lance made a good point though, Elise would have noticed the similarities between him and Two-Face from Batman.**

 **DracoAngel17, it's been too long my friend! I'm glad you're able to catch up!**

 **And guys! We hit over 2,000 favorites! This is absolutely amazing and incredibly humbling at the same time. I really truly lack the words to express how grateful I am for what you've made this story mean to me. I hope you guys realize how much you helped shape this story, and how much you motivate me to write better. So, I thank you sincerely.**

 **As always, I thank you much and mighty for your reviews and constructive critiques. I encourage you guys to go see the artwork made created by talented artists, links are on my profile, and go visit the Tropes page for this story. That page has grown into something amazing! Thank you again Commando64 for creating that page!**

 **I hope you enjoy, have a safe and wonderful new year's my friends!**

* * *

 _Never underestimate the full power of spoken words; especially those with ill-intent._

* * *

"What am I?"

"You don't think she's sad…right? Big Boss doesn't get sad…guys?"

Lowery rubbed his forehead with worry as they carefully watched the large screen at the end of the quiet room. The sight of their very own Big Boss slumped in defeat had affected the ever watching Control heavily.

They had first panicked at seeing Sobek so deep in Elise's paddock before they almost called the Emergency ACU when the two, massive carnivores had crossed paths. Claire had rushed to the Control Room at the possibility of another fight, but Sobek had surprised them all.

The antagonizing blood knight of a dragon had no intent of using his claws tonight. Lowery even wondered if the Spinosaurus was a reason why Rexy hadn't lost her temper when she realized Elise had left her territory.

Control had all but bit their nails to skin as they fearfully watched their most dangerous carnivores glare at the door. Lowery didn't know why, but he had a feeling Sobek was perfectly aware that he was looking at a door. The tech-geek didn't think Rexy had paid as much attention, but just the way the Spinosaurus would glare at the seamless door told a tale of his knowledge.

Lowery wondered how many old fences the dinosaur had learned to break in his many years in the wilds of Isla Sorna. Sobek knew how to break through barred fences quite easily, and he had proven that electric fences were no match for his razor claws.

"Did anyone get the streaker?"

The tech-geek blinked at Vivian before he replied, "I don't know, I forgot about her when our Spinosaurus decided to make a truce with the Raptor Squad."

"And Rexy."

"Rexy is part of the Raptor Squad, Dingleberry, why else would those three listen to her?"

"Because she's Rexy."

Lowery sighed at the front row before he wheeled his chair over to the phone. He briefly glanced at the sheet of paper with numbers as he dialed and pressed the phone to his ear and began to scroll through the cameras on his screen.

He didn't see a streaker, but the phone answered with a frustrated huff before Lowery asked, "This is Control, did you catch the streaker?"

He glanced up at the screen when Sobek lifted his head to glance around before resting it closer to the Tyrannosaurus. It was funny how they had so eagerly, and part jokingly, shipped these two creatures together. Control was enthusiastic to see the cuddles between their most respected dinosaurs. They were the cute, old couple that had a spark between one another.

No one had been prepared for this side of the almost unfathomable relationship. Lowery had never seen Rexy like this, and he wasn't prepared to see Sobek so willingly set aside his desire for good fights in order to comfort his first friend in Jurassic World.

Lowery almost felt like a peeping tom, and he didn't understand why. He never had problems with watching the animals go about their day.

It was really hard to watch Rexy go down so suddenly as she seemed to lose that stern fire in her eyes. It made Lowery painfully aware of how many years she had seen; Rexy was old. He wasn't ready to say Rexy was old, and he wasn't willing to think that she might not be around for much longer.

How long did Tyrannosaurs live for? Lowery glanced down at his computer tabs while the guard complained to him. He had the internet open, he was ready to research that question.

He was just too afraid of the answer he would find. Twenty years? Forty years? Fifty? Sixty? Lowery had a feeling whatever the number was, they were probably getting closer to saying goodbye.

It seemed they panicked more whenever something happened with Big Boss. He recalled how a few years ago they hadn't been as nearly as worried about Rexy's health. It wasn't like she had grown more fragile.

Rexy had simply grown older.

"Yep…okay…alright…just fine her and make sure it gets put on her records. You know how people get around the cheap alcohol."

Lowery sighed as he hung up before answering, "Streaker was caught; she was over by the slushy machines."

He glanced over when someone asked, "How did they not find her sooner? She's an eighty year old woman for God's sake."

The tech-geek took a sip of his soda before answering, "Truth be told, I don't think I'd be running to catch her either."

Vivian snorted quietly as she continued to type on her computer while Lowery went back to staring at the large screen. He rested his chin on his hand as he watched Sobek lift his head again before resting it.

"What do you think Sobek is looking for?"

Vivian paused from her typing to quietly say, "Maybe he's just keeping watch. He does seem a little antsy."

A person from Security crossed his arms as he replied, "We're lucky Sobek can't burn a hole through the wall with his glare. We'd have a mess on our hands."

Lowery nodded in agreement as he watched Sobek tenderly rub his long snout across Rexy's shoulders before glancing around again. Sobek was definitely not ready to sleep, but Lowery actually felt a little better with the Spinosaurus there.

Rexy wasn't alone. Sure she had the Raptor Squad, but Sobek was big. He wasn't afraid of Rexy or her temper.

"She's going to get back up…right? In the morning?"

Lowery stiffened at the question that had hung unasked in the room the moment Rexy had gone down. He glanced around nervously for someone to confidently assure them that this was the Big Boss. She would be up and ready to kick anyone's ass before the first cup of coffee could be served.

No one said anything, and Lowery finally said, "We have Blue and Sobek there to take care of her. Come on guys, it's Rexy. She probably just misses Elise. What mom doesn't get worried when her kid doesn't come home?"

"Is that why you were the first one to call the vets?"

Lowery opened his mouth to give a smart retort but shut it as he leaned back into his chair. He would fully admit he had been the first one to call the vets to at least come look at Rexy through the screens. If she had to be looked at more closely…

Lowery wished them the best of luck. Rexy was sandwiched between a full grown, cranky Spinosaurus, and three overprotective Velociraptors. None of them seemed very eager to eat either.

The man glanced over his shoulder when he heard the elevator doors opening, and he let out a sigh of relief at seeing the bouncy, blue haired ponytail trotting in. Jackie didn't look like herself with the serious look on her face, but Gerry hobbled behind her as Grant almost curled his lip at the sight of so much technology in one room.

He hated computers.

Regardless, the trio walked over to Lowery as Gerry sighed, "What's the problem with Boss?"

Lowery gestured to the screen as he quietly said, "It's…she's just not acting like herself…I don't know if I should have called for that or…"

The older vet shook his head while leaning close to the computer screen, and Lowery made the window bigger for the vet's eyes. Gerry raised his eyebrows in thanks as he replied, "Usually there's a reason for changes in behavior, but Rexy never likes to do anything differently. She's supposed to be in bed by now."

The vet flickered his gaze to his watch before asking, "Have you shut the speakers off over there?"

Lowery frowned before nodding, and Gerry said, "Turn them on, and let's see what she does."

The tech-geek grimaced as he flipped the speakers on, and the room silently stared at the screen. There was a pause before the quiet echo of the speakers sounded, and Rexy simply curled tighter with a low sound. Gerry began to chew his mustache in worry when Sobek suddenly rose with a furious roar that almost shook the camera.

The Spinosaurus immediately stormed over to where the door was located as Blue leapt up with an ear piercing shriek, and Lowery jumped into shutting the speakers off. The two animals paced around in irritation while Grant eyed Lowery as he dryly said, "They got you trained pretty well."

Lowery waved an embarrassed hand as he mumbled, "We don't call him Rival Big Boss for fun…"

Jackie rubbed his shoulder comfortingly while Gerry stood straight to squint at the large screen when Grant said, "I don't think it was anything she ate."

"No, the girls eat the same thing she does. Rexy treats them like her kids, she lets them have first bite. Tim already went over everything she ate; he's way too careful about that sort of thing. She eats better than we do."

Grant scratched at his beard while Jackie leaned on Lowery to stare at the computer screen before she asked, "Do you think she might be getting a fever or something?"

"We'd have to actually get in the paddock to see that."

The paleontologist snorted at the older vet's tone before dryly asking, "Not as eager to get up close and personal?"

Gerry lowered his brows as he gestured to the screen while saying, "Be my guest, Alan. Last I recall, Rexy actually lets you pet her, and I'm sure you can distract Blue with some Oreos that have sedatives in them."

"Then I can get munched by Sobek for having the audacity to show my face around him again. He probably hates you less than me."

Gerry rubbed his face tiredly as he said, "If Sobek wasn't there I would actually try to sedate the girls, but he doesn't go down easy. He fights it, and I don't like how close he's hovering over Rexy. I don't know _why_ he's doing that."

The vet glanced back at Grant as he said, "You've seen Sobek more than I have."

"And he downed our plane before snapping a Tyrannosaurus' neck like a toothpick. If you're asking me why he's cuddling Rexy, you have me beat."

Lowery leaned back in his chair as he quietly suggested, "I think it's breeding season for Spinosaurus…it's what Carnifex and Tacet are doing at least."

Grant waved a hand as he retorted, "Considering all the animals Tacet and Elise have in them, I wouldn't trust their bodies to recognize anything, but if Carnifex is willing to mate, then maybe Sobek is feeling a little more tolerant because of that."

"Around a Tyrannosaurus?"

The paleontologist shrugged because he didn't have a better explanation while Jackie continued to stare at the screen as she suggested, "Maybe we can get Sobek to leave with the recording of your cell phone."

Gerry grimaced as he replied, "I'd prefer to leave the phone's ringtone out of this…wish I knew why he hates it so much."

Grant covered his mouth when he suddenly coughed, and the vet raised an eyebrow at him before he asked, "So, any ideas on getting Sobek away from Rexy? They don't have to be conventional."

The paleontologist put his hands on his hips as he quietly said, "We can always get Malcolm to irritate Sobek into chasing him."

"Malcolm could irritate Pope Francis. I bet Rexy remembers him, but he's in the States."

Lowery lowered his brows as he began to adjust the dinosaur figurines on his desk, and he gave a small smile when Jackie lightly poked the Apatosaurus. They glanced over when Grant replied, "You can't tell me he hasn't been pestering you about coming here. He's dying to teach Elise about Chaos Theory, and he's been needing a few details from Rexy to calculate something. Ever since he found out Rexy remembers a lot from Jurassic Park…"

Grant trailed off with a tired sigh as he rubbed his neck, but Gerry frowned at the screen as he asked, "What the hell does he need to bother Rexy about? She'll just eat him."

The vet crossed his arms when Blue had snuggled close to Rexy's small arm while Sobek melted into the jungle. Lowery turned the camera to follow the Spinosaurus' movement though he came back after a few minutes to take his spot next to Rexy again. Gerry let out a disappointed sigh as Grant answered, "He wants to know how Rexy knew to be by the fence when it went down, and why she was in the old Visitor's Center. I think he wants to calculate the chances of her actually showing up there. He blabbed about the weather, her patrolling, and he even tried to explain to me the odds of her even being born."

The vet held up a hand as he rolled his eyes, and Grant had to give a crooked grin at the irritated expression. Gerry wasn't fond of the 'chaotician' even before his eldest daughter had announced their engagement. The vet would begrudgingly admit he was glad Malcolm had taken care of his daughter on Isla Sorna, but the man was irritating.

He had to calculate every little thing that was pointless, but he made good money as a professor. Malcolm earned a respectable sum from the books he published, and he was the only reason why Jess, Gerry's youngest daughter, had passed any of her math classes.

It still didn't stop Gerry from wanting to 'calculate the chances' of a bullet hitting Malcolm right in the ass, but he had to behave.

The idea of Sobek chasing Malcolm was a nice thought, but the vet sighed, "I just don't know what Rexy and Sobek will do around food. Rexy always shares with the girls, but I don't want Sobek to start a fight…Blue is way too possessive…"

"And none of those raptors are afraid to start a fight with him. I'm not sure I'd try to introduce food either; who knows what they'll do before the sedatives hit."

Gerry sighed again before pausing when Rexy suddenly lifted her head to give a long, loud roar that echoed in the park. He grew confused when Sobek did the same, and both carnivores held their heads as if listening intently until they lowered their heads again.

"Wait…wait…I've heard that roar before."

The old vet rubbed his forehead in agitation in hopes of enticing the answer to come forth while Grant dryly said, "She's been doing that all day. Think it's a symptom? She might be in pain, but…"

Gerry nodded at the way Grant trailed off when he said, "Sobek did the same roar, Alan, or at least a similar version of it."

The vet drummed his fingers as he eyed the odd couple for a few minutes before he finally said, "I don't think Rexy is sick because I've heard that roar a long time ago. I think those two are searching for Elise. I swear Rexy roared like that when she was looking for Jr."

Lowery pouted his lip in sadness at that. Did Rexy think Elise was gone or in trouble like Jr.? The tech-geek hadn't been around when the male Tyrannosaurus had drowned in the lagoon, but he could just imagine how sad Rexy was.

Did she remember her first son? Rexy definitely remembered Dr. Grant, and the incident at Jurassic Park.

Why wouldn't she remember her first hatchling?

The tech-geek startled when Gerry turned to him as he growled, "Tell the Night Control to keep an eye on those five; especially Blue and Sobek. God knows what will happen if those two feel like they have to team up to help Rexy."

Grant lowered his brows as he dryly said, "I doubt those two will form that kind of relationship."

Gerry gestured to the screen when he retorted, "It was your idea to actually ask Sobek about his old island, and that raptor is the most intelligent, determined animal I have ever seen. If Blue thinks she needs to use Sobek for something, she will provided her temper doesn't get the better of her."

Lowery grimaced, and Gerry hobbled over to the elevator as he added, "We'll keep an eye on her for tonight. She hasn't missed any meals, and we'll be able to sedate her and the raptors in the morning when Sobek leaves to hunt. I don't know why he's sitting with her, but I really doubt he's picked her for a mate."

Grant pressed his lips as he silently questioned that while following the vet into the elevator. Jackie waved at her mentor to say she was staying, and Gerry sighed when the doors slid shut. Grant ran a hand through his hair when he said, "I always thought Sobek was just this angry animal…when I heard about warfare dinosaurs, I actually wondered if Sobek was their first attempt at warfare. I couldn't understand why he was so ruthless. There was always something off with how he obsessively hunted us down, Gerry. It's not like we were worth the effort."

Gerry raised an eyebrow, and Grant sighed, "But I now I'm starting to wonder if Sobek was just angry at humans…not dinosaurs."

"Because of how he is around other dinosaurs?"

Grant waved a hand as he replied, "He slaughtered that Tyrannosaurus, Gerry, just snapped his neck like it was nothing, but he's over there patrolling the territory to make sure it's safe. You saw how he's rubbing his snout on Rexy's shoulders, it doesn't take an expert to see he's comforting her. I just…"

The paleontologist trailed off for a few seconds before quietly saying, "I hated what Hammond did to the image of dinosaurs. These were always theme park monsters to me because of how ruthless and destructive they were. I could never understand it."

"Dinosaurs are technically from an entirely different time. Who knows how ruthless that world was like."

Grant nodded as he leaned on the while replying, "I always see the marks on the bones, the teeth marks, broken bones, the diseases, but it never really quite clicked with me how hard life could have been back then. These dinosaurs are coming back to a world that has grown too soft for them."

Gerry glanced at his friend when he asked, "Why'd you come back? You could have researched the Triceratops any time, but I haven't seen you in years. I know bones aren't that plentiful."

Grant gave a snort as he answered, "A lot of things actually, but the lack of bones was a good reason. I think the biggest reason was seeing Owen again. I had written that kid off as a future deadbeat who wouldn't do anything worth a damn after the Navy was done with him. I was so wrong, Gerry."

The paleontologist suddenly laughed, "I mean, I couldn't believe Owen not only figured out how to work with these Velociraptors, but he recognized how dangerous they were. Then I saw Blue…she's so much like the Big One. Blue is just as intelligent, and she's capable of being just a ruthless. I just wonder what changed over these years. Where are those animals who easily destroyed the park?"

The vet raised an eyebrow as he answered, "They are all literally sitting in Paddock Eleven except for Elise. All those animals gave us hell at some point in their life…"

Gerry trailed off as he frowned at realizing just how dangerous of animals they had sitting in one paddock. It never really clicked with him before, but now he was a little concerned.

Their Spinosaurus, Tyrannosaurus, Indominus, and three Velociraptors all shared a territory.

If things went smoothly then they would be adding an Indomitus to the equation not to mention the future raptors.

Grant pulled the man from his thoughts when he said, "They all somehow learned to tolerate each other, but I have a really…flaky theory on that."

"Let's hear it."

The paleontologist pulled out the fossilized raptor claw to turn it around as he said, "Obviously it was the carnivores who gave us hell in all the incidents, but I feel like this park is controlling the carnivores less."

"Meaning?"

Grant gestured to the room they had just left as he said, "Take the raptors for example, you remember how itty bitty their damned paddock was. I hadn't realized they were so big until I saw them. Can you imagine how frustrated animals who run that much would get being in that paddock? It's no wonder they were so ruthless. Owen's girls were a little better, but it was still too small."

"Now they're free to do as they please."

"And they can interact with others who aren't their kind; there's a sense of normalcy here. They can run, hunt, and be like normal raptors. These animals are happy enough to allow people to interact with them. I think it's why this park didn't die again, it almost did with Elise, but Owen fixed it."

Gerry nodded in agreement as the doors slid open, and he asked, "Up for a round at the bar? I feel like it'll be a long night; I'll buy."

Grant nodded with a small smile as the duo walked through the quieting Renovation Center. The last of the guests were getting ready to leave, and Grant paused when the hologram of Elise suddenly appeared before them. He had to snort at how such a vicious creature so easily tore this park apart, but she was happy now.

Jurassic World had made the same mistake as Jurassic Park, but there was one detail that seemed to make a world of difference for Jurassic World.

A show of respect before it was too late.

The paleontologist startled when he walked into the vet who had furrowed his brows in thought. Grant blinked before Gerry suddenly asked, "What do we do with animals who don't want to see others?"

"…What?"

Gerry nodded at the hologram Elise as he said, "Elise was starving for interaction, but Bridges swears Tacet can't handle it. What do we do with an animal who doesn't want or can't be around others?"

The hologram threw her head back with a warm croon that vibrated the air, and Grant quietly said, "Maybe we'll be lucky, and Tacet is at least willing to talk to the bugs like Elise had. A frog even."

"If not? She's a massive animal. Where do we put her if she can't handle being around others?"

Grant rubbed the back of his neck as he internally winced at the first thought that hit him. He pressed his lips before finally answering the question by asking, "Is Elise's old paddock still up?"

Gerry's silence said it all.

* * *

"Let me guess, it was all your parents' fault?"

Bridges blinked and lifted his head from his handcuffed hands to ask, "What? _My_ parents?"

Meyers gave a warning glance through the rearview mirror as her fellow guard nodded when he continued, "Yeah, you know how all the people who are fucked up mentally had bad parents. It's always the parents' fault."

Bridges grew confused though also irritated as he dryly replied, "Both my parents are dead; they've been dead for quite a while."

The blonde gave a quick glance out the window as he tried to remember the map of this island. He knew how to get around if he had a landmark to go off of. It was incredibly helpful to have the river as a guide though they had only been driving for ten minutes.

It was actually nice to just sit and enjoy the air conditioning.

However, Bridges wasn't going to pass up an opportunity to get out of here. He had a few ideas on how to get off the island, he just needed to get out of the car first; he had to escape the guards.

A polite purr in his head reminded him that he actually had to get out of the handcuffs first, and Bridges forced his gaze away from them at an irritated growl from Iudex. There was no need to make the guards suspicious by staring at the silver cuffs too long though it helped that he was acting much more tired than what he really was. Granted, Bridges was tired, and he could easily fall asleep right now.

Iudex wouldn't let him though, and Bridges glanced into the rearview mirror to see Mr. Growls rocking content as could be in the very back of the armored vehicle.

How could Meyers not see the skulking shadow when she glanced into the mirror so frequently?

"Alright then, traumatic childhood?"

Bridges lowered his brows as he answered, "No, my childhood was fine."

It truly hadn't been something he could complain about. His father was a little harsher than most, but it wasn't like he had ever hit them. The hardest part had been whenever his own mother's 'demons' would be harsh on her, but she had kept a hold on them; his father had helped in his own way. The hard headed man had worked his fingers to the bone to keep a roof over their heads.

Even if Bridges and his father had never gotten along, he couldn't say his father was a bad man. He had been a simple, God-fearing, hardworking, and calloused man.

"Got too greedy with money?"

Bridges turned to eye the darker skinned guard as he retorted, "What are you trying to figure out?"

Meyers shifted in her chair as she flickered her gaze to the rearview again when the guard simply shrugged, "I'm just not surprised a big business guy like you was involved in shady operations like hiding an Indomitus for whatever reason. It makes me suspicious about anything else you might be doing."

"What does that have to do with my parents? Did you think they were in on it or something?"

The man shrugged again when he said, "Nah, I was just wondering why you did everything you did."

Bridges did his best to not stiffen at that as he reminded himself to remain normal. It wasn't like they knew about the pests he had sent to Carnifex; there was no way.

Unless one of the gossipy birds from here had told Elise about it. Bridges cursed himself for not paying more attention to the birds around his paddock, but how was he supposed to know?

Or maybe Sobek had said something like the traitorous bastard he was. The ungrateful Spinosaurus owed Bridges his life. In fact, this lovely mess was all because of the damned, rusted dinosaur.

The records; it had to be the records. Bridges was sure Wu had managed to sneak something past him. It explained why the geneticist had sent out so many decoy packages, and why he had been so cooperative.

Bridges almost sighed as he started to see red in his peripheral at the thought of ignoring signs that could have predicted this disaster. It seemed so obvious now, and Bridges felt his eye twitch. He should have let Carnifex just eat the man after he got the records.

Now the blonde hoped Wu hadn't died in the fire because there were fates so much worse than death. A long, miserable life full of pain and misery. A life of hardships with little mercy or love.

Bridges was very sure that death could be considered a mercy in many cases; it wasn't like suicide was committed out of boredom. The blonde relaxed back into the leather seat as he tried not to clench his jaw.

Dying was not the worst punishment in the world. Especially for those who believed in an afterlife.

The blonde glanced over when he realized he hadn't answered the question, and the longer he would take to answer, the worse it looked.

Why? Why did he do the things he did?

Set his home on fire, send irritating people to die by Carnifex's jaws, slaughter young Tyrannosaurs with no chance, manipulate a fellow human, or pull at the strings of any marionette he pleased.

It was usually the same reason that he did anything else really.

He could get away with it, so why not make life easier on himself?

Bridges enjoyed thumbing his nose at those who thought little of him. He rather liked how he could surround himself with the prettiest of women, and he liked how he felt when he knew he was envied.

Why _not_? It was usually the question he asked himself, and if he couldn't come up with enough reasons to not do it, then he allowed himself the pleasure of doing what he damn well pleased. He knew his limitations, he had acquired 'friends' in all places, and he lived quite comfortably.

It was amazing how high in life he could climb when he was willing to set aside some bleeding heart morals. Bridges knew his limitations, and he was intelligent about the things he did, the plans he plotted with Iudex.

Like this one; it was incredibly risky, but either he would escape or die. It was another game of chicken.

He had until they reached the fork in the river before it would be too late. He still had time, but he hadn't even figured out how to get the cuffs off himself.

Bridges wasn't even going to humor his chances out there with cuffs on; he might as well shoot himself to get it over with.

The blonde startled the guard when he finally sniffed before answering, "I'm just a businessman, and I never released all those animals. Hart's the one who did that."

Meyers frowned deeply as she glanced in the mirror again, and Bridges made eye contact with her. He wasn't willing to look away, and he was curious as to how long it would take her to break eye contact.

It was another way of getting to know a person; it was the little things that spoke volumes. Eye contact was one of them, and Bridges resisted the urge to smirk when she seemed perfectly fine to play this game. He just couldn't help himself.

Why not?

The duo was so focused on the staring contest that neither saw the flash of jungle scales burst from the brush with a terrified bellow. It all happened so fast that Meyers hardly had time to react when her fellow guard snarled her name.

The armored vehicle made a sharp swerve in vain attempt to avoid being t-boned by the young Triceratops stampeding into them. It only saw the vehicle as an object in its way, and Bridges sucked in a breath at seeing the maroon splotched scales blur by.

It was a hard whiplash when the fleeing Triceratops bashed its head to the side in order to shove the car from its path. None of the occupants could do anything except hold on as seatbelts locked and airbags deployed. Bridges heard a sharp sound before his own head collided in the guard's shoulder, and he saw stars.

The armored car spun into a halt though by some miracle it remained on its wheels, and the bellowing Triceratops frothed at the mouth as it limped as fast as possible with the thundering steps close behind.

Bridges swallowed as he rested his head on the leather headrest when the sounds of a terrified, trapped animal filled the air. He heard the guttural growls and snarls from one of the most dangerous pack of carnivores on this island.

He kept his eyes closed in some attempt to ease the pain as he felt the dribbling blood on his cheek and forehead. He didn't think he could take another hit in all honesty; he didn't even want to move, but the man forced his eyes open to glance around.

Meyers was slumped into the steering wheel, and both guards were out cold as far as he could tell. Bridges only glanced at the one on his left, and the slightly cracked window boasted of how hard the guard's head had hit it.

Bridges didn't know about the other guard at the moment; he was too tired to look. He wasn't in any shape to do any running right now because he simply needed to sit for a few minutes.

The blonde closed his eyes again as he winced when Iudex growled that this was precisely why it was in idiotic idea to hold a staring contest with Meyers.

He had taken her eyes off the road; it wasn't his brightest idea.

* * *

"Are you sure you did a good enough job, Elise? You have to be a hundred percent sure that you don't smell like a Tyrannosaurus."

Elise crooned softly as she sniffed her own arm; she didn't think she smelled like Rexy at all, but she didn't know if rolling around in the mud would actually help at all. It would maybe dilute the scent, and she was having second thoughts about trying to talk down Tacet even if the Indomitus was alone.

She was risking a lot if Carnifex caught wind of her.

Owen wrinkled his forehead as he waited for her reply, and the Indominus huffed before she began to gently roll in the riverbed again. She hated the feeling of mud on her scales, but the waters washed them off.

All she could smell was the fresh water, and Owen rubbed his neck when his daughter walked back over to him with a croon. He chewed his mustache for a few seconds before quietly admitting, "I'm not sure if we can actually get the smell from you if your base genome is Tyrannosaurus…"

The man wiped his face before adding, "I don't get it. How did Tacet get by Carnifex if her base genome is Tyrannosaurus as well?"

Elise didn't like the worry in Owen's voice, and she glanced around for some help though most of the ACU was waiting in their vehicles for them. The Indominus had already made a small path to the main road before she was told to wash herself in the river. Elise tried to remember if she had rubbed on Rexy today, but she didn't think so.

In attempt to lighten Owen's mood, Elise pulled him close to her side as she wrote in the mud, _'HE A BOY HE GOT ONE THING ON HIS MIND'_

Owen raised his eyebrows in thought while Elise snorted at his expression. She had meant it as a light joke, but the man replied, "You know…I wonder if she does smell a lot more like a Spinosaurus if she's receptive. Maybe the scent is strong enough to cover the Tyrannosaurus in her."

Elise tapped her claw in thought as she kept a protective hand around her human before she wrote, _'MAYBE TRY TO GET TACETS SCENT ON ME BEFORE CARNIFEX SMELLS ME'_

The Indominus wanted to roll her eyes when Owen paled at the thought of his tough baby smelling like another receptive female around a male. Elise could practically hear the man's heart stop, but Owen cleared his throat when he replied, "I…don't know if I would try that unless you…know how it would work."

Elise blinked and Owen slowly turned red in the face as he awkwardly said, "Um…you know…the _courting_ between two Spinosaurus. I don't want Carnifex to misinterpret something from you, and I don't know what he'd do after realizing that you will be doing _absolutely nothing with him."_

The Indominus wasn't sure how much willpower it took for Owen to actually spit that out, but she was proud of him for saying it rather than a shrieked 'no'. She had to smile at his very red face while she wrote, _'I KNOW YOU WOULD STOP HIM'_

Owen had to pull his lips into a smile as he said, "You're damn right I would; I'll fight Carnifex barehanded if I have to."

Elise shivered her jaws at the man in a tender affection as she pressed her face close to him. She knew she was on the job, and she could hear Sam and Sobek growling at her for being cuddly despite the situation.

But there was something she recalled from Owen's father; he had once told her to never let any family leave without first telling them that they were precious. Life was unpredictable at times, and one would never know the last time they would see their loved one alive.

Elise really didn't think she or Owen would die today, but if such a tragedy would befell them, she wanted Owen to know how much she loved him. Right now was a quiet moment, and Elise knew how easily that could change in such a short amount of time.

Life could whiplash so unpredictably.

"Are you ever going to stop being mushy with me?"

Elise made a soft shiver of her jaws as she eyed the man fondly before shaking her head. Owen immediately smiled as he said, "Good, I need my sunshine to stay cuddly with me. We'll get through this just fine, Elise. We're going to be smart about this, alright?"

' _WE PACK ALPHAS WE ALWAYS SMART'_

Owen chuckled at that as Elise curled her tail with a purr before he replied, "We are always smart, but we have to avoid making dumb choices too. I'll back you up, Baby."

Elise scooped the man onto her shoulders when they heard the whistle from Lopez to get their butts moving. She was nervous and excited at the same time. She wondered what Tacet looked like, but Elise assumed it would be a mirror image of herself.

Even if they weren't completely the same; it was a one letter difference in their name. From what Elise understood, the biological difference was simply what they could breed with. Elise took comfort in that both she and Tacet were made of the same thing.

She had her charisma, and Elise knew she could talk to her. She was willing to be patient, and she hoped Tacet would be curious enough to actually want to get to know her.

Tacet had human and raptor DNA in her, she had to have the curious gene.

The Indominus stepped onto the main road where Lopez was currently waiting, and the car headlights shining. Elise gratefully glanced at the rising moon that was already lighting the world in a gentle glow; she always loved it when the moon was bright.

"Alright, Ghost," Elise glanced back down when Lopez continued, "Now that you smell like an actual dinosaur and not a cookie, we can get moving. Lead the way; Meyers will have to catch up because we've killed enough time here."

The Indominus dryly flicked her tail as she turned to walk down the road. She loved smelling like cookies even though Rexy would grow incredibly confused whenever she returned from a bath. The Tyrannosaurus had tried convincing her to roll in natural smelling earth, but Elise wouldn't be swayed.

Her Munchkin Army loved cookies, and they had made their opinions very clear. The vanilla soap was okay, the fruity one wasn't very popular, but Owen had never really been surprised when the sugar cookie soap was the winner.

The kiddies had their very own, practically magical, cuddly creature who could change into rainbows. So why shouldn't she smell like a cookie?

Elise had always brushed off the teasing from Lopez with her argument that a cookie smelling dinosaur was much more approachable, and the Commander had yet to come up with an argument to that.

The Indominus glanced up when Owen patted her neck as he softly said, "Stay focused, Baby, and stop when you think we're getting close so we can send someone to scout the area."

Elise made a soft croon as she flicked her tail though she smiled when Owen added, "We'll be fine. You and me, Sunshine, what do you think?"

Elise still never wanted it any other way.

* * *

Fuego snapped his jaws in irritation before giving a deep snarl at the newest member of their group. Short One was one of the most trifling creatures he had ever had the misfortune to put up with. At least Prey Alpha left him alone when he bared his teeth enough.

Short One only bared her teeth right back.

While the hot headed Alpha was willing to respect that she would stand her ground, he found it aggravating how she questioned _everything_ he did. She was fiercely independent, and Fuego was very sure that she had been the dominant one in her coupling.

Maybe her mate grew tired of her and simply left; Fuego wouldn't blame the poor male.

The eldest raptor of the group snapped her jaws in response before barking that this place wasn't safe. She didn't like the trouble they had already seen in just a few hours.

Fuego shifted as he flickered crimson eyes to his soft Beta grooming his timid mate before he growled that he knew this territory.

The blue raptor could feel his temper rising when the shorter one wanted to know if all these prey and not-prey stampeding around was normal because she didn't like the feeling in the air. She didn't like how she could smell death.

Fuego would admit he was growing uneasy as well. Never had he seen the large three horns over in this thick jungle, and he could smell the ones who hid in the shadows hunting the prey. Something was wrong.

The shadow hunters were to be closer to where the humans were by now, but they were chasing the three horn.

Short One made an almost nervous turn as she chittered that she felt it would be safer in the valley full of prey; it would be easy to avoid the powerful one who limped. If she could avoid Proud One all these years, then she could help this pack avoid Limper.

Fuego growled quietly at the idea of sharing his territory with another carnivore, but he didn't mind Limper at all. The powerful one hadn't been greedy with his kill nor had he chased them away out of spite.

Limper had killed the prey, ate his fill, and moved on. He held no ill will towards any other creature it seemed. Fuego glanced around at his once proud pack that had been reduced in numbers because of his pride.

The last time he had allowed his pride to get the better of him, he had left his pack unattended for revenge. It hadn't been worth it, and now he was faced with the dilemma of depending on a non-pack for protection. Fuego didn't like that idea; it made him nervous to trust anything non-pack.

What if Limper only tolerated them that one time? What if there was a safer place on this side of the island?

What if things were much more dangerous over there? Short One's pack had died because of something they couldn't fight. What if his pack caught it?

Why hadn't Limper caught the sickness? Did that mean it had died out?

Fuego stepped about almost nervously as the fear of making the wrong decision weighed heavily on him. He had a small pack who had to catch a break somewhere or they'd be doomed. Fuego wanted a safe place to nest, he wanted to hear fat hatchlings playing happily as his pack slept contently in the warm sun. He didn't like to see how his pack was starting to grow thin and spirits low.

The Velociraptor simply didn't know nor did he have the experience to help him, but he glanced over when Short One chittered that they just needed to find a safe spot to nest for tonight. They would look for permanent nests when day graced the world again.

The Alpha let out a long sigh as he made a turn in the small clearing that they were in. He liked the idea of doing one thing at a time, but they had to plan ahead. He glanced over when Cheshire chittered that they didn't need to be wasting energy on nothing; he had to make a good decision now.

Fuego growled as he lashed his tail, but he made another turn. There was prey in the valley, and they could learn what Limper did. They would avoid the dead bodies of the other pack, and they would be smart about what they did.

They had to avoid the humans and the new spined one.

But he liked the idea of living in a territory protected by a powerful one who didn't seem to be bothered by anything. Maybe Limper would tolerate them until they could grow strong enough to come back and reclaim this territory.

Fuego puffed air through his nostrils as he started to chitter before freezing at a sound he had never heard before. The raptors grew tense as they scanned the almost too silent line of trees surrounding them, and Fuego let out a sharp shriek to prove he wasn't afraid to fight.

Short One let out a low growl before the Alpha stiffened at seeing the large eyes regarding his small pack fearlessly from the brush. He had never seen any animal like this, but the Alpha went rigid at the rattling hisses whispering maliciously. Cheshire took a step back at the clicks and chitters, and Dawn pressed close to him.

Fuego didn't know these creatures, but his gut had one thing to say about them. He had never felt such a strong impulse to flee from creatures who weren't even half their size.

They were too dangerous.

His pack had to flee.

The two, short carnivores stepped from the brush with large eyes almost glowing in the moonlight and serrated teeth bared fearlessly. Fuego lunged at them with a bluffing snap of his jaws before shrieking at his pack to run. The smaller carnivores startled back at the show of teeth, and it was enough of a head start for Fuego.

He had no idea how fast these new creatures could run, but the feeling in his gut said that they would be able to keep up if they didn't lose them in the thick jungle.

The Alpha took his place at the head of the pack while Short One simply fell to the back as she was just naturally slower. Fuego wouldn't leave her behind though, and he let out a loud, rattling shriek for them to stay close together.

They would find safety in Limper's territory.

Even if they had to run right by the new spined one.

* * *

Blue headlights flashed onto the closed garage door before they turned off, and the driver sat in his seat for a few minutes. He wasn't comprehending anything at the moment, and he couldn't remember why he had driven here in the first place.

Maybe he would see his son-in-law. The old man had freely admitted how much he disliked the pudgy lawyer, but he really wished he would pick up his phone.

Why wasn't Arthur answering his phone? His wife and daughter were dead, surely the easily intimidated lawyer was willing to answer his phone calls for that. The old man knew he was harsh sometimes, but still…

He just wanted to know where his son-in-law was.

The elderly man allowed a broken sigh to fall from chapped lips as he stepped out of his car, and red-rimmed, puffy eyes tiredly stared at the dark home. His daughter never wanted to move far from her family, and Arthur had the decency to at least respect that much.

It hurt to look at, this home was never going to witness another gathering of his family, his daughter would never create another memory behind those doors, and she wouldn't grow old with her husband.

His only daughter was dead, his only granddaughter was gone, and his only son-in-law was missing. Somehow the man knew he wouldn't see Arthur again, and he didn't know why that made him sad.

It wasn't like he sincerely hated the man, Arthur had simply made the mistake of marrying the man's daughter. Isabel was too good for anyone in her old father's eyes, but he would never lie that Arthur worked himself sick in order to provide the best for his sick daughter.

Poor Clementine.

The old man, who had aged almost twenty years in a matter of a day, shuffled his feet across the cold pavement as he eyed the dying lawn that hadn't had the fortune of being under the care of attentive owners.

The old man wanted to know where Daemon Bridges was; the blonde was the most attentive uncle he had ever seen. He knew something was slightly off with the man, but he never questioned that Clementine had managed to earn her way into his heart.

Bridges cared about Clem, and the blonde had always remained incredibly respectful around them. It had been enough for the old man.

So where was the blonde? The old man had actually expected to see the blonde arrive sooner than Arthur. If he hadn't taken the title of 'Uncle' the old man would have sworn he was trying to be Clem's father.

Not that he would have made a bad one; Bridges always knew how to get Clem to smile. It was refreshing for the rarely healthy child to interact with an adult who saw past the machines and hospital bed.

Bridges inspired her to be stronger.

At least that was what the old man had seen during his visits. He appreciated that almost more than the generous amounts of money spent on Clem's behalf. Money that Bridges very well knew he would never see again.

The old man paused to eye the cheery welcome sign that had been hung with care on the simple yet elegant door. His daughter had never been a huge spender, Isabel had decorated her house like a home.

Despite the family's hardships, it was always a warm home.

Had been a warm home, and the old man gave a wet sniff at the forced correction as reality readily reminded him he would never see that smile of his baby girl again.

He remembered teaching her how to ride a bike like it was yesterday; he had broken his toe while running into a garbage can, but his daughter had ridden the bike.

The old man paused to steel himself as the door gently slid open before he almost whimpered as he walked inside. His little girl wasn't in here, and he bit his lip to stop it from trembling.

He swore he could still smell the apple pie wafting in from the kitchen the last time he was here. Isabel had been so excited to tell him the news of how Clem had finally had a donor match.

The old man also suspected Bridges' money had helped speed that along, but he only appreciated the blonde for it.

The lights were flicked on as the dull eyed scanned around the humble home void of any of its owners though the warm, smiling pictures decorated the walls. Wedding photos, rare vacations, but plenty of the forever frozen moments of time had taken place in the now dead garden in the backyard; the long drought had been hard on little gardens and lawns.

They hurt to look at because he knew that garden wouldn't be coming back by his daughter's hand.

The old man ignored how his silvered hair stuck up at all the wrong angles as he gently traced a beautiful portrait of his daughter's face. Isabel had that youthful look warming her face in a gentle glow as she smiled a happy laugh while sparkling eyes brought life to the photo.

The elder remembered how he once threatened to slaughter Hart if he ever thought of cheating. It was the one time the pudgy lawyer had actually back talked him fearlessly.

Why would he ever cheat on the most beautiful woman in the world?

The old man almost smiled at the memory as his tired eyes wandered down the hall. There weren't very many pictures of Clem; Isabel had never liked to see constant reminders that her baby was sick.

It took a hard toll on them.

A soft cry from the second floor startled the old man into jumping before he remembered why he came here in the first place.

He had to feed the cat.

The silvering elder rubbed his forehead before calling out in a broken, gravelly voice, "Here, Sox, come here. I know you're probably hungry."

He had no idea how he even remembered that his daughter owned a cat, but the man shuffled into the kitchen to fetch the cat food. He eyed the empty bowl as the pitter patter of the cat trotting to the kitchen sounded in the silent home.

He was half tempted to just dump the whole bag of food so he wouldn't have to come back to this home for a while, but the man glanced down when he felt the cat rub against his leg. It was almost funny, Sox had never cared for Bridges; the cat had been the old man's first clue that something was wrong with the blonde.

It was always amusing to see the normally charming blonde throw death glares at the unwelcoming cat when he thought no one was looking.

"Hey, Soxy, you okay?"

Sox gave another meow as he reared tall to thrust his head into the leg before the old man lowered himself. He felt a margin of comfort when the cat eagerly thrust his head into the human's as he loudly purred and blinked intelligent eyes.

The old man slowly sat on the polished, clean wooden floor as Sox made himself at home in the lap before knobby fingers gently scratched the soft ears. The old man recalled a time when Sox had once knocked a heavy houseplant onto Bridges' head before scattering outside. Another time, the cat had shamelessly raked his claws into a particularly expensive briefcase that just so happened to belong to Bridges.

Hart had paled to a bloodless white at seeing that, the old man remembered that much.

"You're probably not very happy with being here alone, huh?"

Sox settled into the lap as he gave a loud meow before thrusting his head into the scraggly jaw again. He was a pretty cat, silvery with white socks and underbelly. His face was also white.

Sox looked like a grey cat who had fought being dipped in white paint.

"Maybe…maybe you should come with me, Bud…you see…Isabel…she's not coming back…"

The cat twitched his tail before meowing back as he rested his front paws onto the aching chest of the old man. Sox made another meow when he didn't get a response, and the old man finally whimpered as the full force of reality came crashing back.

His daughter and granddaughter had died in a pileup on the freeway while his son-in-law was gone, and he was sitting on this wooden floor talking to his daughter's cat.

The man did all he could do in his situation.

He hugged the patient cat close to his chest as he wept.

* * *

' _Get. Up.'_

Bridges startled at the particularly malicious growl from the shade behind him, and he sucked in a breath at his aching head. It had been a long time since Growls had sounded angry, but the blonde glanced to the right of him to blink at the open door.

Where was the other guard?

Bridges shifted in his seat as he glanced around to see Meyers and the other guard were still unconscious. How long had he closed his eyes for?

The blonde winced when Iudex angrily snarled at him for actually looking around rather than taking his rare opportunity to escape. This was considered nothing less than a God given miracle, and he was just wasting it sitting around here! God was practically on their side with the luck they were having.

His ears were ringing, and the vicious snarl harshly reminded Bridges that he didn't use his ears for walking. The blonde counted his blessings that he hadn't suffered anything worse than a harsh cut to the cheek, but he grimaced as he realized the cut on his forehead had opened again.

He was close to being on his last leg.

He probably had one more good run in him before he was done; he had to be incredibly careful now.

Bridges leaned on the car as he slid out and startled at the terrified bellow. He peeked around the door to see the Triceratops youngling was still alive and fighting the four, large carnivores who had the size advantage over the younger dinosaur. The pack wasn't sure how to take on a Triceratops as very few hardly ever strayed over here, and Bridges wondered where the other Triceratops was at. Maybe it was already dead.

He probably hadn't been out for long, but Bridges frowned.

It was an even number, and that was wrong. He had to be on guard; he could not waste any sort of energy here.

The blonde took a deep breath to calm the aching in his head before he slipped around the back of the armored car. He just had to get to the road, and he could walk to the old helicopter landing pad. It was going to be an incredibly long walk, but he would get to one eventually. There were three helicopter pad on the island.

The newest and best maintained was currently out of use thanks to Carnifex, another had belonged to the very first labs built in the most northern part of the island, and the last was considered a hazard to use. Bridges couldn't remember why they had stopped building there.

Something about unstable ground?

Regardless, that one was located closer to the center of the island though he would have to back track close to where the current labs were if he wanted to get onto the correct road, and Bridges hesitated between his choices.

A polite purr brought his attention back to his current situation, and he paused at seeing the third ACU guard assessing the damages to the side of the car. It had taken quite the hit, but Bridges narrowed his eyes in some attempt to keep his focus before he flickered his gaze towards the tree line.

He had to avoid number five and the guard. He had intended to use all five to get away from the guards somehow, but four were busy.

What if there were more than five?

The blonde swallowed at the thought though Iudex reminded him how easy it was to pick them out since he knew _how_ to look for them. Like a farmer who walked his cornfield every day; it became easy to pick out what didn't belong in the thick rows of corn.

It was no different a concept here in the thick jungle. It was almost like learning how to become good at the illusion paintings. How many horses were hidden in the snowy mountain?

He just had to look for the shape, and Bridges knew for a fact that Claire's ACU team never did very well with the…illusion paintings.

The blonde almost let out a bubble of a giggle at the thought process before he paused when the guard stood to walk to the front of the car. It was easy to see the man was incredibly jumpy, but he was focused on the four down the river who were trying to surround the petrified Triceratops who wasn't keen on crossing the deep river.

It was going to die fighting.

Bridges snapped his gaze back to the tree line when the guard paused to stare at the pack before the blonde began to trot to the trees. Either he would get to the thick jungle before the guard would realize what had happened, or he would have to put use to number five if it was even around.

The blonde stumbled as his ears continued to ring, but he immediately veered more to the left when he caught sight of the slick bastard hiding in plain sight; it was one of the bigger ones from what Bridges could see. The bright moon sincerely helped, but the shining eyes had given it away.

Just the faint outline that his eye happened to catch, but the blonde stumbled in his step when the guard snarled, "Bridges! Freeze!"

The blonde took a few more steps before jumping when the bullet struck the ground next to him. This guard wasn't playing around, and Bridges sighed as he stopped only a few feet from the trees. He wasn't going to waste his energy by trying to outrun a guard who would probably catch him in less than a few seconds.

The blonde glanced down when he tried to move his hands only to realize they were still handcuffed. Why hadn't he noticed that sooner? Maybe his head was a little more banged up than he cared to realize, but it simply meant he had to get back to the car for the keys.

"Turn around."

Bridges complied though he took a step just a little further from number five; the creeper was right across from him, but Bridges knew he was a coward. He wouldn't show himself.

The blonde just had to angle himself correctly as he turned to face the guard who was walking over with the pistol aimed and ready to fire. It seemed this guard had fared the best in the wreck; he didn't even seemed to be injured in any way.

There was definitely no way Bridges was in any shape to run or fight the guard, even if he hadn't been cuffed. Bridges held his hands up slightly to show he meant no harm as he did as his craftiest demons told him to do.

He just had to angle himself and keep enough distance between them. The guard was nervous with the occupied pack, and he was the one who knew Bridges was dangerous. The blonde just had to herd the sheep.

He sidestepped to the left to start a circle, and the guard kept his pistol on him while circling right. It was an easy game, and the guard was almost too eager to get both Bridges and the dangerous pack in his sight.

But number five was patient and cooperative with Bridges; he was a coward who didn't like to attack until the back was turned.

"Bridges, I'm giving you one warning to stop fucking around right now. I want you to put your hands on your head, and get on your knees."

The blonde rested his hands on his head as he dryly replied, "I'm handcuffed, was patted down, and injured; you're acting like I can actually do anything to you."

The guard narrowed his eyes when Bridges finally stopped moving, the blonde's back was facing the damaged car, and the former snapped, "I know people like you always have something up their sleeve. Something isn't right with you; you're always scheming something."

"You're being paranoi-"

The guard curled his lip when he snapped, "God damn you, Bridges! I worked as a guard for the raptor paddock! Those damned animals were always thinking of ways to escape, they looked at everything just like you were before the damned Triceratops smashed the car. I'm telling you right now, if you even try to run, I will shoot you."

Bridges believed that, and he replied, "I'm not going to run."

He took a small step towards the guard before the man fired another warning shot close to his feet, but Bridges didn't care because the guard had taken his own step back as he snarled, "Next bullet goes right between your eyes! Stop fucking with me!"

Bridges glanced at the thick brush behind the guard when he simply said, "Okay."

The guard narrowed his eyes in confusion before paling when he heard the twig snap behind him. He whirled around with wide eyes as the thick leaves parted from the thick jungle like a topiary that had come to life.

The massive carnivore's scales shook off all the colors of the jungle in favor of the maroon splotched patterns with paler scales to compliment. Now it stood out like a sore thumb as it towered over the guard who immediately fired his pistol in vain at the massive dinosaur who all but ignored the irritating bullets biting its hide.

Bridges took a step back when the sharp snap of powerful jaws clapped around the guard, and he almost shook his head.

After all the training with Elise, he had seriously thought the guards would have learned to work with animals that camouflaged. The Indominus did have cuttlefish in her, but the way she hid herself in the environment screamed Carnotaurus.

Bridges had said it once, and he'd say it again; he always thought it was almost sad with how blind Claire's ACU could be to animals who could do this. His own ACU team would have never fallen for Elise's ambush. They would have easily spotted her.

Granted, it was harder to see at night, and Claire's ACU hadn't known Elise could camouflage though it had been a long time since Bridges had seen Tacet do anything with that. She remembered she could do that, right?

A muffled shriek of pain startled Bridges as he continued to back away when the tall Carnotaurus threw its bullhead back to simply swallow the guard. The blonde pressed his lips when the large pouch under the powerful jaws suddenly bloated with the weight of the man like a pelican eating a fish.

It wasn't pretty to look at, and Bridges admitted the Carnotaurus wasn't always the fastest killer. Even if the raptors ate their prey while it still lived, it was better than being swallowed whole.

Bridges took advantage of the fifth Carnotaurus' distraction to trot back over to the unattended vehicle as the four Carnotaurus managed to surround the exhausted Triceratops who did its best to charge any who tried to lunge at it.

The blonde always found the Carnotaurus to be an odd looking creature though it was easy to see the resemblance in Elise if they knew this carnivore. She had their face shape and similar horns, but the Carnotaurus' horns grew much larger. Bridges felt that Elise's face was just a bit longer as well.

She definitely had much longer arms, and the blonde quietly shut the car door behind him as the Carnotaurus decided to spit the man up before giving the finishing crunch. Bridges gave a sigh though he carefully glanced through the window to see what the predator's next move was.

It wasn't like he could have helped the man who had been focusing on the wrong thing, and Bridges glanced over when the Triceratops bellowed again. He watched as the largest of the pack suddenly bashed its thick skull into the exposed side to throw the animal off balance as another Carnotaurus immediately sank its powerful jaws into the Triceratops' back. The pack worked together to force the tired herbivore onto its side before tearing into the exposed belly while one kept a firm grip on the Triceratops' throat.

The fifth Carnotaurus gave a shake of its head and cocked it to stare at the car. Bridges held his breath when he thought the animal would come over here, but the Carnotaurus held more interest in the successful kill made down the river.

Bridges let out a sigh of relief before he glanced down at the cuffs again and then to Meyers. She had been out for a long time, and he wondered how serious her head injury was. She was breathing from what he could tell, but the man paid her little mind as he began to check her pockets before pulling out the silver key.

The blonde definitely agreed with the purr; he was not a man made for prison, and the freedom from the cuffs was something he wouldn't take for granted. The man flickered his gaze back to the carnivores before reaching over Meyers again to shut off the headlights; there was no need to grab the Carnotaurus' attention.

Bridges let out another sigh as he paused to rest in the seat of the car because he needed to think. He had to get out of here, and he wasn't sure how much he could really push himself. The man's head was throbbing, but the ringing in his ears was finally starting to subside.

He had to do only a few things at the moment, but the first being actually choosing the helicopter pad he wanted to get to. The man had to worry about dinosaurs and the ACU guards, but he wasn't worried about the guards.

He worried about Elise's nose. Bridges had no idea how long it would be before she would be able to go sniff him out. His gut instinct said to go to the northern labs as he highly doubted anyone would try to go after him, but there were problems with that idea.

It was really far away, he wasn't as familiar with that part of the island, and he didn't think he was up for travelling that far.

The blonde paused to glance at the ignition as he listened intently to the car. It actually sounded like it was still working by some miracle, and the man leaned close to the window on the damaged side to see the crumpled metal for himself.

It actually wasn't as bad as he thought it was going to be. The vehicle had taken a heavy hit no doubt, but it was made for being beat up. Bridges let out a deep breath as he clicked Meyer's seatbelt before he began to pull her into the backseat with him. He wasn't leaving the car for any reason even if it would be easier to simply dump her on the ground.

Bridges didn't feel like pushing his luck like that though he paused when the woman stirred before she opened glazed eyes. The blonde wasn't sure what to do though he said, "Easy, you hit your head hard; just rest."

"W-Where's Smith?"

The blonde had no idea which one was Smith, but he wasn't about to do anything to rile up Meyers. The newest demon had made a good point; there had been enough killings for today. If Meyers wasn't going to cause him trouble, then he'd leave her alone.

"He's fine, just making sure the car isn't in too bad of shape."

The woman furrowed her brows as she slipped back under, and the blonde glanced over to the unmoving man still leaning against the window.

Bridges wasn't sure if he was alive, but Meyers didn't fight being lied down. She had been unconscious for too long, Bridges didn't think she was going to wake up and give him hell.

The man paused at the pistol in her holster before he plucked it out for himself, and he let out a breath at the fully loaded clip.

He could always put a bullet in her head if she decided to give him trouble, but until then he had no reason to kill her.

It didn't stop him from cuffing her though he showed her the same courtesy she had given him and cuffed her hands on front of her. Bridges turned to the remaining ACU guard before pressing his fingers against the pale neck.

Somehow he wasn't surprised when he didn't feel a pulse. Bridges knew these windows were hard to break, and the man's skull had managed to crack it. He had probably hit his temple just right, and the blonde sighed as he crawled into the front seat of the car.

Where to go?

Even with the car he was risking getting lost in the northern parts of the island, and he wasn't sure of the extent of the damages to the car. He didn't want to get left on foot in the middle of the island with a half-dead woman in the backseat.

He was also risking getting caught by the rest of the ACU if he backtracked to get to the closer helicopter pad. Bridges sighed as he patted the airbag flat.

He didn't want to walk far, and he blinked as he remembered that the Velociraptors kept their territory on that side of the island. They were technically within the eastern tower's range last Control had seen.

Would they be territorial enough to follow this vehicle? Bridges didn't doubt Fuego knew what a car was, and he sighed.

He would be doomed if he was put on foot on the way to the northern helicopter pad; he was risking jail time if he got caught going to the other one.

A malicious growl from Iudex reminded him that he could simply save a bullet in the gun for himself just in case.

Bridges sighed as he slowly backed the car up; he would try the hazardous helicopter pad.

He'd bite the bullet if it didn't work.

* * *

"What is so delicate that even saying its name will break it?

Jackie scrunched her nose as she stole a sip from his soda before answering, "Silence."

The tech-geek gave a small smile as he flicked through the cameras before glancing at the odd family on the big screen. The carnivores had finally fallen asleep for the night, and he would admit the way Rexy leaned on Sobek to stretch her leg out was warming to see.

Sobek hardly seemed to mind the extra weight on his side; it was odd to think he could be so terrifyingly vicious when he was so tender to the Tyrannosaurus.

Lowery paused when Jackie rested her head on his shoulder as she said, "Give me a harder riddle."

The tech-geek pursed his lips as he tried to think of another good riddle that had stumped him. He found it easier to remember the simple ones, but he would always try his hardest to impress his girlfriend.

Lowery still couldn't believe he had such a beautiful woman for a girlfriend, and he still got the butterflies in his stomach around her. Jackie just knew how to make him smile or laugh, and he found himself feeling more confident.

He knew he liked to combat any teasing with his wit, and he was very good at brushing off any comments made against him.

But there was something so fulfilling about meeting someone who was just as weird as him. Jackie loved the things he did, she didn't care what others thought of how she looked, and she was so kind.

Lowery mentally thanked Elise every time he saw Jackie smiling at him; he just knew he would have never found the courage to talk to Jackie if he didn't have the Indominus to encourage him. He loved to tease Elise, but every day he silently thanked her for how she changed his life.

Every day, and he had silently promised to never leave Jurassic World so he could keep an eye on the American dinosaur who became his niece. It had been a joke at first, but Lowery meant it now.

Elise was his niece, his goddaughter, and his fellow American. There was no way he was going to leave that behind even if Owen would always be around to take care of her. Lowery was pretty sure his future wife was currently turning the plastic Apatosaurus figurine over in her hands, and he couldn't stop his wide smile at the thought.

Maybe the honeymoon phase had hit him a little harder than most, but Lowery just couldn't see himself with anyone else. He had no intent of taking an arrow to the knee any time soon, but he just had that feeling in his gut.

Jackie was the one for him, and he intended to be the best damned boyfriend she would ever have. He wasn't the best looking or the richest, but Lowery knew he could make her smile and laugh.

He would make her happy.

Lowery wrapped an arm around Jackie's shoulders as he went back to the thoughts of riddles; there was one that had stumped him quite well. It was from a video game he still played, and it was a very good game that he knew Elise would like to watch.

He had already talked about it with her. The Indominus loved to listen about the fantasy creatures he saw in the game; she had found the idea of griffins to be incredibly interesting. He was pretty sure Elise would like to learn about sirens after her first time sailing.

Jackie nudged his arm, and Lowery pulled out his phone to search for the riddle as he said, "I actually had to look this one up so I could solve the game. Maybe we'll play it after we finish Assassin's Creed."

The vet smiled before her boyfriend read, "To all things and men I appertain, and yet by some am shunned and distained. Fondle me and ogle me til you're insane, but no blow can harm me, cause me pain. Children delight in me, elders take fright. Fair maids rejoice and spin. Cry and I weep, yawn and I sleep. Smile, and I too shall grin. What am I?"

Jackie raised an eyebrow as Lowery handed her the phone to read over the riddle while he went back to work. He never knew when Claire would show up, and he didn't want to get in trouble for slacking.

He had to be a good employee if he wanted to be here for Elise and Jackie; the blue haired vet was intent on staying here after Dr. Gerry retired.

"A mirror."

Lowery smiled as he clicked through another camera while shaking his head.

She was close.

The tech-geek glanced over when the phone rang, and he answered it. Vivian glanced over when the man grew serious as he began to scribble in the notepad that still had the point system from the Raptor Squad and the Petting Zoo. Vivian glanced over her shoulder when the elevator doors opened to reveal a stressed looking Claire before Lowery hung up the phone.

He glanced over when Claire walked over, and he said, "Isla Sorna's Control just called. They finally got into contact with Lopez, and he says he arrested Bridges."

"What about Dr. Wu?"

Lowery pressed his lips before answering, "Bridges lied about having him; he thinks Wu died in the lab explosion. Apparently he only said it to get our ACU over there faster."

Claire sighed as she stared at Rexy's slumbering form leaning against the rusty scales, and she quietly said, "Well…I'll never say the sonofabitch is stupid."

Lowery went wide eyed at this unfathomable discovery that Claire actually knew and used profanity; he was actually sort of proud of her. He glanced at her clenched fist when he asked, "Are you okay? I…have a stress toy you can squeeze if you want…"

Claire gave a tight smile when she said, "I'm fine, I just know I'm going to break Bridges' nose next time I see him, and it is going to feel so good."

The tech-geek cleared his throat as he scratched the back of his head when he quietly replied, "About that actually…um, Owen is going to get a mark on his records for…punching Bridges when there was no need to, so…"

Claire blinked at the man for a few seconds before she turned back to the screen with an unreadable expression. She toyed with the hem of her sleeve as she remained quiet for a few seconds before she decided what she would do about that.

"I'll make sure the mark is in pencil."

Lowery snorted, and Jackie continued to read the riddle. Claire didn't want to be anywhere else now that Elise and Owen were probably close to meeting Tacet. She had been talking to Owen's mother, and Claire wasn't sure if that had been a good idea. Charlotte stressed easily when her son was doing anything dangerous, but she had taken comfort in her rosary beads and candles; she promised to light candles for the duo.

Claire wasn't religious, but Owen swore there had to be some power in the candles considering all the things he had made it through in the last month. As silly as the idea sounded, Claire wouldn't complain if extra luck was given to the duo right now.

She still had a really bad feeling in her gut about this. They clearly knew something was wrong with Tacet, but they didn't know exactly what it was. As much as Claire hated Bridges right now, she sincerely hoped the man adored Elise enough to give her some better insight to how the Indomitus functioned. She still didn't think there was a need to isolate Tacet like he had, and Claire curled her lip.

Bridges has used them all, and she had blindly helped him. She should have just done the DNA testing, but she doubted it would have revealed Tacet's existence. Claire glanced over when Lowery quietly added, "And, um…apparently they had to change a few details around with the plan. Bridges told Elise she couldn't talk Carnifex down."

"…Why?"

The tech-geek took a breath to brace himself before he answered, "Because Mr. Bridges apparently conditioned Carnifex to kill any Tyrannosaurus he sees by giving him younglings to fight. Bridges swears the fights mellowed out the Spinosaurus, but…."

Claire paled at the idea of this dinosaur fighting ring; she was reminded of two dogs being forced to fight, and she slowly clenched her fist again. Not only did Bridges have the audacity to poach the Tyrannosaurs on his island, but he kept some around just to fight his pet Spinosaurus.

Elise probably smelled like Rexy more than anything, and Claire took a deep breath in attempt to loosen the tight feeling in her chest. Her six year old was going to get caught in a fight with a Spinosaurus who wouldn't control himself when it came to fighting.

Just like his father, but Elise was no Rexy.

Claire swallowed as she reminded herself that Owen was with Elise; things would be fine because he was smart. If Control knew these things, then Owen would as well. He probably had Elise roll in something to cover the scent, and she said she found Sobek easier to understand.

Maybe if she looked enough like Tacet, she would be fine. ACU was loaded to the brim, and Elise wasn't a weakling.

Claire swallowed again as she glanced down. All she could picture was the six year old baby who slobbered Owen, cuddled tiny children, and licked globs of honey off her claws like a bear.

"Move."

Lowery startled when Claire shoved his chair away from the computer before she began to sort through the old files. Lowery frowned when the videos unintentionally began to play on the screens in the front of the room, and he sharply asked, "What are you doing?"

He didn't want to see this.

Claire didn't answer as she glanced up at the first video where the familiar, snowy scales shook off the jungle colors as she let out a furious roar. Lowery glanced away when the Indominus tore the ACU guard in half before going after her next victim.

The redhead turned her gaze back to the computer as the photos of the decapitated Ankylosaur loaded, and she licked her lips almost nervously. The head had been torn clean off.

The Gyrosphere had been so easily shattered by powerful jaws.

Vivian bit the inside of her cheek as she watched the dirtied scales smash into the Aviary before the powerful roar chased their Pteranodons and Dimorphodons from their home. Only a few seconds passed until the blazing copter crashed into the ground as the Indominus fled the way she came.

"Claire."

The redhead didn't respond as she looked at the photos of the carved Apatosaurus lying sprawled in the blood stained fields while birds were already pecking meat off their corpses. The slashes had been made with the sole intent of being cruel.

The room glanced up when the last video played, and the camera angle briefly regarded a striped raptor stepping about nervously before it went back to the Indominus parting from the jungle brush.

The Indominus never had a problem with weaving through tight areas.

Her jaws shivered as she initiated her first conversation in probably years while crimson eyes glowed with malice and ill intent though the intelligence burned any human who dared to think she was anything less than them.

The Indominus knew her rightful place on the food chain; she knew exactly where the humans belonged when she was factored into the equation. The camera turned to focus on Owen's shocked face, and Claire took a breath.

This Indominus had every intent of making sure the world knew she bowed to no human. She shrugged off any attack they made, outwitted their every move, and used her physical power to dominate any who defied her.

Lowery finally reached over to shut the videos off as he tried to keep his voice even when he demanded, "Why are you watching that stuff?"

Claire ignored the looks from her workers as she damned the dos and don'ts of body language when she wrapped her arms around herself. She took a deep breath before answering, "I couldn't picture Elise getting into a fight…she's so sweet and gentle…"

Lowery blinked as he glanced at the screens before he said, "Elise can fight, she's just not going to be…brutal about it. Besides, there isn't supposed to be a fight over there, remember? Elise is going to convince Tacet to come live with us, and we'll have another baby to baby. Rexy and Sobek will chew Elise out for not listening to curfew while Blue tells Tacet all the different ways to make Owen pull his mustache out."

Claire only continued to rub the hem of her sleeve before she shook her head as she said, "I shouldn't have sent Elise over there…something is going to go wrong…"

"No, it won't."

The redhead chewed her lips for a few seconds before she turned to walk back to the elevator as she said, "I'll be in my office; I need to get something, but I'll be back."

Lowery blinked when the door slid shut, and he waved a hand in confusion as he said, "Back to work people."

Jackie furrowed her brows as she went back to the riddle, but she wasn't as excited about it anymore. It was a hard one.

'Cry, and I weep…'

* * *

Claire took another deep breath to calm herself as she glanced around. She hated looking at those photos and videos, but she just so desperately needed to remind herself what Elise was capable of.

Claire had never wanted to see those photos again; she never wanted to hear those screams of good men who had no idea what kind of a trap they had walked into.

But she just so badly needed to see the violence Elise had done in order to remind herself that the Indominus wasn't a plushy dinosaur. She was so cuddly and mellow all the time that it was hard to remember the things she had done sometimes.

The snowy scales were washed of blood, claws curled close to a large chest for the protection of others, sharp teeth were only part of the ironically soft smile, and a demand for True Death's presence had been traded in for a tender croon fit to lull children to sleep.

Claire bounced in her heels in agitation as she wondered if that violent creature was still prowling with Elise or if the monster had been chased away by the light of education and understanding love.

Could Elise fight as viciously as she had when she first escaped? Claire didn't want to entertain the idea of her six year old being caught in a fight against a Spinosaurus and an Indomitus; even Rexy would struggle in that.

But maybe the monster who had nothing to lose; Claire just couldn't help but to wonder if that monster could stand a chance against the duo.

Maybe it wouldn't happen, and Claire sincerely hoped that would be the case. She held a hand to her stomach at the ill feeling of dread weighing heavy. She really hoped she hadn't sent Elise, Owen, or her ACU guards to their deaths.

All because of Bridges.

Claire clenched her jaw at the thought of the charming blonde who was all smiles and clever wit. _Her_ Spinosaurus had turned against the blonde, and Claire would work to make sure Sobek lived out his life comfortably here. He was part of her island now.

Death. Sobek had named the only man Claire thought he would have liked 'Death'. It spoke volumes to her. This was all Bridges' fault; he had started this snowball, but Claire despised how she could and couldn't hate him.

He was the one who pushed Wu for Elise's creation, and Claire didn't regret her existence. She despised how neglected Elise and her sisters had been. Small One had been left to die while Elise watched.

Tacet rotted in nothing less than an isolated prison cell.

Claire clenched her fists once more as she sincerely promised to break the man's nose the next time she saw him. Consequences be damned. So much misery because of one man pulling at strings he had no business touching.

So many people and animals had suffered because of the man.

Claire finally swung her fist out to smack into the elevator wall as she saw red. All because of one man who had the profound luck of consequences rolling off him without any trouble. The bastard had simply been gifted with the lucky threes needed to pass in this life.

Good looks, intelligence, and money; Bridges had all of that.

"God _damn you, Daemon Bridges!"_


	80. Chapter 80

_As the child gets older, he will turn the rage in upon himself or act it out on others, else it all will turn into madness. –Judith Spencer_

* * *

"My Reflection"

"Easy, Baby, we aren't going to do anything until we figure out where everyone is."

Elise puffed air through her nostrils as she tried to catch the smells of everything in the area. It was a complete disaster, and she wondered if Jurassic World would have looked like this had Owen not stopped her.

She could smell the burning labs, the sharp scent of blood, and the tense feeling in the air to mix it all together. Somehow, Elise wondered if the island normally like this though on a smaller scale.

The island smelled sad; Sobek had said his island smelled sad, and Elise wondered if this area was the reason why.

She could almost taste the fear that had resided here over the years from the animals, but something was off. She swore she could smell the old fear from humans who had most likely met an ill fate here, but maybe it had been unfortunate accidents with dangerous animals who felt the need to defend themselves.

Elise could smell animals that she knew of. Triceratops, Dilophosaurus, and she was surprised to smell Tyrannosaurs here. She had thought only Limper was left.

Why hadn't Sobek smelled them? Maybe his nose wasn't as good as Rexy's, and it wasn't like he had roamed this area freely.

She could smell Carnifex; he smelled mean.

The Indominus continued to remain still as she lied on the ground while blended to match the jungle around her. The three cars and twelve ACU members were currently hiding behind her, and Elise felt good that she could protect them like this.

Lopez had sent Vince with two others to scout the place as well as bring the first of the medical supplies to the Safe House. If Tacet and Carnifex were still in their paddock, Elise would be sent to slide the door shut before the duo were sedated. It would be smooth sailing from there on out.

If Tacet was wandering around without Carnifex, Elise would be allowed to try her luck while ACU dealt with the Spinosaurus. She only had to draw the Indomitus faraway enough, and maybe even take her to a quiet spot while the evacuation went on. If there wasn't a need to sedate, then they wouldn't.

If Carnifex himself was wandering, Elise would be ordered to retreat and circle around the Spinosaurus' paddock in order to lure him back in.

They still weren't sure what to do with the male after all of this was over. It would be cruel to simply force him into the wild as he had never had to deal with that. A brutal as Carnifex was, he never had to hunt for his own food.

He probably wouldn't last long in the wild, but he was to stay in his paddock until Judge Knight could figure out what to do with the dinosaur. Claire had made it clear that she didn't want an aggressive male like that on her island.

One Spinosaurus was enough for her.

Elise glanced over when she heard a loud roar that sounded more startled than anything, and she wondered what had happened with Carnifex. He didn't sound angry, but she was sure the couple were still in the paddock. It was what Control said anyway; they had a tracker on Carnifex.

The Indominus wished Lowery was in the room to tell them what was going on; she trusted him.

Elise turned her crimson gaze back to the group of humans when Lopez crossed his arms as he softly said, "Meyers should have been back by now, but I don't get why she's not answering the radio."

Owen continued to lean on Elise as he replied, "Maybe they're still out of range. I wouldn't be surprised if Bridges tried something."

The Commander sighed as he pointed a finger at the man when he said, "Alright, I know you have beef with the guy, but enough. He's one guy who had the hell beaten out of him today. Meyers patted him down, he's cuffed, and those three are perfectly capable of handling him."

Owen wasn't swayed by that, and he retorted, "I'd sooner turn my back to Blue when she was still trying to kill me."

Elise blinked as she swept her gaze across the empty roads as she pondered that. Owen was being a little obsessive with the blonde even though he was out of their reach. Bridges was gone, he was done, and Elise had won their little game for now.

Bridges was going to prison.

But Elise couldn't shake the feeling that Owen was right. She didn't understand why, but she glanced at the human when he began to gently stroke her scales. It was always funny how the man who worked with the most dangerous carnivores was so mushy with her.

The Indominus paused. Owen worked with the most dangerous animals on a daily basis. Animals who plotted, devised traps, and even played dead in order to get Owen to lower his guard.

Play dead; Elise's eyes widened. Bridges had acted incredibly tired the last she saw him. She knew he had to have been tired, but what if he wasn't as tired as he led them to believe?

Blue loved to play dead to get Owen to lower his guard around her. It was a funny trick now, but it hadn't been when she truly believed he wasn't a fit Alpha.

Would Meyers know not to fall for Bridges' tricks? He was a master at this game, and people who didn't suspect him of plotting at all hours of the day had already lost.

Chaos is fair, and Bridges knew that.

The Indominus was pulled from her thoughts when Lopez's radio crackled, and the woman said, "Commander Lopez, we have another problem."

Lopez only shook his head as he plucked up the radio while murmuring, "I cannot imagine how many more problems we'd have if we actually tried to make a park out of this place." He paused to clear his throat before asking, "What's wrong?"

There was a pause until the woman answered, "I think Tacet just broke Carnifex's tracker; it's not responding anymore. We can't ping him."

Owen pinched his nose when Lopez glanced to Elise as he asked, "How did that happen? Are they fighting?"

Elise knew that wasn't the answer, not while things were still somewhat calm. It was an odd sort of calm in the air, it felt as though something was going to happen. The first explosion of chaos had happened, but it wasn't quite done for the night.

She had to be careful.

The Indominus narrowed her eyes when she slowly lifted her head to get a better view of the paddock doors, and she froze at seeing the silvery scales strolling out.

Elise couldn't believe it; she actually wasn't alone in this world.

Owen raised an eyebrow at her, but glanced over when the radio answered, "We're not sure because we don't have cameras in that paddock."

"You _don't_ have cameras in the Spinosaurus paddock? Am I understanding this correctly?"

Elise nudged Owen before she gently grabbed him to give the same view, and his eyes widened at seeing Tacet. She was bigger than Elise, and he could actually see the physical differences between the two.

Tacet's face was just a bit longer and narrower while she seemed to hunch over more. Owen could see the bleeding shoulders that were most likely courtesy of Carnifex himself, but he frowned as he watched the Indomitus.

She looked lost, and Owen didn't understand why. She seemed to regard and disregard everything her gaze swept across. The man actually couldn't read anything on her, and Owen couldn't help but to think of how Bridges described her.

Tacet was blank with no personality whatsoever, and Owen truly couldn't tell what she was like. The Indomitus seemed slow to process everything around her as her arms simply hung just above the ground. Elise always had her own arms neatly tucked against her chest like a Velociraptor.

Even Sobek held his own arms differently than Tacet, and Owen wondered if this was something the Indomitus naturally did or if it was a sign that something was wrong with her.

What concerned Owen was how little investigating Tacet was doing. She wasn't pausing to smell the air, the ground, or anything she would accidentally bump into. She didn't try to touch or taste anything. She was just…wandering.

Where was the need to shove her nose into everything? Echo was his mellowest girl, and even she couldn't stop herself from at least poking anything new.

Was Tacet already comfortable with her environment? Owen didn't think that was the reason; Blue always wanted to know exactly what was in her paddock right down to the last damned leaf.

Maybe Tacet just didn't take to the Velociraptor in her as strongly as Elise had, and that also concerned Owen. He only knew how to work around raptors; it was one of the main reasons why he had been asked to come here.

He knew how to work with a highly intelligent animal, but Owen wasn't sure Tacet was what Elise had been.

Owen went wide eyed when the Indomitus paused by the burning labs that had been reduced to a hot pile of ash. He could still see the smoke slowly curling into the air, and he nearly choked on his spit when Tacet grabbed a hot piece of steel from the pile.

She didn't let go immediately.

"What the fuck is she doing?!"

Elise made a soft sound before the Indomitus suddenly let go as if she had finally felt the burning pain in her hand. Tacet opened her jaws wide though they couldn't hear anything, but Elise could see the harsh burn in the splayed palm.

At least she seemed more aware of her surroundings, and Owen put a hand to his forehead as he breathed, "What the hell… Why would she do that?"

Elise made another soft sound before setting the man down when the Indomitus began to wander around again. Lopez rubbed the back of his neck with worry as he furrowed his brows before he asked, "Is Carnifex following her, Ghost?"

Elise shook her head, and Lopez turned the dial on his radio before asking, "Vince, where're you at? Tacet is prowling around."

There was a pause before the radio crackled, "We figured that much when she started scraping her claws on the roof. I took a quick peek out the door, and I'm not seeing Carnifex."

Lopez chewed his cheek as the other Commander added, "Look, I don't want to rush anything, but we've got a lot of people who are pressed for time. We had a guy just die, and there's two more who aren't far behind. Whatever we do, we have to do now."

The Commander tapped the radio on a nearby log in thought before he replied, "We'll start now; you just make sure you and your men can keep people inside."

The man then turned to his awaiting group as he said, "Alright, we'll divide into our groups. Owen and Ghost are going to take care of Tacet while I lead you three to take down Carnifex. Sullivan, once Tacet is out of the way, your team clears the Dilophosaurus from the Armory and get back to Vince. The rest of you are going to defend the hospital until we have all assets contained and or neutralized. Understood?"

The teams gave a single nod before Lopez's radio crackled again, and Control nervously said, "Commander, we have a big problem. The Velociraptor pack is headed straight for you!"

Owen frowned until the woman added, "I think they're running from our two Troodon!"

Lopez paled before he immediately pointed to Owen as he said, "Take three men with you, and stop those Troodon from getting over here; send those damned raptors away. Shoot them if you have to, but don't you dare let those Troodon over here."

Owen nodded as he glanced at the ACU group when he said, "I want whoever has balls of steel, nothing to lose, and won't fire one damned bullet unless I say so."

Elise made a soft sound when three immediately volunteered, but Lopez pointed to her as he sternly said, "Ghost, you get Tacet away from people, understand? Grady is the only one who can work around raptors. That's an order."

The Indominus hated this part about joining ACU; Lopez was her Alpha as well, and she had absolutely no right to disobey him. Owen gave Elise a look to follow the order, and the Indominus raised her loose fist before flicking her finger up like an idea had hit her.

' _I understand.'_

Lopez gave a single nod though Elise made a soft shiver of her jaws that caused Owen to turn around to give a small wave. It was her way of saying farewell, but never goodbye.

She turned back to the buildings when Owen and the men disappeared into the jungle before she rose tall to catch all the scents she could. Tacet already seemed to be heading away from Carnifex's paddock, and she took a breath before walking on all fours through the broken fence as her scales shook off the jungle's colors in favor of the snowy white.

Elise almost wanted to call out to the Indomitus, but she feared grabbing Carnifex's attention. Elise decided she would simply walk low while silently stalking the Indomitus as she continued to wander down the road. It reminded Elise of all the times she had played with Small One.

Only she wouldn't pop out of nowhere to scare Tacet; she was pretty sure that would break the Indomitus if she pulled that.

Elise would be nice.

* * *

"Sonofabitch!"

Bridges let out an exasperated sigh when the car gave a final splutter as a defiant middle finger before dying. The blonde limply fell back into the car seat as he closed his eyes.

He wasn't ready to start walking, but at least he had gotten pretty far. He was still on the road, and the helicopter pad was only a few miles away granted all the excitement was probably less than a mile away.

He would have to walk, and the blonde glanced over his shoulder to stare at Meyers who was still unconscious. She had been drifting in and out more frequently, and he didn't doubt she was probably in a lot of pain.

Bridges knew it wasn't a good thing for Meyers to have her so messed up from the wreck, but it was good for him because she wasn't in any shape to give him grief. The man checked his pistol once more before patting his pockets to make sure he had everything.

He still had his cellphone, and he was damned lucky no one had tried to call him. Considering how things had played out, he probably would have been able to recover his still functioning phone, but at least no one had caught the lie.

Bridges frowned when he was short one item, and he glanced behind him to search the seats. He knew he had it when he had gotten into the car…it had probably fallen from his pants during the crash.

The blonde was grateful that the woman didn't react to being moved around, and Bridges let out a sigh at finding what had been lost.

Grady had been so focused on riling him up that he hadn't noticed Bridges nimble fingers thieving from the armored vest.

Bridges had learned a thing or two from Jack when it came to pickpocketing. The sly thief hadn't been half bad as a teacher. The trick was to simply divert the person's attention away from wandering hands. He had done it more for fun, but Bridges felt all the more smug at walking away with a prize.

A useful prize at that; he wouldn't have cared if he stole something useless from Owen, and there was never not a good use for this.

A flare.

The blonde turned the old flare around in his hands as he paused to admire it. He really had no idea why he wasn't more motivated to get moving as time was of the essence, but he felt the need to rest for a few more minutes

It didn't look old, and he raised an eyebrow at how rubbed off the center of the stick looked. It was like someone had rubbed it constantly, and he frowned when a sweet smell caught his attention. Bridges brought the flare close to smell before blinking at the perfume.

There was perfume on the flare, and he highly doubted Grady was the one who had been wearing it. The raptor trainer had no need for a flare, but Bridges did know who carried one in her purse.

The blonde never understood the significance the flares seemed to hold to Claire, and he had a feeling that she would have never given him an answer.

What was the point of carrying around a flare in Jurassic World? It was something he could never figure out. Every single emergency kit held flares to them, and he didn't know why. He knew for a fact that those kinds of kits were more expensive, and Claire made sure every single kit held a flare.

Why?

Bridges causally tapped the flare on the steering wheel as he pondered the endless amount of less than rational reasons Claire carried a flare, but something in his gut just said it had to do with Rexy. They always tossed one to the goat before the old lady would munch it.

They still tossed the flares even after the raptors had moved in. Blue had chased her sisters with them a few times before Rexy had reigned the Beta in.

Bridges still didn't see the need for the flares. He thought it was because Rexy simply couldn't see, but the raptors could. They chased the goat right to her.

Maybe this one was lucky for some reason, and Bridges wouldn't complain. He himself had been baffled with the luck he was having. Claire had probably given her beau the lucky flare to keep him safe, and now it was Bridges'

"Thanks, Claire, you're a doll."

He was very tempted to text that to the woman, but he didn't think the flare was that lucky.

' _Get moving.'_

Bridges frowned at the shade rocking back and forth in the rearview mirror; Growls was being unusually pushy lately, and he didn't understand why. The shadow was normally content to just glare at him.

It was unsettling, but the man sighed in agreement as he tucked the stick into his pants for safekeeping. There was actually a practical use for flares here, and he glanced at the bright moon as he figured there was no need to waste energy carrying around a flashlight. He just had to avoid the darker parts of the jungle.

Bridges glanced over his shoulder when Meyers shifted around as she tried to focus her gaze on him. He doubted she was even registering what she was seeing, and he pressed his lips. She probably wasn't going to see morning if she didn't get help.

He wondered what it would be like to actually pity a fellow human that he didn't know. He knew he was supposed to rush her to the hospital or something so she wouldn't die, but he had no reason to.

His life wouldn't be affected if she died here in the backseat or lived to be a hundred. Quite frankly, he felt he had been incredibly merciful in letting her stay in the car rather than just leave her to die in the jungle.

He was technically doing that right now, the difference was she was dying on a leather seat in the jungle.

Bridges rolled his eyes at the purr who gently reminded him that it wouldn't kill him to make one call. He was starting to realize who the inspiration for the new demon was. Bridges agreed with Iudex on just leaving the car, but the fluffy demon made a better argument.

Iudex hadn't thought of it like that, and Bridges pressed his lips at the huff in his head as he plucked up the radio. He cleared his throat a few times as he turned around in the seat to read the name on the dead ACU guard when he flicked the radio on. He glanced back at Meyers before lowering his voice as best he could when he said, "Control, this is ACU guard Greene of Lopez's unit, please respond."

Bridges waited a few seconds before the woman responded, "Greene, this is Control. Lopez is currently working to neutralize Carnifex and Tacet. Orders are to return here immediately to assist."

Bridges wished Lopez the best of luck against Carnifex, and he responded, "I'm declaring an emergency, we need medical assistance here as soon as possible. Our unit never made it to the ship. Meyers has suffered severe head trauma and needs immediate medical attention. Our vehicle is no longer running; we're on foot."

Meyers let out a long sigh, and Bridges dared her to die as he was trying to do a decent thing. Of course he had a more selfish motive for doing this, but he was going to be annoyed if she died. The radio seemed to pause before it responded, "What the hell happened? Where's CEO and your other guard, Greene?"

Bridges snorted at the tone he had never heard out of his employee, and he replied, "The Carnotaurus pack chased one of the stampeding Triceratops into our vehicle. CEO tried to run in the chaos, and Smith chased him down. Both were caught by the Carnotaurus; there's nothing left of either. I drove the car as far as I could down the old road before it stopped."

Bridges glanced back over his shoulder as he added, "Meyers needs medical care ASAP."

He heard his employee mutter a tired curse before she sighed, "We'll send help down there as soon as Carnifex and Tacet are contained. Just…try to make do until we get to you, but we'll make it a priority."

"Will do."

Bridges sniffed in triumph as he turned to remove the handcuffs from Meyer's hands to make things more believable. He would toss them into some bushes nearby, and the man forced the crumpled car door open; he was very pleased with his newest demon. Now everyone thought he was dead, and he could take a little more time with getting away. They would be focused on finding Meyers, and he would be long gone by the time she would say anything.

If she even said anything, but it wasn't his concern anymore. He had asked for help, and did all he was willing to do. Hooray, he was a compassionate human, he could just pat himself on the back.

Bridges snorted at his own sarcasm as he shut the door behind him before he began to walk down the dark road. His feet were starting to hurt from all the walking, but pain was good. He could feel pain; it meant he was alive.

Alive was good.

The blonde tucked the radio into his other pocket though he kept it on the channel he was sure Control would use to give orders to all the ACU guards. It was another way to keep tabs on them. He tossed the flare in the air before catching it as he relished the silence when his demons finally went quiet for the moment.

He turned the flare over before smirking.

It was a very lucky flare indeed.

* * *

Fuego made a high leap over a fallen log as he gave another shriek for his pack to keep up. He was mortified with how easily these things kept up, and he risked a glance over his shoulder to see Short One was lagging behind. The Alpha snarled at her to keep up because he wasn't going to leave her behind.

He wondered when the last time she ate; she hadn't eaten from Limper's kill. What if she was too weak to keep up?

No more pack would die on his watch; Fuego would make sure of that. If anyone was going to die tonight, it would be him, rightfully. The Alpha always took care of the pack, hunted for those who couldn't, comforted those with nothing, made the best decisions, and fought for the weak.

Even if Short One had only been part of his pack for a day, she was still part of his pack. Pack stuck together no matter what, and the fiery raptor snarled at his Beta to take the lead as he fell back to run alongside Short One.

He gave a fierce nip at her shoulders to move faster, and the elder snarled at him. Fuego would have been angry with the disrespect if he hadn't smelled the fear. Short One was a fighter, not a runner. All the scars on her body boasted of how she stood her ground in every fight.

Fuego had never not been able to outrun anything; he thought his kind were the fastest. He had never seen these things before, and he was terrified of running into more.

The Alpha startled when Short One suddenly stumbled and rolled into the ground before she flopped onto her side. She was momentarily stunned, and Fuego skidded into a halt before immediately charging the smaller of the chasing Troodon with a furious shriek. The Velociraptor managed to bash his skull into the exposed side that sent the smaller animal rolling into the brush.

Fuego snarled at Short One to stand up as Cheshire and Dawn made nervous shrieks before darting back to the other two. The fiery Alpha curled his lip as he snarled loudly at the two Troodon sizing him up while the oldest raptor stumbled up. He had to buy her enough time to get her bearings about her, and Fuego lunged forward to give a bluffing snap of his jaws that startled the Troodon back.

Cheshire and Dawn snarled loudly when the larger of the Troodon charged them, and they leapt away from the serrated mouth. Fuego bunched his muscles when he realized the two animals had managed to corner him and Short One against a tree. The Alpha stood tall as he gave another furious shriek while Cheshire backed away from the snapping Troodon fearfully.

Fuego wasn't mad at him for that; he gave a low hiss to Short One to flee with the other two as soon as these things charged him. He could fight them off, his gut just said he wouldn't live if he got bitten.

The Alpha Velociraptor was fine with that. He would gladly lay down his life for any of his own. Cheshire and Dawn were the mated pair, and maybe Short One's mate was still out there. There was a chance for more hatchlings next year if he made sure they got away.

Fuego didn't fear dying for the sake of his pack, and he had a feeling Short One would know where to take Dawn and Cheshire. She was older and wiser; her pride didn't get the better of her.

There would be hatchlings next season who would play in the warm sun with round bellies.

The two Troodon hissed and clicked at one another as they bunched their muscles to charge the Alpha. They ignored Cheshire's attempts to get their attention, and Fuego gave another, firm growl at Short One to run as soon as the fight start.

No exceptions; she wasn't allowed to look back.

Fuego narrowed blazing, crimson eyes at the larger of the Troodon before a sudden bang thundered in the silent jungle, and the Troodon flopped over. The raptors shrieked at the sound while the last Troodon snarled as it bolted into the thick brush.

Fuego knew that sound, and he gave loud barks for the pack to get close to one another as the first human stepped into the clearing. Fuego rose tall as he snarled, but the human held up a hand as he sternly said, "Whoa. Easy."

The Velociraptor tilted his head in confusion, but the shining weapon gleaming in the moonlight caused him to snarl again.

Owen eyed the tall Velociraptor critically as he matched the markings up before he sternly said, "Fuego. I said easy."

Owen almost laughed at how far sideways the raptor held his head in confusion.

Blue did the same thing when she was too confused to do anything else.

* * *

Elise peeked over another building to stare at the Indomitus' silver back before she glanced over to see how they had gotten from the paddock. It wasn't as far as she would like, and she was content to allow Tacet to wander as far down the road she pleased. Maybe she would get lucky and the Indomitus would meander into the jungle before Elise would approach her.

Her mission was to get Tacet as far away from people as possible until they could figure out if she could be reasoned with. Elise shifted as he scales continued to shiver into the dark greys and blacks in attempt to blend into the background, but she wondered if Tacet would even see her if she didn't camouflage.

Elise didn't think they were mirror images, but maybe a slightly distorted reflection of one another. Tacet was larger all around though her scales just seemed slightly rougher. Elise eyed her own arms that were decorated with shining, sleek feathers, but Tacet's arms were void of any plumage.

The Indominus had hoped it was because Tacet simply didn't grow feathers, but she could see the sharp ends of the broken feathers still in the scarred arms.

Elise was most blown away by the raking scars that marked so much of her large body. She smelled wrong, and Elise wasn't sure why. Tacet didn't smell sad, she smelled…hateful and guilty. She wondered why that was, and it hurt the Indominus to look at the burned hand.

Tacet glanced around with blood filled eyes though she hardly seemed interested in anything. She even swept her gaze over Elise twice before she began to wander further down the road. Elise stood a little taller at that.

She knew she had to smell to Tacet, so why wasn't the Indomitus doing anything about it? Elise could easily smell Tacet from here, and there wasn't a wind to put either of them at the disadvantage.

Was there something wrong with her nose? Elise did know some humans were born without their sense of smell. Maybe Tacet was the same way.

A sudden bang from the jungle startled the Indomitus into squeaking before she whirled around. Her eyes seemed to clear slightly as she searched for the source, and she shifted nervously with a hiss. Elise remained as still as possible in hopes that Tacet would continue to wander down the road, but she clenched her jaw when the Indomitus turned back to most likely return to the safety of her mate's paddock.

Elise was sure Tacet was looking to Carnifex for guidance in everything.

The Indominus shook the greys off her scales as she made a soft, warm sound in greeting. Tacet stumbled back before she smacked into a building, and the duo stared as it crumpled.

Elise hoped she wouldn't get in trouble for that, and she gave another warm sound that caused the Indomitus to snap her gaze onto her. Elise waited for some kind of reply, she was carefully watching Tacet's body language, and it was easy to see how badly she had startled her.

The Indomitus refused to move, and Elise took a step forward as she shivered her jaws in a warm greeting. She paused when Tacet took a step back out of fear, and Elise wondered why she was so scared.

Tacet was the bigger one, and Elise remembered using that greeting with Small One every day. Why wasn't it working with Tacet? Elise paused before making a few barks to ask if she understood her, and the Indomitus blinked at her.

Elise wasn't sure if Tacet simply didn't know how to communicate to her or if she really didn't know any of their language.

Maybe they were too different.

The Indominus had a feeling Tacet wasn't going to let her approach her, and she recalled how Bridges warned her about overwhelming her with anything. Elise couldn't keep pestering her with questions, but she decided to give a warm hiss.

Tacet tilted her head in confusion before she gave her own, responding hiss, and Elise mentally cheered. Tacet would respond to the Spinosaurus tongue, and she hissed that she wasn't here to hurt her.

She was just wandering through.

Elise really didn't know how Tacet would react to being told she was going to be rescued and taken to a completely different island full of humans and several other animals she had no idea existed.

Elise didn't think that would go over well, and she was delighted when Tacet began to walk over with a raspy hiss that reminded her of Owen's resonating chamber when he hadn't been very good with using it.

The Indomitus hesitated slightly when she was just out of reach, and Elise sat on her haunches to prove she was here peacefully. She gave an inviting croon that Tacet didn't seem to understand, but the Indominus decided to try a different sound.

It was what Owen had described as a growling purr.

Tacet wasn't supposed to understand that sound because it held absolutely no meaning in any tongue. Elise had made a sound like it after giving a loud yawn, and the reaction from the children had been incredible.

They liked the funny sounds she made, and Elise realized that they seemed to respond better to sounds that held no meaning.

Maybe Tacet wouldn't stress as much if she was only hearing sounds with no meaning.

The Indominus remained still as the bloodied snout came close to hers though she eyed the bleeding bite marks on the silvery shoulders.

Elise wanted to know why Carnifex bit Tacet if they were supposed to be mates, and she wondered if that was part of the process.

She should have asked Owen, and the Indominus almost smiled at the image of Owen's face. It was priceless.

Tacet lightly poked the snowy shoulder as she sniffed it intently, and Elise made a soft sound. She tilted her head when the Indomitus stiffened before relaxing when Elise went quiet.

Maybe it was better if she simply remained quiet for now; Tacet was content to inspect her in silence.

Elise turned her gaze over to where the gunshot had sounded, and she hoped Owen was fine. She assumed he was as only one shot had been sounded, but she was worried about Lopez. The Indominus had seen the separate teams sneak in after her.

She hadn't heard anything from Carnifex, and the Indominus turned her gaze back to Tacet who seemed to focus on her shoulders. Elise gently pressed her snout onto Tacet's own shoulders before the Indomitus sidestepped away from that.

Tacet wasn't in the mood to be inspected, she wished to do the inspecting, and Elise would respect that. She turned her gaze back to glance around before growing sad at seeing a person lying dead in the street.

She had passed up a jeep crumpled around a pole; the human inside hadn't been alive.

Elise took a deep breath before she made a soft rumble in her chest that always calmed the humans or raptors. She had learned the trick from Rexy after the girls had been particularly snappish with one another. It was a soothing sound with no meaning though it vibrated the air pleasantly.

Tacet paused at that before she suddenly rested her jaws on Elise's back as she made a similar sound, but it wasn't as strong. Elise brought her jaws close to Tacet's body though she didn't touch her out of respect for the line that had been drawn.

Elise could definitely smell the Spinosaurus in Tacet, and Carnifex's scent reeked on her. She didn't like the idea of the coupling, and she hoped the hatchlings would turn out fine. Tacet didn't seem to be concerned at all, and the Indominus tried another warm, greeting hiss.

The Indomitus paused her constant purr to give her own raspy hiss, and Elise tried to think of how to word her questions. She had to make sure they were simple questions that wouldn't require an answer that would be more complicated than a simple hiss.

Tacet was just going to get frustrated if she couldn't communicate with her, and Elise was stumped on why the Indomitus wasn't responding to the vocalizations that weren't Spinosaurus. Surely Tacet was more Velociraptor than Spinosaurus, and Elise paused.

She had been comfortable with communicating with the girls simply because the language had sounded so similar to what she had used with her own sister. It was complex to use, it had taken time to perfect, and Elise turned her gaze back to Tacet who just stared at her.

Elise had never seen such a blank expression. She really had no idea what the Indomitus was feeling, but she wondered if Tacet knew how to understand the complex sounds that held meaning to them.

Lowery had once told her that meaning wasn't in the words, it was in the people, and it was why words could hold several different meanings depending on the area.

Sobek spoke with a heavy accent that Tacet didn't seem to really have, but Elise wasn't sure if it was because Tacet was more like her than Sobek, or if she hadn't talked enough to actually gain the thick accent.

Elise knew if she spent a lot of time talking to the girls, she sounded more like a raptor when she talked with Rexy who would get annoyed with it.

Sobek's language was the most basic out of all of them, and Elise wondered if Tacet simply had the most experience with that one. She had her vocal cords for a while, hadn't she? Why didn't she develop her language then?

Maybe it was because she never had anyone to talk back to her the way she did, and Elise wondered just how much human Tacet understood if Bridges had raised her.

Elise took a breath as she eyed the Indomitus who wasn't doing anything at the moment. It was actually making Elise uneasy with how she stared unblinkingly at her. Had she ever done that with Owen?

Elise was pretty sure she at least blinked, but she didn't break eye contact.

Maybe Tacet didn't know their own language, but it didn't matter for the moment. Elise was willing to work with the Spinosaurus in her if it made Tacet comfortable.

Elise just wished she could read something on her.

Tacet wasn't normal at all, and it made Elise nervous. She didn't know what the Indomitus was going to do, and she paused when another thought struck her.

Carnifex had probably relied heavily on body language to communicate with Tacet, and Elise would do the same. Maybe Tacet would respond better if Elise did more with her body rather than just talking.

The Indominus lowered her head as she maintained eye contact while she continued to make the low rumble that Tacet didn't seem to mind. The Indomitus kept her blank stare though she tilted her head as she tried to read her, and Elise rubbed her face on the shoulder before pulling back for a reaction.

Tacet sniffed her own shoulder before turning her gaze back to Elise in confusion, and the Indominus resisted the urge to huff. She couldn't complicate anything with this. Rexy said to never complicate anything, and this interaction was going to have to be as basic as possible.

So how was she supposed to convince Tacet not to be afraid of the humans with shiny sticks that made loud sounds?

How was she supposed to explain this very world around them when she couldn't even hold the most basic of conversation with her?

Was Tacet even aware that they were the same thing?

Elise looked the Indomitus up and down as she was reminded of Tarzan.

But Tarzan had known he and Jane were the same species, hadn't he?

The Indominus flicked her tail in thought before she slowly lifted her splayed hand in a non-threatening manner towards the Indomitus. Tacet stared at it like she was staring at a wall. There was absolutely nothing going on in her head that Elise could see, but she wasn't willing to give up.

She had to at least see if Tacet was aware of what she was.

Elise gently stretched her other hand to lightly touch the Indomitus' hand who curled it out of the way like she was dirty. Elise wasn't sure how to feel about that, but she carefully herded the uninjured hand up until she pressed her other hand into it.

Tacet snapped her gaze to the snowy scales she was touching, and Elise silently cheered at finally seeing the other clearly thinking.

Tacet only stared at her loosely closed hand pressed against Elise's splayed palm.

And she did nothing.

* * *

"Nice office."

Lopez rolled his eyes as he ignored his comrade while walking over to the large, glass windows that held only the slightest shine to them. He would have walked right into them if the moonlight hadn't caught it just right.

They were probably a bitch to keep clean, and the Commander doubled checked his dart gun before opening the glass door. Things were incredibly quiet at the moment, and Lopez would take that. As soon as Carnifex had gone down, he would radio Sullivan to clear out the Armory.

Hopefully Elise had gotten Tacet far away, but he trusted her to do a good job. Lopez had been concerned about the Indominus getting too excited about meeting another of her kind combined with the fact that this was her very first mission, but he was incredibly proud of how she was carrying herself.

She was calm, and Lopez had approved how she allowed Tacet to continue wandering down the road before approaching her. Control was keeping an eye on them, and things seemed to be going smoothly. Elise was having a harder time talking to Tacet than anticipated, but Lopez knew she was smart. She would get the job done right.

He actually planned to reward her with her own set of dog tags if this mission was successful. It would be the welcome gift to the family.

He had no idea where he would actually get tags big enough for Elise, but he had a feeling the Construction team would be willing to whip out something.

The man glanced around the silent paddock from the railings and pressed his lips when he didn't see or hear anything. He did a sweep with the powerful scope, but the jungle was void of any fiery scales.

Lopez chewed his lip in thought of what to do as he glanced over to the busted doors swinging ever so slightly.

He glanced behind him when one of the guards softly said, "Maybe he's sleeping. Dude has to be tired after all the messing around he was doing. Romano said they were going at it all afternoon."

Lopez almost smacked the guard for saying something like that, but he paused as the idea made sense. This was Carnifex's first mate, and maybe Tacet had left because the coupling was over. The Spinosaurus probably had leftover meat from this morning's feeding, he was tired from mating, and he was most likely sleeping in his nest like the guy he was.

Lopez was perfectly fine with that idea, and he quietly said, "I'll agree with that idea; we'll head back to see what Ghost is doing. If she can convince Tacet to sit in one spot for long enough then she can come shut the door, and we'll go from there."

The guards nodded in agreement, and Lopez startled when his radio crackled before Control said, "Lopez, we have another problem. Meyers' Unit never made it to the ship. They got caught up in a hunt between a Triceratops and our pack of Carnotaurus. Bridges is dead and so is Smith, but Greene is waiting on the old road with Meyers. She needs medical care ASAP, and the car is dead."

The Commander blinked a few times before the fear for his friend set in his gut. The man didn't show it though, and he plucked up the radio as he replied, "Copy that. I'll send help over immediately. I think Carnifex is sleeping right now-"

The man jumped at the loud gunshot breaking the silence of the night, and he darted over to the railing. He held his breath while one of his men breathed, "That has to be Grady going after the Troodon."

Lopez wiped his mouth before growling, "Sonofabitch, why is his gun so damned loud? Where the hell is his silencer?"

The man paled when the trees were shove aside before the long, bloodied snout poked from the leaves, and the emerald eyes glinted with anger. He could definitely tell this was Sobek's son.

The 'looks could kill' gene was as strong in this one as it was in his father.

Carnifex let out a deep snarl as he marched out of the tree line, and Lopez carefully aimed his gun as the fiery scales walked by before the Spinosaurus suddenly darted into the trees. Lopez blinked as the trees were shoved aside, but he couldn't get a shot.

"Shit, shit…"

Lopez held his breath when Carnifex parted from the trees to walk past the broken doors before the sound of something crashing startled the man into jumping as he fired the gun.

The dart hadn't even come close to hitting the oblivious Spinosaurus, and Lopez whirled around to snarl at his men who were all staring at the large panting that had fallen to the ground. Lopez walked around the desk to eyes the broken frame and shattered glass as one of his own muttered, "Christ, that scared the hell out of me. Why'd it fall?"

Lopez frowned at the familiar rusted scales as Sobek's painted emerald gaze burned a hole into him before he glanced up at the wall where the nail hung strong as could be. The Commander shook his head before replying, "I don't know, but it cost me my shot."

He then led the way out office as he added, "Let's get the hell out of here. I'm sending two of you to escort a medic to Meyers once I get a dart in Carnifex."

The Commander held waited for his men to leave the room before he moved to close the door behind him. He did a double take at seeing the tall shadow in the corner of the room before huffing as he shut the door.

The trick of the damned light had momentarily startled him into thinking there was someone else in the room.

He had more important things to focus on.

* * *

Tacet was incredibly fascinated and confused by what she was seeing right now. She could only stare in amazement as she held her own hand close to this strange…stranger, but she smelled very kind.

And like dirt. Tacet liked that smell after she had discovered it in Kind One's territory.

But there was something really important right in front of her, and she wasn't quite getting it just yet. She knew this one wasn't like her because she was like Kind One. They were mates, and they were the same.

However, this White One could talk in a way that she mostly understood, but she talked a little oddly. Tacet felt like she understood what the other was saying when she made odd chitters, but she didn't like the louder sounds. She liked the soft, quiet sounds Kind One made. White One's barking, chittering, and even crooning just hurt her ears. Tacet had almost walked away until White One started to speak like Kind One though some of the words weren't as clear as how her mate hissed. It was good enough for Tacet though, and White One had rumbled something about traveling through here.

Maybe she was friendly.

Tacet was fine with that though she wasn't in the mood to get to know White One.

Until she had pressed their hands together. Tacet hadn't understood the reason why, but there was something.

The Indomitus stiffened when she realized just how similar their hands were. Her own scales were just a shade darker, but Tacet hesitated before she moved her long fingers to make a mirror image of the splayed hand in front of her.

The Indomitus froze when they were almost a perfect match; her hand was just slightly bigger.

What did that mean?

White One looked nothing like Kind One nor did she smell like him. She talked and looked funny.

Their hands matched though…so…?

Tacet flinched when White One suddenly made a sound before she pulled away and began to walk down the road with a soft hiss to follow. Tacet wasn't sure if she wanted to; she wanted to go back to Kind One in hopes that he wasn't too mad at her for the way she had bit his neck.

She was very sorry for that, and her tooth hurt from accidentally biting something under the fiery scales. She had meant no harm, but Kind One had startled badly.

Tacet left to go make sure she got hurt like she had hurt him. Her hand was aching badly, but now it was okay to go back to Kind One. She had paid for hurting someone who had been so nice to her.

It made the bad feeling in her gut go away when she paid for hurting another who had been nice, but she couldn't remember when she had first come to that conclusion.

Did it have something to do with Bad Smell? She wondered where he went; she hadn't seen him for a while.

The Indomitus tilted her head when White One made a soft hiss to follow. She had something to show her? Tacet wasn't sure if she trusted that, but White One smelled kind. She was mildly curious about what she had to show her, but Tacet wasn't very eager to explore the world.

It was a lot to take in, and Kind One's territory had almost been too much.

Elise crooned softly as she trotted back over to Tacet before she did her best to keep the wording simplified. Elise had spotted a large puddle of water down the road; she just had to convince the Indomitus to follow her.

Tacet tilted her head as she regarded her with the blank stare before Elise gently grabbed the wounded hand. Tacet grew confused when White One began to smell her hand; she wasn't going to be very happy if White One made it hurt more.

She would hurt anything that hurt her first.

The silvery Indomitus paused at the sad, soft whine the Indominus made before pulling the hand close to her own chest almost protectively. Tacet could feel the gentle rhythm of something powerful under the white chest.

It was soothing, and it brought back a feeling of…happiness and peace. Tacet couldn't remember when, what, or why, but the feeling was there. She liked how White One was so kind to her, but she didn't like the sad sound.

Had she hurt White One by hurting herself?

That made Tacet's head ache just the slightest, and White One let go of the hand to swipe a soft tongue up her cheek. It was very affectionate, and Tacet liked the comforting feeling she was getting.

Maybe she would follow White One, but she wouldn't allow the entrance to Kind One's territory to leave her sight. She liked White One, but not that much.

Elise made a delighted sound when Tacet was willing to follow her, and she led the way to the large puddle of water in the middle of the road. Elise wasn't sure where it had come from, but she was happy for its convenient placement.

She was less happy about seeing another crashed car not far from where the puddle was. It seemed whatever the car had hit had been full of water, and Elise could see the shiny, red metal under the car.

She swore they were called fire something, and they were in Jurassic World as well.

Regardless, the Indominus leaned over the puddle to smile as her own reflection before gently tugging Tacet to peer into it as well.

The Indomitus didn't understand what she was supposed to see, and it was starting to hurt her head. She got nervous and scared when she knew she was supposed respond in some way. There was a pressure to make sure she acted right. It had been easy to interact with Kind One, but this was different.

It was just water; it was good for drinking, but Tacet wasn't thirsty.

White One made a soft croon as she lightly dipped the end of her ebony talon onto the surface, and it rippled. Tacet continued to stare at it before she blinked at finally seeing the creatures staring back at her.

The duo were very much alike though the one on her side seemed to be a little bit bigger. The one closer to White One….looked a lot like White One.

Tacet shifted and the silvery creature below her did the same. The Indomitus grew confused at that before she poked her own talon onto the one in front of her.

She didn't understand why her talon simply hit the ground and not scales.

White One made a gentle sound before she lightly splashed the waters until Tacet couldn't see the two in the water anymore. She grew confused, and grabbed the snowy hand so the water's surface would still again.

The two creatures were still there.

Tacet glanced at her own hand before she hovered it over the water's surface, and the silvery one mirrored her actions. The Indomitus made a rasped sound at seeing the harsh burn on the other's hand.

She moved her hand, and the other did the same. She brought her nose close to the silvery one, and the one in the water mirrored her. Tacet knew this was just water, but she didn't understand how others could get stuck in it.

White One made a soft hiss, and Tacet blinked. It was her? This was their what?

Tacet was struggling to understand the funny way White One talked, and she couldn't ask for better clarification. It was frustrating, and Tacet wasn't enjoying this. She wanted to go back to Kind One because she could understand him, and he didn't talk a lot.

White One peered into the waters again before dabbing the surface, and Tacet glanced into the ripples as well. She glanced down at her own self before it just clicked with her when she glanced at the snowy one in the waters.

She looked exactly like White One, and she did everything White One did. Maybe it was just White One in the waters.

So who was the silver one her in the waters?

Tacet grabbed the snowy hand so the water would grow still again, and she stared at the silvery one. This had to be her because of the injury on the hand.

These two looked very much alike, but they were nothing like Kind One. Tacet flickered her gaze between the two in the waters as she compared them at her own pace while Elise patiently waited.

She remembered the first time she saw her own reflection. She had thought it was another of her kind who was just a very good mimicker.

Elise recalled how her reflection would hop as she did, growl when she would growl, and yawn when she had. Her reflection did everything she did though she had managed to figure it out when she couldn't actually touch the snowy scales in the water.

Tacet was intelligent, Elise knew this, the Indomitus simply had less exposure to the world than her. Elise was willing to be patient before she smiled when Tacet sucked in a breath as realization hit her.

They were the same, and Elise made a soft hiss. She tilted her head when Tacet didn't seem very happy with this discovery, and she withdrew behind her blank stare once again. Elise made a soft sound of concern though the Indomitus took a step back as the worry seemed to glaze over the blank stare.

It was a very odd combination to see. Tacet looked like she was zoned out while looking incredibly worried at the same time. She was there, but she wasn't.

Tacet had the same look many college students had.

A loud roar caused Elise to freeze, and she almost turned whiter at seeing Carnifex marching down the road towards them. He was in every way like his father physically, and Elise snapped her gaze over to Tacet before her scales shivered to match the silvery color.

She had to mimic every single detail as perfectly as she could or else it would go bad.

Tacet grew relieved at seeing Kind One coming to her rescue though she was incredibly confused as well. He looked nothing like her, so what was he? They weren't the same; she and White One were.

…Why had her scales grown darker?

Tacet didn't like that. How could she do that? Now White One looked very much like her, and it frightened her. She had never seen anything do that before, and it made her very nervous because she didn't understand that. She flared her nostrils to catch the smells and paused at the nervousness.

Why was White One afraid of Kind One? He was very kind indeed…

Unless White One was dangerous and knew she wasn't supposed to be here.

Tacet backed away from the no longer white dinosaur because she knew what creatures like her were. It was right in the back of her mind that wasn't in the mood to cooperate, but she knew this; it was bad, very bad.

Elise knew she had messed up when Tacet backed away from her fearfully, and she made a soft hiss that she promised to never hurt her. She just didn't know Carnifex.

The fiery Spinosaurus paused at the sight of this creature who looked very much like Soft Voice, and that was perfectly fine with him. If Soft Voice made for a good mate, then this new one would be just a suitable.

She seemed perfectly healthy like Soft Voice though slightly smaller. The Spinosaurus made a low rumble in his throat as he drew closer and paused when the female took a step back. If she wasn't feeling receptive then she needed to leave.

Elise made a soft hiss of greeting as she tried to figure out how the courting would go.

Where was Owen to protect her from this boy? Elise had always thought it would be funny to bring one home as a joke, but it was actually a little scary. She didn't like Carnifex nor did she find him appealing.

He looked cruel and hungry. Elise didn't think he had any intent of staying with Tacet after the coupling had been complete. She just didn't trust the massive jaws to come close to her neck.

She still remembered how Sobek had almost snapped her neck.

Carnifex let out a low rumble as he eyed the new female; she seemed nervous. Maybe this was her first time around another male or perhaps her last mating had gone badly. It made sense to the Spinosaurus, and he let out a low, soft hiss to prove he was a gentle male.

He knew he hadn't technically finished courting Soft Voice, but he had done plenty of couplings with her already. Perhaps he could entice both females back to his territory to make things easier on himself.

Elise remained tense as she allowed the jaws to come close to her neck though she stiffened at seeing Lopez hiding around the corner of the building. She could see the shining silver of the dart gun, and the Indominus made an inconspicuous wave of her hand before closing the fingers like a mouth.

' _No.'_

Lopez pressed his lips though he lowered the dart gun as Carnifex began to vibrate his jaws along the back to prove he was gentle. He was willing to be patient with her though he was disappointed that he hadn't found a female who actually had the right coloring.

Elise kept a careful eye on Tacet as Carnifex continued to tenderly rub his snout along the scaled back. Elise would admit he was being exceedingly gentle, and she appreciated that.

She was just afraid of what would happen when she wouldn't allow Carnifex to do anything with her.

Maybe she needed to just reject him right now and leave. Surely the duo would go back to their paddock, and they could try again later.

But wounded people were dying; she had to do something now. Maybe she could get them to go to the paddock, and simply shut the door behind them. Elise liked that idea best, and she relaxed which seemed to please Carnifex though Tacet still seemed tense and more confused.

Carnifex continued his serenade, but he was growing confused as to why she wasn't replying with her own song that would tickle his sensitive nose. Was she too young? The Spinosaurus gently brought his snout back up the powerful shoulders before pausing at an odd scent.

Why did she have the scent of prey on her shoulders?

Carnifex didn't like how she wasn't singing her song to boil his blood, and he stiffened at catching Father's scent on her scales as well.

Tacet lashed her tail when she saw her mate pause in a bad way, and she lumbered over to the other side of White One until the Indominus was stuck between the couple. Elise didn't like how the feeling in the air seemed to grow tenser, but Carnifex had stopped rubbing his snout along her back in favor of intently sniffing her scales.

Something was wrong, and Carnifex didn't like it. He flickered his emerald gaze to the silver scales when he brought his sensitive nose close to her hips. He recalled how strongly the enticing scent had been on Soft Voice's hips had been.

Carnifex pressed his nose to her hips as he inhaled, and his blood immediately began to boil with rage.

This was an easy-kill.

Tacet knew how tomostly read her mate, and she grew tense at seeing the way he darkened as he curled his lip in a violent way. She flexed her own claws as the male slowly drew his large head close to the Indominus' before they all froze.

Elise narrowed her gaze when the long snout was only inches from her own muzzle; she knew she had been caught, and she slowly curled her own lip as the pressure in the air grew heavier. She was painfully aware of how slowly Tacet seemed to be shifting her own head close to Elise's neck.

The three, massive carnivores refused to even blink when they were practically breathing on each other's faces. They had all bared their teeth completely at one another before the low growl started in Carnifex first. Elise parted her own jaws just the slightest as the malicious snarl fell in an insidious sigh. Tacet only let out a harsh rasp as her bloodied gaze darkened with the growing headache.

Lopez held his breath as he felt the hand on his shoulder tighten with worry. They were too afraid to even breathe loudly as the trio refused to twitch a claw, but the growls slowly growing louder were making him incredibly nervous. He didn't know what to do because anything was going to set them off into a massive fight.

He couldn't hit them with a dart because he didn't have anything powerful enough to knock them out immediately. It would take minutes if not longer with the adrenaline prolonging the effects from happening.

Where the hell was Owen?

"Fuck, fuck…"

Lopez suddenly darted into the street as he yelled, "Hey! Hey! Carnifex!"

Elise and Carnifex startled into snapping their gaze onto the man, but Tacet had only seen Elise jump. That had been enough of an excuse for her to immediately snap her dagger filled mouth into the snowy scales. Elise roared in pain, and Carnifex had assumed the Indominus was taking advantage of his exposed side.

The Spinosaurus whirled around to sink his own teeth into the exposed throat though Elise immediately raked her claws close to his eye. Carnifex roared in pain as he backed away while Elise shook the larger Indomitus off before she slashed her razor talons across the silvery scales.

Tacet flinched back in shock before the realization hit her.

White One had hurt her and Kind One. White One was very bad, but she had been so nice. It was making Tacet's head hurt because they were the same thing, but it was Kind One who was nicer to her.

What was going on? Why was this happening? Things had been fine until White One had shown up.

Tacet wanted White One gone.

Tacet shook her head to clear it of pain before she lost herself in the red, and she sucked in a powerful breath only to squeak out the roar. Elise snarled loudly when Carnifex gave a powerful roar, and she ignored the Indomitus who began to shake her head again.

Carnifex had given his challenge, and Elise curled her lip high as she sucked in her own breath before the powerful, shrill roar fell from her jaws in an absolute demand for death's presence. Carnifex shook his head to clear his ringing ears as he backed away. This was no normal easy-kill as their roars had never sounded like this.

This was better, and he was going to enjoy slaughtering her. He would spill her innards onto the hard ground.

Elise lashed her tail as her scales shivered into the deep crimson with belts of ebony to decorate her. She stood tall as she bared her ivory daggers again before roaring again.

The furious Indominus was so focused on Carnifex that she had almost forgotten about Tacet who couldn't handle the piercingly loud roar. It hurt her ears and overwhelmed her in a way that panicked her. She just wanted her quiet territory with simple walls that tasted good.

This was White One's fault, and Tacet took advantage of the exposed side to slash her ebony talons through the flesh. Elise snarled as she whirled around before Carnifex lunged forward, and Lopez began to fire his gun.

Carnifex managed to force Elise's head down until he could sink his powerful jaws into the neck while Tacet slashed and bit at the exposed ribs. Lopez gave a shrill whistle before he yelled, _"Ghost, run!"_

The Commander pulled out his pistol as he began to carefully aim before firing. Carnifex flinched when the bullet hit close to his eye though he clenched his jaws more tightly. Tacet was almost lost in a frenzy as she continued to slash, and Elise shrieked in pain before she suddenly thrust her head up. Carnifex's jaws loosened just enough for Elise to tear herself free and she immediately whirled around to smash herself into the Indomitus.

Tacet gave a silent snarl as the crimson blood dribbled from her snout, and Elise swung her splayed claws as hard as possible.

The Indomitus couldn't be reasoned with right now, but Elise still felt bad when her own claws became soaked with her sister's blood. Carnifex roared furiously when Elise simply whirled around to slash at him as well and she took her opportunity to flee.

She was going to get killed trying to fight these two, and she winced at the heavy bleeding from exposed flesh on her side though she glanced behind her when she heard a startled yell. Elise paled at seeing Lopez and another guard running as fast as they could to keep up with her after Carnifex had noticed the peeping duo, and she turned around.

It was almost funny to see Lopez turn furious while he seemed so scared, and he snarled, _"Don't you dare fight, Ghost! Run! Now!"_

Elise would have if Lopez was willing to run a little faster, but Carnifex was gaining ground far too quickly on the duo. She gave a furious roar as she charged the Spinosaurus before angling her head correctly.

If Rexy could take out Sobek, Elise could take out Carnifex.

Lopez tripped when he heard the sharp clap of thick skulls smashing into one another, and he glanced over to see Carnifex fall onto his side with a loud thud as emerald eyes rolled wildly. Elise stumbled onto fours as she shook her head while the crimson color bled to a snowy white again, and Lopez slid to a stop before he furiously snarled, _"Get up you numbskull! Get up right now! Ghost! Elise!"_

The Indominus continued to shake her head as the blood dribbled down her forehead, but she glanced up at seeing Tacet charging with claws splayed and jaws wide open to snap into her. Elise didn't know if it would work, and she waited before suddenly swinging her tail like she had seen Blue do so many times to stop Echo from charging her. Tacet squeak in pain as the thick tail forced her to stumble to the side, and Elise staggered up to follow Lopez.

She glanced back when she heard Carnifex forcing himself up with a furious roar while Tacet was already ahead of him.

She needed to find Owen.


	81. Chapter 81

' _We all have the duty to do good.' –Pope Francis_

* * *

"God's Irony."

"Fuego… _Fuego. Eyes on me."_

The blue raptor snarled as he lashed his tail though he refused to step away from the female behind him. Owen didn't break eye contact with the Alpha as he quietly said, "Gentlemen, lower your weapons nice and slow. No sudden movements."

The three guards lowered their weapons, and Owen snapped his fingers similar to the clicker when he said, "Fuego, eyes on me."

Fuego curled his lips high, and Owen wasn't sure if it was because he despised the orders or if he was growing incredibly nervous with being around other people. Owen kept his gaze locked with the crimson one as he slowly lowered his gun to the ground before holding his palms out to tell the raptors to give him his space.

The Alpha cocked his head again before giving a violent snap of his teeth, and Owen calmly said, "Easy, Fuego."

The raptor quieted into a constant growl, and Owen turned his gaze to the other two as he eyed the thinning beef cake of a raptor when he asked, "Cheshire, you Derick's mellow boy?"

The large male cocked his head in a way that told Owen the raptor knew his name. He remembered how Cheshire was the lazy one of the group who never really cared for fighting. He was the peacekeeper who thought through things.

Owen snapped his gaze back to Fuego when the raptor took a step forward, and he sternly said, "Hey, space, Fuego. I'm not invading your space so keep back."

The Alpha snapped his jaws again, and Owen turned his gaze back to the smaller female who seemed more afraid than anything. She had the scar on her arm, and Owen calmly asked, "Dawn, you the pretty girl Derick always bragged about?"

Dawn cocked her head, and Owen knew that was her. He turned his gaze back to the female who took her spot next to Fuego, and Owen pressed his lips.

He didn't recognize anything on her, and she seemed sincerely confused with how the raptors were behaving.

She had to be a wild one, and Owen was willing to bet she was an older female judging from the scars and wear on her teeth.

She was easily older than his own girls.

Owen turned his gaze back to Fuego as he held a hand towards the raptor when he said, "Fuego, easy."

The raptor bunched his muscles with a snarl as he briefly flickered his gaze over to the guards nervously, and Owen said, "Gentlemen, take a few steps back to give me and Fuego some space. We have to calm him down before I can send him off."

Fuego lashed his tail nervously; Owen was seeing all the signs of a stressed, tired, hungry, and scared Velociraptor. Of all the raptors he had to meet out here, Fuego was probably the worst one, but Owen kept his cool.

This was just a male Blue who he had absolutely no relationship with whatsoever. At least he had gotten good at wrestling with his girls so he could really piss off Fuego before being killed.

Owen swallowed when the blue scaled raptor took a step back, and he reached his hand into his pocket as he calmly said, "There we go…easy now…I respect your space, Fuego. I respect you, I see you."

Owen was actually floored with how dedicated Fuego was to his small pack, and he truly respected the raptor for fearlessly facing two Troodon on his own. He was going to die a hero for his pack, but Owen hadn't been willing to let that happen.

He just had to make some quick small talk, and tell them to be on their way. This was something he knew how to do with his girls; he could make small talk.

Owen was screwed if Fuego wanted to know anything more complicated than how his night was going.

Fuego lashed his tail again as he focused his gaze on the human's hand slipping into the second skin. He knew how crafty humans were, and he didn't trust any of them except for Teacher who had shown him how to open the doors.

Teacher was good, and Fuego sincerely liked him; he had kind hands.

Fuego just wasn't sure what to do with a human who put down the shiny weapon, he spoke firm words without bite, and he extended a bare hand. Fuego knew he could easily kill this human.

But he had saved him from the creatures. This human had killed the small hunter for him like they were pack, but they weren't pack. It confused Fuego, and he was baffled to catch the scents of unfamiliar members of his own kind.

Did this human live with a pack of his own? Fuego couldn't comprehend such an idea as Prey Alpha had been so scared of his own pack.

But this human wasn't afraid of him even though he was perfectly aware that he could easily be killed.

Fuego snarled at the white object he didn't know before growing confused when the human put it to his lips.

The Alpha stumbled back when the trill of a greeting was given.

A human had spoken to him in his own tongue.

Fuego had seen it all now, and he glanced over when Dawn made a soft shiver of her jaws in response. The raptor turned his gaze back to the human when he made the polite chitter. It was rough, but understandable.

This human could talk like him, and Fuego stood tall as he made a low growl of a challenge to see who was superior between them.

Owen furrowed his brows; he knew that sound. If only he had a dollar for every time Blue had made that challenging growl at him. He would be rich enough to buy Jurassic World, and the man turned the resonating chamber over while his fingers covered the different holes before he blew gently.

Delta made this sound a lot. It was a mix between a trill and a chitter that he basically understood as a sound for peace. He wasn't in the mood to fight or size someone up, but he also knew it rarely worked on Blue.

He wasn't surprised when the feather's on Fuego's head rose in indignation, but Cheshire suddenly made his own sound for peace followed by a soft bark. Fuego growled at the Beta before turning his gaze back to Owen.

The raptor didn't know what to do with a human that could actually talk to him, and the Alpha made a sharp bark combined with a few chitters.

Where was his pack?

Owen chewed the inside of his cheek as he tried to guess what the raptor had asked him. Barks meant so many different things, and he recalled the chitters from Elise whenever she asked where the girls were.

He assumed Fuego would be concerned about the same thing, but Owen didn't know how to respond to that. He couldn't work this chamber well enough to tell the raptor that his own pack was on a completely different island though he did know how to say simple little things.

Fuego cocked his head at the response; the pack wasn't with him, and he was confused. Was he looking for his pack here?

What if the dead pack Short One spoke about was this human's pack? How could a human even learn his language?

Short One shuffled quietly before the Alpha shivered his jaws as the warble was made, and Owen hesitated again. He had a feeling Fuego was asking about his pack again, but he caught the basic meaning or at least he hoped he had.

Was he alone?

Owen actually knew how to answer that much, and he made a low trill before adding a few, whistling chitters.

He wasn't doing too bad actually, and he was feeling pretty proud of himself.

Fuego cocked his head again. This human was the oddest sounding raptor he had ever crossed paths with. He sounded ready to die, and the Velociraptor let out a small sigh as he shifted on his feet.

So the human wasn't alone; he had his Co-Alpha with him. It was most likely his mate, and the Velociraptor wondered how two humans became the Alphas of a pack. Fuego finally puffed air through his nostrils as curiosity got the better of him.

He had to smell this human before they would leave.

Owen raised his eyebrows when the large Alpha made a soft shiver of his jaws as he threw his head back; he knew the body language. Fuego was asking, and Owen made the wispy trill in response.

Cheshire swished his tail with interest as the small pack watched the two Alphas approach one another until they were within reach of the other. Fuego flared his nostrils as he puffed air onto the second skins before pausing when he felt the human's breath on his own scales.

Was this human actually aware of how things were run in a raptor pack? Why hadn't Prey Alpha been like this? Fuego still wouldn't turn his back to this human, but he was incredibly curious though.

Fuego made a soft sound as the scent of females meshed into the skins of this human. This human was actually part of a pack of his own kind.

They smelled healthy….

Owen allowed the raptor to puff air onto his face before Fuego finally took a step back with a soft chitter. Owen gave a crooked smile as he said, "You're not half bad, Fuego."

The blue scaled raptor blinked blazing, crimson eyes before he made his own chittering response. Owen was pretty sure the raptor had made a sound simply to continue to conversation, and the man reached into his pockets. Fuego's eyes immediately snapped to the hands, and he snarled as he bunched his muscles.

"Fuego, easy."

The Alpha relaxed only when he heard the crinkle of plastic, and Owen said, "Let's just leave on good terms, okay? You go take your pack somewhere safe until this mess is over, alright?"

Fuego didn't understand that, but he paused when the plastic was peeled back before the mouthwatering scent of the beef jerky hit his nose. The raptor kept his eyes on the meat until Owen simply tossed it over.

Owen had expected the raptor to swallow the food whole, but he paused when the Alpha made of soft shiver of his jaws as he backed up until he was next to the short female. Fuego lowered his head to give the meat over before he turned back to Owen who tossed over another piece of jerky.

He was really curious about something.

The blue scaled raptor was given two more chunks of jerky that he hadn't hesitated to hand over to his fellow pack mates, and Owen tossed over a final piece. Fuego held the meat between his teeth as he glanced at his pack mates before he finally ate the jerky.

Owen would admit he was amazed. He recalled how Charlie had given up her meals for Blue, but he didn't think the Alphas of any other pack would have others eat first.

He swore it was the other way around, and he let out a sigh when the crimson eyes regarded him again. Owen had no doubt that the raptor would be absolute hell to work with every single day, but he saw the glimmer of respect in the crimson eyes.

That was enough for Owen, and he pulled out the resonating chamber before they jumped at hearing the furious roar. Owen turned towards the direction of where his tough baby was as he held his breath.

He swore that had been a Spinosaurus' roar. Owen narrowed his eyes as he half noticed how Fuego had walked over to stand next to him so he could listen. A few minutes passed before the shrill roar echoed loudly. Fuego stepped back as he made a startled chirp, but Owen wiped his mouth as he hissed, "Shit! Elise!"

Owen all but took off when the roars of pain and fury began to mix together, but he turned at hearing the chirps of confusion. Fuego was staring at him intently, and Owen knew how to make this sound easily.

It was the danger call, and he knew it would probably confuse Fuego because this was something that was said between pack members. It didn't matter at the moment so long as Fuego realized it was dangerous over _there_.

The Alpha took a few steps back as he shivered his jaws with uncertainty, and Owen raised his hand to dismiss the raptors as he firmly said, "Fuego, get going now."

Owen took a few steps back as the raptor refused to move, and he snapped, _"Now!"_

Fuego actually jumped at the sharp order, but Owen had already disappeared into the jungle with the three guards close behind him. Fuego simply stood there for a few seconds as the roars continued, and Cheshire made a soft shiver of his jaws. He wanted to know why the human was running to the danger.

Fuego wanted to know why this human had saved him and shared food with this pack. He warned them of danger, and the Alpha was incredibly confused now.

He knew one thing though.

His pack was not going over there, and he turned to his pack with a chirp. They would head back to Limper's territory for the night.

The Alpha trotted a few steps before stumbling at the defiant bark. Fuego turned to blink at the elder of their pack, and Short One chittered that they had to help the human. The Velociraptor paused because he wasn't sure if he had misheard but snapped that the human had clearly told them to leave.

He was leaving, and that was final. That was not their fight.

Short One lashed her tail as she made a protesting chitter, and Fuego lunged at her with his jaws snapping inches from her face.

He wasn't going back there. This wasn't up for discussion, and Cheshire glanced over when he heard a pained shriek from the odd creature he had never heard before.

It sounded like a large battle.

Fuego lashed his tail as he began to trot into the jungle when he made the bark to follow.

His pack wasn't going over there.

* * *

Bridges sighed loudly before going quiet as he glanced around. When had walking become such a bitch? He had walked past the road that led to his offices, and he was getting ready to take a break. He knew he shouldn't when he was within walking distance to the offices, he could see the broken lights from the fork in the road.

Things had been fairly quiet, and he wondered if Elise had managed to already calm the chaos over there.

Points to her if she had, and the man stretched his uninjured arm as he pondered which friend he could call to come get him. He had a few who could probably be here in a few days at most, but he knew how to survive.

Life wasn't always easy, but he had a pistol and a lucky flare.

He was going to be fine.

The blonde paused mid-step when he heard the furious roar from Carnifex, and he turned to face the direction from where it had sounded.

He knew that roar all too well; Carnifex had found a tyrant king to slay, and Bridges furrowed his brows as he chewed his cheek before he huffed. It was Elise, and Iudex reminded the man that she had taken on a Mosasaur on her own.

She could take on Carnifex, but the man held his breath when the sounds a very large fight echoed across the island. He pressed his lips at the shrieks of pain, and glanced down when his radio crackled with different voices trying to talk at once. He heard Lopez, his employee in Control, and a few others he didn't know.

" _Ghost is caught between them!"_

" _Don't let her go to the Safe House!"_

" _Where's the fucking Armory?!"_

Bridges sighed as the sounds of the fighting resumed, and he leaned against a tree as he held the radio in front of him. He glanced over to the flare he had set next to him before he swallowed.

Had Elise depended on the flare for luck as well?

A firm snarl from Iudex reminded Bridges that it was a flare for the love of everything, and there was nothing he could do to help Elise. The blonde wasn't sure about that part after he remembered how the Spinosaurus had actually obeyed in order Bridges hadn't tried in years.

Could he distract the Spinosaurus long enough to help?

Bridges winced when Iudex snarled maliciously for thinking stupid thoughts. Everyone thought he was dead. God, fate, or whatever had given them several opportunities to let them escape this island and going back over there was going to guarantee their capture.

Why would he have any need to go over there for a dinosaur?

Bridges pressed his lips as the confused orders continued on the radio, and he glanced down the road to the offices. He still had a good run in him left, but was there really anything he could do?

No, and the man turned his gaze back to the shrieking radio.

He could wait a few minutes, and he was grateful when the purring voice snapped at Iudex to shut up.

* * *

Elise roared furiously when Carnifex slashed his talons down her shoulder before she bashed her skull into his, and he stumbled back. Tacet was harder to fight because she liked to sit close to Elise's backside while slicing her talons down.

The pain was almost too much, and Elise shrieked when Carnifex raked his talons across her snowy face.

She had planned to lose the duo in the jungle, but Tacet had cut her off by darting to the broken section of the fence first while Carnifex had given chase. Elise now knew that the Indomitus was willing to listen to the raptor in her.

She didn't know very many other dinosaurs who instinctively knew how to hunt in a pack. Carnifex had simply been chasing, and the Indominus had found herself caught between the duo again.

Elise whirled around when Tacet snapped her jaws onto her tail, and the Indomitus stumbled back when the claws raked down her face before she lunged back into the fight. Elise was sure Tacet was worse.

She shrugged pain off so easily while Carnifex actually took a few seconds to recover.

" _Aim for the eyes! I don't give a fuck if you blind them!"_

Elise startled at hearing Owen's snarl over all the commotion, and she felt her heart lighten at the sight of him darting around the corner with his silver shotgun already aiming at the duo. Her hero had come to save the day, but Elise shrieked when Carnifex suddenly knocked her flat onto her side.

The Indominus wheezed as the air was forced from her lungs when Carnifex shifted all the weight onto the foot pinning her ribs down before the Spinosaurus suddenly roared in pain after a shot rang out clear as day.

Lopez reloaded his gun when the Spinosaurus turned his furious gaze onto the man as he snarled. The bullet had managed to hit his sensitive nostril, and Owen aimed his own shotgun when he fired at the Indomitus' face. He knew where all the soft spots on the silvery creature were.

Tacet snapped her bloodied gaze onto Owen when he fired another shot that struck her face, and she parted her jaws to snap him up whole as she charged. The man braced to roll out of the way, and startled when Tacet's face was forced into the asphalt as Elise roughly sank her teeth into the thick neck.

The Indominus' vision went a hazy red at seeing this monster charging her father with the intent of murder. Owen was her precious treasure who was more important than life itself. Elise would sooner end herself than allow Owen to die on her watch.

She had promised Claire, Blue, Rosie, and Charlotte that she would always protect Owen at the cost of her own life.

Elise didn't care if this was her sister; all they shared was the blood staining the concrete beneath them. She would no longer abide by the order of neutralizing Tacet through peaceful means.

Tacet wasn't welcome to her island.

The Indominus sank her fangs into the silvery neck more deeply as her hazy vision grew redder before she dug her talons into the face and neck.

A quick, clean kill, taught by Sobek himself. Elise would willingly deal with the consequences of this murder if it meant Owen would be safe. He was the most important one to her, and the Indominus didn't hear her name being screamed as she began to force the thick neck to bend at the wrong angle. Elise couldn't hear anything over the blood roaring in her ears while Tacet silently shrieked. She remembered how Sobek had shown her to keep the neck steady while she had to avoid simply shoving the Indomitus into the ground.

Grab, hold, twist, and crack. It was how Sobek had taught her with the dead tree trunk. Grab, hold, twist, and crack.

Where others were bound by morality and law, remember that everything is permitted.

The Indominus could taste the coppery blood as the thick neck resisted the sheer force shoving it the wrong way while the ebony talons uselessly reached for her already bloodied face. The Indominus curled her lip high at the terrified, almost silent screams of pain that cut through her hazy vision.

What was she doing?

Protecting Owen, and the Indominus slowly glanced to the side as she continued to increase the pressure on the neck while the world seemed to slow down. She caught sight of her human staring at her with wide eyes full of fear, but she couldn't tell if Owen was afraid for her or of her.

The Indominus hardly registered the squeaking screams coming from under her, and she paused when Owen shook his head. Everything seemed so slow that it took her a few seconds to realize that he was shaking his head while screaming her name.

No?

No.

The Indominus blinked before she realized what she was doing and immediately shoved herself away from the Indomitus who fell flat on her side as she wheezed for air while glancing around, terrified.

Elise hardly had time to process what she had almost done when Carnifex suddenly bashed into her with a furious roar. He would not allow his mate to die on his watch, and he relished the feeling of flesh being parted by his talons though he curled his lip at the pain of the vicious fangs tearing into his own scales.

The ACU guards continued to fire their guns until Carnifex suddenly whirled around to swipe splayed claws at the ones who had gotten too close.

Owen grimaced at the sound of bodies hitting the concrete buildings too hard, and the two men didn't get back up. Elise snarled with rage as her bloodied scales shivered to bleed the dark crimson and ebony while she charged the Spinosaurus to avenge her ACU guards.

Owen hadn't seen Elise use the crimson color pattern for a long time, and he couldn't help but to think of an old joke his father had told him.

A joke, here of all places, Owen was reminded of a joke.

The captain who wore a red shirt into battle so enemies would never see him bleed. The blood staining Elise's scales had all but vanished when she used the crimson to color her hide.

Elise shrieked when Carnifex managed to shove her into the hard ground, and the Spinosaurus suddenly whirled around to snap his jaws into another ACU guard who had tried to get away from the massive carnivores.

The Indominus wheezed as she tried to shove herself up before flickering her gaze over when Tacet finally stumbled up with a crazed look darkening the blooded eyes. Elise curled her lip when the Indomitus managed to swipe a guard into the wall before she stood next to her mate.

The frenzied couple stared Elise down as she glanced around to form any sort of plan that would work in this chaos. She did a double take at seeing the broken paddock doors not far from them. How had they gotten over here so quickly?

What if she enticed them into chasing her into the paddock? She could escape out and shut the door behind her. The Indominus gave a vicious snarl when Carnifex snapped his jaws, and she wondered if she would even have the energy to even do that much. She was losing so much blood, and her lungs hurt from gasping for air.

The Indominus hitched her breath as the severity of the situation was really starting to hit her. She wanted her mother; she wanted Rexy.

She never said goodbye to her mother or father, and Owen was going to go home alone if he actually survived.

Elise startled when she backed into the tall office building after Carnifex let out a loud roar, and a furious shriek suddenly joined the fight. Owen glanced over his shoulder to blink at the scarred scales lowering herself closer to the ground in order to gain speed as her claws splayed wide to attack before she lunged high enough to smack into the fiery scales.

Carnifex was more startled than anything at suddenly having the vicious, older raptor slashing at his scales, and the elder scaled up the shoulder to bite at the sensitive neck. Carnifex snarled loudly as he whipped his head back and forth to shake the raptor off as Tacet made to lunge at the neck to eat the pest.

Elise had already bashed her skull into the silvery shoulder, and the Indomitus fell flat onto a smaller building that simply crumpled under her weight. Lopez sincerely hoped no one had taken shelter there, and he startled when two more, equally furious, raptors bolted past him to scramble onto the snarling Spinosaurus.

Owen let out a breathless laugh as he felt the flicker of hope and turned when Elise shoved the Indomitus into another building. She was going to pulverize Tacet if they didn't stop her, and Owen startled when Lopez grabbed his shoulder when he snarled, _"For fucks sake are you Snow White for these damned raptors?! I said send them away!"_

Owen pointed at the Indominus as he retorted, "You get Tacet sedated before Elise kills her! I'll work with the raptors!"

The Commander gave an exasperated sigh as he ran over to the brawling duo who were more or less on even ground without Carnifex to mix into the fight. Owen carefully aimed his gun while firing at Carnifex's face, and the Spinosaurus gave a furious roar when he suddenly whirled around.

The short female lost her grip on the scales, and Owen winced when she rolled onto the hard asphalt before she stumbled up. The man fired his gun again as he gave a shrill whistle in attempt to distract Carnifex, and he paused when he heard the final, furious shriek from the Alpha himself.

He was definitely the male version of Blue, and Fuego dashed past the female in order to leap onto Carnifex's face when the Spinosaurus had made an attempt to snap his jaws at the older raptor. Carnifex backed up as he whipped his head to the side, and Fuego crashed into the thick wall before Owen ran over as he loaded his gun.

Dawn slid down the fiery ribs as she slashed her sickle claw into the flesh and shrieked when the long jaws suddenly snapped into her. Owen glanced up when he heard the sickening crunch before Carnifex whirled around to throw the limp raptor into the road.

"Fuego, get up! I need you to move now!"

Owen risked a glance back at the Spinosaurus when he saw the older female rejoin the fight, and he yelped as he yanked his hands away from the snapping jaws. Fuego snarled at him, and the man exclaimed, "Well get moving then! I'm not letting you die here!"

The murderous Alpha glowered at him when Owen fired his gun again; he really didn't think he was doing anything besides angering the Spinosaurus even more. The two Alphas froze when Cheshire shrieked as he suddenly fell from the fiery scales, and Carnifex swiped his splayed claws into the large male.

Fuego let out a mortified cry when his Beta flew into the smoldering rubble of the labs before the choked cry of pain wailed long and loud.

It chilled Owen's blood; he'd never forget the sound of it.

* * *

' _Leave now.'_

"Shut up, Growls. I'm not leaving."

The shadow snarled quietly, but Bridges narrowed his eyes at the radio; he was noticing how fewer voices seemed to be calling over one another.

Vince and Lopez were still alive, and Bridges wondered about Grady. It would break Elise's heart if the man died out here, but he shifted when the radio crackled again as the sound of chaos shrieked loudly.

" _We lost another raptor!"_

" _We can't down Carnifex!"_

" _Sullivan is dead! The damned Dilophosaurus got him! We need backup at the Armory!"_

Bridges pressed his lips as he rubbed his forehead in attempt to ease the pulsing pain in his skull. He let out a sigh when Iudex snarled, _'We need to leave now while the chaos reaps havoc on the ACU. Now's our chance, Daemon.'_

The blonde remained stubborn and snapped, "Not until I know Elise makes it out fine."

Iudex began to snarl, and Bridges loudly exclaimed, "I care about her!"

He didn't care if he looked like a loon right now. Bridges never wanted this to happen to the snowy dinosaur, and he swallowed when he heard Carnifex give a furious roar.

Was Romano fine? Bridges would admit he cared about the man at this moment, and he pinched his nose when another guard was killed by Tacet.

Bridges shook his head when he realized Vince wasn't screaming over the radio any more. The blonde suddenly stood as he paced around before exclaiming, "Are they really that damned useless down there?! Fully trained ACU guards, and a damned Indominus rex can't take on Carnifex and Tacet?!"

He ran a hand though his hair as he realized everything he had worked so hard to create down there was quickly being mashed to bits. Building crushed in fights, animals slaughtered, and men killed.

Why wasn't Elise getting things under control? She was just as smart as he was.

' _She's six, Sweetheart, and Carnifex has plenty of experience in fighting, hmm?'_

Bridges let out a breath as he glanced down at the road while Mr. Growls continued to rock back and forth. The man swallowed though Iudex snarled, _'Just what the hell do you think you'll be able to do down there?! Snap your fingers and make it better?! I think not, Daemon. Just go.'_

The blonde glanced down when he realized he had been rubbing his fingers up and down the red stick. Maybe this was why the words had been rubbed off.

What could he do?

All he had was the lucky flare and a pistol.

* * *

"Ghost! Pin her! Pin Tacet now!"

Elise snarled as that hazy red threatened to take over again when she was shoved back. She never thought a small size difference could actually mean something in a fight, but Tacet was just so much heavier than her. How much more weight was she carrying in those extra feet?

The Indominus gave a long roar when she slid through the road, and she glanced over in time to see Carnifex swipe a raptor into the lab rubble. She wondered if Dr. Wu had been in there.

Elise curled up to prevent the Indomitus from slicing into her softer belly, and she wondered what Sobek would do now. What would Rexy do? Joker? Smaug?

Bridges?

Sobek would have already torn these two to shreds, Rexy might have actually stopped the fight before it began, and Smaug would have just burned everything, but what of Joker and Bridges?

Her thinkers, the agents of chaos. She knew how to work chaos, and Elise shoved herself up against the bloodied snout that tried to get a good grip on the flesh. The Indominus took a deep breath before the shrillest clap of thunder fell from her jaws, and Tacet began to shake her head as she backed away.

Elise paused; Bridges had said Tacet was easily overwhelmed. She would react out of violence or simply shut down. Loud noises, being stressed, Elise could do both. She had a powerful roar, and she had to use it now or else she was going to die.

Brute strength wasn't working around Tacet.

* * *

Carnifex snapped his gaze over when he heard the shrill roar as he curled his lip; he was getting tired of these stupid pests clawing into his hide, but he had killed two of them already.

The Spinosaurus snarled when the first pest bit particularly hard on his sensitive nose, and he whipped his head again. It seemed like they couldn't keep a very good grip when he did that. Owen paled when the small female went crashing through a window in the office building, and he took a step back as he realized the Spinosaurus had decided to focus on them.

Fuego snarled the most vulgar of profanity known to raptor as he cursed and insulted every ugly scale on the Spinosaurus before Owen darted as the massive claws raised to swipe at them.

"Fuego! Move!"

The Alpha raptor wasn't a runner, but he was smart enough to realize that he was going to be flattened it he didn't get going. The human was smart, and Fuego bolted through the opened door before Owen slammed it shut behind them.

The duo yelped when the thick claws easily broke through the door, and Carnifex yanked up in attempt to pull the wall away. Buildings weren't as strong as they used to be, and the man scrambled down the hall with the raptor hot on his heels while building was torn at.

Owen slowed to a trot as he panted while glancing around for another exit. Fuego made a nervous chirp before throwing his head back to give the loud 'I'm here' cry, but he didn't get a response. The large raptor turned around nervously at being stuck in a building, but Owen tapped the shoulder as he said, "Follow, let's go."

He was really tempted to see if the female was fine, but Owen didn't think they would have time with how Carnifex was still tearing into the building. The stairs were too close to the Spinosaurus, and he really doubted she was actually still alive.

He wanted Blue; Owen wanted his best girl right here with him. The hell they could have raised together would have been unfathomable.

Owen wanted Sobek here…

* * *

" _Carnifex is tearing into the office building! I can't see Grady or the raptors!"_

Bridges let out an almost sad sigh as he stood. It wasn't like he could do anything down there. Iudex had a point, there were certain times when he would have to accept when he was useless in a situation.

It had been a long time since he had been useless.

He ran his hand through his hair as he glanced down the road; it would be a run that he didn't want to waste energy on. He could just cut through the jungle, but he had no idea what he would even run into.

He hadn't forgotten about the Troodon.

Bridges shook his head when another shriek sounded over the radio, and he shoved it in his pocket as he sighed, "I'm really…sorry…Elise."

He was as sorry as he could actually be. It wasn't remorse, but he did feel something for being unable to provide assistance to the dinosaur who promised to get better with him.

She was kind to him for no good reason that he could see. If all she wanted was for him to be a more decent human being, then he would put a little bit of an honest effort into it. He would have to flee the country no doubt, but maybe he could open another business.

Something that wasn't shady or wouldn't grow too big. He would do that much for Elise.

" _This is your fault, Daemon, and you will burn for it."_

Bridges was growing furious with the shade that had talked more in the last hour than all the years he had sulked in the corner of any room. Bridges spun on his heel as he pointed at the shade on the tree when he snarled, "This isn't my fault! I know when I've fucked up, but this wasn't my doing! I didn't set those animals free, and I went out of my way to make sure Elise knew not to talk with Carnifex! _I_ tried to stop this mess!"

The blonde curled his lip when he heard Iudex growl, _'You share blame, Daemon! You are just as guilty for actively participating in the buildup of this tragedy! It was just waiting to happen! You set this up, and Hart only pushed the already massive snowball down the damned hill!'_

"It's not my fault! I'm not to blame!"

Bridges let out a huff when Growls narrowed his eyes as he softly rasped, _"Who is to blame? Burn them. Wu? Dearing? Elise? God?"_

The blonde narrowed his eyes at the shade as his temper began to rise, and he put a hand on his hip as he scoffed, "Yes! I will blame God because that is the easiest one to blame. He let all of this happen."

Iudex immediately snarled, _'Never question the Almighty lest you rot in hell for eternity! He has reason for everything!'_

Growls seemed to grow a little taller, and Bridges stumbled slightly as he retorted, "Then why the hell did all of this happen? There's no reason for Elise to die! I'll fucking question the bastard who is apparently sitting in the sky letting all of this happen. At least I tried to clean it up!"

Bridges clutched his forehead when he heard Elise give a pained shriek, and he ignored Iudex's snarling in his head before he yelled, "You hear that, _God?! I'm questioning you!_ I may be a ruthless bastard, but I'm not sitting on my ass while passing judgment! _You're_ the one who is going to let Elise die!"

The blonde gave a shaky sigh as he took a step back when the pain in his head was getting to be too much. Of all the things that aggravated him, this was the one on top. He played the charade of the devout Catholic because of his mother and to look good. People liked a God-fearing man. He knew his rosary prayers, the Apostle's Creed, he donated to the Church, but it was all an act.

What God allowed the murdering bastard to walk right off the island while the good people left in body bags?

Truth be told, Bridges was pretty sure God had abandoned them in favor of creating a better world somewhere else. They were just here to rot. He frowned at hearing some thuds, but he couldn't tell where it was coming from, his ears were ringing.

The blonde let out another sigh at he stared at the starry sky while the newest demon in his head softly purred that it was going to be alright. He shouldn't lose faith because of this, but Bridges was always stumped by one thing when it came to believing.

Why were people allowed to ruin this world with their malice? Bridges wondered if half the humans on this planet were actually worse than the fallen angels. He knew he was only human, and he always wondered why he never felt the need to care about others. He never had some sign, feeling, or 'divine' reason to do good.

Maybe Elise had been his sign…she told him to stop. She knew he wasn't good, but she never judged that.

Bridges turned to face the road again. He was still useless here even if he had a sign. He rolled his eyes when Iudex reprimanded him for actually questioning the existence of their silent God before he suddenly exclaimed, "I'll take any kind of sign, God! Anything!"

Bridges was growing really irritated with the thuds echoing in his ears, and he continued, "Give me some sign to go help Elise, and I will! I'll take _anything!"_

The blonde lowered his brows when he didn't get a response, and he muttered, "I didn't think so."

A loud plop behind him caused the man to jump and whirl around before he blinked at the dead Troodon sprawled on the dirt. It was coated in saliva, and the man snapped his gaze up when he heard the low rumble.

" _Jesus Christ…"_

Bridges ignored how Iudex dryly retorted that was not their Lord and Savior before them, but he couldn't help staring at the proud, jungle scales boasting a healthy sheen in the bright moonlight. Bridges couldn't remember the last time he had actually seen an adult out here, and he was struck by the intelligent gaze.

A Tyrant King in his prime.

Bridges took a step back, he was quite struck with how proud this animal held himself. Powerful muscles gracefully laced an ever strong skeleton as the colors of the jungle handsomely decorated the animal. Amber eyes glowed with a mellow wisdom that held no disdain for the very man who had orphaned him so long ago.

A Tyrant King stood before him, and Bridges felt little.

It had been so long since he had felt little. Even Sobek himself had lost his effect, but never did Bridges even think he would be awestruck by a Tyrannosaurus rex. Rexy herself hadn't made this sort of impression on him; Bridges never had to look up to her.

He had to crane his neck to meet the unblinking gaze of the Tyrant King before he realized that the animal wasn't doing anything to him. He was just staring, and Bridges startled when the rightful king exhaled a large fog of white from wide nostrils.

He was waiting, and a nervous giggle bubbled from Bridges' throat when Iudex snarled that this was his damned sign.

Before him was a full grown Tyrannosaurus rex, and Bridges pulled the lucky flare from his pocket. He had to hold up his promise with Elise. She had spared her butterflies, and now it was his turn.

Claire always threw flares for Rexy to follow, and Bridges couldn't help but to wonder if this was her reasoning for carrying one in her purse. Did Tyrannosaurs like flares? Bridges didn't know, but this had to be the reason Claire always carried one.

Just in case.

The blazing red fire was temporarily blinding when it chased all the shadows away, and the gleaming, ivory daggers lined powerful jaws to form an unintended, comical grin. The blonde gave ground to the Tyrant King gracefully stepping forward with a deep growl vibrating his massive chest.

Bridges blinked at the thuds; he had thought his ears had been ringing. This animal had snuck up on him. He had probably been lured here by the sounds of the chaos, or maybe the blood had enticed his sensitive nostrils.

The lack of anger or hunger suggested otherwise, and Bridges finally turned with the flare held high before he began to bolt down the road with the Tyrannosaurus rex shaking the ground with each step.

The proud animal lowered his head as a thunderous roar spilled from his jaws that encouraged Bridges to run faster.

If Dearing could outrun Elise in heels all over the damned island, he could make the run to the fight, and he grimaced when a thought struck him.

He had a feeling this was more an incredible coincidence than an actual God sent creature, but if there was a God…

He had quite the sense of humor when it came to irony.

* * *

" _Porca puttana troia lurida!"_

Owen yelped at the furious snarl while Fuego skidded to a halt, and the duo blinked at the Italian who was so mad that he had forgotten how to speak English. He hadn't noticed them, but Owen suddenly said, "You have to get out of here."

The Italian turned to snarl at the voice to mind his own damned business but blinked at the blue scaled raptor. Fuego shifted on his feet before startling when the man exclaimed, _"Sei vivo, Fuego!"_

Fuego chirped in delight at seeing Teacher here, and he made a turn as he relaxed slightly. This human was a good human, and Fuego wouldn't harm him without good reason. Owen raised his brows until another furious roar shook the building, and he said, "Carnifex is tearing into the building, we have to go now."

The Italian nodded as he walked over while holding a vibrant orange feathered dart as he said, _"Sono d'accordo,_ and I have this to bring Carnifex down. The darts you have aren't the right kind. I always had to use a different dart when I took Sobek down. Carnifex is going to look like a pin cushion before he starts to feel anything"

Owen blinked as he stared at the dart, and he recalled at the darts he had seen in the fiery scales. He finally nodded as he said, "I hope you have the gun, I lost mine. I'm Owen by the way."

"Antonio, call me Tony."

Owen tapped Fuego's shoulder again before they followed the Italian down the hall as the former asked, "The vet Gerry hired like…this morning? You're the one who can get away with yelling at Bridges."

Romano nodded as he took them down another hall, he wanted to get out of the back of the building rather than risking getting caught at the side as he said, "Daemon isn't a bad man, he just won't get help for his problems."

Owen almost stumbled in his step though he quietly said, "I never actually heard anyone call him by his first name."

"I earned that right after I broke his nose when he tried to tell me how to do my job."

Owen had to grin as he glanced at Fuego while saying, "Easy, Fuego. We're good."

The raptor made a chirp to simply talk before Owen asked, "Why do you have darts here? I thought the Armory had all those things."

They paused at the door before Romano opened it and glanced around to make sure it was safe as he said, "I have a habit of just storing things in odd places, I don't know why, I just do. The worst part is I forget half the things that I store; I hadn't remembered this damned dart until I saw the ones your ACU is using. They're the wrong color."

The vet gestured down the hall as he said, "Six pack of Cola are in the vents next to Daemon's office because he always has air conditioning there, a box of quarters are under the vending machine, and I have Tylenol sitting in the emergency kit in my office. That's just what I can think of off the top of my head."

Owen raised his eyebrows as they stepped outside; Romano was worse than the damned raptors when it came to storing stuff in odd spots. Fuego made a nervous turn as he shivered his jaws before Romano said, "We have to get to the Armory or Safe House, I know there's dart guns there."

"Lopez has a dart gun."

The Italian glanced at him, and Owen added, "But he's trying to sedate Tacet."

Romano waved a hand as he snapped, "I can't get into contact with Vince, but I don't think the Armory is safe yet. I know there was one in the Safe House, I just have to get there."

Owen reloaded his gun as he said, "I'll go with you or distract Carnifex."

Fuego shivered his jaws as he glanced around for any sign of his pack. He couldn't hear Short One, Dawn, or Cheshire. Where were they? They were fine, weren't they? He was supposed to protect them, but something was wrong.

Why weren't they responding?

The raptor startled at a gentle tap at his shoulder, and he made another shiver of his jaws. He didn't know this human, but he was good. Fuego would stay by him until he could find his pack.

Fuego was furious with all three of them, and he intended to chew them out the moment this was done. It had taken the Alpha a few minutes to actually realize that his own pack had disobeyed him to help fight this battle.

The Alpha would admit this human was incredibly brave or stupid for taking on the spined one by himself. He wondered where this human's pack was though. Shouldn't they be helping this fight as well?

Where was Proud One? He would have never allowed this chaos to hurt so many here; Fuego would have gone to get Proud One if he knew where the old dinosaur was actually at.

Had he died?

Owen paused to tap the shoulder again as he calmly said, "Fuego, easy, and eyes on me."

The raptor shifted nervously as he glanced around for any sign of his pack, and Owen added, "We're fine, alright. We're okay."

Fuego did appreciate the calm tone and respectful touches. He was convinced that this human had been around his kind.

Maybe they could join packs? Fuego wasn't entirely won over by that idea, but he was willing to work with this human for now. He was a calm Alpha who understood what was going on.

Romano peered around the corner of the back of office building before he softly said, "I think Carnifex left to fight Elise. We have to run fast. That Safe House can handle Carnifex, but there's no way we can let Fuego in there."

Owen nodded as he said, "I'll go with you to the Safe House, but I'm going to Elise right after that. Fuego can help her fight."

The Italian nodded as they quietly trotted alongside the building until they reached the corner. Romano made to peer around, and a shadow crossed over them. Carnifex let out a furious roar, and Owen immediately shoved the vet forward as he yelled, "Go! Go!"

Fuego shrieked in fury as he barreled into the lowered snout, and Romano bolted down the street. Owen could hear Elise give another earsplitting roar when he fired his gun at the fiery scales as Fuego bit and slashed at the face.

The Spinosaurus swung his claws into the building, and Owen paled as the wall began to collapse forward. Carnifex continued to whip his head, but Fuego refused to let go.

Owen darted back before a broken bit of cement suddenly smacked into his head, and he fell to the ground as his vision went hazy; he couldn't get his bearings about him. His eyes went wide when he realized he wasn't out of the way of the collapsing wall just yet.

He hastily began to shove himself back while the debris crashed into the ground, and Owen shrieked in pain when his leg was caught under a heavy plank of wood. He glanced over after he heard another roar from Elise, and he never saw the falling cement collide with his head.

The world went dark.

* * *

Elise filled her burning lungs with the sharp air before she forced another clap of thunder to echo across the island. Tacet continued to shake her head as blooded eyes rolled with an uncontained rage. Elise knew she wasn't going to make it if the Indomitus sank her claws into her again. She was so tired, and her limbs were trembling.

She couldn't hear Owen anymore, but she had to trust the raptors he had managed to find. Owen wasn't alone, and he could live if he had a pack with him.

The Indominus stumbled as her limbs threatened to collapse, but she sternly reminded herself that she had reasons to live. She had family to go back home to, and she had a duty to make sure the humans here went home as well.

Sobek would be furious if she died, and Rexy would be brokenhearted if she didn't make it. Owen needed a co-Alpha for the pack.

Elise didn't want to say goodbye to the munchkins. Her faithful Munchkin Army would cry, and the Indominus couldn't bear the idea of children crying.

Bridges had left this mess in her claws, but it was so much worse than she had realized. Elise had made too many mistakes, and she was paying for them.

The Indominus stumbled onto all fours as she gasped through wide jaws, and the froth dripped onto the ground. She could hear Carnifex giving furious roars, but she paused when Tacet suddenly wobbled in her step as her eyes seemed to glaze over. Her head lolled to the side as she didn't seem to comprehend anything anymore, and Elise lunged forward when the jaw began to slack.

It was so odd how Tacet hardly reacted to being slammed into the ground and her jaws forced shut by the weight of Elise's trembling hands. She made a sharp cry for her Commander when Tacet began to struggle against her.

"Get her neck exposed, Ghost!"

Elise snarled angrily as she practically sat on the Indomitus in order to pin the struggling limbs. Tacet was fighting her, but the Indominus had enough of tonight. She wanted to go home and never leave the island again. She wasn't ready for this kind of work; she wanted to sleep in Rexy's nest for the rest of her life.

Elise growled when Tacet's gaze finally became blank as she stared at nothing in particular, and Lopez shoved the largest dart he had into the throbbing vein. The Indomitus hardly reacted to it, but the Commander still held his breath while the silvered body slowly relaxed.

Lopez glanced up at Elise as he wiped the sweat from his face when he said, "We got her, Ghost. Let her go before you suffocate her."

Elise gave a shaky sigh before the duo glanced over when Carnifex gave another roar as he tossed Fuego off him. The Indominus continued to tremble though Lopez said, "If you can just pin him, I can get a dart into his vein, and he'll be out in minutes."

Elise only nodded as she shoved herself up to follow the man before she blacked out. Lopez yelped at hearing the loud thud behind him, and his eyes widened at seeing Elise sprawled on her side with jaws wide open.

"Ghost!"

Lopez slid next to her as he desperately glanced at the rising and falling ribcage, and he patted the crimson stained cheek as he called out Elise's name. The Indominus slowly opened glazed, crimson eyes, and the man gave a sharp whistle for her attention.

He had to keep her awake, and he yelled, "Elise! Stay with me! I need you to keep those eyes open!"

The Indominus slowly kicked her legs in attempt to get up, and Lopez yelled her name again.

Elise only half-heard him.

* * *

Owen hissed in pain when something rough and wet scrapped up his face as a shrill whine hurt his ears. He opened his eyes to see the blue scaled snout so close to his face, and the man grew confused as he murmured, "Blue?"

Fuego cocked his head to burn his crimson gaze into the man before roughly shoving his snout into Owen's shoulder, and he hissed, "Fuego, easy."

The raptor huffed; he was going to bite this human if he said that again. He was starting to wonder if the human even knew how to say anything else. Maybe that was why he could speak his tongue.

Maybe he hadn't learned how to speak human yet.

Owen let out a shaky gasp when he tried to push himself up before realizing he couldn't move his legs. He blinked at seeing the heavy debris pinning them, and he shoved himself into a sitting position to push off what he could as Fuego continued to whine at him.

Owen had only managed to get the lighter debris off when the fiery scales stormed past them, and the man went wide eyed even though Carnifex didn't even seem to see them.

He was focused on the downed carnivores on the street across from them, and Owen's heart stopped at seeing Elise on her side. Lopez was yelling for her to get up while Carnifex snarled loudly when he saw his mate didn't respond to him.

Carnifex was going to kill Elise, and the Indominus could only half lift her head to stare at the Spinosaurus. Owen desperately struggled to get himself free as he wondered where the hell Romano went, and Fuego whined again.

He didn't know what to do.

The man yelled angrily when he couldn't get free but froze when he realized he still had his pistol on his hip. Fuego shifted around nervously as Owen yanked it out before glaring at the Spinosaurus.

He couldn't hit Carnifex's face, but the long tail swung to the side; Owen blinked.

It was such a cheap shot.

* * *

Carnifex had it with everything going on here. He was a powerful male in his prime, and he intended to slaughter the odd looking easy-kill before driving everything else from here. He would expand his territory and couple with Soft Voice again.

She would have to leave after that, but the male almost paused at seeing the silver scales slumped on the ground. Carnifex let out a furious roar at the idea of his first mate being killed when he was supposed to be protecting her.

The Spinosaurus focused his rage onto the dazed dinosaur still trying to shove herself up while the human yelled at her. Carnifex rose tall as he prepared to charge the duo; he would rip her throat out.

A loud shot rang out in the air, and an unspoken rule considered sacred in the Code of Brothers was shattered.

Carnifex shrieked as he leapt forward in his haste to get away from the sharp bite stinging his sensitive underside. He actually stumbled onto all fours with his tail curling close to him before snapping his gaze to burn the attacker.

The Spinosaurus was so startled at being attacked _there_ that he blinked at the human holding the smoking gun for a few seconds until he lost his temper.

Absolutely not.

Fuego tensed when the spined one began to charge them, and he deemed this human to be incredibly stupid.

But brave; he would call this human Brave Idiot.

Owen gritted his teeth when he suddenly shoved the raptor away from him as he snarled, "Get going now! Go!"

Fuego chirped as he took a step back, but he didn't want to leave him behind. Owen swung his fist at the raptor only to have Fuego bravely stand between him and Carnifex. The man clenched his jaw as he snarled, _"Fuego! Go now!"_

The Velociraptor only smacked Owen's face with his tail like he did with Cheshire whenever the Beta was acting particularly stupid or stubborn. He would charge this spined one's face since it seemed to always stumble the massive carnivore.

Hopefully Brave Idiot would be able to free himself in that time.

Fuego lowered himself to charge the Spinosaurus before a hissing flash of red sailed between them and bounced along the road. Carnifex allowed his gaze to follow the red fire until a shrill whistle startled him, and his name was sharply snarled.

" _Carnifex! Halt!"_

The Spinosaurus didn't fear the pinch on the back of his neck this time, but he was surprised to hear Father calling his name.

Owen was stunned to see the blonde in the middle of the road, and he gaped at the massive, jungle scales gracefully stepping away from the buildings. He had to be close to full grown, and he walked with just the slightest limp that didn't seem to hinder him.

A Tyrannosaurus rex; Bridges had actually found a Tyrannosaurus rex.

Owen turned back to the man taking a step back when the Tyrannosaurus ignored him in favor of the fiery scales, and Bridges briefly met Owen's gaze. The jungle tail swung a few inches over his head, and blonde gave a final salute of good luck before bolting around the corner of the street.

Owen then startled when Fuego threw his head back to give a joyous shriek.

It was Limper! They had a chance now, and the raptor immediately turned back to the pile pinning Brave Idiot before he began to claw the rubble away. Owen helped where he could as he gave words of encouragement to the raptor.

Carnifex saw red at seeing an easy-kill waltzing into his territory, and he let out a rage filled roar. This one was his size, and he curled his lip when the other didn't take a step back. The Tyrannosaurus' tail gracefully waved behind him before he gave his own, fearless roar, and the Spinosaurus charged him.

The jungle colored dinosaur lashed his tail as he lowered his head to bash the thick skull when a long snout attempted to grab his neck. Carnifex snarled as he raked his claws down the shoulders, and the Tyrannosaurus used the weight of his massive jaws to force the taller one down.

Carnifex roared furiously when the ivory daggers sank deep into his neck before the Tyrannosaurus suddenly yanked up and then shoved forward. The Spinosaurus lost his footing and shrieked as his neck was crushed against the hard ground until the tyrant gave a vigorous shaking with a guttural growl.

The Spinosaurus curled his lip as the feeling of fear began to creep into the pit of his belly, but the rage took over as he shoved himself up. The Tyrannosaurus swung his head away from the snapping jaws, and Carnifex took advantage of the exposed neck to sink his talons and ivory daggers into the jungle scales as he snarled.

He stumbled the Tyrannosaurus when he attempted to shove the animal onto his side like he had always done with the easy-kills.

Why wasn't it working this time?

Carnifex knew he just had to get the easy-kill to fall onto his side so the throat and belly would be exposed, but this one stood so firm on his feet. Whenever Carnifex would try to shove the Tyrannosaurus over, the tyrant would only lower himself to keep balanced.

His tricks weren't working, and Carnifex shrieked again when the Tyrant King managed to crush his jaws into his bleeding neck. The Spinosaurus could only rake his claws into the muscular shoulders before the Tyrannosaurus suddenly whipped around, and Carnifex slid on the hard ground.

The Tyrant King lashed his tail again as he filled powerful lungs full of sweet air before a commanding roar echoed into the night. Carnifex snarled as he forced himself up to give his own challenging roar.

He wasn't going to bow; it wasn't who he was.

The Tyrannosaurus had already charged Carnifex who stood tall to keep his neck out of reach before snarling when the jungle scales simply threw all his weight into him. The Spinosaurus wheezed when he smashed into the unwavering paddock walls, and the tyrant quickly backed up with a snarl.

Carnifex shook himself as he ignored the pain in his side, and the duo charged one another once more. The sharp sound of thick skulls colliding against one another was painful to hear, but only Carnifex stumbled down from the shock of it. His emerald eyes rolled again before finally screeching in fear when he was helplessly dragged across the harsh pavement.

The Tyrannosaurus was relentless when he shoved Carnifex back into the paddock walls but suddenly let go. The Spinosaurus made to stand only for the powerful jaws to lock onto his exposed throat.

The fear was almost paralyzing when he couldn't get any air into his lungs, and Carnifex wheezed as he struggled as hard as he could. He lashed his splayed claws as he kicked his legs, but the sheer terror of dying made it hard to actually think.

Carnifex's jaws gaped widely as the dark spots began to form in his vision, and his razor claws almost gently rested on the jungle muzzle. His body slowly went limp as he realized this easy-kill was something much more powerful than the ones he had fought.

Never again would he fight an easy-kill; this was a powerful one.

The crushing jaws suddenly released the throat, and the Tyrannosaurus backed away as Carnifex immediately gulped for air with a choked cough. Blood dribbled from his throat as fear filled the emerald eyes when the Tyrant King gave a final roar.

Carnifex had lost, he wasn't going to fight this one anymore. Soft Voice was dead as far as he was concerned, and his home was no longer safe. The Spinosaurus stumbled up with a terrified roar before he bolted for the broken fence and melted into the jungle.

The Tyrannosaurus stared for a few seconds as the area grew silent again though he turned to sweep his amber gaze across the blood stained ground.

So much death plagued here; it would be a long time before this place would feel right.

The Tyrant King gave a gentle wave of his tail when he spotted the familiar scales lying in the road before he walked over to inspect for himself. He had seen this pack hunter, she was the intelligent one, but she was already gone. He lifted his head proudly to glance at the ground that seemed unnaturally hot for some reason though his gaze rested on the limp scales in the rubble.

He was gone as well.

The Tyrannosaurus turned his head when he heard a loud shriek before blinking at the Alpha pack hunter near the human. It was odd to the Tyrant King; he didn't know any with scales who got along with humans.

They were terrible to eat though fun to chase. He recalled how sick he had gotten after eating a human once, and the mere thought made his belly churn unpleasantly. He would eat no human, and the ones here had been scarred enough.

It was like hunting from the same herd too often; it was good for no one.

The Tyrannosaurus rex turned to leave back for his nest but paused when he caught sight of incredibly bright though bloodied scales.

He had never seen such a bright color before.

* * *

Elise cracked open her eyes as she gasped in pain when Lopez's shaking and talking grew frantically more urgent. She heard the thuds of powerful footsteps, and she lifted her head to blink at the jungle scales walking over.

Lopez held his breath when the powerful jaws came incredibly close to Elise's head before the muzzle suddenly puffed harsh air onto him. The Commander yelped as he bolted, but the Tyrannosaurus gave no chase.

He had merely wanted his space while inspecting this one.

Elise puffed air through her own nostrils as she made the deep rumble in her throat, and she relaxed at the responding growl that had no bite to it. She continued to shake and slowly forced her limbs under her in order to protect her soft underbelly better.

He wasn't her friend even if he had chased off Carnifex, but Elise was eternally grateful to her hero. He was certainly a tall male even if she was bigger, and she paused at the amber eyes; they reminded her of the polished amber chunk Dr. Wu had given her.

The Tyrannosaurus continued to inspect her wounded face before Elise gently swiped her tongue up his jungle cheek a few times as she rumbled her thanks to him. She would have died if he hadn't come here.

The Tyrant King rumbled back that there was no need for this fighting; he didn't like to hear such sounds. He had come simply because he was needed, but he wasn't needed here anymore.

The duo turned their heads at another roar from Carnifex though it sounded further away, and Elise growled at the male next to her. She warned him that the fleeing carnivore would attack any of their kind on sight without reason. He killed for sport.

The Tyrannosaurus flicked his tail as he eyed the snowy scales, crimson eyes, and feathers on her. He hadn't seen any of his own kind for years, but he knew she wasn't like him. It didn't bother him though. She was mellow and smelled kind; that was enough for him.

Elise blinked when the Tyrannosaurus suddenly rested his powerful jaws on her head with a tender gentleness that didn't match his intimidating appearance. It was a brief touch, but she felt safe for the moment.

The Tyrant King backed away with a rumble that he would make sure the spined one would leave any of his kind alone. He would chase him to Proud One's territory and keep him there until he could learn to wield himself like his predecessor.

Elise gave a soft croon as the Tyrannosaurus allowed a final, thunderous roar to fall from his jaws before he melted back into the jungle.

Their hero had left as suddenly as he came.

The Indominus turned her head when she heard another bark and froze at seeing Owen half buried in the rubble with the raptor still trying to dig him free. Elise went numb when she couldn't tell if he was even alive, and she forced her limbs to carry her weight as she slowly stumbled over.

Elise ignored Lopez calling her name as soft whimpers tore from her throat at seeing Owen lying so still with his eyes closed. He looked dead, and the Indominus couldn't bear the thought of that. She could feel her heart breaking as she ignored the protective raptor snarling at her.

She ever so gently puffed air onto the man as she begged him to do something before the tender, kind hand came to rest on her nose. Elise let out a long whine after Owen tiredly said, "Elise…Baby Girl…my poor Sunshine…you're all beat up."

The Indominus didn't care in the slightest about herself as she began to move the rubble with ease before scooping the man into her hands, and she rolled onto her side again. Elise held Owen close to her chest as she gave a long sigh of relief that her world was still something worth living for.

She still had her most precious treasure; things were going to be fine. They would make it through this, and Elise glanced over to the confused raptor as she made a soft shiver of her jaws. She was eternally grateful for his help in this; she would never forget how he protected her human.

Fuego was baffled that this massive dinosaur could speak his tongue so clearly, and he chittered his questions one after the other as he made a turn. Elise easily answered them and almost smiled at the bewildered expression.

The raptor could not believe this white one was actually Brave Idiot's Co-Alpha. Were there any _normal_ raptors in their pack? He tilted his head when she answered that there were three more at home on another place far from here.

Her mother was a powerful one, and her father was a spined one who had lived here until recently. Fuego wondered if it was Proud One, but he wouldn't believe that.

The Alpha froze when White One suddenly asked where his pack was, and he whirled around before taking off with sharp barks for their butts to come here right now. Elise watched the raptor trot down the road to the first member he could see, and she glanced down when Owen softly said, "I don't think any of his pack made it, Baby…"

Elise turned her gaze to sweep across the empty streets as the smell of death almost made her head hurt. She felt a deep pain in her chest at seeing her fallen comrade sprawled, but she was too tired to move.

She felt like she had failed the people here in a way, and she curled Owen closer to her chest in attempt to relieve the sharp guilt that seemed to angrily stab at her. She was just too tired to do more than lift her head, and the Indominus sighed as she curled around her human as tightly as she could.

She almost lost Owen. This fight hadn't been worth it, and Elise couldn't see any of the good in what had happened here. She glanced down the road to regard the silver scales still slumped obliviously.

How were they supposed to explain to Tacet everything that had just happened?

"Easy, Elise. It's going to be okay."

The Indominus turned her head when she heard Fuego give a loud wail of grief as he stood over Dawn's broken body. He glanced around desperately for his Beta as he gave another come home bark before adding that he wasn't going to be too mad for disobeying his orders.

Fuego just wanted Cheshire to come back so they could look for Short One together.

The Alpha made a turn as he glanced around desperately for the lumbering oaf who had always been by his side. Who was going talk him out of bad ideas? Fuego needed his Beta and brother; they had always been together.

Fuego was terrified of being alone. He didn't want to sleep alone in the dark, and the raptor gave a loud shriek for Cheshire to answer right this minute or else.

He didn't get a responding call, and the Alpha lashed his tail before darting over to the destroyed labs. He made a large leap onto a massive chunk of warm cement as he gave another shriek for Cheshire. He knew the spined one had tossed his brother here. Maybe the oaf was just resting because he was lazy like that.

Fuego knew that wasn't true.

A small whimper tore from the sagging Alpha until he brightened at the sight of the familiar scales sprawled between heavy debris. Fuego darted over as he sharply chittered for Cheshire to get up right now though he slowed to a stop at the broken, bloodied pipe pointing at him almost mockingly.

It didn't stop Fuego from going to his Beta's side to puff air onto his brother's face before he gently groomed the cooling muzzle as tenderly as he could in hopes of getting some kind of response. Fuego didn't want to acknowledge the pipe that had punched through Cheshire's ribs, and he took an uncertain step back when his brother did nothing.

He lost both of them.

Dawn and Cheshire were gone, and Fuego glanced around desperately as he tried to keep his breathing calm. He couldn't be alone, he was the Alpha of this pack, he was the one who should have died to keep them safe, but here he was.

Alone with his pack mates' stiffening corpses to mock his failure.

"Fuego…"

The dark blue raptor snapped his gaze over to the human leaning heavily on White One, and the raptor took a timid step back as he ignored the almost too warm ground. What was he supposed to do without his pack? He had no nest, no territory, and no pack.

Now he was a wandering loner like Short One, and he didn't even know where she was.

Owen pressed his lips at the defeated look beginning to glaze over the fiery eyes, and he softly said, "Come here, Fuego. There's nothing you can do for Cheshire."

Elise shivered her jaws softly as she favored her leg, but the raptor made a soft whine when he glanced at his brother. The Indominus gently chittered that the humans would leave the body alone; she promised.

Fuego sagged as he continued to stare before he finally gave a firm bark that he wasn't going to abandon his pack mates until the foul smell of death clung to their scales.

It wasn't like he had anything else to do.

Elise only sighed as she shared a glance with Owen.

The night wasn't even halfway over.

* * *

"Dr. Romano?"

The Italian turned the feathered dart over in his hand as he made a tired sound while glancing at the Commander. Lopez glanced around the quiet safe room before he said, "I know you have to be tired, but we could really use your help in patching up Elise. I had to send a medic over to help one of my own who got into a wreck trying to get Bridges to the ship."

"Is Daemon okay?"

Lopez opened his mouth as he wiped his face before he finally sighed, "I don't know; I'm getting mixed reports. One of the guards who was escorting him to the ship told Control that he was eaten by the Carnotaurus, but I'm being told that he led the damned Tyrannosaurus here. Control has been too busy to check the cameras."

Romano lowered his brows as he found both answers difficult to believe, but he stood with a sigh as he replied, "I'll go see what I can do with Elise. Do you want me to look at Tacet?"

The Commander shook his head when he answered, "Not right now, I looked her over, it's Elise who had the hell beat out of her. I need her patched up as best you can because I don't know if Carnifex will try to come back."

The vet nodded in agreement as he followed the man out before the Commander left to get the mess cleaned up. Romano sighed as he scratched at his beard when he glanced over to stare at his first Jurassic World patient.

He pressed his lips sadly at seeing the bodies of Cheshire and Dawn gently lying next to one another as Fuego slumped in defeat with his head resting on the bitten, white tail. The vet frowned at the smaller female gently grooming his cheek; he had never seen her before, but he assumed she was one from the wild.

Romano really hoped she wasn't a carrier for prions, and he sighed again as he began to walk to his building to gather medical supplies. All the loud fighting that had happened here probably scared everything within a mile away.

Even the Dilophosaurus stuck in the Armory had bolted over the guards the first chance they got. It was too bad they had startled into killing one of the men.

The vet glanced at the broken fence where the trees had been roughly shoved aside and ground flattened by the massive animals that left hastily. He wondered how Mario and Maria were doing. They would take care of one another, but what about Carnifex?

He didn't think the Spinosaurus was going to fare well, but it was out of his hands now. Carnifex was probably long gone, and the vet paused when he heard the long roar from their unexpected hero.

Romano never expected to see the mellow Tyrannosaurus rex here, but he was very glad the animal had decided to appear.

The rex didn't even have a name, and Romano chewed the inside of his cheek as he began to think hard. It had to be a name that suited him, something with grace though simple. He felt the Tyrannosaurus was a simple, mellow creature who probably liked to nap in the afternoon sun.

He had power, he was very powerful, but gentle as well. Romano hadn't seen the tyrant appear, but he had watched Elise interact with him.

The vet glanced towards the empty paddock before he turned down the road as he gave another sigh. He had never been so happy to see his office in his life before, but the vet frowned when red lights flashing in the dark jungle caught his eye. He stared for a few seconds before the lights lit up.

They looked like brake lights.

Romano squinted as he realized those looked like _his_ jeep's lights when the right one began to flicker until it disappeared into the night. He knew Lopez had sent someone to help the injured guard, but they shouldn't have known about his jeep.

Unless his apprentice said something, but she was helping in the hospital.

The vet grumbled to himself as he walked into the building and down the hall until he came to his garage. There were still two other jeeps here, but his jeep was gone.

The irritated him.

Romano frowned when the small notepad sitting on the ground caught his attention, and he raised an eyebrow when he walked over to pick it up before reading the neatly written words.

Somehow, he wasn't surprised that the blonde had managed to outsmart the dinosaurs and guards here. Romano knew the man had taken his jeep as a final act of pushing his hot buttons, and he shook his head at the message.

It explained a thing or two, and the vet crumpled the note before shoving it into his pocket as he walked back to the supply room. At least the wine was his now, but he glanced back at the open garage door with a sigh.

Hopefully Daemon would find the help he needed wherever he went. If he was willing to lead a Tyrannosaurus of all things here, then maybe the idea of therapy wouldn't be so repulsive to the blonde someday.

How he managed to find the only one left in the wild was beyond Romano, and the vet began to chew his lip again. What he wouldn't have given to be a fly on a tree when Daemon came face to face with the very creature he had deemed just as useful as wet toilet paper.

It must have been a humbling experience to have realized he needed the animal's help.

The Tyrannosaurus had survived Bridges' poaching, thrived in the wild even when Sobek had still lived here, and easily defeated a bloodthirsty Spinosaurus. This island was rightfully his now, and Romano paused.

Alexander the Great.

The Tyrannosaurus was hardly a brutal conqueror, but the title just seemed fitting for him. In one fight he had laid claim to the entire island. Romano liked the name Alexander. It was proud and simple though it held power to it. People would easily remember it, and it held a fitting ring.

Alexander. They could call him Alex for short just because the Tyrannosaurus seemed mellow enough to also have more informal version of the name. He was a regal ruler, and a relaxed individual with little temper about him.

Romano nodded in satisfaction as he opened the supply room.

Alexander is was.


	82. Chapter 82

' _When all those shadows almost killed your light…_ " - _Safe and Sound_

* * *

"Come Morning Light."

"And when I'm not listening to her, she gets this old boot she stole from me and just rakes her claws through it. It's her way of saying I'm being stupid."

Elise made the soft, translating chitter as Fuego listened intently to the human leaning against the bloodied scales. He thought he would get annoyed with hearing the human talk, but it was nice to learn about this pack from another land. Brave Idiot was nothing like Prey Alpha.

Fuego could respect him and his dedication to his pack. Brave Idiot knew his pack, spent time with them, and allowed them to live without harsh cages.

He didn't make them sleep in separate areas; Brave Idiot didn't sleep with his pack, but Elise did. It took Fuego a few minutes to realize that was her name. He had actually been confused between Sunshine and Baby Girl.

The Velociraptor still didn't fully understand why these two had come here in the first place. Elise had said it was for the Sick One, but it had gone very badly.

Fuego made a soft chitter as he asked if there was ever any sickness that killed their kind over there. Elise crooned softly as she did her best to sign to Owen who turned surprised when he softly said, "I didn't think you guys would be aware of that."

Short One suddenly shivered her jaws of her knowledge regarding the invisible killer, and Owen glanced to Elise before looking at the raptor almost nervously as he murmured, "Either you're somehow immune, incredibly lucky, or a carrier."

Fuego let out a long sigh at the words he didn't understand before glancing over when Short One nudged him as she chittered that they needed to leave soon to find nests. It was dangerous to stay around humans and the spined one's territory. These two were trustworthy, but she didn't want to stay here for long.

The Alpha only sagged as he glanced at his dead pack mates; he had lost his fire in the ashes of the fight. He didn't think he was a very good Alpha anymore. He didn't have the strength to face the world at the moment, and the raptor finally replied that he wanted to rest a little longer.

Limper was chasing the spined one away, and Elise would scare anything smaller than her; Sick One wasn't getting up.

Elise sagged at the blue male before she crooned at Owen and signed as best she could. The man glanced to the raptors sadly. They had already been struggling, and he doubted they could survive on their own.

The duo had been incredibly well behaved considering the circumstances, but Owen was pretty sure they were too tired to do anything else. Fuego had simply lost his fiery personality, and Short One was sore from crashing through the window.

She had scared the hell out of the guard who unintentionally found her locked in the room. He had been lucky enough to bolt into a nearby closet until the raptor found her way out. Owen had noticed how Fuego hadn't leapt for joy at seeing his pack mate.

Elise had translated that the short raptor had only met the pack today. Owen felt bad for Fuego; he was acting like the girls when Charlie hadn't come home.

Only difference was the girls still had one another. Fuego was left with nothing, and Owen now knew the Alpha hadn't approved of his pack joining this fight.

Short One had simply left to repay the debt to him, but Cheshire and Dawn had followed her. It made sense to the man now; he had wondered why the older female led the attack rather than Fuego.

Owen was sad to say the pack should have listened to Fuego, but he and Elise would have died without the raptors' help.

The man shifted and winced when his leg gave a painful twinge. He knew it wasn't broken, but it hurt too much to put a lot of weight on. Romano had managed to bind it, and Owen had to wait for it to be properly looked at. He would consider it a blessing that he wasn't hurt enough to need medical attention immediately; it meant he wasn't dying.

Things were fairly quiet during the evacuation, but most of the action was at the docks or hospital. The odd group was being left alone, and Elise was ordered to simply guard the broken fence.

Most of the animals had been sedated and caged, the ones who escaped to the jungle were free to go.

Elise wasn't sure how she felt when Hart's half-eaten body was discovered with the Concavenators, and the mother-child duo were now sleeping in their locked paddock. She was sad that the man was gone even if she didn't really know him.

She wanted to know why he felt the need to set all these animals free, including Tacet. The Indominus sighed as she glanced over to the white sheet pressed against the crumbling office building next to them.

That had been Jack, and he died before all of this happened. Owen had briefly left to go wash the blood off his face though he came back pale and sick.

From what Elise understood, Jack had gotten into a fight in the bathroom because Hart was angry at him for some reason.

There had also been a brief fight between a very pretty woman and Lopez. Elise almost had to go assist the man, but the woman had stopped fighting after her hands had been cuffed behind her. Romano had only shaken his head as he quietly told them how she was here to buy Tacet for warfare.

Elise was glad that hadn't happened, and she had overheard Lopez talking about a Yutyrannus she apparently owned. Elise didn't know what that was, but Claire had to be informed of it.

The Indominus glanced over to where Tacet was currently sleeping the world away. She was in a large cage that was a design of BioSyn's. It was meant to hold a Tyrannosaurus, but they had squeezed the Indomitus in. Elise was almost sad to see the cold metal binding her sister, but she would rather see that than the Indomitus breaking free.

There was a large debate on what to actually do with the Indomitus since she had reacted so badly with Elise. They had planned to just take her home, and Owen had immediately dug in his heels on the grounds that they obviously had to protect others from the Indomitus.

They had been tempted to repair the doors to Carnifex's paddock until Lopez had come across the bones.

Apparently Carnifex liked to keep his own collection of trophies not far from his nest. The number of human bones there had made everyone sick. The worst part was they couldn't spare anyone to actually hunt Bridges down after they realized the man was very much alive.

Things didn't look good for Meyers, and it was now obvious that Greene had never made the call. Elise had found herself a little broken at that.

Bridges had fed fellow humans to Carnifex for no good reason, most likely antagonized Smith into chasing him to the Carnotaurus, and fled.

But he came back. Lopez had pestered the Italian for information until Romano almost got into a fight with him because he truly had no idea why the blonde would come back. He just knew the man left with his jeep. Elise had an idea though she didn't voice it.

Bridges was bad who was capable of doing good when he saw the need to.

Maybe he was just more competitive than she had realized and simply brought the Tyrannosaurus all the way over here just to prove he would spare them like she did her butterflies.

Elise wouldn't cross that option out.

The Indominus sighed as she flickered her gaze over to the broken paddock doors that wouldn't be a home to anyone for a while. Officials wanted to recover the bones as well as gather evidence they could in hopes of identifying the bodies.

There was a lot of bodies to recover; Bridges had sent many people to their deaths. The odd part was the similar clothing most of them seemed to be wearing. What clothing that was still intact resembled hunting gear.

Bridges had a very unorthodox way of dealing with poachers.

At the moment, Lopez was simply focusing on getting the injured people out of here, and Short One was getting nervous with all the helicopters coming in and out. Fuego didn't really react to anything at the moment.

The docks had been cleaned as best as it could be, and several people were already on the ship. They were waiting to be taken back home though it couldn't leave without Elise and Tacet.

If Tacet was even going with them.

Elise only knew that she had every intent of making sure Rexy and Sobek were with her if the Indomitus ever went on another rampage like that. She didn't think Tacet would survive the fight, and that made Elise sad.

She felt like it was her fault with how the Indomitus had reacted; she knew she had done something wrong. Granted, Elise had already guessed that Tacet looked to Carnifex for guidance when it came to anything she wasn't familiar with, but she had messed up with camouflaging.

Elise didn't think Carnifex would have accepted her regardless of her scale color since she smelled like a Tyrannosaurus. She shouldn't have startled Tacet by doing that. Maybe the Indomitus would have helped if she hadn't been so suspicious of Elise trying to hide from Carnifex.

Lopez had been furious when he learned that Carnifex wouldn't have gone down with the darts he had. It had been the worst sort of miscommunication error of the night. The Spinosaurus simply needed a stronger type of sedative than they had thought.

Elise glanced up when she heard another helicopter coming in and blinked at how it looked different than the others. It was white and blue rather than the neutral grey.

Owen frowned at it before he said, "That's Claire's helicopter…I didn't think she was coming here."

Elise shivered her jaws in agreement before relaxing again as the raptors continued to lightly doze close to one another. Fuego looked incredibly small when he curled so tightly around himself against Elise's tail like he was afraid to touch anything.

Owen closed his eyes as he rested his head against the injured scales while turning the plastic over in his hands. He had found it not far from the office; a single token of proof that Daemon Bridges had at least one decent cell in his body.

Owen would never again question that Bridges cared for Elise, but he'd also never let the blonde even look at her again.

Simply put, if Owen was given the opportunity to shoot Bridges, he aim where it would be incredibly painful though not fatal.

"Rexy is probably going to kill me when she sees you. I better talk to the girls before you see her."

Elise cracked open her eyes to stare at the man with a shimmer of amusement to color the crimson before she glanced over to Tacet. Maybe Sobek would be willing to help the Indomitus out; she was clearly much more comfortable around Spinosaurus.

She just wasn't sure if the Spinosaurus was feeling very parental at the moment. Elise didn't think so, and that made her nervous.

What if it was a bad idea to bring the Indomitus to Jurassic World?

Elise wondered if Owen had been just as overwhelmed when he first met her. Had he wondered if she was hopeless? He had always been so sure of himself that she assumed no. Owen had immediately established a communications system between them.

Her charisma had failed her because she had mistakenly assumed Tacet would be curious enough to actually get to know her. Wasn't the Indomitus happy to see another of her kind? Or at least one who bore heavy resemblance to her?

It made Elise incredibly sad and lonely at the idea of being rejected by Tacet; she didn't think she was going to get a second chance with her.

The Indominus puffed air through her nostrils as she closed her eyes again. She had to focus on the good things in life or she would drown in the melancholy. Maybe Owen would work another miracle, and she could apologize to Tacet someday.

She could only hope, and the Indominus swallowed as she glanced around. She wanted to go back home to Rexy and Sobek. Elise had thought she was good enough to solve this problem herself, but she had only made it worse.

They should have listened to Sobek and stayed home even though Elise knew these people had needed help. She should have done this differently.

The Indominus _would_ have done it differently, she should have just rejected Carnifex before he could have smelled the Tyrannosaurus in her.

Elise almost groaned as the sharp guilt stabbed her stomach when she realized she should have just let Tacet go back to Carnifex's paddock, but the sound of Owen's gun had already lured the Spinosaurus out. Elise wasn't sure if she would have been able to shut the paddock doors before the male got out.

Elise simply felt that someone else should have done this rather than her. She wasn't even ready to sleep alone, but she was now on a completely different island with a mentally unstable creature.

She should have asked her mother for advice before she left.

She should have just brought Rexy with her.

"Oh my God…Elise, my baby…"

Elise turned her head at the soft, mortified cry, and the redhead ran towards her with heels clicking on the road. Owen startled into pushing himself up as he grimaced and assured the nervous raptors. The duo wasn't comfortable with the newcomer, and Claire let out a shaky breath as she stared at them.

Owen limped over before suddenly crushing her close and burying his face into her neck with a sigh. Claire blinked as she furrowed her brows but wrapped her arms around his neck tightly as she did her best to support the extra weight.

The redhead licked her lips as she blinked a little more so than usual when she quietly choked, "I shouldn't have sent you two here. I am so sorry, Owen. Are you two okay?"

The woman gently pushed her beau back to look at him as she touched his cheek and cut forehead. Owen let out a long sigh as he pulled her close again; he just wanted to hold her. There was something comforting about the silky hair and fruity perfume. He appreciated the soft touches, and he recalled how she had all but mashed Gray's face after finding him in all the chaos of the Aviary assets' attack.

He was glad she figured out how to be gentle; his face hurt a lot.

Fuego suddenly made a soft sound, and Claire pulled back to glance at him as she asked, "Who are you?"

The redhead then glanced at the fallen raptors, and her face fell. Owen was reminded of when they had found the dying Apatosaurus in the bloodstained, torn grass. Claire swallowed, and Owen gestured to the raptors as he said, "Fuego is the Alpha, and that's…Short One next to him. She joined his pack earlier today apparently."

The redhead furrowed her brows as she stared at the cuts and blood staining the scales before she glanced at the other two. Owen shifted more weight onto his uninjured leg as he said, "Dawn is the smaller girl…Carnifex got her, and Cheshire…he got thrown into the labs over there; pipe impaled him."

Claire crossed her arms, and chewed her lips as she stared at the bodies. It was easy to see Dawn's ribs had been snapped clean and the deep puncture wounds formed to match the shape of Carnifex's teeth. Cheshire simply had a gaping hole going through his own ribs; she didn't allow her gaze to linger on the internal organs as she asked, "How did you convince them to join?"

"I didn't. They got caught by some Troodon, and I shot one before I told them to leave. Short One decided to join the fight…without Fuego's blessing."

Claire pinched her face as she sighed at the bodies, and Elise lifted her head when she heard, "Geeze, Elise, I don't think you were this bad when you went on a rampage."

The Indominus made a soft croon as she pressed her face close to the tech-geek who did his best to envelop her face in a tight hug. Lowery didn't care how it looked, and he even pressed his cheek against the snowy scales as he quietly added, "I'm glad you're okay…Jackie will make sure you're fine, and you'll still be pretty."

Elise lowered her head as Lowery continued to lean on her when he glanced over to the raptors. He didn't seem all that surprised to see them, and Claire suddenly asked, "Are they by themselves? Fuego and Short One?"

Owen nodded his head with a sigh, and Claire crossed her arms as she hesitated before turning to face the man when she uncertainly asked, "Do you…I mean…are they going to be okay out there?"

She gestured to the dark jungle, and Owen turned his gaze to the raptors. In all honesty, he wasn't sure, and he stepped closer to the redhead when he answered, "I'm not sure about Fuego…he's not doing much right now, but I think Short One is used to being on her own."

Claire began to play with the hem of her sleeve as she allowed Owen to lean his weight on her before she suddenly said, "I…if it's best for them…and the girls, maybe they can come with us."

Owen raised an eyebrow at her, and Claire gestured to the raptors as she said, "They helped when they didn't have to, Owen. If you think you can handle them, I'll get them tested for prions, and we can move them to Jurassic World. I just don't want to send them into the wild if they aren't going to make it."

The man pressed his lips as he turned back to the duo. Short One was eyeing them warily, and Fuego hardly seemed to notice what was going on. It was hurting Owen to watch the raptor dully stare at the bodies of his fallen pack mates. He wondered if it would make things easier if he covered them with a sheet.

Claire gently squeezed his hand, and Owen sighed, "I don't know if I could work with them. Fuego and I stuck together during the fighting, but he wasn't taking orders from me. I'm sure in his mind we were just two Alphas working together. I don't know what he'll do in the pack; I can't let him in if he's not willing to accept me as Alpha…and I don't know anything about Short One other than she doesn't even listen to Fuego very well."

"…What do they want? They're smart enough to know that…right?"

Owen carefully rubbed his neck before glancing to Elise when he asked, "Fuego have plans for after this?"

Elise shifted slightly as she turned her head to chitter at the raptors, and Short One glanced at the Alpha who didn't reply. The elder cocked her head to give a sharp bark at him before huffing and shivering her jaws at Elise.

Fuego only curled up more tightly as Elise tiredly signed, _'They are going to the valley to rest; start over.'_

"What's _Fuego_ want?"

Elise winced as she shrugged her shoulders, and Owen limped over to the raptor who didn't seem to notice how he struggled to lower himself. The man lightly tapped the scaled shoulder as he called out, "Fuego, eyes on me. Come on, Bud, we need to talk."

Fuego gave a long sigh as he glanced at the human while Elise made her chitters, and the raptor turned away. He had no idea what he had planned after this. He wanted to sleep for the rest of his life. The free world didn't seem so colorful anymore, and he wondered if the sacrifices were even worth it.

There would be no round hatchlings next season.

The raptor finally made a chirp, and Elise signed the short answer. Owen glanced to the ground before he said, "He just wants to sleep…I don't blame him."

Claire chewed her cheek as Lowery continued to lean on Elise when he said, "Just ask them if they want to go live with us. Tell Fuego how it is, and let him decide. It's not rocket science."

Elise finally pulled her lips up into a small smile at the man she called her uncle. She would never take his sarcasm for granted ever again, and she turned back to the raptors as she made her shivering chitters and barks. Short One flexed her claws as she listened attentively, and Fuego finally lifted his head to stare at the Indominus.

Owen slowly sat down in order to get the weight off his leg while Elise gave a thorough explanation while Short One would occasionally give a bark of a question. Claire turned her gaze to where her men were working to clean this mess and glanced back when Elise went quiet.

Fuego rested his head on the white tail as he thought hard about the tempting offer, but Elise's home sounded very odd. There were tall walls that protected them though enough room to run around. Several humans visited the island every day, but they didn't bother the dinosaurs.

It was a very safe place where one never went to nest hungry nor did they need to fear others hurting them.

The Velociraptor was nervous about all the humans; he didn't want to sleep behind cold bars ever again even if it meant he would die sooner. Elise had assured him that her pack slept in a very big nest with her mother who was a powerful one like Limper.

He would have to accept Brave Idiot and Elise as his Alphas, and it sounded like the Beta position had been taken. What if he wasn't accepted there? What if he didn't like it there?

What if Brave Idiot was a poor Alpha who lied about being good to his pack?

Fuego had smelled the females, and they seemed happy.

Fuego glanced at the human who had served as an able companion for the night before he turned to Elise to ask his questions.

Could he hunt when he wanted, sleep where he wished, run as he desired, and never be trapped behind the cold bars? Would he ever have to sleep alone in the dark or did the pack stay together like it was supposed to?

Elise almost snorted in amusement as she answered that the pack was very close knit and happy. Their Beta would never allow them to take away her freedom; if he didn't like it there, then he could come back here.

Fuego blinked at that before glancing over when Short One barked that she wasn't interested in such an odd place. She was born here and intended to die here. She knew the layout of the land and already had a plan to survive the heavy losses from tonight. She would live off Limper's kills until she could find more of her kind.

She had only joined this fight to repay the kindness to the human, but she would never accept him as an Alpha. Short One knew she was too stubborn and set in her ways to adjust to such a different life.

Owen translated Elise's signing, and Lowery raised an eyebrow as he asked, "So she didn't even help to get into your pack?"

The man went silent as he pursed his lips in thought while glancing at Elise, and Owen shrugged his shoulders before Claire finally said, "It's her choice, and I can respect it. She didn't get to be this age by being dumb."

Owen continued to stare at Fuego who didn't seem happy with the decision. He was torn about leaving the only one left of his pack even if he hardly knew her. The man rubbed his sore neck again before jumping at a loud bark in the jungle, and Short One froze with wide eyes.

Fuego looked equally stunned to hear another raptor, and Short One bolted up as she gave a loud series of barks before going silent as she cocked her head to listen. They continued to stare at the broken fence until silvered blue scales trotted a few steps onto the concrete street with some hesitation.

Owen could see it was another male raptor, and he looked much older than Fuego with his muzzle going a deep silver. The male gave another bark, and Short One bolted over with an overjoyed shriek as she tackled the male who hardly faltered under the jubilant greeting. The older male only made soft shivers of his jaw as his face was coated in tender licks, and they pressed their bodies close to one another.

"Who's that?"

Owen glanced at Fuego who didn't seem to know the raptor before he turned to Elise when he asked, "Wasn't Short One looking for her mate when she came across Fuego's pack?"

The Indominus gave a slow nod, and Owen turned back to the affectionate couple as he mused, "He must have heard all the fighting here, probably heard Short One…"

The older couple suddenly made tall leaps as they bounced around one another with loud, joyous barks, and the male took a few steps back to the concealing jungle. Short One made to follow though she turned around to give sharp barks at Fuego to get up and moving.

It was time to go; they were done here.

The crimson eyed raptor slowly sat up as he glanced at everything dully. Elise nudged the male with a tender croon, and the raptor shivered his jaws in a final question.

Was Brave Idiot willing to die for his own pack?

Elise easily answered that he never hesitated to protect his own; it was how he had earned her respect. Even after his Beta had acknowledged a different Alpha, he still protected her.

Fuego glanced at Owen with an unreadable expression though Short One trotted over with an impatient bark that she wasn't staying here any longer. She and her mate were going to the valley of prey to live off Limper's kills like they had with Proud One.

He would find them there if he decided to follow.

The raptor made a small bark of a goodbye; he didn't feel like travelling with Short One any longer. Her decisions had cost precious lives, and he wished to go with a pack that seemed to have life figured out.

Short One wasn't used to a pack structure, she only knew the life with her mate.

The older female made a shiver of her jaws as she bid the oddest group of creatures she ever saw a final goodbye. The elder bumped into her mate happily though Elise called out with a loud croon. Owen raised his eyebrow as his girl made the chitters and barks though they were oddly familiar. He had heard them before, but he couldn't quite place the meaning.

Short One tilted her head before she gave a loud shriek and melted into the jungle with her long lost mate. Owen crossed his arms as he glanced at Fuego when he asked, "So that mean you staying with us?"

Elise nodded, and Fuego made a sudden chitter as he curled up more tightly to prevent the loss of warmth in Short One's absence. The Indominus made a soft croon as she lowered her head, and Lowery rubbed the wounded nose as he said, "I better be off to Control to help out, but I'll keep an eye on you, Elise."

The Indominus gave a sigh of relief as she closed her eyes, and Owen shook his head as he glanced around. Claire briefly stared at the dead raptors before she said, "I'm going to see Tacet."

"I'll go with you, Elise, watch Fuego."

The Indominus didn't reply, and the raptor let out a sigh as he closed his own eyes. Owen didn't think he was going to do anything, and he was grateful when Claire allowed him to lean on her as they walked. Tacet wasn't far from where she had fallen, and Claire glanced behind her to make sure they were out of hearing distance before she asked, "What happened? What went wrong?"

Owen let out a long sigh as they drew closer to the silver scales before he said, "Too many things happened at once, but I thought we could do it. We would have been fine if Carnifex had gone down, but I'm not sure if Tacet was warming up to Elise."

"…So what do we do with her?"

Claire glanced at Owen when he didn't respond, and the man quietly answered, "I don't know, Claire. I never got a chance to talk to her, but Elise says Tacet started the fight; Tacet just got too nervous."

The redhead let out a sigh as she began to chew her lip in thought while they continued their slow walk to the sleeping Indomitus. Owen hated the twisting in his stomach at seeing Tact in a cage, but he was terrified of the Indomitus going on another rampage. Elise has only walked away because Tacet had checked out in the middle of the fight.

She was going to wake up incredibly confused, and Owen sighed; she was hurt, but nowhere near as bad as Elise. He only saw a few wounds that would need stitches.

Rexy was going to kill him when she saw Elise. Owen hadn't been joking when he said that, and he suddenly asked, "How mad is the Big Boss?"

Claire didn't take her gaze off the scales when she answered, "She's actually really sad. She, Sobek, and the girls are waiting by the door Elise left through; they really miss her."

Owen resisted the urge to rub his sore face as they continued to stare at the massive dinosaur before them, and he softly said, "There's no way she'll ever trust me or Elise after this big fight. I just don't know what she's going to do, Claire. I just…"

He paused to lick his lips before he said, "Now I wish Bridges was here, he knew her, but the bastard is long gone. Where can we even put her at home?"

Claire glanced at him in surprise, and Owen gestured to her as he said, "There's no way we can just throw her into Elise's paddock, Claire. We have no idea what Rexy or Sobek will do, the false logs are there, and I don't think the girls will be too keen on her. She's obviously sick, even Fuego calls her Sick One."

The redhead swallowed as she reached out to touch the scales, and Owen raised his brows when Tacet's skin twitched. She should have been too drugged to do anything, and he held in his sigh. Claire only continued to stroke the twitching scales before Owen asked, "What's going to happen to the animals here? Someone else going to take over InGen?"

Claire nodded as she pulled out her handkerchief to wipe a little bit of blood from Tacet's cheek as she said, "Bridges is done, and InGen should have never split from Jurassic World. BioSyn is going to be ruined after this hits the news in the morning; Lucia knew about Tacet. I can't wait to see how all the animal rights groups she supported will react to this…just look at her, Owen…she's sick…"

Claire's voice turned unnaturally soft and incredibly sad as she trailed off while moving to stroke the eye ridge. Owen knew Claire had changed a lot after Elise's rampage, but he was still moved with how tenderly she touched the oblivious animal.

The redhead didn't turn her gaze from Owen when she finished, "I told Judge Knight I'd take any dinosaur BioSyn has, but it sounds like they only have a Yutyrannus and a mated pair of Sinocalliopteryx."

"She can just seize any dinosaur from BioSyn? What if they're not abused? What about the animals _here_?"

Claire kept her hand on the silvered scales when she glanced at Owen as she said, "BioSyn never caught up to us really, and they could never get past the U.S. government when it came to creating dinosaurs in the states. They aren't exactly a spot free company, and they weren't even supposed to have dinosaurs in the first place. It was why they were forced to sell Madre, and Bridges had snagged her first; we didn't know they had more dinosaurs."

"What does BioSyn even do?"

Claire curled her lip slightly as she sighed, "They're infamous for stealing other's ideas and tweaking them just enough to avoid being sued. They have more lawyers than actual workers. Elise and Tacet are a perfect example; there's just enough of a difference between them, and Jurassic World only has rights to the Indominus rex, not the Indomitus rex. InGen created those dinosaurs, not BioSyn; that was how they got passed the loophole."

Owen frowned when he dryly said, "That's splitting hairs."

Claire nodded as she replied, "You'd be amazed at how much of a difference that makes in a court. BioSyn gets away with so much…they should have been shut down after infecting Chile famers with rabies…but they got away with that as well."

Owen gaped at Claire who only seemed to grow sadder when she continued, "I have no idea what they'd do to Tacet, but Judge Knight has pretty much declared war on that company. She's going to beat them into a pulp, and Mr. Graves is going to help."

"He's got beef with them?"

Claire would have laughed if she wasn't so sad with what had happened here, but she nodded as she said, "He actually used to work for them before he was fired for refusing to create false documents; he cost them a hefty lawsuit."

Owen glanced at Tacet when she gave a long sigh before he asked, "Is that why you hired him? You knew he had some morals?"

Claire finally smiled when she said, "I hired him after I found out Bridges couldn't buy him out. Mr. Graves is a really good guy who loves his job. He just wants a good company to work for so he can spoil his grandkids."

Owen couldn't remember the last time he had actually seen the silvering lawyer, and he asked, "Why isn't Judge Knight declaring war on InGen?"

Tacet gave another deep sigh before Claire answered, "Because I'm taking the company; Bridges never had anyone lined up to take over after him, and we can cut off all ties with BioSyn. Hopefully they'll go bankrupt after tomorrow morning's news. We'll figure out what to do with the animals; I'm sure some of them will become small attractions."

"We have to figure out Tacet first…I don't know if it's a good idea to move her to a different island so suddenly, Claire. I don't know how she'll react."

Claire grimaced as she gently touched an angry slash on the Indomitus' face when she asked, "Should we wait for her to wake up and try to explain things?"

The man glanced back to his tought baby as he sighed, "I don't think there's a good choice with Tacet; we might have to do the lesser of two evils here."

"What are you thinking?"

Owen finally caved into leaning against the strong cage, Claire didn't like how tired he looked, and Owen said, "We have to protect others from her, Claire, she's a danger to everyone. If she wakes up here, and she doesn't see Elise or me, then maybe we have a chance of establishing some kind of communication system with her."

He paused when Tacet cracked open her eyes to regard nothing, but Claire gently said, "You're fine, Tacet, it's okay, Honey."

The Indomitus briefly focused her glazed eye onto the redhead before slipping back to sleep, and Owen continued, "If she wakes up in Jurassic World, she'll probably panic at being somewhere completely different. Unless you can put her somewhere close to Sobek or Rexy, I wouldn't do it."

"So they can calm her down?"

Owen licked his lips at the innocent question; he was tempted to simply nod his head, but Claire liked to be told the truth. He didn't want to pretty anything about Tacet because it could cost lives. Claire blinked at him, and Owen quietly said, "I really don't think they'll adopt Tacet like Elise…and Elise can't handle another fight with Tacet."

Claire frowned in confusion, and Owen finally said, "Claire, we haven't figured out how to immediately down animals of this size yet. Our ACU just can't, and I won't let Elise or any more raptors get killed trying to protect guests. I want Sobek or Rexy nearby because they can stop Tacet…but they'll most likely kill her in the process."

" _Absolutely not, Mr. Grady."_

Owen winced at the firm, unwavering tone, and Claire narrowed her eyes as she continued, "Tacet is not a monster that needs to be put down; she's sick. Of all the people who would think of killing her, you-"

The man gently snagged her arm to pull her closer to him as he flickered his gaze over to a lightly dozing Elise. Claire only stopped her scolding because of the sadness that crossed his face, and he softly said, "Elise tried to kill her."

" _What?"_

Owen winced again when he added, "Tacet went after me, and Elise almost broke her neck. I managed to stop her, but I don't think Tacet will ever trust Elise after that. We can't rely on Elise to explain everything because they're just going to get into fights."

Claire flickered her gaze over to Elise before turning back to the silvery scales to think. She continued to chew her lips until she suddenly said, "I'm going to see what her paddock looks like. We can keep her in there until she wakes up, and we'll try again."

The redhead glanced at Owen when she said, "And this is not a permanent solution; Dr. Grant had suggested we use Elise's old paddock if we had to."

"Way too far away from Rexy and Sobek."

Claire furrowed her brows at that, and Owen quietly added, "We just have to plan ahead with Tacet, Claire. We have to plan for another rampage with her because it can easily happen. I just…you even said if you ever had problems with the dinosaurs, you could depend on Rexy."

The redhead reluctantly nodded, and Owen said, "Well, now we have a _massive_ dinosaur with a lot of problems. If you put her on Jurassic World, she has to be near Rexy so she can solve the problem."

He pressed his lips at the angry look from Claire, and he reached out to gently squeeze her hand while saying, "I don't want Tacet to die, Claire. I know she's smart, and I know we can do something with her even if it's just improving her lifestyle."

Owen then gestured to the destruction around him when he added, "But I never want to see this again. I don't want more ACU guards to die, I don't ever want to hear another Velociraptor scream like Cheshire when he died, and I will never forgive myself if Elise gets killed."

The redhead winced as she glanced at the ground. Owen hated how crushed she looked, but he was so relieved that she was willing to hear him out this time. It was a blessing to him, and Claire finally sighed, "If we can make her paddock a little more comfortable, we'll keep her in there until we can figure out what to do with her. In the meantime, I'll have a few vets from home take a chopper here so they can start taking blood samples to test for any diseases."

"Make sure they test Fuego first; he has to stay with Elise or me until we get back home. There's no way the girls will accept him if he doesn't smell like us, and I doubt he'll trust me if he has to stay here alone."

Claire nodded before she looped her arm into Owen's as she said, "I'll go check out the paddock, but I want you to go back to Elise and Fuego to get some sleep. I already know you're not supposed to be walking around on that leg, and Elise is done for the night. I'll come back if I can find you three a better spot to sleep; it's going to be a noisy night."

Owen gave a sigh as they began to walk back to the slumbering, snowy scales as he said, "I have a feeling Fuego won't go if he can't keep an eye on Cheshire and Dawn."

I'll keep that in mind."

The man paused to stare at the sleeping scales when Claire disappeared down the road. Elise hardly acknowledged anything, and he didn't blame her. She hadn't looked anywhere near this bad when she had gone through her rampage. She was incredibly lucky the couple hadn't hit any major arteries.

Romano still had to cauterize several wounds; Owen hated how Elise had whined during that. Fuego had only briefly glanced at them when he smelled the burning flesh. As foul tempered as Derick had made him out to be, Owen was incredibly grateful that the raptor looked to him for a reaction.

Fuego also trusted Romano to a degree. Owen was glad the Italian was coming with them, and Elise promised to tell Sobek how much he had helped her.

Romano wasn't sure if that would deter the Spinosaurus from mauling him or appease him into giving a quicker death. Either way he had no intent of facing the Spinosaurus when he wasn't sedated.

Fuego cracked open a crimson eye when Owen slid onto Elise's arm before letting out a long sigh. The raptor regarded him for a few seconds until Owen patted the ground next to him as he sighed, "Come on, Fuego, it's comfier over here. You're part of the pack too."

The Velociraptor didn't understand the words, but he had an idea of what was said. He turned his crimson gaze over to the siblings he would never hear from again, and he sighed at he pressed closer to the snowy tail.

He was not going to move any further from them than he already had.

It should have been him who had died; his pack was gone, and he was alone.

He had failed.

* * *

Tired, golden eyes slowly opened at hearing a soft coo in the trees above her. It had been a long time since she had actually heard any of the flyers above her nest.

But she wasn't in her nest.

The Tyrannosaurus was briefly confused and even startled when she heard the loud exhale next to her.

She didn't lean on White One during her sleep.

Rexy slowly turned her head before blinking at the long, scarred snout pressed close to her own face. Rude One was fast asleep with a peaceful expression on his face. He hardly looked himself when he slept.

The Tyrannosaurus lifted her head to glance around for her youngling before she remembered why she had even slept here in the first place.

Her youngling was gone, Rude One had helped her find the trail to here, and her daughter wasn't home.

Rexy lowered her head with a large sigh as the world seemed to lose a little color. Her smart daughter was gone, and Rexy didn't know why. She turned her golden gaze to eye the precious oddballs she had come to call her own.

Irritating One would have never left them behind.

The Tyrannosaurus let out a small, soft sound as she shifted more weight onto the rusted dinosaur next to her. She knew her bones were going to ache terribly if she didn't get up soon to patrol, but she was tired.

She felt like she hadn't slept at all.

Rexy sighed as she allowed her eyes to slide shut again; her life was simple. When she was tired, she slept, hungry and she would hunt, bored and she would patrol. She was tired now, and she wished to sleep.

She shifted closer to the warm scales next to her before Sobek shifted to suddenly groom her cheek with a tenderness the world was never privileged to witness. They were comforting swipes and wordless promises to stay until she felt better.

The Tyrannosaurus made a low rumble as she pressed her face close to the warm cheek, and Sobek shifted to rest a clawed hand on her shoulders.

A sharp nip followed by a fierce hiss caused the Spinosaurus to snap his gaze onto the shoulders, and Blue narrowed her fearless gaze at him. He curled his lip at her, but Blue only sprawled as far as she could onto the shoulders.

This was her spot. Ugly One could get touchy with someone else.

Sobek didn't feel like fighting at the moment, and he already knew how much his Wise One adored these little snacks. He would have to leave her be for now, and the Spinosaurus tucked his arm under him again as he pressed his face close to the forest scales with a content sigh.

It had been too long since he had held the company of another female. He recalled the one night he had spent with his only mate; it had been tense at first. He never knew what she would do, and he had assumed she would have left right after the coupling.

They had slept together until dawn, and Sobek recalled how much he had missed the warmth in the nights. He never sought her out again because instinct had warned him of death or a near fatal battle if he bothered her.

Wise One wasn't of his kind, and they certainly weren't mates. Even if they had been of the same kind, Sobek was sure they were both too old to bring forth hatchlings. He didn't like the idea of constantly being with her, like most mates among the powerful ones, because he knew they would annoy each other.

Maybe he could entice her to take naps with him on the quieter days; Sobek liked that idea. He wouldn't have to worry about impressing her, coupling her, and he would be able to get right to the best part of a long, warm nap. They could even squeeze in a good fight somewhere in there.

The Spinosaurus shifted closer before a warning hiss caused him to huff as he opened his eyes.

Any naps with Wise One would have to be without the snacks.

* * *

Owen frowned at the puff of hot air suddenly hitting his face before it paused. He couldn't remember the last time he had been so sore. Had it been after Lilly?

The air puffed onto his face again, and the man finally caved into opening his eyes before freezing at the sight of gleaming ivories inches from his face. The smell was horrendous and familiar though not comforting.

Velociraptor.

"Fuego?"

The crimson eyed raptor cocked his head to glare at him as if he disapproved of this _loafing_ around when the sun had graced the world with a new day. There were things to be done, prey to be hunted, nests to be built, and his two, new Alphas actually had the audacity to sleep?

The world wasn't going to pause just because they were a little sore, and the raptor gave a sharp bark.

He was hungry, thirsty, and very unimpressed with what he had to behold when he awoke.

Alphas always woke up first, and Fuego himself had always woken a few hours before the sun rose just so he could make sure no late night dwellers would try to harm his nests.

The raptor let out a low growl when Owen started to fall asleep again, and he lashed his tail. If he was to join this pack, there were going to be some big changes.

Starting right now.

"Hey!"

Owen startled when the raptor suddenly snapped his jaws into the torn pants before easily dragging him across the wood shaving bed and towards the doors. They had ended up moving to Sobek's home during the night; it was warmer and much quieter.

Fuego had decided to leave Cheshire and Dawn's bodies after the eyes had milked over and muscles became too stiff to move. Claire had ordered her own to make sure the bodies were handled with care until they could be buried alongside Charlie.

It was the least they could do for them.

"Fuego! What the hell?!"

The raptor continued to growl as he dragged the flustered, tired man towards the massive door that had been shut in the night to prevent disturbances. Owen hadn't thought Fuego was going to be a disturbance, and he wasn't sure if he should feel happy or irritated that the raptor didn't seem to be grieving anymore.

Considering how the raptor had the decency to at least drag him by the uninjured leg, Owen decide to be happy. It didn't stop the man from exasperatingly asking, "Did you ever pull this with your pack? Fuego? Bud, I got two legs."

The raptor didn't reply, and the man simply sighed as he accepted his fate. Fuego was only walking, and the ground wasn't very hard. The only annoying part was all the wood shavings that were starting to collect under his shirt, but he wasn't in the mood to fight the determined raptor on a mission.

"I feel like you've done this before, Bud."

Fuego continued to drag Owen at his content pace, and the man sighed, "Can I at least get a good morning? Blue at least had the decency to do that much before tackling me."

"Owen?"

The Velociraptor finally paused to glance at the bewildered redhead blinking at the sight, and Owen lifted his head off the wood shavings to say, "No, I don't know what he's doing."

Claire blinked again, and Fuego resumed with his mission of making something useful out of this Alpha. Claire wasn't sure what she was supposed to do with seeing Owen being dragged along like a ragdoll. She had actually thought Owen was dead with how limp he was.

"Well…does he want to go out?"

Owen's arms stretched past his head when he shrugged, "I have no idea, Claire. I'm sure he'll tell me when we get there."

Claire slowly nodded as she shut the door behind her before Elise suddenly lifted her head with a low sound. She looked very tired, but the Indominus made a soft croon at seeing Claire walking over with a gentle smile on her face.

She had been up all night helping yet not a single hair was out of place. Elise usually didn't care what Claire looked like, she was always the same, beautiful mother to her, but it made her feel better to see Claire looking perfect as always.

It helped add a sense of normalcy; it made Elise feel like things were going to be okay.

"Hey, Sweetie, are you feeling a little better?"

Elise actually felt incredibly stiff, and she chittered that to her human mother who smiled as she reached over to stroke the dirtied scales. They didn't have a shower room here, and the duo glanced over when Fuego shifted Owen's leg to his claws when he snarled at them. Claire raised her eyebrow though Elise only snorted at the raptor.

She caught Claire's questioning gaze, and the Indominus shifted the shavings away to reveal the soft dirt and wrote, _'HE SAID WE STIFF BECAUSE WE LAZY AND IT TIME TO HUNT'_

Owen sighed when Claire read it aloud, and he snapped, "Fuego, you have got to learn the difference between lazy and injured."

Elise chittered that to the raptor who snarled that if Brave Idiot was any kind of a decent Alpha, he'd shrug off the little scratches to lead the hunt for their pack. He wasn't missing any limbs nor was he bleeding. He obviously felt well enough to complain, so he was well enough to hunt.

Elise let out a long sigh as she wrote the words down, and Fuego resumed with dragging the tired man to the doors. They were almost there when Claire had to laugh at the feisty raptor, and she said, "Owen, I think Fuego just might be a like Blue."

"I figured that out when he decided to face two Troodon by himself. Fuego you can't just drag me all the way to the damned valley. Let me up."

Claire pressed her lips when she said, "Owen, I'm pretty sure that's what he's going to do, but I really need your help. Tacet got done eating a while ago."

She turned to Elise when she added, "Think you can convince Fuego to let Owen go for an hour or so? I know it's important to hunt, but we have defrosted meat here that he can have if he wants."

Elise shifted slightly as she translated that to the Velociraptor, and Fuego finally let go of Owen's leg at the door when he replied that he was a capable hunter who was more than skilled enough to bring down his own kills provided he had able pack members with him.

Fuego glanced at the human still on the ground before adding that he'd fall over dead if Brave Idiot actually caught something, but he wasn't going to the valley alone. Brave Idiot was to keep him company.

The Indominus shifted as she chittered that Owen had to stay here to help his mate; she was the Alpha of the entire island where they lived. They had to listen to her.

Fuego flicked his tail as he glanced at the redhead.

An entire island? _All of it?_

He wasn't sure if he wanted to figure out how she managed to lay claim over all the land far away unless it was full of weaklings, but Brave Idiot wasn't weak. He was lazy about starting the day, but it took guts to fearlessly face off the spined one by himself.

Owen finally pushed himself up as the wood shavings emptied from his shirt, and he rolled his eyes at the nice pile. He was definitely sore, but it felt good to stand up as long as he didn't put a lot of weight on his leg. The man only glanced back over to the raptor when he began to claw at the door in hopes of opening it.

He knew what that meant if Blue taught him anything; it was time to start the day, and God help any fool dumb enough to stand in the way. Owen rubbed the back of his neck when he asked Elise, "Baby, can you please just tell Fuego we have to stick around here until it's time to leave?"

Elise narrowed her eyes at the man who knew perfectly well that wasn't going to work. She could already tell she had a better chance of convincing Sobek to become a passive monk than telling Fuego they had to sit in here all day.

In this very boring room with only wood shavings for entertainment.

Elise rose with a sigh as she shoved herself up and limping over as she chittered that she would go with him. They would have to stay close, but she would rather Fuego pace around outside rather than drive them up a wall.

She didn't think it would do Fuego any good to be cooped up here, and she wasn't sure if she believed how easily he had brushed off his pack's destruction. Even Blue would occasionally talk about Charlie still.

A half night of sleep was enough for the Velociraptor to get over the only family he had ever known? The family he fought Carnifex for?

Elise didn't think so, and she paused next to Owen to write, _'HE HAS TO KEEP HIMSELF BUSY WE WONT GO FAR'_

Owen eyed the angry wounds coating his tough baby as he pressed his lips. He really didn't want Elise to do anything more than rest even if it meant Fuego had to be a little lazier than what he was used to.

On the other hand, Owen knew Elise wouldn't push herself. If she wanted to rest, she would have, and her eyes were clear.

He just knew she wouldn't be able to handle another fight, and he finally said, "Stay close, and if you think Carnifex is nearby, you come right back, understand?"

Elise garbled softly as she pressed her face close; she didn't think she would be going far, and she trusted Owen to keep Tacet inside her paddock.

She wanted a few minutes to be away from here. She missed Sobek, and she could still smell the Spinosaurus' scent, and she didn't want to see the blood staining the concrete.

Elise didn't like the feeling in her gut when she thought about how close she had come to dying.

How close Owen had come to dying.

The Indominus refused to shiver at the thought that made her blood run cold; it could have easily been Owen who had died rather than Cheshire or Dawn. She didn't want to think about that at the moment, and a sharp bark from Fuego distracted her from such thoughts.

She really wanted to get to know the Velociraptor as well.

* * *

"Miguel, you're a lifesaver, I knew I could count on you."

Bridges ran a hand through his dirty hair as he listened to the accented voice's reply, and he gave a small laugh as he said, "You know me, gotta go out in style. I had the dinosaurs, explosions, guns, and the pretty lady."

He shifted to glance at the cement walls as the weak lightbulb flickered before he added, "Even came back to save the damsel in distress. It's just too bad I didn't get a kiss from her before I bolted."

He smirked at the laugh on the other end before raising an eyebrow when he replied, "Lucia? Nah, another pretty lady, Miguel. You know me, I always have more than one on my sleeve."

Bridges shifted on the thin mattress beneath him; he had never slept so well in his life before. All on a single mattress that wasn't fit to be in the cheapest of motels.

He wondered how well Elise had slept if she was even alive. The news was having the greatest of times in using the world's favorite dinosaur to promote more views to their channel. Some were almost laughable, others downright tragic, and a few actually believable.

Of course he hadn't heard any of them until he got ahold of Miguel, a Spaniard who was a longtime friend of his.

Bridges had earned more than a few favors with him.

The blonde glanced to the phone with a raised eyebrow when he dryly said, "Really? Dying in Owen's arms? That one is incredibly cliché, and hardly accurate. The man was pinned under rubble last I saw. Anything on me?"

Bridges was very pleased with the rumors spewing on him. He had expected the absolute slander and lies, but he was happy with the confusion on whether or not he was dead.

Most channels were reporting his death, and that was perfectly fine with him. Half the deaths were ridiculous, the worst one being Elise had actually eaten him, and he wasn't sure how he felt about that one.

"Suicide? I'm not that cowardly, Miguel."

Bridges snorted at the reply before asking, "When can I expect you in all honesty? I'd love to get out as soon as possible, but I know we have to be smart about this. I'd hate for you to look bad in any way."

The man glanced down at his once shiny shoes when he replied, "I'm sitting right next to one, but it's got a clear landing; northeast of the damned mess, and east of the valley. …Yes, the one I stopped building around, it's the only one within a tower's range. How long?"

Bridges glanced at the shelves of old bunker food and stale water; he hadn't kept this place up in all honesty. That was one plan he hadn't concerned himself with, but he sighed, "I won't start to get concerned until three days I suppose. I'm not sure how thoroughly those people will look for me, but it's Elise's nose that concerns me. …No, I covered the jeep and disabled the tracker; it's not that hard to do."

The man wandered his eyes over the food, it was sparse, but it wasn't like he was going to be doing anything strenuous. Bridges was pretty sure he was going to sleep the days away if he was allowed to. He turned his attention back to the phone as he dryly snorted, "Oh please don't get judgmental with how I dealt with my poachers. You're just jealous that I had a dinosaur to do it. …Yeah right, you don't fool me, Miguel, I know exactly why you keep all those boars at home. You're shameless with who you feed them, and then you go donate the butchered pig to the Church soup kitchen. I hope the Pope doesn't get invited over for dinner."

Bridges laughed at the retort before he wiped his eye as he said, "That's right, I forgot it was the people who don't repay the debts that get invited to dinner. I can't believe no one has caught on yet, but by that time I'll be in a position to bail you out, hmm?"

The blonde sighed a chuckle as he glanced over to the locked door before he said, "I'll see you in three days then…no, I look like hell, Miguel. I'm good, but I'm not that good. Look, I managed to keep my shoes and pistol, I think I did pretty damn good considering."

The man snorted when he bid a farewell to the old friend before tucking the phone in his pocket. It was close to dying now, and he sighed as he relaxed back onto the dirty mattress. This blockhouse was one of the first buildings he had constructed before they had quit due to the unstable ground, and Sobek constantly attacking.

The blockhouse had served more as protection for the construction workers for when the Spinosaurus would come harass them. Bridges had finally given up on this area; he had built as far north as Sobek had allowed them to go.

The snitching bastard actually had the audacity to betray him. Bridges couldn't believe Sobek of all things would be the cause of his demise.

At least he was still alive, and the voices had been unusually silent. He glanced to the corner of the room to see the shadow sulking angrily, and he had no idea why.

Growls was acting different, and that made Bridges nervous.

The man gave a sigh as he rolled over to sleep. He had slept as long as he wanted, but another nap would never hurt. Romano had always pestered him about getting more sleep, so he would catch up right now.

Bridges knew he was tired when the flat, hard mattress was actually comfortable to him. He wondered if Meyers lived. What about Romano? Owen?

Elise? Bridges hoped she had lived, she was the most precious one who he was actually invested in.

Romano…he worked hard to avoid investing himself in the Italian. He still cared about the man, he would never forget him, but Romano hadn't seen the very worst of what he had done.

He felt like Elise had some idea of what he had done in his life; the people he had hurt, the lives ruined, and the blood staining his hands.

He wasn't a good man, and Bridges had stopped trying to tell himself that he was.

He was a human.

Bridges wasn't sure how long he had dozed for before a harsh knocking suddenly pounded on the locked, impermeable entrance hard enough to actually shake it. He nearly fell out of the bed in his haste to snatch up the pistol in order to point it at the door as he breathed heavily.

There was no way they had already found him; there was just no way.

Unless Elise had fared better in the fight than he had thought. He glanced at Growls who only continued to glare at nothing, and Iudex snarled at him to remain as absolutely quiet as possible. Bridges silently agreed as he walked over to press his ear against the cold metal only to hear nothing. No cars, talking, he couldn't hear anything from this sudden intruder.

The man nearly fell back when the door almost shuddered under another round of harsh pounding; he had never heard anyone knock like this before, but he wasn't about to let them in.

Bridges pressed his lips as he continued to hold the pistol before going over to the one of two, simple periscopes located in the corner of the room. It wasn't anything fancy, but it did provide a nice way to see what was outside. There was one to see the front of the blockhouse and one for the back.

He was incredibly confused as to why he wasn't hearing anyone yelling for him to come out if they knew he was in here. Were they waiting for him to make a move? That didn't make sense to him either.

Any ACU guard would have demanded he come out with his hands up and weapon discarded. Granted, all they would get to hear would be a single gunshot to act as a big, fat 'no'. Bridges wasn't going to jail. He wouldn't have committed suicide back there, but he was a trapped rat now.

There was no way he would be able to buy himself out of trouble after those bodies had been discovered. Bridges just knew it; he'd sooner bite the literal bullet than take his chances in court. It wasn't like the end result would be any different.

A bullet by his own hand or the death penalty? He was going to die either way, and he'd at least die a free man here on his island.

Bridges sighed as he grabbed the handle to the periscope in order to manually push it up; it was the cheaper version, and the lenses would have scratched had it been left to wear in the unforgiving weather.

He grunted when it resisted being pushed up, and he furrowed his brows when it moved up slightly before being shoved back down.

"What?"

Iudex growled at him, and Bridges gritted his teeth as he gave a harsh shove up; there was probably a branch or something stuck on top of it. He paused to catch his breath before shoving up once more, and startling at how easily it suddenly slid. The blonde blinked a few times before peering in to see no branch in the periscope's point of view.

He had probably knocked it off behind him, and the man raised an eyebrow at the nothing he was looking at. There was no one in his line of sight, not even the covered jeep had been disturbed. He would have at least expected the jeep to be uncovered.

Bridges raised his brows in confusion as he made to pull the periscope back down before huffing when it resisted.

"What the hell?"

The man only jumped when it suddenly slammed down with a loud clang. He didn't think he had yanked that hard, and he rubbed the back of his neck as he walked over to the other periscope to see what was going on in the back.

Nothing, and Bridges grew annoyed with how he wasn't able to turn it very far. He had wondered if something was stuck on the other one, but he didn't know what could be stopping this one from turning. Even with little maintenance, these things were supposed to last a very long time.

They had been made to survive the worst of conditions; it was a blockhouse for the love of everything. These were supposed to outlast his own lifetime.

So why the hell weren't they cooperating with him?

Bridges sighed as he fought yanking it down before flinching again when it suddenly slammed. He wasn't understanding this, and now he was incredibly curious as to what was actually out there. He really couldn't see anyone or anything; he knew how to pick Elise out of the jungle like he could the Carnotaurus.

A quick peek wouldn't hurt. Even Iudex himself was curious as to what was out there. If worse came to worse, Bridges would just shoot himself.

He didn't have anything to lose except for the last laugh and thrill of thumbing his nose.

The blonde undid the locks as quietly as he could before opening the door slowly as he glanced around the empty clearing. He could see the weather worn helicopter pad to the side of the house. It wasn't very pretty to see a blockhouse right next to the pad, but Bridges had been forced to place safety over aesthetics.

Bridges grew incredibly confused when he didn't see or hear anything even after he stepped out. He was half tempted to call out, but narrowed his gaze as he glanced around.

He had heard knocking, he was sure of it. Bridges knew he had been through an incredibly stressful situation, but it was over now. He had even gotten a nice night of undisturbed sleep.

The blonde had never hallucinated knocking, and he had no idea why he would. He saw the door shake under the harsh pounding, he knew someone had been here.

Maybe they had been running from something, but why hadn't they yelled? He had heard knocking not the door being tugged on.

He let out a sigh as he stood there, whoever had been here was gone. It was nice to see the morning sun rising to greet the day, and he paused to admire the beauty of it. When was the last time he had appreciated the sunrise?

It had been too long, and he intended to admire them from here on out. He could handle three days of blissful silence and long naps. He would hardly eat if he slept long enough, and the blockhouse was pleasantly cool despite the heat.

Bridges sighed as he took a few steps to look around for any sign of him being here. He knew the jeep was a giant giveaway, but he didn't know what else to do with it besides bury it in the branches. He felt he had done a good job, and he glanced at the hard ground.

He didn't leave any foot prints, and he sighed. It would be better if he stayed inside to prevent his scent from lingering here. Elise was the one he had to watch out for.

The blonde turned back to his bunker house before letting out a startled yell at the light jungle scales suddenly in front of him, and he huffed as he took a step back when they made innocent chirps.

"Stupid compys. Get going!"

The chicken sized creatures blinked at him as one made another chirp before Bridges aimed his pistol at the larger of the two. He really wanted to just blow its head off, but he didn't want to risk anyone hearing him.

He settled for throwing a small rock instead.

The duo made startled chirps as they scattered in opposite directions. Bridges lowered his brows when one darted past the helicopter pad before startling when the other made a loud shriek. He blinked at the bushes it had disappeared into before walking over to investigate for himself.

The brush wasn't very tall or thick so he assumed the stupid thing had tripped over itself. Bridges kept a careful eye on his surroundings as he pulled the leaves away and paused.

It was a large hole that the compy had run right into, and he pressed his lips at the bottom until curiosity got the better of him. He glanced around once more before peering in, and his eyes went wide.

It was a massive cavern, and he mentally smacked himself. He couldn't believe he had forgotten there were caves here, he had even read the reports taken from the indigenous people who used to live here. They had called the cavern system something odd that he couldn't quite recall off the top of his head.

The blonde rose with a sigh as he held his pistol; he just knew this hole hadn't been here the last time he had visited this area. He had called off the construction after losing an incredibly expensive, and brand new, backhoe not far from this area. It was still in one of the caves here as the amount of time and money require to retrieve it was more or less equal to simply buying another one.

Bridges leaned over to glance in the hole again in search of the compy, and it seemed there were two ways to fall in. Either roll down the steep hill that had managed to form, or fall right down.

The blonde preferred to go back to his thin mattress, and he curled his lip as he sighed. It was probably a good idea to avoid leaving the blockhouse

He just wanted to know what had been knocking so hard.

Bridges turned around with another sigh before freezing at the harsh puff of air coming from above him. The blonde snapped his gaze up in time to see the scarred scales to land hard in front of him, and a flash of sharp teeth snapped just a little too close to his face. Bridges snarled as he stumbled back before shrieking when he lost his footing in the ledge of the hole.

The pistol slipped from his fingers when he suddenly fell down until Bridges snagged himself on the ledge, and he wheezed as he went wide eyed at seeing the hard muscles bunch to leap at him. The blonde flinched into letting go and yelled loudly as he rolled down the steep rock.

Bridges couldn't tell what way was up or down as the wind was knocked from his lungs before he was suddenly falling again. He braced for the hard landing, but he never expected the agonizingly sharp pain in his leg that caused him to screech when his body managed to sharply pivot on whatever his leg was caught on.

His vision went hazy as he briefly regarded the bloodied stalagmite before he turned his gaze to the only source of light above him. It seemed so far away, and the man dazedly blinked at the old dinosaur peering at him with irritation until he passed out from the shocking pain.

A damned Velociraptor had gotten him.

* * *

Short One made a huff of annoyance as she stared at Dead One; now he was out of her reach, but she had to get him. White One had promised her a good chunk of meat if he was brought to her alive. The elder was perfectly fine with hunting for herself until she had caught the stench of decay.

White One had warned her about this human's craftiness, but Short One was just a little sharper when it came to hunting humans. They always fell for the pounding on their little caves, and she had no idea why. It had been incredibly easy to learn after all her years of watching the ones who trespassed Proud One's home frequently.

They always smacked the solid entrance to the cave or made a shrill sound with their mouths, but she had yet to perfect that call. Regardless, she had learned an easy way to lure the humans from their caves. It was why she had never learned to actually open the entrances to the caves.

Humans were the dumbest prey she had ever met, and Dead One was no different when it came to the hard smacking of the entrance; all she had to do was hit her forelimbs against it. She would admit he had taken a little longer to come out than most, but all prey who knew it was being hunted usually did.

It was why she had cleverly hidden herself on top of the odd cave, but she had startled when the odd thing had suddenly poked its head up. She had tried pushing it down before yanking up or holding it to stop it from turning.

It didn't taste like anything alive despite its moving.

Now she was faced with this annoyance of trying to get Dead One back up here, and the raptor narrowed her gaze as she peered into the cavern more deeply. She was pretty sure he was still alive somehow though it seemed his leg had been impaled by the pointed rocks that grew from the ground. She could hear the ragged breathing.

It was why her old pack had called these dangerous caves Dead Caves. It reeked of death, there was nothing but suffering in those caves. Maybe it was for the best for Dead One to be in there, but she wanted the food White One promised in exchange for the walking corpse. She had worked this hard to find him, she might as well finish the job.

A throaty croon caused the female to lift her head up to regard the silvered scales. She chirped at her mate who held the dead, fat scavenger in his mouth as he made another low croon while puffing his chest out.

He had always shown off for her no matter how many seasons they had seen together, and Short One made a shiver of her jaws as she stood tall, waiting to be impressed by her handsome mate. Even in his old age he was still appealing to her, and she cocked her head when he made an impressive leap in the air in order to smack the branches all while he kept the prey in his mouth.

Short One made a turn as she chirped at him, and the older male gracefully trotted over as he made a constant growling that he knew she loved.

Her handsome mate stood just as tall as the day they met, and he lowered his jaws to offer the kill to her like he always had. Short One crooned softly as she took half the prey before they swallowed the tender meat. In her younger days, she had taken all he offered, but times were harder now.

She never wished to be separated from Handsome Mate again.

The male shivered his jaws as he made another throaty growl when he suddenly darted down the trail with a mischievous gleam in the scarlet eyes. He lashed his tail playfully as he made a deep croon, and Short One purred as she eyed her male.

He wanted to go to the valley now and be done with humans for a while. They could always hunt more later, but he wasn't in the mood to be risking their lives for one that smelled like it had died and rotted in the hot sun.

Short One peered into the hole once more to regard the unmoving human and glanced back when her mate a throaty purr as he puffed his chest out. _He_ wanted to be the male she focused on right now, not the smelly human.

The female finally threw her head back with a trill as she lunged at the male she had spent almost her entire life with. She had missed this playfulness between them, the naps in the warm sun, and the talking. She had felt empty at losing her mate, but he was back now. She wished to spend time with him again.

She could always come back for Dead One when it was convenient for her, but for now she had an incredibly handsome male who was eager to please her with a good hunt.

Life was never better than that.


	83. Chapter 83

**A/N**

 ***Warning for a darker chapter!***

* * *

 _At times_ _redemption_ _can only be sought through isolation. -_ _Chirag Tulsiani_.

* * *

"Repentance."

"So, how do we do this?"

Owen raised his eyebrows when he corrected, "You mean, how do _you_ do this, Claire. There's no way she's going to talk after all the shooting I did last night. She knows I aimed at her face."

Claire almost looked panicked as she stared at him, and Owen added, "Claire, she is not Elise, and we can't forget that. Elise was out for revenge when I stopped her, I was trespassing in Tacet's territory last night. I was in the wrong with her."

The redhead didn't look comforted by that as they stared at the almost too silent walls before them. Lowery had managed to activate a dead camera in there, and they weren't sure what to do with the Indomitus simply staring at the corner of the paddock. The tech-geek admitted it was almost just as bad as watching her scrape her tongue and nose raw with licking and chewing the walls.

"What do I do? I don't know how to work with raptors, Owen, just Rexy."

Owen scratched his goatee as he raised his brows; it was still pretty impressive to work with a Tyrannosaurus. He understood her point though, Claire knew Rexy, and he finally said, "Tacet doesn't act like a Velociraptor, at least not with what I saw from her, but this is her nest. I don't know how territorial she'll be with you."

The man ran a hand through his hair in thought before he said, "Don't turn your back to her, and don't get too far from the door. You can't give ground to her, but you have to be respectful because you are in her territory. Keep eye contact always, and don't yell. I remember Elise saying how loud noises overwhelm her."

"…What if I mess up?"

Owen furrowed his brows as he tried to come up with something comforting, but he eventually said, "Well…you can't mess up nearly as bad as we did yesterday. Just don't make any promises you can't keep, Claire, okay? I know animals aren't your forte, but…you're more than smart enough to figure it out."

The woman nodded as she walked over to the door before the wrist communicator crackled, and Lowery quietly said, "She's in the far corner, Claire…all ten steps for her. She hasn't done anything much after eating."

Owen was glad the Indomitus had already eaten, and he said, "If you see any leftover meat, don't you dare walk over to it. Just about any animal is possessive of food they already claimed."

The redhead gave another nod as she made to walk in before Owen suddenly said, "Wait, take this."

The redhead raised an eyebrow at the partially melted plastic, and Owen explained, "It's what's left of your flare. I have no idea how Bridges got ahold of it, but he used it to bring Limper here. Maybe it's still got some luck in it."

Claire turned it over in her hands as she wondered if Bridges had good intent with bringing the Tyrannosaurus over here, and she had been happy to see the proud creature on the cameras.

Everyone had pictured a crippled Tyrannosaurus, but the dinosaur was hardly that.

"Dr. Romano decided to name him after Alexander the Great…I like the name."

Owen couldn't help his dry snort as he replied, "How about Alexander the Punctual? He arrived in the nick of time."

"Alexander the Brave."

"Alexander the Cutting-it-Close."

Claire gave a small smile as she tucked the flare cap into the pocket of her jacket before walking inside feeling nervous. She made sure to keep the door open just in case.

The redhead glanced up to the open sky, grateful for the light, before she turned her gaze to the silvered scales at the far end of the room. Tacet hadn't even noticed her intrusion, and it was a little unnerving to see her looking so blank. The redhead wasn't even sure how to grab the dinosaur's attention, but she didn't want to walk all the way over there.

She had to keep herself safe even if it meant trusting Tacet less; Claire just wanted the baby to get better. She wanted to know who Tacet was.

"Tacet?"

Claire tried not to flinch when the blooded eyes immediately snapped onto her with an unreadable expression. She had never realized how much emotion Elise carried in her eyes until now.

Simon had always said one could tell how happy an animal was by looking at their eyes, but she couldn't tell anything with Tacet. Was she angry? Surprised?

She tried not to shift uncomfortably as she tried, "Honey, why don't you come over here so…" Claire trailed off when she realized she couldn't say talk because Tacet wasn't a talker. The Indomitus began to tilt her head, and Claire added, "I can look at those wounds on you. I want to make sure you're okay."

Claire really hoped she hadn't just messed up right now; Elise was always incredibly sharp when it came to reading people. She questioned their motives, read their emotions, and smelled what the heat on their body was doing.

Tacet continued to tilt her head until it was completely sideways, and Claire wasn't sure what to make of it. Tacet had to be thinking something as she was watching her, and the redhead resisted the urge to start blabbering just to break the silence in the room.

Maybe Tacet liked silence, but Claire just couldn't see how she would like it.

There was nothing in this room aside from a fresh bed of wood shavings that had been disturbed by large feet slightly dragging across them.

The Indomitus suddenly began to walk towards her, and Claire had to work hard to stop herself from jumping at the movement. Tacet was unpredictable, and the redhead did her best to read the body language.

Tacet didn't seem tense, and Claire took that as a good sign while she tried to relax her body.

It was a little surprising to see the Indomitus stop just out of reach like a line had been drawn; Claire tried not to frown as she resisted the urge to glance at the ground. She was just out of Tacet's reach, and she wondered if Bridges had trained the Indomitus to do that.

It was nice to have her space, and Claire softly said, "Hey, Honey, it's nice to see you, I hope I'm not bothering you."

Tacet waved her tail gently as she tried to place this soft voice that didn't hurt her ears. Has there been a gentle touch with them? She swore there had been, and she was confused as to why she was back in here.

Where was Kind One and White One? The last thing she recalled was getting very angry at the latter for hurting her and her mate. Maybe this human would be nice enough to tell her, and the Indomitus lowered her head to get a better look.

She had never seen her before, and that made Tacet a little nervous. She wasn't sure if she wanted this human to stay in here for very long, but the redhead suddenly said, "I really want to talk to you for a few minutes if that's alright with you. I just want to make sure you're okay, that's all."

This human was concerned about her? That was nice, but Tacet still didn't want to talk because it made her nervous. What if she messed up and did something wrong or bad? The Indomitus took a step back, and Claire put a hand up as she said, "They're just simple yes or no questions, and then I'll leave you be if you want. I have a way that you can talk to me by using your hands. It's called Sign Language."

Tacet waved her tail nervously; that was a lot of pressure with this stranger she didn't know. She didn't want to mess up, she wanted to go back to simply being. It was nice and quiet in here, but she gave her attention to the redhead when she said, "Watch me, this means yes."

Tacet watched the human close her hand before knocking on the air. Claire lowered her hand when she added, "And this means no."

The Indomitus tensed as she watched the fingers move like a little mouth closing. Claire lowered her hand again when she said, "Do you understand that?"

Tacet's eyed widened slightly when she realized it was her turn to do something with this human. Did she understand that? Tacet supposed she did, but she forgot what the yes motion was. The Indomitus cringed when she realized she had messed up, and the worst part was she knew she had seen those signs before.

Bad Smell had already tried this with her several times, she was sure of it.

Claire paused at the panicking emotion in the blooded eyes, and she realized her mistake. She raised her hands as she gently said, "Tacet, Honey, it's okay. I went too fast, and that's not your fault. You're fine, and I'm not going to get mad."

The Indomitus let out a long breath as she waved her tail; she did feel a little bit better at knowing this human was a patient one. Bad Smell was usually patient as well, but she could smell the frustration on him when she would forget. He would usually just leave after a while.

This was just the first forgetting she had done with this human; it was going to be a long day. Tacet didn't like doing stuff like this.

She wanted to go back to the lush fur in Kind One's territory where he would protect her, but a small part of her said they weren't supposed to be together anymore now that they had coupled.

Other instincts said she was supposed to find a life mate, and Tacet wasn't sure what she was supposed to be. Now she was confused because she had thought she was like Kind One, but she wasn't.

She was like White One, and she didn't want to be. She looked odd, and the idea of being able to change colors like White One was scary to her.

The Indomitus paused as she tried to recall what White One was, and it was right there in the back of her mind. It was bad, and smelled like Bad Smell.

"Tacet? Honey?"

The Indomitus turned her attention back to the human; she didn't want to be around humans right now. Just Kind One.

Claire furrowed her brows in concern, but she said, "I'll show you something easier with just using your head. This mean's yes." Claire nodded her head once, and she asked, "Do you understand that?"

It was such an odd motion to Tacet, but she recalled the very few humans she had seen doing that when they talked. It was easy to know what they were saying, Tacet just found most of their voices annoying, and she didn't know how to talk back to them.

It had been so nice to hear Kind One's gentle hisses, and it had been even better with being able to talk back to him. This…head nodding thing wasn't talking, but Tacet gave a single nod because she did understand that.

Claire gave an excited smile as she lit up, and Tacet paused at that; she never saw Bad Smell get that happy around her before. All she had done was a simple nod, and Claire happily said, "I knew you would, Tacet. You're a really smart girl."

As Tacet recalled, she was actually a good girl, but she liked this human enough to allow it to slide this time. Claire continued to smile as she said, "And this means no."

The Indomitus watched the human give a shake of her head, and she supposed she could do that as well. Claire asked if she understood that much, and Tacet nodded her head.

It was sort of nice to have this little talk, but Tacet wasn't in the mood to get much more complicated than this. She had a feeling this human wasn't done talking to her though, and she let out a long breath when Claire asked, "Are you feeling okay?"

Tacet was actually feeling a little annoyed with this… _socializing,_ but she nodded her head in hopes of getting the human to go away. She wouldn't hurt her because she had been incredibly kind to her.

The Indomitus simply didn't want to do much with humans if she could help it. She wanted more of her own kind. Tacet paused to think as she reminded herself that White One was of her kind; she wanted more of Kind One's kind.

Or to be alone.

Claire raised her eyebrows in surprise though she said, "I…I'm happy to hear that. Are you sure you're not hurting too badly after last night? Tacet…that big fight…that wasn't supposed to happen."

Tacet blinked at the woman. What fight? Had Kind One and White One fought? Where had she been? Why hadn't she helped her mate?

How'd she end up back in here? It was hurting her head and making her nervous; Tacet didn't like it. She didn't want to talk anymore, and Claire frowned at the confusion clouding the eyes.

"Tacet…do you…remember the fight?"

The Indomitus took a step back as she shook her head, and Claire blinked as she tried to think of a reply. Tacet shifted nervously because she didn't understand what was going on. Had she missed something really important? There had been blood?

White scales and loud bangs? Her neck did hurt, but hadn't that been from Kind One making his mark on her during their coupling?

Claire opened her mouth before slowly asking, "Do you…remember meeting a white dinosaur who looks like you? You should be able to understand her…"

Tacet curled her lip as she gave a nod; she didn't like White One because she was something bad. Claire wasn't sure what to make of this, and she finally asked, "Do you remember attacking her?"

Tacet didn't like how that was worded, and she glared at the redhead who said, "No one is mad at you, Tacet, we're just trying to figure out what's going on. We want to protect you from getting hurt. I'm just concerned you don't remember that massive fight. Aren't you wondering where those slashes had come from?"

The Indomitus glanced at herself; she had assumed she had done something wrong and been punished. It wasn't shocking to have some kind of slash on herself.

It frustrated Bad Smell when she did that to herself, but she never figured out how to tell him why.

Tacet shook her head as she lashed her tail; she wondered if she could gently shove this nice human out. The Indomitus didn't want to hurt her, but her head was starting to ache.

This one sided conversation was very close to being over.

Claire raised her eyebrows in shock as she stared at the Indomitus. Tacet wasn't even mildly curious as to why she was all banged up? She didn't remember the massive fight? Killing all those guards?

Did she remember Owen?

Claire took a step back as she pointed to the door while saying, "Tacet, I'm going to leave for a few-"

The redhead startled when the Indomitus gave an almost eager nod, and she paused before slowly asking, "I…do you want me to leave?"

Tacet gave another nod with a long sigh that they were finally getting to the best part of this conversation.

The end of it.

Claire pressed her lips before she said, "…I…have one more question for you then before I leave you be."

Tacet continued to stare at her, and Claire finally called out, "Owen, can you come here for a second?"

Claire didn't take her eyes off the Indomitus as the man carefully poked his head to stare at Tacet. She immediately snapped her gaze onto him, and Claire asked, "Do you remember him, Tacet?"

Owen raised his eyebrows high as he gaped at Claire, but Tacet only curled her lip as she gave a single shake of her head. She was tired of these questions, and her head was hurting. She wanted to go back to her safe corner.

She didn't feel good anymore with this new information. She had attacked White One? Was that before or after the other had slashed her face? Tacet swore White One had slashed her before she retaliated.

Had she started that fight? The one she couldn't remember? Is that why she was in here?

But then that technically meant she had hurt White One first… Tacet hadn't forgotten how tenderly White One had groomed her cheek and held her injured hand close to her chest.

Owen frowned at the Indomitus who seemed to be getting close to overloading. She was glancing around almost nervously, and he quietly said, "Claire, I think it's time we let Tacet go back to what she was doing."

The Indomitus glanced down at the human as she felt her neck twitch, and he said, "It's alright, Tacet. We're going, and we'll come right back if you need us, okay? Just tap the door, and we'll come here. We're smart people, and we want you to be happy."

Tacet was getting agitated with all of this, and she puffed air through her nose as she glanced around. Owen wanted to shake his head, but he tugged on Claire as he softly said, "She wants to be left alone. Lowery will keep an eye on her."

The redhead frowned when the silver scales turned to go back to her corner; something was wrong. She couldn't tell what, but there was something wrong that she had said. Tacet seemed discouraged and unhappy with their conversation.

What had she said?

Owen shut the door behind them before saying, "You did amazing, Claire."

The redhead flickered her gaze over to the door as she said, "I…Owen, she doesn't remember that fight at all. She just remembers Elise, but I don't even know if she remembers starting that fight."

The man leaned his weight onto Claire as they began to walk away while he said, "Well…I don't know why that happened, but that's not a good sign. Until we can get her tested or something…I guess all we can do is make sure her experiences with us are positive. She has to trust us, and we have to respect the things she wants. So, when she says to leave, we have to leave. It seems dumb, but it at least validates to her that we're willing to listen. We won't fix her overnight."

Claire glanced back to the walls when she sadly asked, "Elise was an easy fix, wasn't she?"

Owen raised his brows as he answered, "I wouldn't say she was an easy fix, but compared to Tacet…yeah, she was an incredibly easy fix. We'll get through it, Claire. We just have to figure out what's wrong with her, and we'll go from there."

"I guess…"

Owen glanced down at his crackling radio before Lowery said, "Owen, I'm needing an opinion."

He plucked up the radio when he answered, "No, you do not need another plastic dinosaur."

Claire smiled at the pause until the tech-geek retorted, "You know what? I feel like you're just jealous of how I'm not afraid to keep in touch with my inner child. From here on out, I am going to give you a plastic dinosaur for every occasion. Birthdays, holidays, you name it, and I'm giving you one. Your bungalow will be buried in those things."

Owen shook his head when he retorted, "I'll just throw them away."

He smirked in victory until Lowery said, "Then I'll give them to Elise."

Owen actually paused mid-step because Elise was something of a mild hoarder when it came to her gifts. What she couldn't keep in her territory, she gave to Owen for safekeeping. He had promised her he would never throw away anything of hers.

Lowery knew that.

Claire had to laugh quietly, and Lowery continued, "I was actually a little torn on what to name that short raptor because Short One is not good enough for me."

"What? She's not even part of my pack, and I doubt we'll ever see her again."

The tech-geek wasn't deterred, and he said, "Hear me out, okay? I was watching how she literally smacked into Carnifex in that fight, and you said Fuego had told the pack not to join this fight. Short One did anyway."

"I was there, Lowery."

Claire patted Owen's side sympathetically, and Lowery continued, "Look, Elise is our fellow American dinosaur, and she was fighting a pretty one sided fight, right? I wanted to give Short One a French name."

Owen raised his brows as Claire led him towards a building that hadn't suffered much damage in the fight; she had heard his stomach growling. There was food in this building.

It had grown incredibly quiet after the majority of the people had been evacuated, and it was mostly Claire's employees here though most of Control had stayed. She was only focusing on guarding the place while taking blood samples. They wouldn't start any reconstruction for a few weeks at least.

Owen almost sighed, "Why French?"

Lowery wasn't deterred by the tired tone, and he said, "Because she was the first ally we had here, and she helped when she didn't have to. Kind of like how the French helped us during our revolution. I know they did for different reasons than Short One, but she seems French to me."

"I don't know any French people, Lowery."

The tech-geek was heard snorting before he replied, "Well, stereotypically, French people are short and have really bad tempers. However, contrary to the untrue stereotype that French are cowards, Short One is also really brave and willing to fight hard fights. We're also on pretty good terms with the French, and she's not part of the pack. She's the France to Elise's America so to speak."

Owen wanted to know why the man was preoccupied with this subject; he was tired and hungry. Claire gave a smile at him when he sighed, "Fine, what are the names?"

Lowery paused to sip his soda before he said, "Alright, I want it to be a fitting name that will do our fellow French allies proper justice. I narrowed it down to two names. Lundi, which means Monday, or Joan after the famous French Joan of Arc."

Owen could actually see the name Joan being fitting for the short raptor, but he couldn't help asking, "Why would we name a raptor Monday?"

"…Did you see how she smacked into Carnifex, Owen? She's a scary, _early_ morning Monday that you have to face with no coffee."

The man actually had to laugh at that point of view, and he carefully wiped his face as he sighed, "I'll think about it before I let you know. Just keep an eye on Tacet and Elise for now."

"Alright, but I'm not sure where Elise and Fuego went. Cameras can't see them, but I've got a tracker in Fuego."

Owen didn't need to hear any more than that, and he tightened his grip around Claire as he sighed, "Things are really quiet."

"You should hear the news, and the worst part is I can't get anything scheduled until I get all the papers on InGen. At least breakfast will be quiet with mostly everyone catching up on sleep. I figured it was the best time to talk to Tacet."

"When's the ship leaving?"

Claire opened the door as she answered, "It left last night, Owen, we had injured people on it, and Tacet wasn't in any shape to leave. It'll be back probably this afternoon."

Owen pressed his lips as he froze.

Blue was expecting his butt back home at the crack of dawn _today_ , and he probably wasn't going to see her until tomorrow assuming they even left in the afternoon.

"Owen?"

The man pressed his lips as he glanced around; Blue was not forgiving when he went against what he promised. She was either going to panic or relish taking over the pack. It wasn't good when Blue was in charge, and he sincerely hoped Rexy would have things under control.

But he had to stock up on gifts to beg forgiveness from her. Owen didn't forget what Romano had said about storing quarters around here.

"Where's the vending machines, and do they have Oreos?"

Claire only blinked at him.

* * *

Bridges' eyes suddenly flew open as he gave a choked cry of pain at the sharp burning in his leg. The sheer agony of it was almost unbearable, and it was difficult to keep his breathing even let alone form a coherent thought.

"Deep breaths, Daemon, hmm? In and out, deep breathing."

The blonde dug his fingers into the hard ground as he tried to comply before craning his neck to gaze at his leg.

It was almost unreal to actually behold. His leg had been impaled by the sharp stalagmite; punched clean through it. What were the odds? It seemed only the tip had broken off from his hard landing, and Bridges trailed his gaze over to where he had rolled down the steep hill.

There was a small ledge he had flown right off before landing here. How had he not bled to death?

"What amazing luck you have, Daemon, but now it's backfired actually. You somehow avoided severing that major artery in your leg, and what I had considered to be a blessing is actually our curse. Do you realize what you've done to us?"

Bridges slowly blinked through the hazy pain as he turned to meet the emerald eyes almost glowing in the dark of the cavern. Iudex regarded him with no sympathy as he sat neatly with his forelimbs tucked in front of him, and the blonde quietly asked, "Am I dying?"

Iudex cocked his head before giving a harsh laugh that echoed loudly in the caves, and he sighed, "Oh, Daemon, Daemon, Daemon…you've done quite the opposite really."

The blonde frowned in confusion, and Iudex pulled his lips into a wide, humorless smile as he coldly purred, "Congratulations, Daemon, you attained immortality for us. You achieved what most men wasted their lives away for, isn't that great? And you weren't even trying."

"W-What?"

Bridges grimaced at the pain as his body shuddered from the shock, and he glanced over when the silky voice soothingly purred, "Be still, Sweetheart, Iudex is being dramatic."

The white coat of the cat glowed in the dark as she trotted over to place an assuring paw on his damp chest when she pierced the Spinosaurus with icy eyes and snapped, "Shut up, Pumpkin. Yelling at him won't work. You and I need to come up with a way to get out of here."

Iudex's eyes went wide as he scoffed, "Get out? Have you lost your mind, my dear cat? Look at where we are. Look at _him._ He's even more useless than normal."

Bridges let out a deep sigh as he tried to calm himself though he glanced over when Iudex scraped his claw around the pistol shining in the dim light as he added, "And he can't even end it with a blessed bullet because the gun is out of his reach. We are stuck here, my dear…there is no escape."

The blonde froze at hearing Iudex's voice grow soft and almost sad; he had never heard the Spinosaurus talk like this, and it frightened him. Iudex almost sounded like he was giving up, and the blonde wheezed as he tried to force himself up only to flop back as he gritted his teeth in pain.

The long haired cat folded her alert ears close to her skull as she softly murmured, "Save your energy until we can come up with a plan, Sweetheart. Just rest."

The blonde didn't want to sit in this cave, and he turned his gaze to glance around before freezing at the skeleton not far from Iudex. The Spinosaurus glanced at it with mild interest, and Bridges flinched when Mr. Growls was suddenly towering over him as he snarled, _"Burn, Daemon. Burn for me."_

The blonde flinched again as the fluffy cat hissed, "Don't be stupid, Mr. Growls, there's nothing to burn here."

The shade only rocked as he hissed, _"Burn…"_

Bridges lowered his brows in irritation; he had it with the aggravated shadow, and he snapped, "What the hell am I going to burn in here?! There's nothing but rocks!"

Iudex glanced around to prove Bridges wrong only to nod in agreement.

There was nothing here to burn, and Growls paused from his rocking to stare at the man. Bridges actually found it unnerving to sit under the shade's unblinking gaze, and he finally asked, _"No more burn?"_

Even Iudex tilted his head when he retorted, "You know we're trapped here, Mr. Growls, there's nothing to burn. No more burning."

Growls continued to stare at Bridges as if he hadn't heard the Spinosaurus before he asked again, _"No fire? No burn?"_

Bridges gave a shake of his head when he sighed, "I don't even know if I have my lighter on me. It probably broke from the fall."

Growls went silent though he actually had something of an expression on his faceless face as he glanced around with wide eyes. He seemed to regard all of them for a few seconds before suddenly saying, _"Goodbye."_

Bridges snapped his head up as Iudex blinked in bewilderment, and the cat perked her ears forward in surprise. The blonde was too stunned to do anything as the shadow melted deeper into the cave, and Iudex snarled, "Where do you think you're going? You're stuck with us!"

They could no longer see the shadow, but Growls' rasped echoed in the cave.

" _Never stuck, and I will find someone else to start fires with. Goodbye, Iudex."_

The odd trio continued to stare at the ebony abyss before them until Carnifex suddenly growled, "He…left us? He left us! I thought we were stuck here!"

Bridges began to chew his cheek as he struggled to fight the rising panic seizing his chest, and the cat gently kneaded his arm when she said, "Good riddance to him then. I'm not going anywhere."

The blonde let out a harsh breath as he tried to focus on something. He had never had a demon leave, and it was unnerving actually. He didn't want to be abandoned in the dark, and he almost reached out to grab the cat for some assurance.

He was too afraid of her simply vanishing, and he settled for staring at her for some comfort. It was quiet for a few more seconds until Iudex softly snarled, "The bastard left us…coward."

Bridges let out another sigh as he tried to think of a way to get out, and he had no idea how to even get his leg free. He wanted to just break the sturdy rock, but his leg was raised; his head was facing a gentle slope down.

It was going to take a lot of energy he simply didn't have at the moment to even get his hands on the rock, and he didn't know what to do from there. Where was he going to crawl to in the dark? There was no way he would be able to climb that steep hill.

He didn't want to be stuck in the dark.

Bridges flinched at the cold laugh when Iudex sneered, "Alone? You always had the silliest fears, Daemon. You fear…abandonment…what lurks in the dark…your own sexuality…"

The blonde slammed his fist onto the stone as he snarled, _"I'm not gay!"_

Iudex only rolled his emerald eyed as he sighed, "You do realize that I know every secret, thought, and feeling you have, right? Of all the pathetic and aggravating shenanigans I thought I would have to put up with you, your internalized homophobia was not one of them."

The Spinosaurus gave a deep sigh as he glanced around with shining eyes when he softly said, "It matters not…we're doomed here, Daemon…"

Bridges caught the malicious gleam in the Spinosaurus' eye, and Iudex cruelly added, "But it seems there's more irony to be had here. That stalagmite is quite the first male lover, no? He was vicious with you, no warning or courtesy drink, and you'll never walk the same again when he's done with you."

The Spinosaurus slammed a clawed hand on the ground as he gave a harsh laugh, and Carnifex sighed quietly when he glanced at the seething blonde. The white cat blinked in concern, and Bridges suddenly screeched, _"God damn you, Iudex!"_

Iudex snapped his gaze onto the man in shock, and Bridges ignored the sharp rock that had sliced his hand. He bit his cheek as he tried to get his breathing under control; he was scared.

Bridges only glanced over when he heard the Spinosaurus snarl, "You dare take the Lord's name in vain? Or do you not really comprehend the severity of the curse you just inadvertently placed on your own self? I. Am. You."

Iudex moved to tower over the fallen man when he bared his ruthless ivories, and Bridges wondered how such a tall animal could stand in a cave that shouldn't have been this large. The Spinosaurus burned the man mercilessly as he softly hissed, "Words have power, Daemon, don't you realize that? Especially in places like this, places that hold trauma and pointless murder."

Bridges curled his lip when Iudex settled back down to glance around the cave as he sighed, "I can't help but to wonder how many have begged God to damn you in this last day or so… How many allowed such a powerful curse to fall from their lips? A curse casted with the worst of intents…"

The Spinosaurus peered down at the man as he said, "Obviously enough for God to hear them and actually act upon their behalf…we're damned, Daemon. We've been cursed for the rest of eternity…look around you."

The blonde narrowed his eyes before following the Spinosaurus' gaze, and he blinked in surprise.

Skeletons.

Most were human, and Bridges was surprised to see the bleached bones of smaller dinosaurs silently screaming in the dark.

They were all impaled by the numerous stalagmites populating this cave. Bridges tried not to wheeze as he glanced around in hopes of freeing himself, but Iudex clicked his tongue when he purred, "We can't get free, Daemon. We've been condemned to rot in the Caves of Redemption. Remember reading about those?"

Bridges paused from the pain in his leg, and the cat flicked her ear while Carnifex sighed as he lowered his head onto the ground; he wasn't in the mood to be angry. It would do no good now, and the cat snapped, "We have no time for your rants, Iudex. Start acting useful or get lost with Growls."

The Spinosaurus curled his lip high as he snarled, "I have been here the longest after Growls! You have no power here! You do not even have a name."

"Elise."

Iudex blinked as he slowly turned his emerald gaze to the man who didn't flinch for once, and he firmly said, "Her name is Elise, and I want to hear what she has to say."

The blonde refused to show how scared he was right now, but he needed this cat more than ever. The Spinosaurus glared at the fluffy cat when he sneered, "It was only a matter of time before that overstuffed plushy would inspire a new demon…how fitting that you're just as soft, _Elise."_

The cat blinked blue eyes as she kept a delicate paw on the man when she retorted, "It's a charming name, and I love it. You're just jealous that I was named by Daemon."

Iudex scoffed as he turned his gaze back to Bridges when he said, "I wondered how long it would take for your balls to drop. Now I'm curious if you actually have the guts to end yourself. The irony is almost cruel."

The Spinosaurus flicked his gaze to the shining pistol as he softly growled, "Suicide will not work here…"

Bridges sighed as he rested his head on the ground while glancing at Elise, and she flicked her ear at him. He then continued to look around for some sort of way to get out, and he glanced behind him when Carnifex gave an almost depressed sigh.

The blonde finally huffed when he couldn't see anything helpful, and he glanced back to a silent Iudex when he asked, "How do you know about these caves, Iudex? And I want no lies."

The Spinosaurus blinked at him before replying in an almost offended tone that vibrated the air.

"Has a lie ever passed these lips before? I speak no lies for I am the Judge."

Bridges glanced away as he tried to ignore the throbbing in his leg, and Iudex shifted until he sat tall and proud when he purred, "I am not surprised you forgot reading those reports when we first came here. You always did write off the indigenous from here as common savages."

" _You_ even agreed that some of their customs and beliefs were downright ridiculous, Iudex!"

The Spinosaurus snorted as he lidded his eyes when he softly replied, "I did, but I will admit I am concerned about the predicament you caught us in. I will humor this belief because you are currently caught in one of their most severe of punishments."

Elise flicked her ear again as she curled her tail around her paws when she bluntly snapped, "Get to the point, Pumpkin. What are these caves if you know them so well?"

Iudex pulled his lips into a wide grin as he gestured to the skeletons when he said, "The Caves of Redemption, my dear _Fur Elise_ , but I do believe they were known as _Cuevas de la Redención_ in their native tongue."

The Spinosaurus lightly traced his claw up the cave wall as he purred, "You had found the idea to be completely ridiculous when you read it on the papers, so much so that you forgot about the caves here until that backhoe was lost in it, but I _loved_ the detail in that little legend."

Iudex paused to dryly stare at Bridges when he added, "You never liked the idea because you already had Carnifex to get rid of the pests."

Bridges narrowed his eyes at the dinosaur, and Iudex poked the skull of a long dead human who had been impaled on one of the older stalagmites; its gaping, eyeless sockets and dangling jaw illustrated how long and painful its death had been.

Iudex only purred, "It was an incredibly simple concept really. Should a person ever commit a crime so inhumane or beyond the forgiveness of even the most forgiving, the offender was brought here to seek redemption rather than simply killing them. Isn't that brilliant? Even these _savages_ had faith that their worst criminals could be redeemed…they did hold all life sacred, Daemon."

Bridges dug his fingers into the hard rock when his body shuddered again; he was in so much pain that it made it hard to focus. He didn't want to hear this, but he needed to hear something just to distract him.

Iudex curled his lip into a wicked smile as he continued, "They believed a man left alone in the dark with only his conscious for company was the most effective, but…they also believed in great suffering for the crime committed."

The Spinosaurus paused to flick the tip of a stalagmite as he simply said, "So they impaled them, but they'd never impale a fatal spot, just somewhere to keep the offender stuck in one place."

The blonde swallowed as he glanced around; he didn't remember reading this. He did recall the name of the caves and how they did something with them, but he didn't recall this. Bridges couldn't tell if he was really awake and hallucinating these demons or if it was an incredibly vivid dream involving his demons.

Was he hallucinating the skeletons? Bridges really couldn't tell, and it was too dark to see anything that would give away if this was a dream or not; the little details weren't visible to him.

Bridges tried not to flinch when Iudex leaned over him as he purred, "Now, there were only three ways this could end, Daemon. You see, there's an old power to these caves that the indigenous believed in. _Their gods_ watched over this place in order to judge the unworthy."

"I only believe in one God, Iudex."

The Spinosaurus flicked his tail as he retorted, "And he has damned you to this place, Daemon. That's the power of words cursed with the worst of intents. We've been abandoned by our God to the mercy of these gods."

Bridges gritted his teeth when Iudex leaned forward to softly whisper, "You are everything the Lord despises, Daemon…all seven of them. It's no wonder you were abandoned here after you lost your usefulness. Now I understand your ridiculous luck, you were simply needed to guide that Tyrannosaurus to the fight, nothing more."

Elise narrowed her blue eyes when she snapped, "Pumpkin, I'm warning you, knock it off and be useful rather than belittling. Give us the three options to get out of here so we can form a plan."

She paused to lick her fluffy chest, and Iudex scoffed, "He won't be able to leave this place, and we're all stuck here forever. This is our personal hell, my dear cat."

Iudex glanced at Daemon when he continued, "Of the three ways, only two end in true redemption. You see, the power of these caves is the offender was never allowed to leave until they had truly repented for their crimes. Those who repented and were actually worthy of rejoining the village were the ones who managed to get themselves free from these caves. They would be welcomed back and crimes pardoned."

The Spinosaurus paused to examine his claws before adding, "Those who were truly sorry for the crimes they committed but too weak or unworthy to return home simply died, and their souls were reclaimed by the gods."

Bridges raised his brows as he let out another shaky breath before tensing when the Spinosaurus hovered his powerful jaws only inches above his sweating face when he softly finished, "And those who did not repent were cursed to remain in these caves forever. It was a way to protect the villagers from men who the gods did not wish to even gaze upon. True death is considered a gateway to redemption, and was thus denied to the most wicked of men damned to rot here for the rest of time. Such is your fate, Daemon, because you are incapable of feeling any sort of remorse. …Do you understand the severity of our situation now? We've just been granted immortality because _you cannot feel remorse even if you wanted to."_

"I haven't done anything!"

Iudex pulled back his head to give a bark of a laugh as he retorted, "And thus we are brought to our final argument, Daemon. The one difference between you and plushy Elise that actually counts!"

The Spinosaurus snapped his jaws mere inches from the man's face when he softly snarled, "Elise is _sorry_ for the wrongs she did, do you understand that? _Elise is sorry."_

Bridges opened his mouth, but Iudex cut him off when he raked his talons down the wall as he loudly snarled, "God is not here to judge you, Daemon, but _I am!"_

"Pumpkin-"

"Arrogance, Daemon! In terms of looking down upon others because you deem yourself superior, I find you guilty!"

Elise's fur began to rise as she curled her lips, and the Spinosaurus exclaimed, "A lying tongue! You have spoken so little truth that you reek of lies to the animals, Daemon! You are at fault for being a liar to all! Guilty!"

Bridges tried to shift up before yelping when the ebony talons sank into the ground around him like a cage as Iudex snarled, "A hand that sheds the blood of innocents! You are soaked in blood, can you not hear the cries of the unjustly slaughtered from here?! You sent those people to their deaths, Daemon! Guilty!"

Carnifex began to growl quietly as his twin brother grew more agitated when he cried, "A heart that devises wicked plans and feet that are swift in running to evil! Need I really say more than that?! Clementine was only a string in the web of plots you concocted! She was pawn to you even if you grew to care about her in your own way."

Iudex lowered his jaws close to Bridges when he whispered, _"Guilty."_

Elise finally hissed as she lunged forward to swipe a delicate paw at the scales, but Iudex had already lifted his head high above them. The Spinosaurus made a turn with his massive tail swinging over them when he continued, "I find you guilty of bearing false witness, Daemon…how many lives did you ruin as a lawyer? How many false documents were crafted to tip the odds in your favor? How many judges did you lie to?"

Bridges shivered again when another wave of pain seized his body, and the Judge lolled his large head over his shoulder when he snapped, "And one who sows discord amongst brethren. Daemon, Daemon, Daemon…you live for that last one. All those opportunities to push buttons…you relish the feeling of riling others up. Your fellow man is only a mere plaything to you, and now you pay for it. What say you in your final defense?"

Bridges clenched his jaws angrily as he defiantly glared at the Spinosaurus when he snarled, "I can't help it if I can't feel! It's not my fault that my body doesn't function like a normal person!"

Iudex slowly tilted his head as he leaned over the man when he whispered, "Be it as it may, that was not permission to do the things you've done, Daemon. You still knew those actions were not acceptable in the society you were born into. Plushy Elise has several more excuses that are actually valid if she ever felt the need to act against the laws of society, but she does not use them. Humans are not her fellow species, but she equally regards all life with the sacredness it rightfully deserves."

Iudex slowly rose taller as he snarled, "Plushy Elise changed herself for the better. She and you were the same before she met Grady, but she is above you now."

The emerald gaze burned into the man when he snapped, "I find you guilty of being one of the most wicked of men this earth has had the displeasure of knowing. What little good you did in this world matters not while you rot here. The power you abused, the lies you wove, and the crimes you did not place yourself above committing, are now the unbreakable chain that binds you to this place."

Carnifex slowly rose as Iudex continued, "I damn you, Daemon Bridges. I damn you to rot until you find redemption in the isolation of this cave with only your dead conscious to keep you company."

Bridges lifted his head in a panic when Carnifex melted into the dark, and Iudex finished, "We may not be able to leave you, but you will never hear from us until these caves deem you worthy of leaving. We will lurk in the furthest shadows of your mind until you are ready to wield us properly once more. I'd say farewell…but I highly doubt that is what you'll do."

The massive Spinosaurus turned to melt into the dark after his twin brother, and Bridges couldn't see him any longer. All he could hear was Iudex lamenting in the haunting voice that continued to carry further away until he could hear it no more.

" _We were born sick, and we loved it. We're all sick, and you knew it. God has left us, rot in silence. We were born sick, and we loved it…we're all sick, and you knew it…God has left us…rot in silence… We were born sick…and we loved it…"_

Bridges let out a panicked gasp as he tried to force himself up before flopping back in pain. He was too tired and mentally drained from all this new knowledge that was haunt him as he rotted in the dark.

The blonde swallowed as he glanced to the side of him to see the fluffy cat still sitting next to him with blue eyes blinking in sympathy. She placed a delicate paw on his chest as she softly said, "Be still, Sweetheart. We may be sick, but we'll get better together, no?"

Bridges blinked at the cat before he softly said, "I'm going to die here, aren't I?"

Elise paused to lick her silky coat until she replied, "I can't tell if Pumpkin is exaggerating to scare you, we both know how dramatic he can be, Sweetheart, but we have a slimmer of hope."

The blonde furrowed his brows, and Elise said, "Miguel will be here in three days, Sweetheart, we have a chance."

"That…is an incredibly slim chance…"

Bridges turned his gaze back to the beacon of light as he added, "Three days with no water…I doubt I'll be coherent enough to actually grab their attention…if they even try to investigate the blockhouse…"

Elise flicked her ear in thought before she lowered herself with her paws tucked under her. She actually looked like a loaf of bread to Bridges, and she said, "We have three days to figure it out, Sweetheart. A lot can happen, maybe we'll be fine."

Bridges didn't feel hopeful, and he glanced over to the pistol shining out of his reach when he asked, "Am I actually awake?"

"…No…but I can try to wake you."

The blonde sighed as he turned his gaze up to the ceiling with stalactites pointing at him with malice. He wondered if the pistol was actually out of reach then. Were there skeletons really here?

He couldn't hear Iudex anymore, and Growls had abandoned them. He was left to rot in these caves until he felt remorse for the wrongs he had done. Was there hope for him getting out alive? Was he going to die here?

If he even could die, Iudex's story had been so vivid and almost believable. What if he couldn't die in here until he felt remorse? His body would surly deteriorate until he was nothing; his soul would be damned here for eternity.

Bridges was left to rot alone in the dark with a conscious he never knew…but he had this fluffy cat. Maybe she would make do for him.

The blonde glanced over to see she was still there, and he let out a long sigh as he felt himself slipping under. Maybe he and Elise could figure out more together. Maybe that was his single blessing in crossing paths with the snowy dinosaur who never hesitated to play the game. She had inspired a kind demon to appear, one who wasn't afraid to tell him no, and that it was wrong to kill. He couldn't grow a conscious, but he felt as though some of Elise's morals had been passed onto this cat. It was just too bad she hadn't shown up sooner; this entire mess could have been prevented. It probably didn't matter now, he was stuck here.

There was only one thing Bridges knew for sure.

It was going to be an incredibly long three days in the Caves of Redemption. The fact that he hadn't died yet made him wonder if there was actual truth to the story Iudex had woven; it wouldn't be good if it was. Bridges was scared, in pain, and slowly losing it. A sudden giggle caused the snowy cat to crack open her eyes to regard the man with concern, but Bridges only found it funny.

He had always thought he would have been killed in a fire, by a scorned woman, or even eaten by an angry dinosaur, but this was different.

To him, dying wasn't the worst thing in the world, and Bridges suddenly wished he had landed wrong in here. He wished Tacet had gotten him or even Elise. All the times he had avoided death had seemed so lucky at the time, but now he really understood the severity of his luck.

His punishment was to live alone in agony until he repented. True Death himself had found this man unworthy of his merciful embrace, and any divine above was not yet willing to even gaze upon him.

He had no pistol, no lighter, no lucky flare, and little hope.

Bridges had been shoved into the grave dug by his own hand. The rich, cold earth would judge the man as harshly as it had every other living creature with the misfortune to be caught in the less than merciful snare.

He had three days; it was up to him.

* * *

 **A/N**

 **Hey guys! Lots of action and stuff altogether. Say your farewell to Bridges because we are done with him! Onto more important things, I really don't know what to name Short One, and I want it to be fitting for her. I am torn between Lundi and Joan, but if you find a more fitting, French name for her, let me know in a PM or comment. Also, keep an eye out for the Christmas one shot I'll be posting!**

 **It's crazy that 2015 is going to be over tonight, what a year! I hope you all have a safe and wonderful night!**


	84. Chapter 84

**A/N**

 **Hey guys! I haven't seen you since last year! I know, shame on me, but in all seriousness I do appreciate your patience with this. I regretted posting those five chapters all at once because it just made me tired. I unintentionally took a longer break simply because I burned myself out on those five, and I really wanted to take a step back to make sure this story is taking its right steps towards the end with Tacet being our last major conflict to resolve.**

 **That being said, I read quite a few different comments regarding Bridges, and as far as I am concerned his ending is an open one. I won't be writing his point of view in this story again. If you wish to believe he rots for the rest of eternity in those caves, then do so. If you want to think he managed to pull a little more luck out of his pocket and made it, be my guest.**

 **Now, for a wonderful treat! I've got not one, not two, but THREE new pieces of artwork! VannerstheGreat's 'For Elise' and our wonderful Black Dragon's 'Sobek and Elise'. Both links are in my profile if you haven't seen them yet. Go check them out!**

 **Also, I have decided for Short One's name, but it's not revealed in this chapter. However, I will be posting the next chapter tomorrow. I don't like posting bulk chapters, it makes it harder to respond to you guys.**

 **Finally, I would like to humbly thank you guys again for your patience, your constructive critiques, and your support. Please enjoy this next chapter.**

* * *

' _A liar knows that he is a liar, but one who speaks mere portions of truth in order to deceive is a craftsman of destruction.' -Criss Jami_

* * *

"Most of the Truth."

Fiery scales jumped at the thunderous roar echoing in the distance, and Carnifex almost shivered as he ignored the thick branches breaking against his hide when he forced his bulk by them.

He didn't understand why this was happening; life had been so wonderful, but now it was…

Shit. That's exactly what it was.

Where was Father? Carnifex now wondered if he wasn't ready to leave the human's care after all. Being so easily defeated by the powerful one... Even he realized how pathetic the fight had been. The Spinosaurus was intelligent enough to notice that, in his human caregiver's absence, life had taken a drastic turn for the worse.

It wasn't pretty.

He missed his easy kills, Carnifex wanted to go back, but he was too afraid of running into Limper.

The wounded Spinosaurus paused to catch his breath as he glanced around with worry; nothing looked familiar, and he was exhausted. His throat throbbed with each gasp, he wanted to rest but was terrified of his victorious opponent coming back to fight him. Limper had relentlessly pursued him all the night though Carnifex hadn't seen him since the blessed sun rose.

The world was a little less terrifying in the day where his eyes could actually function to their full extent. He wasn't a creature of the night.

Why had he been spared? Carnifex was painfully confused by that because he had learned _all_ battles ended in death. Father had taught him that, another reason why he so violently ended his easy-kills, but Limper spared him.

Or was he being toyed with? Was Limper that sort of terrorizer?

Carnifex let out a low moan as his eyes threatened to roll with horror at the thought of being chased until he was too exhausted to fight back. The very memory of all his easy-kills feebly attempting to kick him away while they lied sprawled in the dirt floated to his vision.

The blood spurting, the smell of terror, and the last moans of an animal pleading death to take them quickly.

That's where Carnifex pictured himself; _that_ was going to happen to him the next time Limper caught him because Carnifex just knew he wouldn't be able to fight off the Tyrannosaurus.

How beautifully ironic cruel fate whiplashed to bite his bleeding hide.

Why had the world become so suddenly cruel? His sides hurt from the pack hunters' deep claws, and the odd easy-kill had left harsh wounds that had been easy to ignore in the heat battle.

The Spinosaurus glanced around again before curling his lip when his foot sank into the marshy land; he despised being dirty, and he loathed how low life had become. He was growing angry again, but a bird's sudden chirping snapped him out of it.

He had to be on guard because he wasn't _safe_ out here. His hot temper and inexperience had almost gotten him killed last night. Carnifex realized his mistake in assuming Limper to be an easy-kill.

Carnifex now understood that there was more to life than easy-kills; he wasn't the top of the food chain.

Limper was, and Carnifex would heed him.

Carnifex yelped when a branch loudly snapped until he realized he was the one who had broken it. The male glanced around tiredly while he listened for any sign of his pursuer still hunting him, but the next roar sounded much further away.

Maybe Limper had given up on toying with him, and the Spinosaurus let out a long breath as he looked around for somewhere safe. He didn't see anything that reminded him of his nest, and the male decided to push on.

Instinct screamed how dangerous it would be if he dared sleep right here in the open despite his size.

Carnifex was forced to realize that he wasn't the biggest creature out here, and he couldn't remember the last time life had been this stressful. Had life ever been this stressful?

His mate was dead; his Soft Voice would never bring his hatchlings into the world, and Carnifex let out a long snarl as he glanced around before pausing at a well-worn trail that hadn't been walked for weeks.

Lowering his long snout to the ground, Carnifex caught the stale scent of Old One, and he felt the worry sink malicious claws deep in his belly.

Was he in Old One's territory? The Spinosaurus lashed his tail in agitation at the thought of being sandwiched between two massive, aggressive carnivores out here. If Limper could so easily defeat him, what of cranky Old One?

He had never seen the grouchy male before, but what if the male was as big as he sounded? What if he was _bigger_ than he sounded?

Carnifex didn't feel so confident in himself after the almost pathetic battle; he had hardly posed a challenge to Limper.

The Spinosaurus had thought he was undefeatable…

A soft sigh exhaled from powerful lungs as tired, emerald eyes glanced around for any sign of Old One, but the smells were very stale. Maybe he had died, and Carnifex was fine with that; it was one less thing to worry about as far as he was concerned.

The Spinosaurus didn't know what else to do besides follow the trail Sobek had walked for almost twenty years of his life.

Carnifex failed to notice how his own, massive feet hardly filled the footprints his father had left behind. He didn't pay attention to the well-worn tree Sobek had always used to scratch his neck, and the young male didn't see the grey-scarred boulders his father had sharpened ever-lethal talons on.

The fiery scaled creature only paused when the path led to a well-hidden clearing sheltered by protective trees that had seen many more years than any animal here, and Carnifex made a soft sound at finally discovering something familiar to him.

A nest.

Carnifex nervously glanced around for any recent sign of the owner still residing here before he cautiously crept over; it was an odd movement for such a large creature. The Spinosaurus really couldn't catch any fresh scents of Old One, and the nest looked unkempt. The soft walls had begun to fall apart, and the inside was littered with uncomfortable branches.

Maybe fate had enough of hurting him. Maybe he could sleep here just for a little bit…

The Spinosaurus made another soft sound as he decided to rake out the branches, bracing a few against the weaker parts of the low walls, before lowering himself inside. He still didn't feel very safe here, but his body demanded rest or he wouldn't be fit to do anything.

Carnifex trembled with fear and exhaustion as he made another low moan. He had to calm down soon or he'd lose his mind. The Spinosaurus couldn't handle this kind of constant stress callously grating his nerves raw.

He wouldn't be able to fight Limper if the powerful one found him again. He had to sleep even for a little bit, and then he would need to find food and water. Now he regretted being so wasteful around Soft Voice. The Spinosaurus began to salivate at the thought of his abandoned kill left in the paddock. The meals Father provided…had chased to him for an easy hunt…

But, Limper and his odd easy kill mate had probably eaten it already. Maybe they weren't mates; he didn't recall Limper's scent on the odd one, but it didn't matter.

What mattered was the powerful one was most likely close to her, and _that_ meant Carnifex would go out of his way to avoid her. Nothing but trouble had appeared with that odd one.

The emerald gaze swept across thick foliage as he listened for any danger before gently lowering his head between large forelimbs. Sleep threatened to quickly overcome him but stress feigned it off defiantly. He was worried about being snuck up on even if this was a well-hidden nest.

He could afford a quick nap at the very least, he had to, and he would try to keep an ear open in his sleep. It wasn't something he wasn't used to, and Carnifex despised it.

The Spinosaurus let out a long sigh as he heard a faint roar from his victorious opponent. Carnifex couldn't stop his body from trembling in fear, he was afraid, but sleep eventually took him.

Maybe Father would find him; Father wasn't afraid of anything. His human would be a welcome sight in this unfamiliar hell.

Carnifex would gladly follow his parent home.

* * *

Elise paused under the shade of a tree as she finished chittering her side of the story. When Owen had then given her a name; after he had welcomed her to his pack rather than fight her.

Extending a bare, kind hand.

She actually hadn't kept track of how far she and Fuego had walked, but the Indominus felt it was probably further than what Owen would have wanted. It did feel good to wander at an easy pace even if she had to rest frequently.

Elise wasn't even sure how much the raptor had really comprehended of her story, but it felt nice to talk with the tall trees along the road towering over them; she could hear a river chuckling not far from the worn road. It was very cheery and calm out here, and Elise wasn't eager to get back to the settlement.

 _Avoiding responsibilities_ as Sam would say, and the Indominus wondered how he would have felt about her decisions. Had she done well?

The Indominus didn't want to see the full force of the trauma in daylight where all the little details of her mistakes would scream at her for being so stupid.

She should have done it differently, but the Indominus glanced at her newest pack mate when he paused to really absorb what he could. Elise was sure she had painted quite the image with her rampage.

Fuego cocked his head at her with a mixture of awe and respect in his tone when he barked that it must have been a sight to see her terrorize _all_ the humans on her island. He had done his own fair share of hunting humans, but he regretted it.

But, for different reasons; his mistakes had cost precious pack lives.

Elise tilted her head when he looked away in shame of his wrongs. Fuego was actually mellower than she thought, but his razor sharp tongue could be unintentionally brutal. The Velociraptor simply wasn't afraid to express his own opinions. Elise still liked him even if she cringed to think of all the fighting Fuego and Blue would be doing.

She was _very glad_ Rexy would be there to help separate the two when the need would arise.

The dark blue raptor had avoided the subject of his own pack mates, content to ask more questions about Elise rather than speak about himself. She wasn't sure if that was just his personality or if he simply wished to evade anything regarding his pack.

It was funny to Elise how similar yet different these two were. Blue could talk about her gorgeous self all day, but Fuego wasn't like that. The male seemed to be a different sort of mature; he was much more serious and cautious. Granted, both blue raptors were bull-headed, temperamental, and ornery to the sixth degree.

To the Indominus, Fuego was almost like a Blue who had made many more mistakes that had forced him to realize just how many precious lives depended on him. Blue's decisions had cost only one pack member's life, but her sisters had noticed the slight difference in some orders.

Blue was aware that Charlie had died under her watch. She now knew better than to leave the Alpha who had only treated the pack well for a complete stranger.

Fuego's ugly temper towards poachers had led to the neglect of his pack; only two survived that, but they were gone now.

If Elise learned anything from her therapy, it was the subject of avoidance, but she wasn't sure how to actually approach him about this incredibly raw subject. They were strangers, and she was his Alpha only because he had nowhere else to go.

Fuego hadn't even been aware of her existence until after the fight.

But, Elise had learned from Owen that Alphas were the cement of the pack. They were the leaders, healers, teachers, and sources of comfort. Even if she was a stranger to Fuego, _this_ was embedded in their instincts.

She was to comfort him because she was now his rock.

The Indominus turned her head to glance into the jungle before she softly barked that it wasn't his fault his pack mates had died in battle. Fuego immediately hissed at her to drop the subject, but Elise gently added that it had been their choice to fight; there was nothing he could have done.

The raptor snarled when he retorted that he was the one who should have died as he had been the Alpha.

His own should have lived. _He_ should have paid attention and stopped his pack sooner.

Elise sighed as she glanced at the silently grieving raptor shifting around in agitation. He looked so little right now that it hurt her chest.

This little thing was the raptor who would fearlessly face any enemy, great or small, for the sake of his own pack. The scars on his scales boasted of a rare bravery, but it was hard to see the proud warrior in the broken shell right now.

Fuego reminded Elise of herself when Small One had first died. The Indominus hadn't known what to do with herself those first few weeks. Elise remembered wandering around as she had tried to adapt to her suddenly empty life; the world had dulled in vibrant color and meaning.

Fuego was without his pack, and Elise knew just how painful that it was going to be in order to recover from that. Every little detail she had taken for granted with Small One had been so agonizing to live without in those excruciatingly lonely weeks, and it hurt Elise to realize Fuego was going through the same thing.

All the little things he had probably never noticed before were going to haunt him relentlessly. Fuego would have to go on without the morning greetings from his siblings, those familiar faces he had known all his life would fade from memory. Their scents, voices, and eventually images would slowly die away.

And it would hurt with tiny, papercut slices all over the chest.

All the annoyances he could have lived without, he would give anything to have again, and Elise sighed as she felt herself growing sadder for him.

She knew she would have given anything to have Small One steal her food again, but maybe Fuego would be lucky. Elise knew animals were different than humans, and maybe Fuego wouldn't be as traumatized by the loss.

But she was more animal than human as well, maybe he wouldn't be so lucky.

All Elise knew at the moment was Fuego was hurting for family, and all he had were two Alphas he didn't know along with three pack members he hadn't met.

Four if she included Rexy, and the Indominus let out another sigh as she shifted. Elise knew she wasn't a therapist, but she knew the pains. She was his Alpha, and his rock.

The Indominus could only offer comfort, and at the moment Elise felt like some sense of normalcy would do Fuego good. She wouldn't let him bottle his grief, but she would help in her own way.

There was never a full recovery of losing precious family, but there was adapting; she would help Fuego adapt.

Fuego curled his lip in warning when the wounded snout came too close, and the crimson eye regarded him with understanding as she softly shivered her jaws; if he wanted to hunt, all he had to do was take her to where the prey was. They would find a good kill before properly grooming their scales.

The Velociraptor cocked his head in confusion as he eyed the grimy though still incredibly bright scales before defensively barking that he couldn't down prey large enough for the both of them. Elise tilted her head at him almost in confusion when she chirped that none in her pack were helpless, and even Owen could hunt his own prey when needed.

Elise didn't understand why Fuego felt she or her pack were helpless. She was aware it had probably looked bad yesterday, but didn't her old scars speak on her behalf? What about Owen's ability to hold conversations in raptor? Her size? The sheen of her uninjured scales?

Her and Owen's confidence as leaders? Their unshakable bond with one another?

The Indominus barked that she was a perfectly capable hunter, and they could easily work together to get enough for the both of them.

She knew Owen had told her it was wrong to eat other dinosaurs, but it was different here. She felt this is what Jurassic World was to be like if humans didn't interfere; all the animals lived with one another. Carnivores and herbivores living where the food chain actually meant something.

Elise knew she had practically fainted at the idea of eating a dinosaur shaped nugget, but _this_ wasn't Jurassic World.

She was a carnivore who was far away from home, and she hadn't eaten since early yesterday because she had vomited while on the ship. Elise knew there was defrosted meat back with Owen, but Fuego desperately needed some form of assurance that his new Alphas were perfectly capable of taking care of him should the situation ever occur.

She was permitted to hunt here. Owen and Claire hadn't naysaid against this hunt, and that was _most_ of what Elise needed to stuff down her guilt of killing another dinosaur.

She would be sure to eat all that she could, but there was a bigger reason besides basic need for food to hunt.

Fuego wasn't ready to lay his faith in either of his Alphas, and Elise knew the raptor only humored them because he could still take care of himself. She was sure he would leave the moment he thought they were unacceptable leaders.

The Indominus shifted slightly as she chittered they would obviously work together. She had a plan that would work with just the two of them.

She couldn't do much running, but she would be able to down prey if it came close enough. Her face still hurt from being attacked though her jaws were plenty deadly.

Fuego slowly tilted his head as he looked Elise up and down once before letting out a loud bark; she was funny, and he liked an amusing Alpha.

The Indominus gave a patient sigh as Fuego turned his back to her when he continued that he didn't know where to find blind prey that would actually run to her.

Even if she tried to hide in the brush, she would still have to be close to the edge in order to make a good kill, and prey was sharp around here. Fuego shifted as the agitation in his chest began to tighten when he barked that they would have to settle for very, _very_ stupid or incredibly ill prey.

That wasn't good; a healthy pack couldn't stay strong on sick prey.

The raptor also understood that the strongest of the pack shouldered the majority of the responsibility, and that included hunting. Between the three of them, Fuego felt it was his job to take care these two until they reunited with the rest of their, hopefully, more capable pack.

Even if Fuego had felt a tad harsh about Brave Idiot's leg this morning, he understood lame pack couldn't keep up with healthy prey; their hunts would fail. Injured pack had to stay at home to fully recover.

The raptor didn't even want to look at his massive Alpha because he understood just how hard hunts would be with her. He had no doubt she guarded the nests while Brave Idiot probably led the hunts.

Elise just wasn't a suitable hunting partner with how she looked and walked, and Fuego bluntly chittered it. There was no point in hunting when they would fail. Too much sick prey would equal sick pack, and Fuego wasn't in the mood to be sick.

Fuego paused when he didn't get a response, and he briefly wondered if that had been too disrespectful to his new Alpha, but he wouldn't take it back. She wasn't meant to be out here with no humans; a part of him just knew that somehow. Her hide was wrong, her shape, everything was wrong, and how she lived to be _that_ big was beyond him.

Still, the Velociraptor turned around to see what trouble he had dug himself into with the new Alpha before pausing with a startled chirp.

Elise was gone.

Fuego glanced down the road they had come in vain search of the bright scales, and he shifted when he didn't see her. How had she vanished like that? He would have heard her, and the raptor turned his gaze back to the thick brush.

Had she concealed herself in the trees? Fuego ignored the little jab of fear that he was alone as the raptor continued to glance around.

He was looking at grey boulders and thick brush. Had there been _that_ much brush when they came here?

Fuego huffed before leaping on the taller boulder to see better; he was the best hunter on this _entire_ island, and there was no way _anything_ like Elise would slip by him.

The raptor glanced down when he realized the grey rocks were oddly warm, and he grew very confused at seeing the seared wounds slashing through the brush. It was incomprehensible how rocks or leaves could attain wounds meant for flesh, and a loud puff of air startled the animal into leaping high with a shocked shriek.

Fuego half stumbled on the ground in his haste to back up as the rocks and leaves shifted to shake their colors off in favor of the bright, grimy scales. Elise made an amused croon to the raptor as she asked if he was blind or sick.

If not, then they could get healthy prey.

Fuego only blinked before the realization hit him.

 _Elise was like a shadow hunter_ , and a very good one at that. It meant she would know how to be quiet, and the raptor felt just the slightest amount of hope warming his dampened spirits; maybe she could be a decent hunter. They could get healthy prey, and the raptor was curious now.

How did the pack hunt with Elise? The hunting possibilities with a massive shadow hunter like her were quite beautiful to think about really. All the different types of hunts possible with her actually made Fuego happy to think about.

However, he was confused that Elise could actually hunt with his kind.

And talk with humans.

And powerful ones.

But she lived with humans, a powerful one, and pack hunters all on some far away land that they would have to cross _a lot_ of water to get to. Fuego only really understood that Brave Idiot and three others of his kind were part of the pack.

Most of the other stuff went over his head.

The raptor tapped his sickle claw on the ground in brief thought before barking his question; he wanted to know what she was and why she was so odd.

Elise had to snort at the blunt male, even Blue had been more polite in their first meeting. Elise recalled how the Beta only asked if she could hunt for herself. The Indominus knew she was an odd creature to the few, fellow dinosaurs she talked to; she never failed to notice the stares, even from her mother.

The Indominus winced as she sat on her haunches while trying to think of a simple way to explain it to an animal who had no understanding or concept of science. He didn't know how dinosaurs came to be, and Fuego was almost refreshingly simplistic. He wanted a secure pack, food, and probably a mate one day.

How was she supposed to explain that she was a completely brand new hybrid made of several dinosaurs and a human? The Indominus met the impatient, crimson gaze, and she simply chittered that she was made of many things.

Pack hunters, human, powerful ones, spined ones, and shadow hunters; Elise wasn't sure what he meant by shadow hunter though she assumed it had to do with her camouflage. The Indominus continued that she was a mix of those, but she was very in tune with her pack hunter, powerful one, and human selves.

Elise resisted the urge to snort at Fuego's confused expression because she knew what she said had gone over the male's head, but she was curious for his reaction. He was so blunt and almost mouthy that it would have to be good.

Fuego didn't know how to comprehend what Elise had said, and the best he could think of was beyond ridiculous it was to him. He understood how life was created, but he just couldn't picture how the snowy creature came to be.

There were very many, and _very_ different creatures in Elise. Fuego just couldn't see any of those different creatures mating with one another. He wanted to understand, but Fuego wasn't sure if he really truly wished to _understand_ how she came to be.

The dark blue raptor finally chirped as he began to walk down the worn road with his tail waving side to side. Elise tilted her head, and Fuego simply barked that he was hungry and ready to hunt; she could explain her answer better when she decided she wanted to make sense.

Elise only puffed air through her nostrils as she limped after him; she liked Fuego.

He was a funny creature.

* * *

"Are you crazy, Owen? And I mean that literally, have you lost your mind?"

Barry rolled his eyes as he leaned on the railings of the catwalk platform going across the old raptor paddock. He could still see the worn path made by all the girls' pig runs, and he eyed the separate cage that held the shoots for the raptors.

They hadn't been used ever since the girls left, and Barry sighed, "Yes, Owen, we've been keeping the place up just in case. You saw it a week ago, and the inspector gave it a pass a couple days ago.

He paused to listen as he glanced at the clean walls before adding, "But that's not the problem."

Barry raised his eyebrows in disbelief at the question as he almost exclaimed, "The problem is there is absolutely no way I can get the girls back in here before Fuego arrives…I know they need to be here first."

The man resisted the urge to sigh at the teasing tone and said, "Owen, I could probably get them in here _if_ Blue wasn't glued to Rexy; she's worried, and that's just the tip of the iceberg. Sobek won't leave Rexy either, and we had to cancel her first show because he was following her."

Barry grimaced at the question and answered, "What do you think Sobek did when he saw a log full of people? It would have been like when Blue managed to get into the pigs' holding pen that one time, we're just lucky Rexy doesn't like her routine being disturbed. She didn't want Sobek going near the log.."

The man shifted the large satellite phone to the other ear as he listened before snorting, "I saw Tim's face because _I_ was in the log…yes, I did pale at when Sobek spotted us. I am very happy Rexy was in between him and us."

Barry smiled at the laughter at the other end before he quietly asked, "How mad am I going to be when I see Elise? Because I almost took a boat over there when the first news report said she was dead, and we have little kids _crying_ in the Petting Zoo."

The man threw his hand up in exasperation at the question as he answered, "You know what her Munchkin Army is like, Owen, they have to see to believe. Half those kids won't believe the staff, and Debra made me go work there for an hour to try and help. Do you know what kind of hell that was?"

Barry pinched his nose with a sigh at the response, and he dryly said, "Claire's assistant did send out an official report, but guess who got ahold of it first? Jackal News did, and our favorite reporter edited the phone call to make it sound like she said Elise died. The worst part is our website crashed from too many people overloading it, and it's still down."

The man paused to check his watch as he added, "And most people have gone to work so the real news is slow to get around, just tell me you're coming home today _please_. I can't handle another shift at the Zoo with crying children, and it's upsetting the baby animals."

Barry glanced over to see Scott working to triple check everything on the security doors before he dryly retorted, "Let me put it into perspective for you, Debra actually said she really hoped you and Elise were still alive because this is worse than when you put laxatives all over the doughnuts like the idiot that you are."

The man sighed as he wiped his face and tiredly asked, "Can I at least say hello to my beautiful girl?"

Barry frowned at the response and he retorted, "Now I know you smacked the hell out of your head if you let her go hunt with a boy by herself. Aren't you worried about her running into Carnifex or the Tyrannosaurus? _…Alexander?_ That's a regal name, is he the future in-law?"

The man smirked at the choked response, and he went for it, "I mean she might even run into _Alexander_ out there; he sounds nice. Her tall hero who saved the day, and he technically saved your life too. So…did she say anything about him? Does he live nearby? _Does he like Elise?"_

Barry paused at the sound of clanking on the other end before he asked, "Owen? You there? …Owen?"

There was another pause until Claire sighed, _"Thank you for giving Owen something else to worry about. He knocked over his chair and left his food behind to go find Elise and Fuego."_

Barry only laughed, and Claire dryly said, _"Since the raptor paddock is ready to go, will you please go to Elise's old paddock to see what it's like right now? I haven't been maintaining it, and I don't know what kind of shape it's in; take Tim and Sobek's handler as well."_

"To make sure it can handle Tacet?"

" _She has Spinosaurus, Tyrannosaurus rex, and Velociraptor in her; three sets of eyes are better than one. I'll feel better if all three of you check it out."_

Barry nodded as he said, "I'll go do that right now, and I'll keep the satellite phone on me."

He hung up with a sigh as he glanced at the empty paddock under him before he began to walk down the catwalk and said to Scott, "We better do one more sweep around here before Fuego shows up. It has to be Blue proof."

The younger man didn't miss a beat as he asked, "Does that mean we go get Big Boss?"

Barry gave a short laugh even if it was half true.

Rexy was Blue proof.

* * *

"I know, Love, I know, but you're being a really good girl today; it'll be alright."

The Apatosaurus blinked warm, chocolate eyes at her handler before letting out a soft, distressed cry at the dreary feeling in the air. Guests just weren't as happy today, and even the oblivious ones seemed to lack the cheery feeling.

Debra had finally had enough and closed the zoo for a half hour just to give her animals and employees a break. She hadn't realized just how many kids Elise drew to her own attraction until now. The Indominus directed much of the traffic away from the Petting Zoo during her shows, and Debra had grown used to relaxing breaks from rowdy children during said shows.

Now her animals were suddenly overwhelmed by children crying over Elise, parents less than happy with said crying along with grumbling about the money wasted on a day where two of the most popular attractions had been closed.

Love gave another jump at the thunderous roar from Sobek before burying her face into Debra's side. Debra pressed her lips when two more Triceratops babies panicked into tripping over one another, and she placed a comforting hand on the scaled neck.

Thanks to Sobek, there was absolutely no Triceratops riding today. The babies just couldn't handle the terrifying roars coming from a very furious father who refused to believe his only daughter was dead.

Debra wasn't sure if she should be touched by the concern or angry with the inconveniences Sobek was causing. Four kids were tossed off the Triceratops before Debra had all the saddles removed, and she was less than happy with Control.

Lowery wasn't there to make all the quick decisions, and they had heavily debated on using the Nokia ringtone to lure Sobek away only to discover the Spinosaurus decided _today_ was the day he would ignore the aggravating sound in favor of searching.

Control gave up on the ringtone after Sobek flattened four trees just to prove he was livid with the sounds, but he wasn't leaving.

And Gerry found out the hard way just how sharp Sobek was of his surroundings when it came to being hunted. Grant had warned the vet several times against trying to sedate the Spinosaurus with a dart, but both were currently in the bar while Gerry's faithful truck was stuck in a tree after being smacked by a very displeased Spinosaurus.

They would have to wait for Elise to get it out.

"Have a carrot my love…"

Love only half turned her head to sniff the delectable treat before gently grabbing it while remaining mindful of any fingers. Debra never knew how the little baby learned to watch for fingers, but she loved the Apatosaurus for it.

She was so good around the children, and Debra wasn't looking forward to moving the growing dinosaur to the big paddock. Love still hadn't picked another dinosaur to befriend; she was always so focused on following the lonelier or shy children.

"I think, with my luck, you'll probably get along best with Elise, won't you?"

Love rested her brown head into the soft handler as Debra sighed, "But you really need to pick someone here, Love. Elise isn't going to live with you after you leave, and I doubt she'll take the time to visit you…"

The baby made a soft cry when Sobek gave another, thunderous roar, and Debra sighed.

She just couldn't find it in herself to be mad with the probably scared father; it wasn't like Sobek sounded much different compared to the other fathers yelling for their lost children.

Sobek was just a hell of a lot louder, and Debra did not envy Elise when she would come home. Between Rexy and Sobek, Elise wouldn't have much of a butt after it was chewed off by her worried parents.

Debra could only hope they would catch Elise would take place in the back of Sobek's paddock because it was going be a very loud talk.

No one was ready for that talk.

* * *

The forest scaled Tyrannosaurus let out a tired sigh as her orneriest hatchling made a soft sound of concern for her. Rexy hardly acknowledged the tender, grooming lick on her shoulders as she followed the sounds of an incredibly furious animal.

Something in her gut said Rude One would keel over if he didn't calm down, and she wasn't in the mood to deal with any more disruptions to her normally very consistent life. Even if Rude One was still new, he was something Rexy had come to accept in her life.

A consistent life somehow made it harder to deal with these unwelcome disturbances.

Rexy wasn't sure if the loss of her youngling was harder to deal with since this was a second failure or because she had a routine that had to continue without White One. Rexy understood how terrible of a loss she suffered with losing her youngling. She had no chance of ever replacing her.

The Tyrannosaurus simply ran out of time; she knew she was nearing the end of her very long life.

Rexy's body had stopped telling her when it was time to find a mate a few seasons ago, and that hurt. She had run out of time to ever bring forth a hatchling of her own; adoption had been her only way of filling the void of failure.

Elise made Rexy feel like she had done something right. That, even if it wasn't her own genes in the snowy dinosaur, her wisdom had been passed on.

Rexy was completely oblivious to the fact that she was technically Elise's biological mother. That was the point of adopting to Rexy, she had passed on her wisdom, but her best chance was now gone.

Her youngling hadn't been ready to leave, and Rexy knew it.

It had been so hard to get up this morning when she heard her tall, human son calling to come eat the goat. It was never difficult to get up, but it had been this morning. She had barely finished her first patrol.

For the first time in a very long time, Rexy felt like she was forty-one years old.

This should have been her second patrol already, and the Tyrannosaurus let out another sigh when the livid roar disrupted the silence. Rude One was definitely still in the furious stage, and she wished she was too.

It was easier to be angry, there was energy in rage, but now she was only tired.

Rexy wanted to sleep but she didn't; it made her cranky.

The elder paused at the top of the small hill when she caught sight of Sobek flattening a tall tree like it was nothing. Several birds scattered into the air with startled squawks as the smaller family paused at hearing the loud, blaring horn cursing the abusive Spinosaurus.

Sobek snarled loudly as he rolled the tree in sadistic hopes of revealing the white pickup defiantly screeching, but he didn't notice the others walking over. Rexy was growing annoyed with the immature behavior from Rude One; she had been slowly leaning towards the mindset of allowing this male to act as a tolerable neighbor or even a fellow elder, and she was unimpressed with what she had to behold.

A violent tree killer.

The Tyrannosaurus paused when Sobek snarled loudly while trying to shred the strong branches from the sturdy trunk. Rexy really wasn't in the mood to get much closer, and she glanced down at the unsure chirp.

Her peaceful hatchling took a few, nervous steps closer for some reassurance, and her crooked jawed one became distracted with a fluttering butterfly. Despite Delta's unease, Echo was perfectly content to ignore the furious Spinosaurus in favor of lightly snapping her jaws as she gently hopped after the little insect.

With the way she hopped, Rexy was reminded of the little furry rabbits Echo was so fond of chasing, and Blue made a low hiss when Sobek managed to reveal the crumpled pickup still screaming shrill profanities into the air.

The Tyrannosaurus waved her tail gently as she absentmindedly watched Echo hop in a circle after the butterfly, it made her feel better to see the light hearted play like everything was going to be okay.

She still had three hatchlings.

Rexy was only half paying attention when she heard the almost gloating snarl as the harsh smash of something powerful striking metal startled her. Echo snapped her gaze up before freezing at the rapidly bouncing pickup spinning at her, and she instinctively flinched low into the grass with a terrified shriek.

Delta startled away when the large Tyrannosaurus suddenly moved before she heard the sickening thud of metal smashing into bare flesh, and the truck thundered passed them until it rolled to a stop where the horn gave a final wheeze.

The green raptor heard the Tyrannosaurus' breathing pause, but she didn't see Echo. Delta glanced around fearfully before freezing at the sight of the blood splattered across the grass.

Was that Echo's? Where'd she go?

The silence in the air was almost unnatural, and the peaceful sister startled when Blue landed next to her with a panicked chirp. Where was their youngest sister? The Beta hadn't seen what happened, she had only seen Ugly One swipe a splayed claw at the loud human carrier before Stern One suddenly moved.

Blue had lost her balance on the thick shoulders, and she felt very bad for accidentally raking her sickle claw into the thick hide for balance. The Velociraptor silently promised to groom the wound clean later, but she had to find Echo. It was her job to make sure the pack was safe, and Blue knew Echo had been chasing the little bug just now. She had been right _there_.

So, where was her sister? Blue made a small chitter for her bronze sister as she glanced around herself.

Why was there blood on the emerald ground? Blue could smell the blood, and she made a low sound at seeing the crimson splatter staining the white human carrier.

Where was Echo? Why wasn't she responding?

The fear of losing another sister sent chills deep in the Beta's chest; she didn't want to lose more pack, and Stupid Alpha had trusted her to take care of her sisters. Blue lashed her tail as she made a loud shriek before flinching when the powerful jaws neared her. Blue had momentarily thought Stern One was trying to offer comfort before the jaws opened, and the wet scales plopped onto the ground in the safety of the Tyrannosaurus' shadow.

More blood dribbled onto the grass as Echo made a shocked chirp, and Rexy puffed air onto the bronze raptor while she carefully searched for any wounds. She could smell her own blood, but that wasn't important.

What mattered was she still had three.

Rexy was relieved she had somehow retained quick reflexes in her old age, but she didn't like the heavy fear that jolted her chest. The Tyrannosaurus made a low, comforting rumble as she continued to gently puff air onto the stunned raptor before glancing at the crimson stained grass.

Her jaw throbbed painfully from where the human carrier had struck it, and she could feel the deep wound bleeding. She had tried to scoop the raptor up while avoiding the truck in something of a swinging motion, but it hadn't worked as well as she had planned. The Tyrannosaurus' jaw had been clipped hard enough to be deeply sliced by sharp metal.

After deeming her adopted oddball to be perfectly fine, Rexy lifted her head to glare at the silent Spinosaurus while Delta and Blue immediately tackled their unharmed sister with croons and growls of joy.

Now Rexy was angry; she had almost lost a hatchling because of this idiot.

If Rude One wanted to act like an overgrown hatchling, Rexy was going to treat him like one.

The Spinosaurus didn't even register the furious glare that would set lesser men ablaze. Sobek was shocked to see his Wise One and the little snacks suddenly here. Where had they come from? She had looked so tired when he left her that he swore she would have slept all day, but she was here.

 _Why was she here?_ Had she misunderstood that _he_ was looking for their youngling while she rested?

Granted, the Spinosaurus had been so infuriated with the world that he had also needed to destroy something even if it made the pain in his chest worse. It had hurt so much to see his Wise One force herself to move this morning, it had actually physically pained Sobek in his chest to witness that.

It had been a minor pain at first; he had been content to ignore it, but then he had seen the loud humans in the odd log. Sobek had full intent of tearing that log open only to unintentionally upset his equal. He had left her territory in hopes of preventing things from getting worse only to be forced to realize Twisted One hadn't come back.

She had been gone a long time, and so had Stranger.

In some dim hopes of finding a trail he might of missed, Sobek had instead stumbled upon the scent of Dr. Gerry who wasn't fit to be a damned toothpick. That old human, who carried the screaming bane of Sobek's existence, actually had the _audacity, the brass balls, and the stupidity,_ to try and hunt him.

Him. In all his rightful glory.

Sobek had never been so blatantly insulted, provoked, and amazed by the sheer stupidity he had been forced to witness in catching that old human pointing a shiny stick right at him.

Him.

It had all gone downhill after that. Swiftly down that rocky hill where the bottom greeted him with a filthy, mosquito infested swamp that only sucked him down deeper any time he even blinked. The Spinosaurus had already decided he wanted to live a simple life of food, naps, and a little visit or two from his glorious equal.

Had he gotten that today? _No._

He was searching for his two idiots in the sweltering heat on this unfamiliar island where he had the unfathomable misfortune to discover it was apparently full of _even more idiots_ with a death wish just begging to be fulfilled by his own jaws.

Sobek would gladly oblige, but did he have time for that? _No._

His two idiots were probably dead, his mourning Wise One was now injured, and his chest was hurting. Sobek was done with idiot humans, he was done with ruining his claws on loud human carriers, and he was done with today.

Had he even gotten a shark for going far out of his way to do a good deed?

No.

And if it wasn't for the simple need to see the burning gold fire in his Wise One's eyes, Sobek would have gone back to his own territory to eat and sleep.

But it hurt so much to see his Wise One sad.

It wasn't like Sobek had gone looking for a fight today, but he just couldn't calm himself down after hearing the Control play the Nokia ringtone over the speakers. He could usually get his temper under control by flattening a few trees, but it had only riled up the screaming human carrier.

The Spinosaurus wheezed for air through wide jaws as he held his ground against the Tyrannosaurus. In his prime, he could have cleared this entire forest without taking a break, but he couldn't even take out one human carrier without being winded.

Sobek winced at the flaring in his chest as the Tyrannosaurus walked over; he knew he was in trouble, rightfully so. The crimson blood staining her jaw upset Sobek more than seeing the damned old human trying to hunt him, and he flickered his gaze over to the silent human carrier.

He could see the blood, and the Spinosaurus was intelligent enough to realize what had happened.

Sobek had lashed at the human carrier in his rage, and it hit his Wise One.

He had hurt her. This hadn't been a challenging fight between the both of them, this was the result of his temper. This was wrong, and Sobek was deeply ashamed of himself.

The unhappy Tyrannosaurus paused to glare at the Spinosaurus who easily held a few feet over her, but Sobek somehow seemed smaller now that he had realized what he did. The normally so very loud and proud Spinosaurus was quiet as he averted eye contact.

He wouldn't run because he wasn't afraid of her, but he was sorry. Sobek was as sorry as he could be towards this creature who could technically be considered good enough to be a companion.

He was done with mating, Sobek's body had lost the need to pursue a mate, and now he was free to entertain himself as he pleased. Right now, his Wise One was everything he needed to break away from the norm, and that was important.

He flickered his emerald gaze to the three raptors piled over one another before jumping at the sharp nip at the side of his neck. Sobek had expected something from her, but the nip was hardly anything except scolding.

It would have scared Elise into rolling over or crunched a goat in half, but Sobek's pain tolerance was a little higher than most creatures.

Rexy let out a stern puff of air through her wide nostrils as she stood seemingly taller than him with an unamused gleam in her eye. She was only one more push away from starting an all-out brawl that would end very badly for them.

Was he being… _reprimanded?_

Sobek almost forgot his guilt in favor of being indignant. He had spent his entire life terrorizing humans, keeping Death from destroying more of his old island, and doing as he damn well pleased every day. Now he was being scolded like some hatchling?

He knew those reprimanding nips; his instinct had plenty to say about it. Wise One was reprimanding him?

 _Him?_

Sobek lifted his head with a curled lip until Rexy gave a sharper nip at his shoulder as she gave a warning growl. She wasn't in the mood to put up with this nonsense, and he was in her youngling's territory. Even if her daughter wasn't here to claim it, she wasn't about to let Rude One take it as his own.

Rexy would make this territory hers; she had the hatchlings who roamed here. This was her island, and her right.

She could beat him.

Sobek allowed a deep growl to vibrate in his chest as he felt his tempter rising again. He wasn't going to be pushed around like a little hatchling, he was fond of his Wise One, but she was his equal.

She wasn't allowed to order him around as she pleased.

The Tyrannosaurus curled her lip at the challenge before wincing when the slight breeze bit into the slash on her jaw. Sobek snapped his gaze to the wound as he felt the anger dying and made a soft sound when he lowered his head to her height.

The Spinosaurus ignored the throbbing in his chest when he felt the softer nip at his shoulder; maybe he needed a reprimanding nip once in a while. There was something calming about his Wise One that he needed and wanted.

She wasn't a mate; mates were for hatchlings. Wise One was something else that Sobek never really had before. She was more important to his happiness than passing on genetics.

Sobek just wanted Twisted One back here to make the island peacefully odd again. His idiot youngling was gone.

 _Their_ youngling was gone.

Sobek made a soft sound when he gently rested his jaws on the strong shoulders as the anger left his being. Now he was tired, but he gave a gentle lick on the scales to prove he never intended any ill will towards his Wise One or her little snacks.

He wanted a nap.

The peaceful silence was disturbed by a vicious snarl, and Sobek yelped when the jealous scales barreled into his nose. The Spinosaurus gave a sharp shake of his head before glaring at fearless Blue snapping her jaws at him. The Velociraptor immediately bounded up onto her rightful spot on Rexy's shoulders and gave another snarl at Sobek for getting too touchy.

The Spinosaurus let out a long sigh as he turned away; he didn't like how short his breath was. He wasn't growing concerned about his ability to breathe just yet, but his gut said it was time to take it easy.

He knew where to rest, and Sobek gave a low hiss before glancing down when the forest tail flicked his chest. If the possessive snack wasn't here he would have tried to nap with Wise One.

Sobek watched Rexy leave with the raptors sticking a little closer to her than normal, and he glanced at the silent human carrier. He wanted alone time away from the humans, but Sobek refused to think his youngling was dead.

She and Stranger were definitely dead if they really had tried to go after Death, but this island was big. Maybe they were off doing something stupid or odd like the youngsters they were.

The Spinosaurus paused when a thought struck him.

What if Twisted One knew she was in trouble and simply waiting to come back to avoid said trouble?

Sobek curled his lip as he skulked into the silent jungle; she was not going to avoid his wrath. She and Stranger were in _a lot_ of trouble with him for causing this worry.

The Spinosaurus lashed his tail angrily but winced at the pain in his chest. He needed to find somewhere quiet to wait for her. He wanted somewhere the humans wouldn't disturb him, and his feet walked along the path that led him to the door he knew his youngling had disappeared through.

Sobek just had a feeling she would be using this door to sneak back in, and he intended to chew her tail off the moment he saw her. The Spinosaurus glanced around at the surrounding jungle and thick brush before he picked his resting spot deep in the concealing trees where none would disturb him.

They wouldn't know he was there unless they were looking for him, and Sobek knew this was the last place Twisted One would expect him.

He settled down with a long sigh as he gave a final check to make sure he couldn't be surprised by an annoyance; he liked this little spot. None of the stupid humans would find him here, and he would know _exactly_ when Twisted One would come back.

She might even have Stranger with her, and the Spinosaurus let out a long sigh as his eyes slid shut. He sincerely hoped those two would have an absolutely mind blowing, legitimate, and very believable story to tell him the moment he caught sight of their sorry hides.

Sobek wasn't going to budge even an inch until he saw Twisted One, and that was final.

Those two were in for a hell of a surprise, Sobek would make sure of that.

* * *

"What is she doing?"

Lowery frowned as he leaned closer to the screen to blink at the Indomitus silently pacing back and forth in the room. Tacet seemed to be antsy, and he wasn't sure if he needed to get Owen or Claire.

The tech-geek definitely missed his own Control Room; this one was so serious and void of any humor. Lowery was sure it was because of all the trauma that had happened just last night, but he was missing his own people.

He was in charge though he didn't feel comfortable giving orders to these people. He didn't know them even if this Control was easier to run. He only had to worry about dinosaurs getting loose, not little kids.

 _Most_ of the time, the loose dinosaurs were easier to deal with.

"Lowery!"

The man nearly screamed when his name was sharply snarled, and a firm hand suddenly clapped on his shoulder. The few employees still here turned to glance at them, and Lowery held his chest as he blinked at a less than happy looking Owen before he breathed, "What? You can't just jump me like that, I thought-"

"Where's Elise and Fuego?"

"What?"

Lowey wasn't sure why Owen looked so…murderous at the moment, and he flinched slightly when the man pointed at the screens as he repeated, "Elise and Fuego. Where are they?"

Owen had said it so seriously that Lowery was sure there was a life or death situation that he didn't know about, and he immediately went back to the computers as he said, "Just give me a second to ping them; Fuego is the one with the tracker. What happened?"

The man leaned on the desk to get some weight of his strained leg as he answered, "She might run into Alexander out there, I forgot her was out there."

Lowery didn't recognize the name, but he felt a cold fear in his stomach. It had such a serious ring to it that this Alexander guy had to be bad news.

Maybe one of Bridges' henchmen; some drug lord holed up on the island, or even a dangerous poacher. The tech-geek chewed on his lip when he entered in the code before asking, "Who's this guy?"

Owen glanced behind him when Claire entered the room with an exasperated look on her face, and he answered, "The male Tyrannosaurus we met last night. Elise might run into him."

Lowery stopped typing as his brows lowered in exasperation when he slowly turned to press his lips at Owen. The man raised an eyebrow, and Lowery quietly asked, "Am I finding Elise because she's in legitimate danger or because you'll fall over dead if she _does the deed?"_

The tech-geek nodded when the vein on Owen's forehead bulged, and he sighed as he went back to the screen while saying, "I don't have a tracker on the Tyrannosaurus, but it looks like Fuego is near a game trail not far from here, and…"

He paused to bring up more trackers slowly moving towards the little dot before adding, "A herd of Maiasaura are headed that way, they're probably just hunting, Owen."

"Does Alexander hang around there?"

Lowery almost lolled his head to give the man a dry look when he quietly asked, "Are you really having a cow because Elise might run into a boy? Do you _really_ think Elise is like that?"

Owen blinked before opening his mouth, and Lowery pointed at him as he added, "Because that's really dumb and over reactive on your part."

The injured man leaned down a little more until he was almost face to face as he quietly said, "I know Elise isn't like that, but I don't know Alex. Elise is injured, and Alex isn't. If it's breeding season for Tyrannosaurs, I don't know if Alex will take no for an answer. If it's _not_ breeding season, then Alex will probably see Elise as a trespasser and a threat if he catches her in his territory. So, does Alex patrol around there?"

Lowery pressed his lips when he realized just how far back he had been forced to recline in his chair, and he quietly answered, "I don't know where Alex hangs, Owen. You'll have to ask Dr. Romano because he's the Chief Vet here."

Owen winced when Claire pulled him back by his shoulders as she patiently said, "Owen, Sobek said Alex is a really mellow guy, and he also said he lives around the valley. Fuego isn't near the valley. _See?"_

Owen huffed, but he didn't feel any better. Alexander clearly hadn't been anywhere near the valley last night, and who knew how the Tyrannosaurus would react to having something like Elise suddenly on the island.

It gave Owen a really bad feeling; he just didn't want her to be caught around any other dangerous carnivores.

"I'm going to go get her."

Claire squeezed his shoulder patiently as she calmly replied, "I know Elise is our little baby, but she's bigger than Rexy, Owen, and no one is going to tag team her. She has Fuego. You can go look for her after you shower."

Owen blinked at the redhead who tried not to crinkle her nose when she softly added, "At least give yourself a fighting chance out there…those animals are sensitive to smell."

Lowery immediately snorted from his chair as he chuckled, "He'll have all the compys following him."

Owen lowered his brows before lifting his foot to the bottom of the office chair in order to bump the lever up. He smirked when Lowery squealed at the chair suddenly lowering, and Claire sighed as she gently tugged him away.

The man followed her down the silent hall as he said, "I'll just have to put these clothes back on, Claire."

"I have spare clothes, Owen."

The man raised his brows as Claire gently grabbed his hand, he had no idea where she had found the time to actually get him spare clothes, but he wouldn't complain.

He did smell…

Claire smiled as she somehow knew his thoughts and gave an understanding squeeze on his hand. She was just happy he felt well enough to be cranky about a boy being around Elise. The redhead actually hadn't realized how badly he smelled until late last night, and she had spare clothes brought over here for anyone still on the island. It was mostly ACU and Control, but they had clothes just in case they needed it.

Fresh clothes weren't much, but they helped make things a little bit better.

* * *

Fuego made a chirp as he glanced back to the Indominus for the plan; Elise knew this was her big test. If they didn't down a good kill, Fuego wasn't going to have much faith in her, and she narrowed her gaze as she tried to recall everything Rexy had taught her.

It basically boiled down to what could the prey see, smell, and hear.

From what Fuego said, this large herd of herbivores liked to cut across the abandoned road in favor of heading towards the river. She could see the flattened ground from heavy creatures trampling their path into the jungle, and her sensitive nose could smell them on the wind.

 _That_ meant she had to blend downwind or the herd would smell her, yet she would have to be close enough to immediately snag something because she couldn't afford to chase fast prey.

The Indominus glanced around before cocking her head at hearing the almost faint calls of the herd approaching them. Fuego shifted nervously at not being in control, and Elise chittered for the simple plan of distract and attack.

The dark blue raptor snapped his jaws as he retorted this herd's Alpha was more than aware of that tactic; they had lost pack to him more than once before they had been forced to leave the herd alone.

This was the closest herd to hunt, not the easiest.

Elise puffed air through her nostrils as she chittered that he wasn't supposed to be obvious about distracting.

Fuego tilted his head in suspicion, and Elise made a low croon; they would use her pack's version of distract and attack.

Inspired by Blue herself; the reel and kill.

* * *

The long, loud cries of the massive herbivores shattered the silence in the normally serene jungle as they re-flattened the path. The colorful array of jungle scales boasted happy, healthy lives with little worry of being hunted as the raptors had all but died off, and Sobek was gone.

They thrived here, and the large Alpha made a loud call for his herd to keep up with him; he had led this herd for many years, and he would see many more generations born under his protective watch. He had figured out the tricks of most predators including the cunning pack hunters.

While they were crafty, it was difficult for them to make a kill so long as the herd stuck close to one another, and he had learned how fragile their agile bodies were. A good smash killed any clingy pack hunter.

He hadn't seen pack hunters for a while, and that was fine with the Alpha, it was one less thing to worry about.

The large male remained mindful of his powerful tail when he paused to glance around the road they needed to cross. Predators that would actually pose a threat to them could potentially be hiding here. Golden eyes critically swept the area as he raised himself high onto his back legs to catch anything off, and there seemed to be an odd mixture of scents.

Many different carnivores had travelled through here recently, and that confused the male.

His herd had learned to watch him carefully, and the Alpha made a loud call to move quickly. He felt better with the jungle around him when they weren't in the plentiful valley.

But it was time to move onto greener lands as they had spent enough time in the valley; the hatchlings were old enough to walk, and the Alpha resumed with leading his herd across the road. The Maiasaura herd had around sixty members including younglings and this season's hatchlings.

A sudden bark that didn't belong to the herd caused the Alpha to snap his head at the lone raptor shifting nervously, and the herbivores made loud cries to warn of his presence. The Maiasaura Alpha recognized this raptor, and he bellowed a warning as he reared tall.

Fuego internally cringed at the sight of the massive male; he hadn't seen this herd since he first joined the pack. This herd had been one of the first hunts, and Fuego recalled how disastrous it had been when _that_ Alpha had taken out two raptors by crushing them against trees and large boulders.

The raptor didn't think Elise was going to be able to actually slip by the leader, and he was wary about getting any closer. He just knew the massive herbivore was going to crush him, but the raptor suddenly let out a wheezed wail as he rolled his eyes and salivated.

Elise had said to make it convincing, and Fuego was simply following the example she had given him.

Apparently this was their Beta's favorite trick to pull on Brave Idiot only she wouldn't kill the human. It was so odd to Fuego that the man would actually play with his pack, but it made him excited to see this new life.

The herd of herbivores shifted nervously when the Velociraptor stumbled onto his side while kicking his legs out as if he was dying, and Fuego continued to wail loudly though he kept a careful eye on the herd.

Anyone but the Alpha, he didn't want to play that sort of chicken, and Fuego did his best not to glance at the hiding carnivore as he clawed through the dirt.

The Maiasaura Alpha flared his nostrils as he glanced around for any signs of the other pack; he knew this had to be the distraction. He had never seen a distract like this before, they would usually create a false attack, but the male wasn't falling for it.

With any kind of pack hunter, the herd had to stick together no matter what.

He gave a loud cry to stay close before his youngest sentry suddenly bolted forward with an angry bellow, and Fuego froze as he resisted the urge to immediately dart at the quaking ground. Elise had said to trust her.

He had to put his faith in his Alpha, and the raptor kept up the act as the large male charged him.

Fuego questioned his placement of faith when he could see the little scales lining the duck-billed mouth until the thick brush suddenly lunged forward with a powerful roar, and the sentry unintentionally slid to a stop right as the Indominus snapped her jaws into the thick neck. The Maiasaura was almost the size of the Triceratops she had fought, but this one lacked horns.

And she already had her teeth in his neck.

Fuego scrambled up in his haste to help Elise but paused when she snagged her talons into the flesh as she easily forced her jaws forward. The sharp sound of a strong neck snapping cracked in the air before the sentry had a chance to even bellow, and the body limply fell to the ground. Elise eyed the twitching foot for a second before shoving down on the broken neck just to be sure the spinal cord was severed.

It was a quick, clean kill, and Elise firmly believed all her prey deserved nothing less than that. She would always treat her kills with dignified respect as well as making sure nothing went to waste. That's what it meant to hunt.

To her at least.

She was a carnivore who had to eat meat to survive, plain and simple. Grant had theorized she could get away with an omnivore diet due to the molars in the very back of her mouth, but she didn't use them.

Elise gave the body a final glance as she thanked Sobek for teaching her this trick; she didn't like the idea of locking her jaws on an exposed throat. It was a drawn out death, and the Indominus turned to face the panicking herd that wasn't sure what to do with her.

She wanted to roar just to get them moving, but Elise didn't want to startle them into stampeding. It didn't feel right to panic the herd any more than she had, and the Indominus stood tall as she let out a loud hiss.

It sounded scarier when Sobek did it, but it seemed to do the trick.

The Maiasaura Alpha let out a loud cry to move as he had his mate take the lead; he intended to guard by the road until the last of his herd had passed through. He had never seen this white predator before, but he knew that sound.

It seemed this bright scaled hunter had come to fill the void the rusted apex predator had left in his disappearance, and the Alpha bellowed for his herd to get moving as he eyed his fallen sentry. He didn't like how she came from nowhere, but he would forever remember that she seemed to work with pack hunters.

Elise turned her attention back when Fuego made a delighted shiver of his jaws as he practically bounced around their kill.

Elise did it! She had actually downed a healthy kill for their pack! Fuego wasn't sure what to do with himself he was so happy. Maybe this pack really was as good as Elise had been telling him. It had been too long since he had actually helped in a successful hunt, and it made Fuego feel so good.

This was possible, life was still possible, and the blue scaled raptor made a soft chirp of respect for Elise.

 _Alpha Elise._

He had purposefully picked a difficult herd to hunt from, and Alpha Elise had succeeded with ease. The kill hadn't been loud or messy, and she had worked with only one raptor rather than her normal pack.

Fuego felt much better as his muscles relaxed at the relief of being with an Alpha who was capable of leading successful hunts.

Elise made a soft sound as she gently pushed the raptor close to the meat; she wanted to keep an eye on the Alpha, but he could start eating before others caught wind of their kill. Fuego twitched his tail when he barked if they had to bring anything to Brave Idiot, and the Indominus replied that he liked to eat different things.

But, the image of dropping a bloody leg right in front of him was a little amusing though Elise quickly scolded herself for immaturely disrespecting the remains of this creature.

It was still funny, but she wouldn't do it.

She would probably bring a large chunk of meat for them, and the dark scaled raptor shivered his jaws happily as he dove into the soft underbelly of the sentry. He felt much better now that he could momentarily forget all the terrible that had happened last night.

For the moment, Fuego could focus on filling himself while trusting his Alpha to keep him safe.

It was a wonderful feeling.

Elise had to lightly snort at the much rounder raptor sprawled next to her. Fuego had very much so overeaten, and he would have looked adorable with his bulging belly if he hadn't been covered in blood.

The raptor had more than eaten his fill before flopping over with a content sigh, and Elise had briefly wondered if Fuego had eaten himself into a food coma. Lowery had once explained what it was, and it made sense to her.

The Indominus glanced over to the half-eaten kill as she ripped off another chunk for herself. She wanted to eat until she was ready to sleep like Fuego, but Sam's growling voice warned against it; she had to be alert just in case ACU needed her.

Speaking of which, Elise glanced up to the sun and figured she had been here for a couple of hours. It was probably time to head back, and she let out a content sigh.

The silence was very nice even if she wanted to go back home. Elise's internal clock told her it was time for her grooming with Rexy; she missed her mother's scent, and she found herself smelling her scales in hopes of finding the earthly comfort.

She was ready to hear Blue shriek at her for lazing around or letting a boar go, and Elise wanted to tell Sobek she had fought a really hard fight. It hadn't been worth it in her opinion, and she wanted to talk about that too.

Elise almost sighed as she glanced at the raptor next to her. She still didn't know how she would have done it differently considering Owen's gun had drawn Carnifex from his paddock.

Maybe the fight had been inevitable with too many little occurrences just pushing it in that direction. She could have let Tacet go, but the gun had startled both the predators. She tried to lead them into the forest, but Tacet cut her off.

She almost got away from Carnifex, but she had to go back to give Lopez a head start.

Tacet had been lost in a frenzy, and ACU hadn't been at full strength. Elise was simply frustrated with how many people and animals had died, but she couldn't see how she could have done it differently considering everything that happened.

She had rolled with the chaos as best she could, but everyone had paid a price last night from losing a life to a sense of security.

Fuego had lost all of that. The light of day and his behavior revealed that much; the overeating had been her first clue after she realized the scales were just a bit duller than her pack's. He was thin and almost possessive of his food.

He ate like he wasn't sure if he'd ever get another meal again. Fuego seemed to be in slight disbelief that she would be able to get more food for the pack.

It made her sad more than anything else, and she hoped time would help prove herself a good Alpha in his eyes. At least Fuego would have a happier life on Jurassic World.

She had to think good thoughts.

Life was cruel sometimes, and she didn't always have control over what it threw at her. But, she could choose to be happy or miserable. The storms would come and go, and she controlled how she swam through them.

Elise let out a long sigh as she absentmindedly stared down the road leading from the labs. Today was still young, and she wanted today to be a good day. The Indominus reminded herself that she was alive, she still had Owen and her family. She would see her Munchkin Army again, and she had Fuego.

She couldn't change last night even if she really wanted to.

At least Bridges wouldn't hurt any more people on this island; that was a very good thing.

A sudden bark startled Elise from her thoughts as she snapped her gaze to the brush before blinking at the two pairs of eyes. Fuego half lifted his head out of paranoia though Elise gave a warm rumble.

The dark scaled raptor flopped back onto the warm ground as he sighed; _Alpha Elise_ could handle things.

Short One lashed her tail as she chittered a respectful greeting while eyeing the kill. They had passed the nervous herd not long ago, and the smell of fresh blood led them here. The little female was actually happy White One had downed this kill. Short One's mate didn't seem to be as relaxed, and Elise eyed the duo expectantly. She hadn't planned to see the little raptor so soon.

Elise wanted to know if the couple were passing through or if Short One had news on a certain blonde…

Short One glanced at a moss covered rock as she listened to the question before turning gracefully to stall for a little bit of time. She still wanted the promised meat in exchange for the walking corpse, but it seemed she could get a small meal right here if she reported that she had found the blonde human.

Then she could lead White One to the smelly no-good human and get the promised meat for his capture.

 _Or_ she could tell _most_ of the truth and just get all of this kill; it had plenty of meat to be considered good enough, and then she wouldn't have to go back for Dead One. The little raptor really wasn't in the mood to risk her life and limb to drag something so smelly all the way back to this creature for some food.

Not when this lovely alternative had just presented itself.

Elise cocked her head when Short One chirped that she had found Dead One, but he had been claimed by the Dead Caves where nothing left alive.

The Indominus narrowed her eyes as she growled the meaning and location behind these caves. The raptor stiffened her tail when she barked that nothing left those caves alive, and it was where the walking corpse belonged. Short One went on to add that Elise herself was far too large to even try walking over the Dead Caves; she'd fall right in and end up like Dead One.

Impaled by the sharp rocks that grew straight up.

Elise flicked her tail as she recalled anything that rang a bell with the description, she knew of rocks in caves that were pointed; something-mites.

The Indominus huffed as she chittered for more details; Bridges was far too observant of his surroundings to fall into a cave. She had actually expected him to be gone by now, and Short One tapped her sickle claw as she quietly chirped that she had accidentally scared him into a hole.

The idiot prey fell right into the caves, and he had been stuck by the sharp rocks; he wasn't going anywhere, and nothing was going to get him.

Elise tilted her head in disbelief before the little raptor stood straighter as she snapped that she had held up her end of the bargain as best she could by at least finding Dead One. She should have claim to this kill for her hard work.

It wasn't like the walking corpse was going anywhere.

The Indominus immediately retorted that the deal had been to bring Dead One to her alive, and that clearly hadn't happened. Now he was dead in caves they couldn't even get to. The image of all those sharp rocks impaling Bridges' body was almost incomprehensible to Elise.

To her, Bridges had always seemed so invincible and ahead of the game. To Elise, Bridges was the closest example she had to a real live Joker.

Bridges had been ended by a cranky, elderly raptor who didn't bat an eye at charging a Spinosaurus in his prime. He was gone and never to return; Elise had a hard time actually coming to terms to that.

It was almost like losing the round man she had first eaten. He had been present in her life even if she hadn't liked him, she knew the sound, smell, and sight of him, but he was suddenly gone. Even if she had killed him without much regret, he was a part of her life that would never repeat.

Elise wouldn't play another game with Bridges, she'd never look to him to see if Roth had the best of intents with her, and she'd never surprise him again. Bridges was a part of her life that would never repeat, and Elise wasn't sure how to feel about it.

He was bad; Elise always knew that, and she wasn't sad he was dead. She just wasn't sure how to feel about a bit of her life suddenly changing with the loss of a human she had grown used to seeing. Bridges was a bad man, but he had been part of Elise's life.

She had ended his life technically, and Elise couldn't help but to see the cruel irony in that. She had sworn to bury the man when they first met, and she had done just that.

Short One had scared the man into a deep cave system where he had been impaled by the rocks. He was buried deep in the earth where she couldn't get to, and the Indominus sighed.

She had done it; Elise won their game, and all Bridges needed now was a stone to mark his grave. Maybe later, but she wondered if she'd get in trouble for indirectly killing a man who was wanted by the law.

Elise wasn't familiar with laws aside from the basics of doing others no harm. She had harmed Bridges through Short One; this raptor wouldn't have pursued him had she not ordered it.

She should have known better than to send Short One after a man who left many unanswered questions in his disappearance. This was another death on her own bloody claws, and Elise was actually torn about this.

On one hand, Bridges had done terrible crimes against his fellow man and the animals he had been responsible for, but he was dead now through an odd twist of cruel luck and unfortunate events. Elise knew he would have been severely punished by the law, but _she_ had gotten him killed.

It hadn't been her right to end him.

Elise did know that no matter how low Bridges was, he was still technically a human that she had gotten killed. Would she be punished for that? It made sense to Elise, and she was startled to realize she really didn't want to face that.

Elise would never downplay what she did during her rampage; she had killed innocent people, who were simply at the wrong place at the wrong time.

But Bridges was a bad man who hurt and killed so many people. He didn't try to get better, and he ran from what he did. Elise flicked her tail in thought as she realized that was a major difference between them.

Elise would face her mistakes and crimes, but Bridges wouldn't. The Indominus' real dilemma was in the question of whether or not this was a bad she had done in indirectly killing a bad man who would continue to hurt.

Bridges was a life ended, but was it _her_ right to end that life?

The Indominus wasn't sure, and she didn't like the sour feeling in her stomach that she might have done something that wasn't right even if it was for the better of others. This idea was confusing to her, and she wanted to talk to Owen about it.

Owen knew almost everything despite what Blue said.

The Indominus snapped from her thoughts when Short One sharply chirped that they wouldn't even be talking if it wasn't for her. Elise and her Co-Alpha owed their lives to her, but the Indominus almost snapped that she actually owed her life to Limper.

But Short One had a point, and the Indominus glanced at the half-eaten kill before rumbling that they could have this since she was done with it. There was a day's worth of meat on the revealed skeleton, and the raptor chirped that was fine with her.

It was better for everyone if they let the dead lie quietly in the earth as they should. Walking corpses were not to be, and this one was finally acting like a normal corpse. The only difference was Short One doubted anything would be hungry enough to actually eat him.

Elise almost sighed as the duo pounced on the kill, and Short One also chittered that she smelled Limper on the wind not far from here. Elise did sigh at that though she wished them many good kills as they probably wouldn't see one another again, but the female had already thrust her snout into the meat.

The Indominus figured it was time to go, and she barked for Fuego to get up only to get a long, drawn out and growled 'no'. Fuego was not in the mood to move, and he hardly reacted to being scooped into the powerful jaws.

He was fine with being carried, and Elise only worried about accidentally popping the round raptor.

Short One paused to glance at the departing predator almost smugly. For a few seconds there, she thought it wouldn't have worked, but White One just seemed tired and ready to leave for her soft island. It had worked to her advantage, and the raptor swallowed another chunk of meat; nothing went to waste here.

The female paused when her silvering mate nuzzled her with warm praises of how intelligent she was. He had missed her so much, and the normally brash female pressed her face to his as she shivered her jaws affectionately.

As long as she had her mate, life was worth living.


	85. Chapter 85

**A/N**

 **Hey guys! I apologize for not posting yesterday, I had to revamp this chapter a bit because the pace was killing me. We know it's bad when _I_ feel like it's too slow, right? I'm going to get Elise and the others back home as soon as I can, but there's some parts here I won't rush. **

**I'm glad to hear from you guys again! It's been too long.**

 **Anyway, I'm not sure if I need to put up a warning, but I will just in case. We will be having some descriptions of a burnt corpse. I'm sorry if that spoiled anything, but a warning is a warning.**

 **I also want to give a big thanks to Mr. Nemesis X for the help he's given me here lately.**

 **Last but not least, thank you much and mighty for your patience, thoughts, and critiques. I sincerely appreciate it. Please enjoy this next chapter!**

* * *

' _Happiness blooms from small, simple things.' -Unravel_

* * *

"Bubbles."

"Better?"

Claire smiled as she gently pressed her lips against Owen's before murmuring, "Much better, but I miss the other vest a little more."

The man allowed the redhead to adjust the armored vest on his shoulders before he said, "I thought ladies loved a guy in uniform."

Claire let out a soft laugh as she answered, "We do, but you don't look very happy in one."

"I'm not, but it's better than no armor."

The redhead let out a sigh as she gently hugged her beau close when she replied, "I know, but at least your shift doesn't start for another hour. It's light guard duty for you two because of your injuries, and there's not much else to do after the evacuation at the moment. You and Elise have to stay close until we can figure out what to do with Tacet."

Owen pressed his lips as he glanced around the quiet break room before saying, "Well, I guess we take things one thing at a time. Right now, she's fine where she's at because it's quiet and familiar."

He was glad this break room was quiet; there were actually a few break rooms around this settlement of different buildings. The vets had their own as did Control, and even the employee apartments had something of a small lobby to socialize.

It was a nice setup considering, but Owen was glad it was empty here. Most of the off duty guards and handlers seemed to be staying close to the safer apartments.

Those had nicer showers, but InGen had supplied public showers, mainly for the use of dock workers, though Owen really didn't care simply because they were empty.

"Judge Knight said she was coming today to take a look at Tacet for herself."

Owen eased himself onto the older couch behind them when he asked, "Why? Tacet doesn't need to be bugged by a bunch of strangers right now. We need to get back home before the girls and Rexy riot."

Claire gave a gentle squeeze as she sighed, "We need to figure out what we can actually do with Tacet, and Judge Knight wants to make sure she's like Elise before we do anything. Since Bridges is gone, and InGen isn't technically running right this second, Tacet doesn't have a guardian."

Owen raised his brows when he retorted, "Tacet is _technically_ dinosaur, Claire, and those were handed over to you."

"Tacet also has human in her, she's not an animal that can be tossed around, and Judge Knight firmly believes she's entitled to all her rights like anyone else. …Judge Knight just doesn't want to…deprive Tacet any more than what she's already been."

Owen internally groaned as he rested his chin on the silky hair. On one hand, he agreed with that, but he didn't feel like Tacet was all there. There was something off with the blank stare, and he wanted to know why she hurt herself.

But, Tacet couldn't talk nor was she willing to communicate with them.

"I remember when there wasn't enough time in the day to teach Elise everything she wanted to learn, she's like a sponge, but Tacet…she couldn't wait to end that conversation."

Claire winced before softly asking, "Was it something I did?"

Owen shook his head as he sighed, "I think that's just Tacet, Claire, but I can't tell…I've never worked with animals like this before. I could tell some things with Elise, but we just clicked. I can't click with Tacet."

The redhead pressed her lips as she rested her head on the sore chest; she had really hoped Owen would have been able to establish some sort of relationship with Tacet by now, but so much had gone wrong.

"Her name used to be Lonicera."

Claire blinked as she glanced at Owen, and he added, "Bridges said her name was Lonicera before she snapped, and she liked honeysuckle flowers. He begged Elise to bring back Lonicera…he acted like they were different Indomitus."

The redhead frowned, and she finally replied, "We'll tell Judge Knight that, and maybe we can find some honeysuckle flowers for her next time we go to see her."

"Maybe…we need to find Elise and Fuego actually. I don't think we should bother Tacet again unless Elise is right there to help."

Claire nodded in agreement as she grabbed Owen's radio to ask, "Lowery, where's Elise and Fuego?"

There was a small pause until the man answered, "They're were headed back, but they're at the river right now. It's clean enough to drink so no worries there."

Owen sighed before he tiredly asked, "Why couldn't they stay here? It's safer."

The redhead smiled as she comfortingly said, "I don't think Fuego is eager to go back to a domesticated life, and this is Elise's first time to really act like a dinosaur. Maybe she wanted to see what the wild really is."

"Without me?"

Claire had to smile at the slightly hurt tone when she replied, "I'm sure she'll tell you every little detail she sees. Maybe she'll get to see animals here that we don't have. Elise will be fine, Owen."

The man reclined his head back as he sighed, "I know, but she's only six."

"She's bigger than Rexy, Owen."

"Only by a few feet, and she's hurt."

Claire had to agree with that part, and she rubbed his arm comfortingly as she said, "Elise is smart, and she's mature when she needs to be. She's got Fuego with her."

The man slowly nodded as he wrapped his arm around Claire when he murmured, "We probably have an hour to ourselves…"

"Enough time for a quick nap."

Owen cracked open an eye to smirk at the redhead smiling at him before she gently pushed him down. He winced as he rested an arm behind his head when she left to rummage through the closet. This break room wasn't as luxurious as the Jurassic World break room, but it was nice enough; the couch was comfortable.

A morning nap was exactly what he had on his mind, and maybe Elise would be back by then.

Owen just hoped by this time tomorrow, Elise would be curled up next to Rexy and sleeping the day away. He wanted her safe and happy.

* * *

The snowy snout crinkled with amusement as the tickling bubbles gently popped against her scales, and Fuego lifted his head to snarl at his Alpha for being a hatchling. Of all the things he expected to see, this was not among them.

Elise filled her mouth with the cool, river water before spraying the raptor in retaliation; she loved blowing bubbles in the water, and she would do as she pleased for now. It was relaxing and fun, especially when no one was around to tell her it was 'poor manners'.

Fuego nearly shrieked at being drenched, and Elise gave her sucked in laugh before chittering that he was dirty anyway and needed a bath. The raptor growled at her as he shoved his round self up to shake off the water, and Elise stuck her snout back in the water to resume her bubble blowing.

What was the point of life if she couldn't enjoy little things like this?

This river was wide and deep, she had only planned to get a quick drink with Fuego before realizing just how dirty her snowy scales were. The waters were clean enough to her, and the Indominus decided to at least wash the blood off.

They had to leave their road and walk through thicker trees in order to get to this river, but Elise wasn't worried about becoming lost. She did like the spacious plain on the other side of this river, and the Indominus could even hear the far off cries from the herd they hunted.

Elise felt better even if she had only washed her underbelly and face. Her legs were too tender to really rub dirt from.

Fuego was less eager for this cold bath, and Elise sprayed the raptor once more before snorting at the furious shriek. He snarled profanities at her, and she retorted that he was too round to do anything more than waddle.

He looked heavy with young, and Fuego opened his dangerous jaws to snarl again only for a loud belch to practically echo down the quiet river. Elise startled almost as much as the shocked raptor, and she let out an amused cry.

She wasn't sure what was funnier, the fact that the river suddenly went quiet in surprise or how Fuego actually seemed a little less round after letting out all the air.

The Velociraptor quickly groomed his chest to rid himself of the embarrassing feeling, and Elise comfortingly rumbled that this was between them; she was only playing.

It felt good to relax like this.

Fuego tilted his head as he glanced down at the crystal clear river running alongside them; he couldn't remember the last time he had actually played with any of his pack mates. He had always been so stressed about finding the next meal or being wary of humans.

He turned his gaze back to the massive carnivore, and he wondered if he would be privileged with more days like this; playing like a hatchling in the warm sun with a round belly. Did the other pack members play? Were they round like hatchlings?

Could they survive if such a relaxed life was interrupted?

The Velociraptor twitched his tail in thought before he decided to give a chirp while shaking more water off. Maybe he would be a hatchling today and forget the worries just for a moment.

But he would be the lazy hatchling sleeping in the sun.

Elise pulled her lips up into a mischievous smirk as she quietly lowered her snout into the water to spray the raptor again before freezing at the loud steps thudding against the ground. The Indominus immediately tensed at the thought of meeting Carnifex again and whirled around at the trumpeting cry echoing over the trees.

It was _huge!_

Elise actually took a step back as she let out a breath at seeing the towering dinosaur gracefully strolling alongside the river. Why was it so tall? Her own head would probably come to the top of the powerful shoulder rolling with ease as the long necked dinosaur paused to glance at her.

This was the very first dinosaur to glance at her so…uncaringly. She wasn't at all bothered by the Indominus' presence, and Elise made a low sound of amazement.

She had seen these in some movies Gray had shown her, and Elise realized just how little effect those movies had compared to the real, breathing herbivore. The movements of the massive ribcage expanding with each, relaxed breath, the detailed scales shining in the sun, and the echoing cry vibrating the air.

Movies had nothing on this one.

The Indominus craned her own neck as she recalled these being called Brachiosaurs. This one was probably here to drink or maybe even eat from the top of the trees she so easily towered over.

Did Jurassic World have these? Jurassic World needed these.

She was breathtaking and, like a little kid seeing an extraordinary dinosaur in the flesh for the first time, Elise threw back her head to mimic the long, high pitched cry as best she could. The snowy dinosaur didn't think she had done a very good job, Fuego actually hissed at her for being an idiot, but it must have sounded curious enough to the warm eyed Brachiosaur.

Elise took a step back when the herbivore made a low, echoing sound as her thirty-foot neck slowly swung down to peer at the creature she had never seen before. Elise didn't think the heavy animal would try to step off the higher bank, but she was ready to bolt if needed.

The Indominus was technically a carnivore, and she didn't see how she could really do damage to this one.

The Apatosaurus hadn't been this large, and Elise made the high, soft cry again before glancing over when three more heads lifted over the trees to give their own cries. Elise couldn't help but to be happy enough to forget her stresses for the moment; she was actually talking with herbivores.

Even if she had no idea what she was saying.

Fuego snarled that she sounded like she was dying! She was going to bring the entire herd over here, and they would have to leave!

Big leaf eaters like them liked to smoosh little creatures like him! Fuego was not in the mood to be pancaked.

Elise turned her head to chitter at him before startling at the puff of air on her neck, and she blinked at the chocolatey gaze regarding her with little fear. The Indominus still hid her claws close to her chest as she took in all the details of this stunning animal.

What was it like to be so tall? Did she ever get tired of always having to hold her head so high?

What if there was a Brachiosaurus who was afraid of heights?

Elise made soft sounds as she admired the splash of scarlet decorating the scar free face, and she tilted her head when she realized where the nostrils were.

They were on top of her head rather than on the front of her snout, and Elise blinked. Did the Brachiosaurus get fresher thoughts with her nose so close to her brain? The Indominus liked the clean smell on the shiny scales, and she couldn't stop herself from giving a gentle lick up the smooth snout.

The herbivore startled at that and lifted her head with a soft cry before deciding to move further down the river where it was easier to reach water. Elise decided she liked these, and she turned back to the water as she kept an eye on the dinosaurs singing their soft songs.

She was going to tell Owen all about them, and Fuego huffed as he glanced around before freezing at the scales parting from the trees.

Elise was so focused on making more bubbles that she only heard Fuego shriek a warning before the large foot sank below the surface in front of her. The Indominus startled into sucking in water and lifting her head to spray the face to put some distance between them.

It wasn't her brightest move, but it worked, and the other let out a startled rumble as he backed away to blink confused, amber eyes.

Elise made a soft sound; it was her hero in the flesh and sopping wet.

Oops.

She really wasn't quite sure to do when the Tyrannosaurus let out a patient sigh; Rexy would have nipped her tail raw for pulling that, and Sobek would have drowned her.

Her hero didn't even seem mad, and Alexander shook the water droplets off as he rumbled a polite greeting.

He had wondered if she was going to live through the night, and it seemed she had.

Elise risked a glance at Fuego blinking at them, wondering if a fight would happen, before she rumbled her own hello. She didn't remember much from meeting him last night, but she did recall giving him a grateful lick on the jaws; something akin to a well-deserved kiss for the hero.

The Indominus supposed that meant they had parted on good terms, and Fuego promised up and down that they weren't near the Tyrannosaurus' territory. She didn't feel threatened by him, and he didn't appear to be looking for a fight.

Her hero seemed more curious than anything.

Elise supposed that was fine, and she liked his calm demeanor; Sobek had always spoken highly of this one.

The Indominus figured if she wanted to befriend any creature here, it would be this one, and she made a low croon that it was nice to cross paths again.

Alexander blinked amber eyes as his tail waved; he had seen her licking the long neck's snout while mimicking their cries. He had actually thought she was going to somehow down the massive herbivore, but she licked the snout like she was greeting a friend.

The Tyrannosaurus wasn't quite sure what he was looking at despite last night's quick inspection. He really had thought she was going to die, but here she was. Alive, wounded, blowing bubbles, and travelling with the pack hunter.

If she wasn't bigger than him, he would have wondered if he was looking at a hatchling, but she clearly wasn't that. Maybe she was just odd looking, but it didn't explain everything else.

Elise tried not to shift under the mellow gaze as she wondered if she should just scoop Fuego up before leaving. She really didn't want to be rude to Limper, and the Indominus couldn't stop herself from stepping closer to inspect this dinosaur for herself.

Her hero was a little tense at the invasion of space, but he caught the appealing, feminine scent of his kind. It had been muddled last night from the trauma and blood, but he could smell it much more easily from her hips.

She was a very odd looking one of his own kind, and that disappointed the male. He was aware that her scale color wasn't something he should really favor. This color was very odd, and it could bring about unfavorably colored hatchlings. Odd hatchlings had a tendency to die out sooner, and the Tyrannosaurus knew this even if he never had a mate of his own.

The point of a life-long mate was to bring about healthy hatchlings that they would both take care of. As a male, he knew it was his job to follow his mate where she pleased while protecting both her and their offspring. Mates paired for the sole purpose of successfully raising their own hatchlings.

The almost unbreakable bond would grow the longer they remained with one another as mates. And, if the couple lived long enough, the bond would bind them in their twilight years when hatchlings were no longer possible.

The Tyrannosaurus knew he was practically the only of his kind here, but he would rather hunt alone than go through the frustrations of failed clutch after failed clutch because their mother gave them unfavorable genes.

He'd rather be a bachelor for the rest of his life unless she somehow proved her benefits outweighed the cons of her physical oddities.

Still, it didn't stop the male from making a low rumble as Elise gently puffed air onto the jungle scales. This was the very first time a female had ever inspected him, and Alexander couldn't stop himself from puffing his chest out to appear more impressive. Even if he might reject her, the male wanted to see if she'd think him a decent match.

If nothing else, she could make for a respectable neighbor, and the jungle scaled male carefully moved his own powerful jaws along the wounded side as he carefully watched her.

She didn't seem at all bothered by his presence, and he liked that. Only one other would stand in his presence without shaking; she was brave, and confident in herself. Despite her wounds, she was healthy, and he very much so liked that.

To Alexander, the concept of what he found appealing in a mate boiled down to a healthy, functioning creature he could get along with. While her scales and feathers threw him off, the muscles and scent didn't lie.

It was obvious she ate more than enough to maintain her bulk, her unwounded scales were shiny, and her eyes were clear.

How could someone so brightly colored feed herself to the point of actually doing better than himself?

The Tyrannosaurus wasn't sure, especially when he had never seen, smelled, or even heard her before. She hid herself very well on this island, and the male paused when their snouts bumped one another.

It was a friendly sort of bump, and he liked that. She was warm and open though it was becoming obvious that she wasn't here to find a mate or companion. She hadn't tried to make any attempt to show her readiness, and he wouldn't make a move until she gave him permission.

Then it would be up to him to bring forth a gift, but that was pushed from Alexander's mind simply because Elise wasn't interested at the moment.

It was a little frustrating for the male because it put him right back to square one. She was a dangerous predator who could pose a threat to him if she fully recovered from her wounds, and she seemed like she was doing just fine.

The Tyrannosaurus had no idea why she was with a pack hunter, but she had it figured out. Alexander understood the rewards of mutualism relationship. He himself enjoyed the benefits of basking in the sun in a certain patch of jungle near the coast where birds would keep his skin clean of parasites.

The Tyrannosaurus couldn't help but to think of his last encounter with the pack hunters. He remembered how the swift hunters had startled prey right into him, and Alexander wondered if that was the relationship between these two.

It made sense to Alexander. The pack hunter would chase prey to this bright scaled carnivore, and she would down it. But, it seemed like these two had developed a closer bond to where they would travel together. Alexander knew pack hunters didn't last alone.

Maybe these two would take the traumatized land where the humans had been, and the male startled when she suddenly licked his cheek as she rumbled her sincere gratitude.

Alexander swore she had thanked him last night, but he didn't mind the show of affection. It was a good sign to his instincts if he thought of her as one of his own kind. She was obviously something like him if they could talk, and he understood her perfectly. She did smell appealing.

She just looked different…and acted like a hatchling… Maybe she wasn't as old as him, and the Tyrannosaurus shifted in thought about this predicament he was in.

This was clearly a female who bore resemblance to his kind. She was obviously old enough to be bigger than him, but most likely not old enough to be raising hatchlings; he still felt he had a few years to go before raising his own. Maybe they were close in age, which his instincts also liked.

Alexander did feel ready to find a companion who would become a life mate, but he didn't think Bright Scales was looking for a mate or companion which meant she was a potential threat to his home.

He didn't mind when others hunted in the valley, like Proud One, they used to have a routine where they would each pass through the valley without crossing paths, and it worked out. By the time Alexander would patrol through the valley, Sobek would already be gone with his kill.

What Alexander _didn't_ want was this one thinking she could take the valley for herself; that was neutral ground so to speak. It worked here because the food had never gone scarce. If anything, the only ones who had laid claim to the valley had been the pack hunters.

There was only the round one hiding in the bushes as far as Alexander knew, but he couldn't help but to think that Bright Scales could also attain that mindset as well. _That_ would be a problem.

A particularly wet slobber up his cheek startled the Tyrannosaurus, and Elise gave a deep rumble for spacing out on her. Rexy would do the same to her whenever she zoned out, and she didn't want to just leave the Tyrannosaurus so rudely.

She wasn't going to sit in the river while he got lost in thought, and she waved her tail; she had places to be. Amber eyes blinked in shock, and she rumbled another question.

Where had he learned to fight like that?

Alexander shifted as he glanced down the quiet river before answering that Proud One had taught him more than enough in their only, and very short fight. The old Spinosaurus had taught Alexander to stay steady on his feet or else.

Elise suddenly crooned that she knew him as well. He was a cranky dinosaur who loved to eat prey from rivers. He had taught her how to fight as well.

The Indominus almost glanced to the waters washing their legs when she softly added that she hadn't done so well in last night's fight, but Sobek's lessons had helped her.

He taught her how to get herself free from a clamped jaw on her neck.

Alexander waved his tail in thought as he continued to eye this new creature. So she could survive more than one fight. He had thought she had somehow avoided fights her whole life before being surprised last night, but if she fought Proud One…

There was something to be said from that.

Still, the Tyrannosaurus glanced down the river when he rumbled how angry Proud One always sounded in his roar. It was the loudest he had ever heard, and Alexander turned his mellow gaze back to Elise when she proudly crooned.

She had the loudest roar; she was louder than the Spinosaurus.

The Tyrannosaurus waved his tail in suspicion at this soft voiced creature before letting out a thunderous roar that shook the trees and caused Fuego to leap up with a startled shriek. The birds scattered in a panic, and Elise made a soft sound; that one was pretty good.

It wasn't as terrifying as Rexy's, but Elise was a little biased on the fact that her mother was probably the most petrifying creature to shake this planet.

Still, her hero had a really good roar, and the Indominus filled her lungs with the sweet, jungle air before allowing the shrill roar to shatter the silence left in Alexander's roar. Fuego didn't know what to do with these massive carnivores having a roaring contest, and the Tyrannosaurus shook his head to clear the ringing in his ears as Elise went quiet.

She had the louder roar; he believed her now. Loud roars were good to Alexander as well. It meant it would be easier to find her, and she could scare away worse predators.

She might look a little odd, but she was clearly capable of surviving. How successful would they be together? Her behavior wasn't sending off any alarm bells with him yet.

Bright Scales was actually a little entertaining to be around, and the Tyrannosaurus caught the amused gleam in the crimson eyes. Even though they could verbally communicate, a lot could be said in a mere glance.

Communication between looks was incredibly important; especially when hunting. Alexander felt like she was on the same page as him so to speak, and he took another deep breath. It was a little test to see if she thought the same as him.

Fuego's eyes threatened to roll when the newfound friends deafened the very jungle with a powerful, unanimous roar. The raptor was ready to throw up so he could actually run away, and Elise made a delighted croon at the playful feeling when the Tyrannosaurus rumbled in amusement.

With a roar like that, he had no idea why she hadn't avoided last night's fight, but time would tell the Tyrannosaurus more. It wasn't like there was another male here to steal her; Alexander definitely liked this bright scaled creature.

So why hadn't he heard her before?

The Indominus glanced at Fuego, who looked ready to flee, as she tried to come up with a way to explain this to the Tyrannosaurus. She didn't exactly swim here, and Elise finally growled that she had crossed the waters on a large, human floater. It was cold to stand on and smelled odd.

She paused to think of a better way to explain it and startled when the Tyrannosaurus rumbled that he knew of those; it held a dark cave in their belly and rocked until one felt sick.

Elise blinked in shock before she made a delighted sound that her hero actually knew what she was talking about. It had even gone over Fuego's head when she tried explaining to him, but her hero knew what a ship was!

Alexander tilted his head at the excited croon before Bright Scales became a flurry of questions one right after the other. Where had he gone on the human floater? When? Had it been fun? Terrifying?

Elise was so excited to learn about her hero that she hadn't realized she started chittering her questions, and Fuego grew incredibly confused at the language switch. He really didn't think Limper understood his tongue, and the Indominus continued her questions before startling at the scarred muzzle briefly resting on her head.

The Indominus blinked at the gentle touch before Alexander rumbled that he didn't know the pack hunters' chitters, and if she wanted questions answered, she actually had to let him answer.

Elise flared her nostrils to catch the Tyrannosaur's scent, and she rather liked how he smelled so strongly of the jungle.

He was fun…and she was again reminded of how those amber eyes were just as clear as the polished chunk Wu had sent her. Elise always liked the vibrancy of Rexy's golden eyes, but she just couldn't picture Limper with anything but this beautiful amber.

The male took a step back as he rumbled that he didn't remember much. He had been very young, but he recalled the humans' screams, his father's very furious roar, and two humans he really couldn't quite picture after all these years.

Alexander faintly recalled their scents. A sharp smelling male who constantly talked, and an earthly female who had a gentle touch. The Tyrannosaurus couldn't remember who put the cast on his leg, but he did realize it appeared with those two.

He liked to avoid humans as much as he could because of that experience even before learning how ill they would make him. They meddled with things that weren't their business, and he continued that his first kill had actually been in the belly of a human floater.

The foul smelling human who tasted terrible, but it was always important to remember those kinds of experiences.

Humans tasted bad, but they were easy to kill.

Elise tilted her head as the Tyrannosaurus continued to do his best to describe the land with no trees, many humans, and many more human caves that stretched high. Everything smelled bad, and it sounded so odd.

A foggy experience, but he had a clearer memory of his cranky father explaining this to his very unhappy mother so long ago. Alexander knew enough to avoid any place that would bear similar resemblance though last night had been an exception to the rule.

The Indominus crooned in amazement that her hero had seen more of the world than she had even if it hadn't been a pleasant experience. She glanced around to make sure things were still safe before rumbling why he hadn't tried to eat the walking corpse with the red fire.

Alexander risked a playful bump on her hip and was delighted when she replied with a gentle flick of her tail on his shoulder. The Tyrannosaurus followed her out of the river, and Fuego heaved himself out of the way when the former answered that he had wanted to snap the useless human in half. He recalled the same stench clinging to his parents' bodies after the loud bangs had filled the air.

He missed his soft mother's affectionate rumble in the night, and his incredibly stern father's constant growling. Alexander remembered how his father seemed so angry all the time, but he had always been a tender mate and parent.

He had seemed so invincible that it had taken Alexander a day or so to actually comprehend that his father had died.

Elise made a soft sound as she winced while shifting her weight on her legs, it hadn't been a good idea to walk around so much, and she listened as the Tyrannosaurus rumbled that the walking corpse was no good for eating even though he deserved to die.

It was why he had stared at the stunned human for so long, Alexander couldn't decide if he _really_ wanted that human in his mouth, even if it would have been a quick crunch. There had also been something desperate about the poisoned corpse's demeanor; a helpless bystander.

Like he had something that had to do with the disturbance on the island that Proud One would have never tolerated.

Alexander rumbled that the fight had still been going on when the red fire came from nowhere, it had made it easier to see, and he followed it. He didn't care about the walking corpse, but he had come to investigate the fight.

Arrogant One had issued a challenge, and he accepted; plain and simple. The spined one had been a poor fighter, and there had been no need to kill him. Alexander had simply wished to make sure the Spinosaurus knew who the real Alpha of the island was.

Alexander had no idea why the first fight had started, why so much death had been caused, but he felt the need to help end it for the sake of peace. Too much death made the herds uneasy, and hunts were harder.

It disrupted everything on the island.

Elise made a low croon as she carefully tapped her talon against her chest; she was happy her hero had come to save the day in his own way, and she silently promised to tell Sobek that this island was in very good care.

It would make the Spinosaurus happy to know that.

The Indominus turned her head when Fuego suddenly snapped it was time to go. She supposed it was time to leave before ACU needed her, and she turned to the Tyrannosaurus to give a grateful lick on his cheek.

He deserved kisses for helping so selflessly and, even if it had been unintentional, he had saved her life and Owen's.

That meant the world to Elise.

Alexander blinked in surprise as she crooned a farewell. She was leaving so suddenly? Was he that unappealing to her or was the pack hunter in charge between the duo? The Tyrannosaurus was a little disappointed at the thought that he wasn't an appealing male.

Maybe they were just too different, and this was to be his first red flag at her behavior; she just wasn't interested. That had plenty to say about her ability to bring out viable hatchlings with him.

Still, he wanted to learn more of her because she was interesting, but maybe it was good they parted here on a good note. He would always see her again. Despite that this island was a big one, it wasn't hard to keep track of larger predators.

Unless she was leaving in her human floater, but maybe they would meet again?

Elise paused at the softly rumbled question; there was something she liked about her hero's ability to make such quiet sounds considering his sheer size and intimidating appearance. The Indominus actually wasn't sure if she'd cross paths with him again, but she kind of wanted to.

They got along well enough for their short conversation, and Elise felt like she could make good friends with him or, at the very least, a strong ally on this island. She respected him and his way of going about things. The Tyrannosaurus was nosey enough to keep in touch with everything going on here but confident enough not to micromanage.

He was good for this island, and he was needed here.

But, she was going back to her own island with miles of ocean between them; that made her sad. Elise did want to see more of her hero, she wanted to learn more about the lands he saw as a hatchling, she wanted to swap stories about Sobek, and maybe even hunt.

Maybe she could come visit him again? Owen would surely have a heart attack, but Elise had a feeling he could get over it.

Elise blinked at the amber eyes before she decided she'd like to see him again when she wasn't pressed for time. Maybe she could come back after her wounds healed; when she felt better.

The Indominus liked that idea, and she rumbled that she'd be going back to the humans and her island far away though she'd come back someday. She could tell him about her home.

Fuego let out another, startling belch as he turned around, and Alexander blinked at him before rumbling that his home was between the ocean and the valley not far from here. He wanted her to mind his territory lines, but he would help her fight again if needed.

She only had to give a roar for him, and he would come.

Elise brightened at that and made a grateful croon before she gave a final lick on his cheek. She paused when he briefly rested his powerful jaws on her head once more. Elise didn't understand why he did that, Rexy didn't do this, but it made her feel safer.

She liked that, and her eyes wandered to the long slash on his shoulder from Carnifex. Her hero hardly faltered under the so angry male, and Elise suddenly realized she had no idea where the Spinosaurus was.

She wanted to know so she could tell ACU, and the Indominus lightly bumped her nose against the jungle snout when she rumbled where the red scaled carnivore had been chased to.

Alexander seemed more focused on the little space between them, but he easily answered that the male was long gone to where Proud One had once lived. This brash, younger male could find himself in that part of the island or die there.

As far as Alexander was concerned, the young Spinosaurus wasn't his current problem, especially with this female right in front of him.

Even if she was leaving, Alexander actually wouldn't have minded if she became a neighbor or even try becoming companions, but the pack hunter was an odd addition. Alexander wasn't willing to allow the lone Alpha to wander his territory or share a nest.

Not that it mattered; pack hunters strolled wherever they pleased, and Proud One was the only who ever tried to fight them off.

Elise was happy to hear that her hero had done as he promised last night, and she had a feeling Limper was going to keep Carnifex from bothering them. It was a weight off her shoulders, and today felt much better thanks to her hero.

Her amber-eyed hero, and Elise liked the warm feeling blooming in her chest because it calmed her. The trip here finally had something good happen that she could truly appreciate; she had made a sincere friend who she would happily come see again.

The Indominus was sad this could be the last time she would see him for a while, but she had every intent of coming back one day even if Owen would bust a vein. She liked Limper enough to ask Claire for a trip, but the Indominus glanced to the side when Fuego gave a final, low growl that it was time to get back to their human pack member.

Brave Idiot could be dead by now considering how long it took just to get a meal. He probably thought they had abandoned him for being a loafing, lame human.

Elise chittered for the raptor to get moving before she bumped Alexander's snout once more. The Tyrannosaurus cocked his head as the duo left, and he let out a long breath as he glanced around his surroundings.

Maybe he would try to sneak another visit later, but he could also go back to his territory. Alexander was in the mood to sleep in his own nest, but maybe he could catch this bright scaled creature before she left for good.

Regardless, Alexander gave a glance at the chuckling river when he was sure the odd duo had left.

Bright Scales had left him with a small desire.

The Tyrannosaurus lashed his tail as he glanced around once more; he was the Alpha of this island, if he wanted to…act a little young, then it was his right.

Alexander glanced back down where the Indominus had disappeared before stepping into the river. Bright Scales was a little odd, but she seemed like she could be mature when she needed to be. He could be as well, and there was nothing wrong with a little entertainment.

The jungle snout gently dipped into the soothing waters as pleasant memories washed over the large carnivore. When bushes had been too tall to peek over, nest walls were almost impossible to scale, and his parents were always just a cry away.

It was funny how little he thought about his parents until now, but Alexander recalled how his father acted around his mother. It always seemed she was nipping his shoulder to calm him down, but his father never failed to reply with a single gesture.

It was always a brief touch of his jaws on her head; a form of reassurance, and a silent promise that everything was going to be fine.

Alexander always felt better when he saw his father do that, and he liked doing the same with Bright Scales.

The soft chuckle of popping lulled him, and the gentle tickling of the bubbles against his snout was something he never thought he'd feel again. Maybe one day, if he did everything right, he would be showing this trick to his hatchlings.

A few of them _might_ have some brighter scales; he didn't know, but he had a hunch she could be worth the risk. The Tyrannosaurus trusted his gut.

He liked Bright Scales, and Alexander wanted to see her again.

* * *

Elise let out a patient sigh at the irritated whine before she chittered that he needed to walk off the air, and the feathers on Fuego's heard rose in indignation at the borderline insult.

He didn't make a retort after another belch shook the calm feeling in the air, and Elise snorted. She was in a fairly good mood considering everything, but she could feel herself growing more serious the closer they drew to the settlement.

That warm feeling Limper had given her was slowly leaving, and it made her sad.

Elise just didn't like the heaviness where so much bad had happened, and she had a feeling she would be interacting with Tacet again. She knew that wasn't going to end well, but she wanted to be there to protect Owen.

The Indominus still felt guilty for almost killing her older sister even though she knew in her gut she wouldn't hesitate to protect Owen above everything else.

Elise would accept the consequences staining her talons, but she also wanted to remember that there was always more than one way to handle a situation. It was wrong to hurt another creature without reason, and Tacet deserved the same right.

The Indomitus wasn't considered lesser just because she was sick.

Another belch pulled her lips into a fierce smile, and she warmly chittered to the raptor if he intended to announce their presence to every living creature on the island.

Fuego lashed his tail as he immediately retorted that her stomping was far worse.

She actually shook leaves from the trees, and the Indominus let out an amused sound at the exaggeration before chittering if he felt better after the hunt. Elise recalled how often Owen made sure everyone in his pack was feeling well and happy.

He had even started to ask if Rexy was feeling good.

The raptor paused to glance behind him when he heard the telltale sigh of his new Alpha needing to rest yet again. It probably hadn't been a good idea to walk so far and he was noticing she needed to rest more frequently.

Some of the scabs had cracked into bleeding, and he patiently tapped his sickle claw as he barked that he felt better than he had in many days.

He just wished Cheshire and Dawn were by his side, but the dark scaled raptor didn't admit that out loud. As much as he was warming up to Alpha Elise, he wasn't ready to show weakness around her.

A strong pack didn't welcome weak members. The only ones allowed to be weak were the elder, hatchlings, and the injured. Fuego knew he was in his prime, and it was up to him to pull his weight in this pack that sounded incredibly tightknit.

The fiery raptor didn't want to dwell on it, but he was afraid of rejection. Alpha Elise promised she wouldn't leave him behind, Fuego believed her to an extent, but that wouldn't make life much better if the others didn't accept him.

And what of this old powerful one they shared nest with? What if she didn't like him?

Fuego shifted on his feet in agitation as he almost made a soft whine before jumping when Elise crooned that he didn't need to worry, and he snapped his gaze to the sitting dinosaur regarding him patiently. The Velociraptor made a suspicious bark, and Elise crooned that she could smell his unease.

She was the Alpha, and it was her job to worry; not his.

Fuego made a small turn before pausing when the swarm of green scavengers caught his attention, and the feeling of orneriness warmed his chest in the best way possible.

He _lived_ for chasing the little scavengers, and it was always a good day to see one trip over itself.

Elise tilted her head when Fuego almost bounced as he turned to face her and chittered that she could rest here for a little while longer.

He had something to do.

The Indominus blinked as the raptor immediately bolted into the brush, and she turned her head towards swarm of compys excitedly bouncing and chittering around a fallen log on the side of the road. They hadn't noticed her yet, they were too far away, and Elise puffed air through her nose.

She wondered if Fuego would take to terrorizing rabbits with Echo. She didn't think the poor mammals would be ready for it.

* * *

Fuego curled his lip in an embarrassed irritation as he wriggled through the brush, he really didn't think he was _that_ round, but it should have been a lot easier to sneak by. He could hear the excited chitters from the little annoyances just on the other side of the thin wall of bushes, and he hunkered low as his claws kneaded the dirt with excitement.

This was glorious; there was no greater joy than surprising prey, and Fuego wondered what it would be like to surprise Brave Idiot.

Fuego could always find out when he got back, and the raptor almost let out a delighted trill at the mere thought. He didn't know why it brought him such great joy to startle other creatures, it was just something wonderful to live for.

His favorite was always Proud One, and Fuego's tail almost curled in delight at the treasured memories of scaring someone so grand and mighty in all his raw power. Proud One never not jumped whenever Fuego would make his loud bark of defiance. _He_ had the audacity and bravery to openly trespass the Spinosaurus' territory, and it was worth it every single time.

Fuego missed those days of wiggling his tail so tauntingly in the Spinosaurus' face before evading him with his sheer speed. Easily leaving the proudest predator in his dust just colored life so vividly, but Fuego felt he had known more about life back then; before the world grew bigger and cold.

Fuego didn't know as much about the world anymore.

Maybe it would get better, and the raptor steadied his breath while stepping over a dry branch as he stalked ever closer. He knew this was immature behavior, and he could almost hear his second Alpha growling at him for being stupid. It was just too tempting though.

Cheshire had liked to scare the green scavengers as well, but he couldn't do that with the literal gaping hole in his side.

The dark scaled raptor paused from his stalking as he suddenly became aware of just how exposed he felt without his fellow pack next to him. Cheshire had always been by his side, but there wasn't anyone here.

What if Alpha Elise left him too? She was injured! What in the name of all things joyous was he thinking?! He had left her behind just to chase stupid scavengers, and the raptor dug his claws into the soft earth as another bloodcurdling thought struck him.

Brave Idiot alone too, and he was injured as well. Fuego knew the human wasn't in any shape to be running, and that also meant he wouldn't be in any shape to fight.

Fuego was the only one who wasn't hurt, and the raptor let out an earsplitting shriek as the cold fear burrowed itself deep in his chest. He was doing something stupid that was going to leave him alone again! He had stupidly turned his back last time, and this was no better!

He didn't want to sleep alone, and Fuego burst from the brush in a full-fledged panic as he realized Alpha Elise could already be dead by now. All rational thoughts left the raptor as the fear of losing his new pack filled him with dread. It didn't matter if he had deemed the duo well enough to perform pack duties this morning because a lot could happen in so little time.

Anything could have happened to Alpha Elise in the three minutes he had been gone, and Fuego couldn't bear the thought. Who knows what happened to Brave Idiot in all this time!

It had happened so quickly to Dawn and Cheshire.

* * *

Elise jolted at the petrified shriek and snapped her gaze over to the compys that didn't know what to do with the raptor barreling right into them as he made barks of alarm. The Indominus expected to see some kind of danger following Fuego, but the raptor only bounced around next to the fallen log as he made desperate cries for his pack to respond.

Elise tilted her head in confusion as Fuego practically ignored the scattering compys when he finally caught sight of her. She made her loud call to him, and the raptor demanded another call as if he couldn't actually believe she was still here.

The Indominus limped over a little faster than what she would have liked as she chittered comforts to the stressed male before barking her concern. Elise had no idea what could have gone so terribly wrong in so little time, and she didn't understand why Fuego wasn't communicating with her.

Where was the danger?

Fuego lashed his tail in agitation as crimson eyes threatened to roll when he replied that Brave Idiot's life was in jeopardy, and it had been an incredibly foolish idea to spit up for a hunt.

Brave Idiot was probably dead, and it was his fault for not being happy enough with the less than fresh meat offered from the humans. Fuego whined as the suffocating guilt made it hard to breathe before he jumped high to shriek at Elise that they had to get back to their human pack member _now._

Elise startled when the stressed raptor suddenly faced her as he volunteered to run ahead to make sure Owen was actually alive before he bolted, and the Indominus yelped as she immediately snagged him while chittering _that_ was a very bad idea.

She wasn't sure how to explain to Fuego that running over stressed humans in order to find their human was not going to end well, and she tried not to squish the wriggling raptor who wasn't quite hearing her at the moment.

Fuego was actually stretching his claws out to snag open air as he whined that they had to make sure their human was fine because he was probably dead.

It was his fault that Brave Idiot was dead on the dirty, human road!

Elise felt her heart twist with pity as she realized she had been right about Fuego not being better after a half night of sleep. She remembered how petrifying it had been when she thought Owen was dead, but Fuego had lost both his pack members.

He lost his only family, and the raptor was terrified of losing even familiar strangers. The Indominus knew this was technically a hatchling fear, but it had manifested strongly enough to scar this adult Velociraptor.

It hurt her heart, and the Indominus eased her grip some as she chittered that Owen was fine. He could take care of himself, and nothing was going to happen over there.

The bad fight was over, and Owen was probably sleeping.

Fuego suddenly nipped the confining hands as he snarled that Cheshire was always sleeping! The lumbering oaf never got hurt no matter what he did, but now he was dead; it was his fault! Fuego wasn't about to make another mistake that would cost him Brave Idiot's life!

Elise made a soft sound at the struggling raptor before she cradled him close. Fuego, of course, fought the attempted snuggling as he snarled that this was no time for cuddles before he shrieked at the warm tongue running up his face.

He was not in the mood for grooming, and he gave a fierce bite on the snowy hands to make it clear.

Elise tolerated the harsh nibbles as she continued to groom him while making soft rumbles in her chest, the kind Rexy always made to soothe them, and Fuego snarled in response. The Indominus gently chittered her comforts and promises to never leave him alone because she was his pack now.

It was going to be fine.

Fuego made a piercing whine as he twisted away from the strong chest and ignored the lies his Alpha told him. He knew when he did something wrong, and the fact that he was last survivor of his pack crushed him.

Fuego was no better than Prey Alpha. At least no one died in battle under that human's care. The raptor didn't want to believe he was so poor an Alpha that none could survive his decisions, but he was clearly the last one left.

He had been a terrible Alpha, and Fuego despised the burning in his chest as the bitter failure filled him. He just wanted to make sure Brave Idiot was fine so they could go to this new land Alpha Elise talked about.

Fuego was ready to go home; he was ready to heal in peace.

The raptor didn't like how the sweet meat was churning unpleasantly in his belly, and he finally felt as though he ate way too much. He had been so content after the hunt, but reality was a harsh mistress, and the raptor made a softer whine. Elise refused to let go as she continued to tenderly groom the male while rumbling deep in her chest.

It wasn't his fault, he had done everything he could, and Elise reminded Fuego that he was a reason why Owen was even alive. That was important to her, and she crooned that he had done the best he could.

It hadn't been enough to save everyone, but he had prevented deaths.

Fuego eventually stopped fighting as he gave into the much needed grooming, but he felt safe right here. It was important to him to feel safe, and the raptor gave a sigh as he felt his back being groomed clean. When was the last time he had actually allowed another to groom himself?

Cheshire had always groomed Dawn and vice versa, but this was nice. Maybe he would find a mate over there so he could be groomed every day. Fuego liked that idea, and he made a soft sound as the Indominus continued to bathe him. He was still nervous about Brave Idiot being left alone, but the Indominus continued to chitter that everything was fine.

It was going to be fine… Maybe it was going to be fine, he did have Alpha Elise with him right now. She was still alive, and that was good. If she wasn't too concerned…

The few minutes passed as the raptor slowly felt himself being lulled into a content sleep with the warm sun to tenderly caress his scales. He wanted a nice nap right now, and Alpha Elise was the biggest carnivore he had ever seen besides Proud One.

Fuego missed Proud One.

Elise paused to check the raptor before curling her tail in amusement; Fuego had fallen asleep in her hands, and it was a pleasant sight to see. Maybe she would make a good mother one day, but she had a feeling parenthood would be much easier with a life mate.

Elise tilted her head at the raptor contently dozing, and she wished the rest of the world would be so privileged as to witness this side of one of the most dangerous predators. Fuego looked so relaxed, and even small. The round belly took edge of his naturally intimidating look, and she made to walk before both carnivores startled at a harsh sound echoing next to them.

Fuego snapped awake as they immediately pinned their gaze onto the fallen log lying innocently. Elise blinked for a few seconds until she softly chittered if logs here made those kinds of sound, and Fuego curled his lip high when the log almost wriggled as another, harsh bark shook it.

It technically wasn't a loud sound compared to other things, but in the peaceful silence, it was more than loud enough to startle the duo.

The Indominus turned her head as she made a confused sound though Fuego was on high alert when he cautiously hopped from the hands to stalk over with claws ready to spill the intestines of this potential enemy. He wasn't happy about this intrusion, and the dangerous carnivore let out a vicious snarl as he lowered himself to glare into the log.

Elise immediately warned the raptor against sticking his nose where it didn't belong though Fuego smartly chirped as he shoved his splayed claw instead. Elise sighed as she braced for the raptor to give a pained shriek, and Fuego's tail lashed as he yanked back a few times before hissing at the defiant object.

Elise tilted her head at the small cry from the log until the harsh scraping sound drowned it out as the raptor stubbornly continued to drag it back. The Indominus wasn't quite sure what she expected when Fuego gave a startled chirp after he suddenly stumbled back, but she made a soft croon at the pitiful sight.

Elise didn't know what kind of animal she was looking at even though it smelled sick and sad. She pitied the poor thing, but Fuego immediately pinned his foot on the oval shaped back with his sickle claw ready to spear the flesh as he gave a victorious chirp.

The Indominus made a quiet sound for him to leave the poor prey alone; it wasn't even fit for eating, and the raptor paused before burning a vicious glare into the small dinosaur for having the nerve to be considered less than edible after all the work he put into pulling it from the log.

It deserved to die for being so useless, and Elise immediately snarled at him for being cruel. She lashed her tail as she barked that he was more than full enough from their hunt, and there was no reason for killing this one if he wasn't even going to eat it.

Fuego twitched his tail as he pondered the pros and cons of defying his Alpha before the crimson eyes narrowed dangerously, and the raptor decided it wasn't worth it. Alpha Elise had said to leave the sick prey alone, and so he did.

The raptor stepped away with a huff before deciding to suddenly snarl at the prey. If he couldn't eat it, he'd at least amuse himself by scaring it.

It worked; Fuego scared the little dinosaur, and Elise startled when the small animal suddenly uncurled itself to swing a tiny club tail at the raptor's foot. She heard the soft thump of flesh being smacked, and Fuego shrieked more from surprise than pain before snarling angrily.

The sick creature only waddled a few steps towards Elise before it suddenly plopped down, wriggled as best it could into the dirt, and defensively curled its tail close around itself again.

The Indominus left out a breath as she blinked at the dinosaur. She knew what this one was, and the snowy creature gently lowered her snout to puff air onto the motionless animal as it silently hoped these two would go away.

Fuego hissed at her to move so he could tear it apart, but Elise ignored him as she sorted through the smells. She didn't like how sick this one smelled though she caught the scent of a female and the wonderful mixture of the lush, jungle floor.

She did know this kind of animal, and she made a soft sound of pity.

It was a hard shell, and the Indominus scrambled her mind to think of the name humans gave them. She had ambushed a small herd of these when she first met Zach and Gray in their odd glass ball.

Elise remembered so easily tearing the hard shell's head off after flipping it onto its back. It had been helpless at that point, and she recalled how her powerful jaws had been useless against its natural armor.

Why was this one so small and alone? Those adult hard shells were big enough to give her trouble, but this one was smaller than Fuego. This baby would come to Owen's knees when she stood.

Elise didn't understand why the hatchling was alone. This was obviously a little baby who shouldn't be by herself.

So where was her mother?

Elise lifted her head to glance around, easily catching Fuego when he tried to leap at the baby, as she tasted the air carefully. Gray hadn't told her anything much about hard shells so she wasn't sure where the mother would be or if there even was a mother.

Did hard shells leave their hatchlings on their own after burying the eggs? Did mothers protect the nest until the eggs hatched or did they protect their little ones until a certain age? Elise waved her tail in careful thought before turning to the squirming raptor in her hand as she chittered if hard shells took care of their hatchlings.

Fuego immediately froze as he realized what kind of danger they were in with being so close to this useless meal, and he bolted from the scaled hand to put distance between himself and the baby. Elise cocked her head, and Fuego barked that there was nothing on this green land that was more dangerous than a mother hard shell protecting her young.

Fuego recalled watching a foolish carnivore, larger than himself with scarlet scales, attempt to snag one of the little hard shells from its attentive mother. Fuego would never forget the sounds. The Ankylosaurus had a one-two hit pattern that terrified the raptor to this day.

The first hit had so easily snapped that Allosaurus' femur and forced the taller carnivore onto the ground. It had shrieked in pain all before that second hit completely crushed the thick skull.

A one-two hit kill, whack pause whack, and the raptor swore to never hunt a healthy hard shell for as long as he lived.

It was only because this little one was alone that Fuego hadn't immediately realized this was a hard shell.

Elise shifted on her feet as she turned her gaze back to the dark scaled baby huddled in the dirt like a rock, and she wondered where this one's attentive mother was. It sounded like the baby wasn't to stray far, and she glanced around as she wondered what to do.

The Indominus wanted to make sure the baby went back to her mother, but she questioned just delivering her to the mother; Elise didn't think that would go over well. Maybe the mother had left her baby here to go do something else, but that didn't seem right to her.

This hatchling was sick, and Elise didn't think the mother would willingly leave this little one alone. The Indominus made a soft sound as she gently puffed air onto the baby; she had just barely started to grow the dangerous horns on her armor, and Elise paused at the stench of an infected wound.

Her mother definitely wouldn't have left her alone unless she simply deemed her a lost cause and abandoned the baby.

She wondered if other hard shells would adopt this one, and the Indominus chittered her question to Fuego who impatiently snarled that he had only learned that these herbivores weren't food. He had no idea what they did in herds, but it was time to go back to Brave Idiot.

Elise huffed; she knew she wasn't supposed to interfere with things here as this wasn't Jurassic World. Had this been on her island, she would have just brought the baby over to Jackie or Gerry, but this island was different.

Creatures like her weren't supposed to swoop in and save babies that were going to be food for the lesser carnivores, and Elise felt a pang in her chest as she regarded the baby in front of her. Maybe it was best if she just left, and perhaps the mother would return for her little one. Elise had no right to take the baby, and Fuego snarled at her to get moving.

This wasn't their problem. If the mother came back, then good for the baby, but this hard shell wasn't part of their pack. The Indominus made a soft sound as she glanced to the side of her to regard the hungry compys eagerly waiting under the thick brush, and she sighed.

Now she understood why they had cluttered around the hollow log, and the Indominus turned to the trees lining the road. She recalled how the hard shells had grazed under the shaded canopy, so they probably weren't near the more open river.

There was no way this little one had travelled far, and she decided to at least look through the jungle on the other side of the road.

The Indominus startled when the baby suddenly shifted as she made another harsh sound, and Elise blinked. She knew those sounds, she just didn't have a name for it, but Owen did. Elise recalled how she had accidentally scared a smaller child into making the same noise, and Owen had called the sound something ridiculous…

A barking spider? Was that it? Elise didn't have anything else to call it, and she shivered her jaws softly at the baby before barking at Fuego to make sure nothing ate the baby while she was gone.

The Velociraptor looked ready to throw a fit, and he snarled that he was not _babysitting useless meals!_ He was a proud pack hunter who struck fear into the hearts of cowardly humans! He fearlessly fought the spined one, and survived the terrible fight!

Fuego wasn't going to put up with this, but Elise waved her tail as she chittered that she was his Alpha. He had to watch the baby, and she'd be back soon. She promised not to stray far from the road, and the raptor's tail sagged as he blinked at the snowy scales melting into the jungle.

He was babysitting a useless meal…

* * *

He was back to being the bottom of the pack, and the raptor turned to the Ankylosaurus baby huddled in the dirt as she tried to sleep. He wasn't sure what to do with the little thing that really wasn't fit to be his food, but Fuego snarled angrily at the bravest compy trying its luck.

Fuego growled to himself as he tried not to focus on the silence around him; he wasn't alone, and he had Alpha Elise with him. The raptor glanced down when the gassy baby let out another barking spider, and he huffed.

He also had the useless meal to keep him company.

Elise allowed her eyes to adjust to the darker jungle around her as she silently treaded through the emerald leaves. She kept her nose close to the ground as she caught the faint scent of the little baby walking through here, and she made a soft sound.

There were small, telltale signs of the hatchling going through here along with the compys' swarming. Their scent was very strong here, and Elise paused at hearing another shriek from Fuego warding off a brave one.

The Indominus lifted her head again before curling her lip at the smell of a rotting carcass nearby, she almost thought she had found Bridges, but that was impossible if she believed Short One.

Bridges was dead, and Elise sighed.

The Indominus continued through the jungle as the stench grew stronger, and her sensitive nose picked up the smell of other hard shells that had probably grazed here. Their scents were faded, and she wondered if the carcass' stench had driven them away.

Maybe the baby had been left behind, and Elise startled to a stop when she pushed aside some thick brush to reveal the armored back. It was as scarred and impenetrable as she remembered it with the ivory horns dully decorating the back.

The hard shell actually looked untouched until she walked around to behold the hollowed out skeleton picked clean by the various carnivores that had found an easy meal. Nothing went to waste on this island, and Elise glanced around before blinking at the chewed shell of another hatchling.

The Indominus was sure this had been the little hatchling's mother, but Elise lowered her head to smell the face of the mother in attempt to catch some sort of matching scent that would tie the two together. Elise actually couldn't decipher much with all the other, muddling scents, but she was sure this was the mother.

The Indominus let out a soft sigh as she turned to leave before pausing at hearing the low cries of more hard shells in the distance. She blinked at the dark jungle and pondered investigating or simply leaving.

This wasn't her island, and it wasn't her call to interfere with anything here. As harsh as it was, the baby hard shell was part of the food chain. Her mother had been eaten as had her siblings, but their bodies hadn't gone to waste. Carnivores here had to eat as well.

This wasn't Jurassic World, and the Indominus made a soft sound as she decided to investigate only to make herself feel better. She had no idea what she'd do if the baby was alone.

Elise didn't think the baby would be so far away from the herd if there had been a chance of her being adopted.

The Indominus froze when she caught sight of the first hard shell grazing obliviously, and the carnivore lowered herself as her scales shivered to match the surrounding dark jungle.

She didn't care for the guilt twisting in her gut as she realized just how familiar this was compared to the last time. The herbivores grazing peacefully while she watched; Elise had to remind herself that she wasn't filled with a bitter hate this time.

And there hadn't been adorable babies waddling after one another as their mothers continued to graze. Elise titled her head as she realized that these hatchlings were bigger than the one back there; maybe she was a runt or perhaps younger.

The Indominus remained still as she continued to observe before realizing the hatchlings never seemed to stray far from any adult, and there weren't more than five to each adult. Elise turned her head when one hatchling suddenly waddled over to another adult before the mother gave a reprimanding bellow.

Elise was reminded of Rexy's own, stern growls to behave, and she was hit with a pang of homesickness.

Elise wanted her mother.

The little one immediately bolted back as fast as possible while the other adult made a low sound of irritation. Elise blinked at that and wondered if the hatchlings weren't safe around other adults. Maybe these ones tolerated each other for some sort of safety in numbers, but they wouldn't adopt little ones without mothers.

So the baby with Fuego probably wouldn't be adopted, and Elise turned back with a sigh as she pondered her next move.

She really didn't know what to do with the hatchling, and Elise wasn't even sure if Romano would be willing to care for the little one. He was a doctor, but was he responsible for the animals out here?

* * *

The Indominus ignored the panicking compys scattering at the sight of her as Fuego gave an irritated bark for being gone so long. He wanted to know if she was going to explore the rest of the jungle or if they could get back to their human before something ate him.

Elise regarded the raptor as she softly chittered that it was time to get back to Owen, and Fuego puffed air through his nose as he turned to march down the road with his tail waving behind him. The dark scaled carnivore paused when he didn't hear the thudding steps of his Alpha and made an irritated snarl after he realized she was staring at the useless meal.

Fuego should have let the scavengers take the smelly thing.

The raptor lashed his tail as he gave an angry shriek, and Elise sadly turned her gaze from the motionless hatchling. She was so torn with what she was supposed to do. On one hand, she loved the idea of everything getting along and nothing had to die, but she was also realistic about this subject.

In the natural world, _not Jurassic World_ , there were carnivores and herbivores who interacted with one another as they were made to be. The plants grew from the sun, herbivores ate the plants, carnivores ate the herbivores, and plants eventually ate the bodies of all creatures. It was a circle, and she had participated in said circle not long ago.

She and Fuego had hunted the large herbivore because they needed to eat. Their food might have had a mate or hatchling to take care of, but that hadn't mattered because she was a carnivore who needed to eat.

The Indominus glanced back to the compys hiding in the brush; it wasn't right to suddenly decide they couldn't eat just because she was full. This hard shell hatchling wasn't part of Jurassic World nor was she a human.

She was part of the circle here, and Elise began to walk towards the impatient raptor tapping his sickle claw into the dirt. The Indominus paused again to glance back at the hatchling huddled in the dirt as the first compy took a brave step from the brush.

Elise never did hear anything from the hard shell handler, and she wondered how angry the handler was at losing someone from their herd. Elise had wasted the kills she made during her rampage, disrespected their remains, and gave long, painful deaths. There was nothing she could do to make up for those deaths besides bettering herself and repenting.

Would it really mean anything to the hard shell she slaughtered by saving this little one?

Elise turned back to Fuego as she realized that it probably wouldn't. It wouldn't mean anything to anyone if she showed mercy to the little one.

This wasn't Jurassic World.

This was the real world so to speak, and the hatchling was fair food to the compys who had a right to eat as well. It was cold to the hatchling, but it was fair out here. The little one has suffered an unfortunately short life, but the compys wouldn't waste the meat.

It was simply life.

Elise still felt the sharp pain in her chest; she wanted to protect the little thing, and she couldn't stop herself from giving the hatchling a final glance.

That baby wasn't going to survive out here, but the compys would get another meal.

Elise wanted to know what Owen would do in this situation…

* * *

"Sure you don't want a shot to help that leg?"

Owen snorted at the Italian vet lightly shaking the amber liquid, and he answered, "Claire would kill me, Tony. Besides, the leg isn't so bad right now. I just wish Elise would hurry here. I know Repair is getting their supplies for that fence, and Judge Knight should be here within the hour or so."

The vet nodded in agreement as he tucked the whiskey away while replying, "Today is a busy day, but hopefully you three will be leaving on tonight's boat."

Romano paused to give a small grin when he added, "Don't get me wrong, I like you, Elise, and Fuego, but if this is what happens when you come around, go home."

Owen couldn't stop his chuckle at the truth of it, and he wiped his face while sighing, "Amen, Tony. Hopefully you can still transfer over to Jurassic World. I don't think Fuego will be too keen on Gerry poking him."

"Eh, he's got a strong leader. Fuego won't need anything else."

The vet relaxed into his chair with a sigh, and Owen flickered his gaze to the March calendar hanging on the wall. Tony had a very full schedule though he couldn't read the scribbled writing, but Owen turned his gaze to the clock as he tapped his fingers.

He hadn't gotten that nap he wanted after Claire left for a phone call with Knight, and the man had slowly meandered over to Romano's office. The vet was taking a small break, and the duo were getting along well enough.

Regardless, Owen was ready to go home. He was ready to see his girls, Rexy, Sobek, and his own damned bed. He knew he had to tough it out with the rest of ACU, but Owen was going to push for home as soon as the fence was up.

It was all he and Elise were needed for, they were injured, but Owen had a bad feeling about Tacet. He had a hunch that Knight wanted her nearby an able creature like Elise.

It wasn't good and made the day seem a lot longer.

"I have no idea what we can do with Tacet, Tony."

The vet pressed his lips in a somber agreement before quietly saying, "I just hope you find a more…patient doctor than me. I would love to be Elise's doctor, but she won't bite me. I know nothing of Tacet, Owen. She is going to be a lot of work."

Owen leaned back with a tired sigh until his radio crackled, and Lowery said, "Hey, Owen? I pinged Fuego's tracker, and they should be back in five minutes or so. He's headed back to the Vet Building, and I saw Elise on one of the fence cameras."

The uniformed man radioed back his thanks, and Romano quietly said, "Neither you nor Elise should be walking, and how do you plan to keep Fuego from munching Repair?"

Owen grimaced before gesturing to the scratched desk, "I thought you two could share a shot and catch up…"

Romano immediately snorted, "I think not, but good try. I can give you something to sedate him because I doubt he'll willingly stay in Sobek's old room without you two."

Owen nodded in agreement before replying, "I'll see how he is before we go. Maybe he'll just run around in the jungle until we come back…maybe he'll be too full to be ornery."

The vet chuckled, and the two fell into a comfortable silence. Owen relished it for the moment because he knew they would be put to work as soon as Repair was ready to go.

Hopefully Fuego would prove more cooperative than Blue.

* * *

" _Hey, this is_ _Blake Wojciechowski. No, I'm not spelling that last name out, but I am busy at the moment. Leave a message after the beep, and I'll get back to you when I can. If I don't call back, I probably forgot so call again."_

Lopez lightly snorted at the familiar voicemail as he sat on the old couch. It was a little frustrating to have the calls go straight to voicemail, the texts left unanswered, but he was too tired to be mad at Blake for it.

It was a little odd to go more than a day without talking to his comrade, but it wasn't the first time either.

Lopez had only gotten an hour of sleep, and it was time to head back out. He was sore and tired, but relatively uninjured. He was in much better shape than most of his other men.

They lost too many good people.

The Commander glanced up when the voicemail beeped, and he said, "Blake, it's Lopez. I know you said you were getting a new number the day before yesterday, but I'm sure you heard about last night's….absolute mess."

He paused to sigh and run a hand through his hair before turning quiet when he added, "Since you already forgot to text me your new number, I'm calling this one. Listen…it's about Meyers. She…she's not doing too good, and she's in the hospital on the mainland. I know you're like, ten minutes away from her."

The man chewed the inside of his cheek as he took a deep breath before continuing, "I have to clean up the mess here, and you know how Meyers is. She's all tough, but she can't stand a day in the hospital alone. I know she'd really appreciate it if you helped look after her."

Lopez glanced up when the door opened, and one of his guards walked in with a serious expression on his face before making a beckoning motion. The man resisted the urge to sigh as he finished, "Give me a call back so I can give you her room number…please. Don't worry about us boys back here, we got Ghost watching us, and Mr. Snow White managed to tame another raptor. So, go bring one of those pretty, umbrella drinks to Meyers and call me back, bye."

The Commander hung up his phone before rising as he asked, "What happened?"

The man pressed his lips when he led the way out of the building as he answered, "We found the source of the lab gas leak, but we need an official to sign the body off."

"Body?"

The man nodded, and Lopez blinked before saying, "We have everyone, dead and alive, accounted for except for Bridges. Who're we missing?"

The sight of the destroyed labs was almost disheartening to look at, and the Commander sighed at the sight of his own men looking in need of a pretty umbrella drink. He was grateful for the fresh clothes; it had lifted their spirits.

Lopez glanced at his man when he answered, "No way to be _one hundred percent_ sure until the Medical Examiner can get ahold of the dental records, but...we're ninety-eight percent sure we know who it is. We found the gold crown."

"Great."

The man wiped his face as they followed the crude path cut into the remains of the building, and Lopez asked, "We still got room in the morgue?"

"Yeah, we got three more slots in the fridge. Where are the two raptors going?"

"Back home with us tonight. We're leaving as soon as Repair gets this place secured."

The duo paused at the mess; Lopez had no other way to describe it. He glanced at the towering cement chunks, pipes, glass, and everything else buildings were made of. A whistle caught his attention, and a blonde waved him over as she said, "Same old, same old, Commander."

Lopez grimaced at the charred skeleton before dryly replying, "Same old for me is loose dinosaurs and lost guests. This…not me. I don't know how you stand this."

The woman leaned back as more photos were taken of the unrecognizable body before she shrugged, "You get used to it. I never get tired of seeing dinosaurs, but I don't see them that often." She caught the bewildered gaze and quickly added, "But...I don't see a lot of crispy bodies either. It's just...there's usually more flesh left than on this one."

The Commander raised his brows, he was really starting to miss home and catching ornery Rocky. This wasn't part of his pay; he didn't want to see 'crispy' humans, and he steeled himself before asking, "So, we got a gold crown on this one? No convenient nametag?"

The blonde's assistant glanced up from his clipboard as he answered, "We only had three people from the labs who weren't accounted for. We found the other two. One was in the bathroom, and the other by frozen embryos."

The man paused to point in the direction passed them and said, "But they were over there, and they're both female. We've been looking at the prints of the building, and we think this is Dr. Wu. Expensive gold cap on that upper second left molar is as good as a nametag to us; we were told to look for that in case he tried to change his appearance..." The assistant couldn't help but to give the skeleton a glance before continuing, "I don't think his pelvis is in good enough shape to confirm gender, but the brow ridge on the skull is a pretty good indicator. We're ninety-eight percent sure this is Wu."

Lopez pressed his lips at the charred skeleton lying in a crumpled heap; it was half buried under a heavy piece of concrete, and he was afraid to even breath on the fragile looking bones. He felt like one touch was all it would take to turn it to ash.

It had been a hot and long fire.

He finally sighed, "I wish he would have run off instead…we could have caught him later."

He sighed again before waving a hand as he said, "Alright, get the damned slab off him, bag him and get him to the morgue so we can work on the fence. I'm tired of this damned island."

Lopez cracked his neck and turned to his own guard as he said, "And go tell Ghost and Grady I want them bright-eyed, bushytailed, and ready for a long day in ten minutes. Watch out for the raptor though."

The man nodded as he was all too eager to get away from the ashy colored remains, and Lopez shook his head as he glanced up at the cheery, blue sky.

It was going to be a long day.


	86. Chapter 86

**A/N**

 **Hey guys! It's been forever and a day since I showed life. I don't know what to say besides I'm very sorry for dropping off the grid without warning. It's not a habit I intended to create. That being said, I do have a few chapters written, and I hope to post CH 87 next week. I miss posting every day, but this gives me a chance to get out better quality chapters to you.**

 **That being said, we have more artwork! The links to Discorded-q's work can be found on my profile. I encourage you to go check it out!**

 **As you may or may have not noticed, I have deleted my One Shot collection. That is not permanent, I will post the Collection again when this story is over. There were details in there that hinted at the ending of this story, and I ended up changing my outline which didn't line up with what I had written in the one shot. I am very sorry for that, it's not fair that you read something only for me to take it back, but I would rather you have a better ending to this story. I don't take for granted the fact that you use your valuable, personal time to read this story.**

 **We also have a _*WARNING*_ for this chapter. It involves self-harm. If any of you suffer from self-harm and need help, I found a thorough and helpful website that offers a lot of information as well as a few resources. I couldn't find a number to post, but if you know of one, I'd love a PM so I can add it to here.**

 **The joys of FanFiction is I can't really post a link in this A/N, but the website is "HelpGuide" If you go to the website and search 'self-harm', the top result will take you to the article that you need. It's a great website to explore even if you don't suffer from self-harm. I encourage all of you to go take a look at it. There's loads of info on there.**

 **Last but not least, I thank you sincerely for your patience, I will finish this story, and I am grateful for your comments and constructive criticism. Thank you, and have a wonderful day/night, wherever you are! I hope you're all having a nice warm winter!**

* * *

' _I'm a kitchen sink, you don't know what that means because a kitchen sink to you is not a kitchen sink to me, OK friend?' -twenty one pilots_

* * *

"The Color Flavescent."

This was very bad.

Tacet suddenly stumbled when she made another turn to pace along the wall, but the Indomitus hardly noticed it. She had no idea how long she had been pacing or where the all the little humans went. Her internal clock quietly said it was time to do the frustrating 'exercises' with Bad Smell, but he wasn't here. She didn't know why.

She might have done a bad thing she couldn't remember, but did she want to remember?

The Indomitus allowed her heavy jaw to slack in thought, and she shook her head as if rattling her mind would jostle the broken pieces back together. While most would set everything aside and piece it back together one by one, Tacet would simply shake the box in hopes of it working out.

Was it worth remembering? The Indomitus had learned that some things were best forgotten.

Was this particular memory forgotten for a reason? What if she messed up? Made the wrong choice? Tacet didn't like to think about this stuff, but this memory was important.

It wasn't a forbidden memory either.

The Indomitus didn't mind _thinking_ ; she loved to think calming thoughts conjured in the form of soothing colors with very little sound.

Soft yellows…

Tacet briefly paused to take a deep breath as her eyes closed to bask in the temporary warmth of a comforting thought. Soft yellows…those colors were so soothing to her very soul. The naturally sweet, gentle, and so very beautiful yellow never failed to calm her.

She was a very visual creature.

For just a moment, Tacet was able to simply stand in an undisturbed silence where the rest of the world didn't exist. She could bathe in the healing color where her mind wouldn't ache, her wounds never itched, and she could pretend nothing was wrong with her.

But, that was a lie. The Indomitus immediately opened her eyes to resume with pacing. She couldn't remember why she liked yellow though it didn't matter to her.

It had been was a reason why her memory was fragmented, in patches, why some things didn't make sense.

Tacet was a simple, but not an unintelligent, creature. She simply knew her life would be less painful if she didn't attempt to build bridges between the memories stored in different parts of her mind.

She wasn't broken…she wasn't… Every day Tacet reminded herself that she wasn't broken.

The Indomitus attempted to make a low, choked moan, but it didn't work very well. Sometimes she wondered if she really had sounded different before the _Very Bad._

Tacet didn't exactly know because she didn't have access to that particular fragment of herself. All she needed to know was it had to do with Bad Smell and her phobia of anything that would possibly nudge her in the direction of remembering.

It was odd, Tacet did have a memory of talking to the blonde all the time when she was smaller, but it didn't feel like her own memory. So, did she ever have a voice? Or had she attained someone else's memory?

No, it was her own; it was just odd to think about.

Where was Bad Smell again? She chased him? At least she felt just a little better with him gone.

The silvery dinosaur suddenly snarled at herself for allowing her mind to wander so terribly! She was supposed to be remembering what had really happened last night!

 _She might have attacked White One first!_

Tacet paused to glance around in aggravation because there was too much going on despite the completely empty room. She could handle her own mind, but it often ran in so many different directions that her stomach would churn.

She had to do this one thing at a time. Memory first, action later.

Tacet attempted to growl, a hushed gasp squeaking, and she harshly scolded herself. Why couldn't she do this properly?! She didn't understand why her own mind worked against her as if it held little to no regard for the body it was suppose to care for.

Tacet knew what a brain was, she understood its basic job because Bad Smell had said enough around her.

Sometimes…sometimes she just wanted to pull her own mind from the inside of her skull. The actual, physical brain. Once, she tried to do it so she could show Bad Smell to make sure her brain was normal.

But, she hadn't-

Tacet snarled again; she was getting distracted! _Again!_

The Indomitus huffed in frustration as she paused from her pacing to glance at the wood shaving bed disturbed by her dragging feet.

Tacet really couldn't remember if she had hurt White One first, and the Indomitus finally sat down to think about it. As much as it physically pained her mind to force the muddled memories to clear, this was a serious accusation that she had to make sure was correct.

If she had wrongly hurt White One…

Tacet began to slowly rake her claws through the shavings in random patterns she found soothing as she took a deep breath. The sound of her own talons lightly looping through the wood shaving bed lulled her.

These patterns were her best way of creating the soft yellow without the actual color; it helped her think. The flowing lines helped Tacet envision the same goal for her own, fragmented memories.

Memories were supposed to flow smoothly.

* * *

This was something else.

Owen pressed his lips at the sight of Fuego in Elise's mouth, and the man raised his brows in a concern at a broiling glare that held enough fire to curl his own eyebrows. Fuego obviously had not consented to being carried around like a chew toy.

Why he hadn't torn Elise's lip to ribbons was beyond Owen.

"Sunshine, Baby…is Fuego okay?"

Owen had never seen such a jumble of mixed emotions on a face that already struggle to do what a human face naturally did, but Elise somehow managed.

She looked irritated, amused, and serious. It was truly something else though Fuego continued to swivel his head as if he was offended with everything little thing he had to behold at this very moment; right down to the color on the walls.

Romano quietly poked his head through the door out of concern as Elise walked over to gently drop the unhappy carnivore at Owen's feet, and the man couldn't stop himself from raising his brows even higher.

Owen wasn't sure his girls had ever looked this round even when they had been babies. If there was ever a realistic illustration of an animal eating an inflated beach ball… Whatever Fuego ate, he had eaten a lot of it.

Owen actually wondered if he would have to help roll Fuego over. Could raptors actually pop?

" _Wow_ …Fuego…Bud…"

The crimson eyed raptor had been content to glare at his new Alpha for having the audacity to actually carry him around like a hatchling when she didn't like what he had to say. They had argued all the way over here, and Fuego was so angry he had gone cross-eyed enough to see double of everything, _but that tone from Brave Idiot…_

The raptor immediately snapped his gaze to the brave human before letting out a long, low growl that jiggled his belly. Just because he was exposing his underside like this did not mean he respected or trusted the human enough to actually do it again.

Was he happy their human was alive? Absolutely, but Fuego was currently focused on his wounded pride. He'd greet Brave Idiot later, _if_ the human decided he wanted to live.

If the human wanted to live, he'd show remorse for even thinking of insulting him. Fuego didn't need to know the English language to understand a tone like that.

Fuego _dared_ Owen to say something insulting. He. Dared. Him.

Owen pressed his lips at the intense, crimson gaze before deciding to extend his lifespan by asking his tough baby, "Everything go okay out there? It looks like you got enough to eat and drink."

Elise paused to think before she nodded, and Owen bit his cheek as hard as he could when Fuego first attempted to get up.

He was a dead man if he laughed.

Only the heavily pregnant would ever sympathize with Fuego's huffing, puffing, and slow rocking back and forth in order to gain enough momentum to actually roll back over. It took long enough for Owen's eyes to water with repressed laughter, Elise to wonder if she needed to help, and the raptor to grow angry enough to loudly belch again before Fuego could stand.

Owen didn't even dare clear his throat though Romano was the only one brave enough to snort, and Fuego loudly snarled when he realized he now had a perfectly even coating of wood shavings clinging to his slobbered sides and back.

Essentially, Fuego had breaded himself, and Owen was ready to cry from holding in the laughter.

Elise hardly flinched under the blazing gaze of the furious raptor when Fuego snarled at her. Now he was dirty again because of her slobber! Owen was tempted to take a picture, but he didn't have a phone. Had it been any of his girls, he would have simply helped brushed the shavings off, but he didn't think Fuego was feeling very touchy.

Owen quietly cleared his throat as he wiped away the tears of repressed laughter until the oozing wounds on the snowy scales caught his attention. Rexy was never going to forgive him for letting Elise get so hurt, and he sighed.

Most of the scabs had cracked simply from the walking, but a few of the lower scabs looked wet; a lot of dried blood had been cleaned. Elise paused from her glaring contest with Fuego when her human asked, "Did you try to wash off in the river?"

Elise nodded again, and Fuego snarled at his own belly jiggling in the most embarrassing way as he tried to shake the shavings off. Dawn had never been this round even when she carried her eggs! He was a proud pack hunter! Not a jiggly wiggly heavy with young!

The man resisted the urge to snort, but he turned serious as he said, "Judge Knight should be here soon. You and I will have to be there just in case, but we also have to babysit Repair for that fence. Are you feeling well enough to do that?"

The snowy Indominus nodded again, she understood that the day wasn't over, and it was her job to help clean up last night's mess. That was the responsibility that came with being treated as a human, and Owen raised his brows at the oddly idle hands carefully curled to the snowy chest. He knew Elise was tired, but she did like to talk more than this.

Unless she couldn't use her hands.

"What'd you have there, Baby Girl?"

Elise startled as she immediately glanced to the side, and Owen had to chuckle. All his girls would avoid eye contact when they had something they weren't supposed to have. Except for Blue, she turned smug and practically flaunted her catch because she knew he wasn't getting it back. Another snarl from Fuego made the man wonder if he'd do the same.

Was Fuego shameless like Blue?

"Elise?"

The Indominus made a soft sound, and Fuego paused from his wooden coat when Owen pointed to the large hands.

Aha! Fuego knew what the pointing meant, and he knew _exactly_ what Brave Idiot was gesturing to, and it infuriated the raptor to see the hesitation from Alpha Elise. Owen jumped slightly when Fuego suddenly snarled at the snowy dinosaur for suddenly being unsure. She had been confident of her decision all the way here, but now it was obvious to Fuego that their human Alpha was the decision maker of the duo.

He was leaving if Brave Idiot agreed with her.

Elise gave a rattling growl in retaliation, but Owen made a sharp whistle before sternly saying, "Enough."

Fuego snapped his jaws at the tone; he wouldn't be barked at like a hatchling by an idiot, and Owen retorted, "Don't give me that shit, Fuego."

The raptor hissed angrily, but he was a little impressed that this human actually didn't back down at the showing of some very sharp teeth. Brave Idiot was confident in himself, and Fuego liked that.

 _But,_ Fuego would rather listen to an intelligent alpha.

Owen was tempted to shake his head at the growling male, but he turned to say, "Let's see what you have, Baby. Come on. We have things to do, and I won't get mad."

Elise immediately made a soft whine as she resisted the urge to break eye contact; she wasn't afraid of Owen getting mad, she was worried about what he'd tell her to do, but the Indominus slowly lowered her hands to reveal the precious cargo.

Owen only stared at it for a few seconds before slowly asking, "Is that a rock?"

The Indominus snorted, and he leaned closer to squint at the grey…thing. He had never seen anything like it, and Owen furrowed his brows as he asked in confusion, "Wood? _What is that?_ Oh…it's moving…"

Elise almost laughed at the lack of surprise in Owen's voice when the little baby shuffled deeper into the crevice of her warm palm. The Indominus would shamelessly admit it.

She had come to terms with the fact that she wasn't meant to live without humans; she was not a dinosaur like Rexy, Sobek, or even the raptors. A dinosaur worried only about its own survival, and rescuing a baby Ankylosaurus was not intelligent to surviving. Fuego had more than eagerly drilled that into her head all the way here, but Elise had understood his anger.

She didn't act like a dinosaur.

Elise could if she had to, but the Indominus also knew she had a tough time not helping animals who weren't her pack. This little baby was solid proof, and she almost felt like a hypocrite for picking and choosing what happened out there.

Elise wouldn't have been so torn had she not hunted, but she had. She wanted to do the right thing, and this wasn't her island.

She felt like a downright rotten bully for robbing the compys of a meal. Elise didn't care if there were hundreds of the scavengers or even if another meal was right around another corner. They had a right to live as much as she did.

But, Fuego had angrily barreled through the green swarm after realizing his Alpha would sit there all day if nothing was done. The raptor had even felt better after tossing a few of the smug snobs in the air, but that had been enough for Elise to make her decision of bringing the baby to Romano.

Elise also promised herself that if she ran into the scavengers again, she would apologize with meat.

The Indominus just couldn't find it in her heart to leave the precious little life behind, and Fuego had shrieked insults all the way here for it. If it hadn't irritated her so badly, Elise would have found it funny.

She'd step, he'd call her an idiot for adopting the useless food. Fuego had shrieked and shrieked all while the baby slept in her hands, and Elise was already fond of the little creature. She was so well behaved and quiet even if that concerned the Indominus.

Owen furrowed his brows in confusion at the soft, adoring croon until the little baby revealed her famous club tail, and he breathed, "Oh…a baby Ankylosaurus."

The man chewed the inside of his cheek; he wasn't sure why he _hadn't_ anticipated Elise rescuing something out there, he was honestly surprised it hadn't been a honey bee, but Romano nervously asked, _"Dove è la madre?_ Where did you get that baby, Elise? Those mothers are the stuff of nightmares."

Elise blinked as she pondered telling the Italian that Fuego had said the same thing, but she gently shifted the tired baby to one hand before writing, _'MOTHER IS DEAD I CHECKED'_

Fuego lashed his tail in irritation at the lack of reaction from Owen, and Elise added, _'SICK BABY'_

Owen could actually hear the sad hurt in her words, and he slowly replied, "Yeah…she doesn't look too good, Baby. I don't know what we can do for her."

Elise immediately sagged as she glanced at her little creature; her little tater tot. Elise did feel guilty for thinking of the baby as a food item, but she couldn't help herself.

The baby girl was just a little tater tot to her. She wasn't the color of the golden brown potato, but the baby was the same shape and feel. Crunchy outside, round body, and a human favorite. Elise loved the baby, and she just wanted the best for the tater tot.

Elise was terrified of Owen telling her to put the baby back in the wild or that she couldn't be helped. It meant her interference had been for nothing, a baby would die, and carnivores wouldn't be able to make use of the body.

Owen hated the crushed look he was given, but Romano took a careful step in as he quietly said, "I'm the vet, Owen, I'll decide if anything can be done. Either bring the baby here or make sure Fuego doesn't eat me."

Owen honestly didn't think Fuego would attack Romano considering the raptor hadn't batted an eye at him last night, but Elise still chittered the orders before Fuego shrieked indignantly at the borderline insult.

He would _never_ hurt Teacher without good reason!

"Fuego, _easy_."

The raptor lashed his tail at the man before turning to glare at the Indominus. Now Fuego wasn't so sure about staying with these two if this was how little they thought of him. He knew he was the bottom of the pack until further notice, but Elise had sincerely wounded the raptor's pride when she brushed him off in their argument.

Maybe things weren't going to work out with this pack, but the heavy fear of being alone cemented Fuego to them. Even if they were odd, they could at least hunt and fight for themselves. The male raptor would never doubt that, and he was torn.

They appeared to be intelligent idiots who made stupid decisions like picking a fight last night. Those types of choices cost lives, but it seemed these two had a generous supply of good luck that helped them survive. They could hunt, eat enough, but Fuego just couldn't be sure that their luck would extend to him.

Romano flickered his gaze to the raptor making a low moan, and Owen pressed his lips at the warning signs. The muscles were tense, Fuego's head was jerking around too much, and it seemed like anything Elise said was met with a snappish response.

The man softly sighed as he glanced to Elise when he quietly said, "You stay here with Tony, Baby. Fuego, follow."

The Indominus only nodded as she shifted the baby over for the vet before pulling her lips up at the little cry, and Owen gently tapped the blue shoulder before limping over to the open doors. He wasn't sure what Fuego would do, but he had a feeling the raptor was only going to get more frustrated with being talked to.

Fuego really needed a moment of calm, and Owen couldn't do that next to Romano. It always made him nervous to have his girls around people. He needed a few minutes alone with Fuego just to get him to relax.

Raptors didn't respect rigid leaders, his girls didn't at least, because it made them nervous.

Fuego almost lashed his tail indignantly at this absolute nonsense. Where did Brave Idiot think he was going? There was a disagreement in this pack that could turn into an outright crisis if it wasn't properly dealt with. Was Brave Idiot not concerned about his Co-Alpha's decision to bring a useless meal into the pack?!

An unconcerned Alpha was more dangerous than a stupid one.

Fuego wanted this problem solved right this instant or he was leaving even if he had no idea where he would go. Short One and her mate were his only option, but the idea of going solo was actually more appealing.

However, Fuego simply didn't want to be alone because the lonesome silence would forever scream his inability to preserve his own family. It didn't look very good at the moment, but it only motivated the raptor to quickly trot over to the human.

It could get better as long as he didn't give up. Fuego wanted to live.

Owen leaned against the door while watching the raptor march like he was on a mission; it was actually a little funny to see the round belly jiggling with each, firm step. Owen only remained quiet as he glanced into the jungle when the raptor halted next to him before simply waiting.

Fuego was lashing his tail back and forth while Owen took a deep breath to calm himself. If he was truly calm, then hopefully Fuego would read that and be comforted.

Hopefully.

The male raptor made a low growl of annoyance, and Owen gave a soft sound in response. Fuego didn't seem to appreciate the lack of communication, and Owen glanced at him as he said, "Relax, Bud. We're fine."

Fuego didn't like the tone of this man; he sounded ready to sleep, and that wasn't going to happen if he had anything to say about it. The raptor snapped his jaws aggressively as he pondered shaking the man awake, and Owen gently raised his hand before lowering it as he softly replied, "Shh."

The crimson eyes focused on the hand, contemplating biting it for the lack of cooperation he was getting, but Fuego didn't think that would go over well with Alpha Elise. He was getting really frustrated right now.

Where was the synchronization they had last night?! It was like they had been pack for several seasons during the fight. They stuck together, they communicated, and they had each other's backs. Fuego would never forget how he trusted and treated this human like a nest brother who understood how to navigate chaos.

What happened to all of that? Was that dead and gone like his pack mates? Fuego wanted that connection back because it made him feel like life was just a little bit easier to face.

Now he was being ignored by this idiot, and the other idiot insisted they take in useless prey. Was there anything they didn't adopt? Were the other females odd like this?

Fuego didn't like the feeling he was getting the more he got to know these two, and he made a soft whine. Owen finally sighed as he stared at the raptor before pressing his lips.

Apparently the tricks that worked with fiery Blue weren't working with Fuego, and Owen licked his lips. This Velociraptor had a patience Owen hadn't seen in any of his girls before. Fuego was willing to wait a little longer to talk before outright fighting him. Blue would have brought out her chewed boot by now.

Owen had skipped a step with Fuego because he didn't know the animal as well as his girls; he assumed Fuego was just like Blue with her short temper. But, the raptor hadn't needed a refocus, Fuego hadn't gotten that far yet.

Fuego wanted reassurance from a strong Alpha.

Owen almost snorted at the round male lashing his tail angrily, and he finally pulled out the white resonating chamber before carefully blowing the warm trill through the false bone. The feathers on Fuego's head rose in surprise, and he chirped at forgetting Brave Idiot could speak his tongue.

Even if he sounded like he was dying.

* * *

Romano flickered his gaze over when Fuego shivered his jaws in response, and he shook his head in amusement, "I talk to my patients all the time, but I never thought I'd see the day when they'd understand me. It is no wonder Gerry never complained about the raptors after you joined."

Elise tilted her head as Romano pulled the baby a little closer, and she paused to write, _'KNOW MORE THAN YOU THINK'_

Romano let out a harsh snort that caused the Ankylosaurus to open glazed eyes. The vet estimated she was around two months old since these dinosaurs were slow growers. He knew it was much more profitable to have the animals grow at a faster pace than what was normal, but Romano didn't believe in sacrificing health for profit.

"I sometimes wonder if Sobek ever knew I was just trying to help, _Miele,"_ Romano paused to glance around the empty room before scooping the hatchling into his arms. The Ankylosaurus baby was almost the same size as an average dog, but the man grunted under the solid weight. Elise immediately crooned her concerned as she extended her hand to help, and Romano said, "It's fine, I've lifted heavier, but…I don't think she's heavy enough."

Elise thought the baby looked plenty heavy for the vet, but he offered a small smile as he warmly said, "I am glad you decided to save this one, _Miele_. If we can find her appetite and plenty of rest, she will be running circles around us soon enough."

The Indominus didn't think it would be that simple for the baby, but she was comforted by the confidence in his voice. Her tater tot was going to be fine, and Elise was glad for the worry unwinding in her chest. She could breathe a little easier now.

Romano glanced over to the duo making small talk, Fuego showing a patience Owen almost didn't know what to do with, and he nodded at them as he said, "You be sure to take good care of Fuego. He's hot tempered like me, but you'll never find a more loyal animal."

Elise nodded, and Romano paused when the Indominus very gently ran her ebony talon over the armored back in a comforting way. He couldn't help but to marvel how he didn't even feel the weight of the talon.

The snowy dinosaur had truly mastered the feather light touch.

Elise chittered her best feelings of love to the baby girl when Romano disappeared through the door before it shut behind him. Fuego cocked his head at the sound, and the Indominus limped over as she chittered that the baby was out of their hands now; he could quit acting like they had stabbed him in the back.

Fuego almost couldn't believe it as he glanced at the man. Just like that? Their useless meal was gone for good?

Oh.

Owen raised a brow at the little sound from a suddenly much less angry animal, and Elise resisted the urge to sound snappish when she dryly barked that he could stopped worrying.

Fuego felt he _may_ have overreacted, but it didn't stop him from snapping back at her for poor communication.

Shameful, rookie mistake. Alphas communicated properly with _everyone._

The man flickered his gaze between the two carnivores bickering back and forth before he crossed his arms as he asked, "So, did you see Alexander, Baby? I was a little concerned about you running into him."

Elise tilted her head in confusion, and the man almost forgot she hadn't been informed of their hero's new name. Fuego snapped his gaze into the jungle when he heard a bird loudly chirping, and Owen added, "Limper. Tony decided to re-name him Alexander."

The man froze as the feeling of horror chilled his very soul when Elise made a low croon he had never heard before. It sounded a little too happy for his liking, and the crimson gaze almost grew dreamy as she stared into the jungle.

Sweet baby Jesus in his itchy hay manger.

Owen immediately went to the worst case scenario of what his tough baby was thinking, but Elise was simply imagining how that word would roll off her own tongue if it actually had the ability to cooperate like that. Alexander. She liked that sound. It was pleasant, smooth, and had a calm sound to it.

Alexander her hero. She found the name to be very fitting, and Elise hoped the Tyrannosaurus had gotten home safely. She looked forward to getting to know him and hearing the many adventures he had seen.

Elise couldn't wait for that happy day, it gave her something positive to think about in order to combat the negativity of this current mess, and she momentarily forgot about Owen's phobia of boys when she wrote, _'I LIKE HIM MET HIM AT RIVER'_

Owen blinked at the written nightmare, but he kept himself calm when he innocently asked, "Oh? Really? He's…um…n-nice guy?"

Fuego grew confused at the suddenly pale human, and he chirped if Brave Idiot was part shadow hunter. It would be very interesting to hunt with a human shadow hunter.

Brave Idiot was almost as white as Alpha Elise. This was very fascinating; Fuego hadn't known humans could change color like this.

The Indominus was _this_ close to giving an ornery smirk, but she kept her composure as she scratched in the dirt; Elise simply couldn't resist the urge to mess with Owen on this subject. She gave a low garble to Fuego, and the raptor eagerly perked up.

He wanted to see the man change colors.

' _HE LIKE ME TOO'_

Owen slowly nodded as he stared at the words. Sonofabitch; it had actually happened. It had really happened. A boy had appeared.

As much as Owen loved Elise, and he would sooner shoot himself than say it aloud, he really didn't think he would ever have to deal with a love interest with Elise.

At least, not where the other party would actually return the feelings.

Owen didn't think a boy or girl would reciprocate Elise's feelings because of how different she looked. He _hated_ himself for thinking it. However, since he had put such a dramatic show of being anti-boy, life decided it was only fair he should actually have to face one.

An eight and a half ton, brave, fourteen foot tall boy who wasn't done growing.

Owen was actually, sincerely torn when he thought of Alexander tenderly cuddling Elise, protecting her at the cost of his life, even having healthy children with her, and living out his life as her one and only mate. It was a wonderful, happy life he would never deprive his own daughter of.

Owen wanted Elise to be happy, and if a mate made her happy, then he had no right to interfere. _But,_ Alexander didn't have an ounce of human DNA in him. The man had no idea if Tyrannosaurus mates were affectionate, if they mated for life, or a season, or anything.

Owen couldn't fault Alexander for doing whatever a male Tyrannosaurus was supposed to do. He just didn't want Elise to be knocked up and left with babies.

Owen suddenly frowned when a half-formed thought struck him. Hadn't Tacet-

' _INVITE ME TO HUNT'_

Fuego startled when Owen's head snapped up fast enough to actually make a cracking sound, and he held up a finger as he sternly said, "Now, hold on _right there._ We are going to discuss consequences of our actions, Elise. Remember our 'Boys are Very Bad' conversation?"

The Indominus was having a little too much fun with pushing the hot buttons, and Alexander had provided a rare opportunity with his presence. She wondered what Owen would do if he found out she had technically been giving _the boy_ her own version of kisses.

They were simply grateful kisses of course, her only way to really express gratitude when she didn't have meat to give him. Did she like Alexander?

Elise knew she liked the male, but not the way Owen was currently panicking about. She didn't know the Tyrannosaurus well enough to actually form that kind of an attachment, but it was funny how amazed Fuego was by Owen's face slowly turning a darker shade of red.

Granted, Alexander had the most stunning eyes she had ever seen. Maybe someday she would grow to like him differently if they got along well enough. Alexander already had a talent for giving her a very happy warmth in her chest.

Would Owen fall over dead if she wrote that? He probably would.

The raptor chirped at the little bead of sweat on the suddenly shiny forehead, and Elise feigned naïve innocence as she wrote, _'LIKE WHAT'_

Owen blinked as he licked his lips at the words before uncomfortably saying, "The ones that…happen…after we…spend too much alone time…with boys. I know you're mature for your age, but-"

' _DONT UNDERSTAND'_

Elise understood perfectly what he was hinting at, and it was hilarious to watch the man try to find the right words to talk about _the forbidden subject_ without actually saying it. What Elise didn't understand was most humans' immediate reaction when it came to the subject of mating.

They always got so flustered and embarrassed; Owen was no exception.

The Indominus was almost tempted to point out that Fuego was a boy who would be spending plenty of alone time with a pack of all females. She had a feeling he would end up pairing with one of the girls, but she just wasn't sure who.

Owen raised his brows at her, completely forgetting about Tacet, when he said, "Babies are what happen when you spend too much alone time with a boy. I know you've got your head most of the time, but…sometimes stuff happens that we don't mean to happen, and…then you got a baby you're not ready for…okay?"

Elise almost snorted when she thought about asking why Claire didn't have a baby. She knew the duo were spending more time with each other after work. It wasn't her business, but Elise was enjoying this conversation, and she couldn't stop herself from innocently asking, _'DO THEY MAGICALLY APPEAR'_

Owen frowned at the words before realizing he was being messed with and sternly pointed a finger as he growled, "That's not funny. You trying to give me a heart attack?"

Elise crooned in amusement while Fuego watched the red face slowly become its normal shade again. It was interesting that Brave Idiot could change color, but he wasn't going to be impressed until the human could prove himself capable of hiding in plain sight.

Owen let out a long breath as he wiped his face before breathing, "So, do you like Alexander?"

The Indominus nodded when she wrote, _'GOOD FRIEND WILL HELP IF I CALL'_

The man ran a hand through his hair as he slowly nodded at the words, and Elise added, _'CHASED CARNIFEX TO SOBEKS OLD HOME'_

"To the northern part of the island?"

Elise nodded, and Owen licked his lips before saying, "That's really…good actually. I'm glad he did that. Where's Alex headed to now?"

Fuego tilted his head when the Indominus wiped the words clean and wrote, _'HOME BETWEEN OCEAN AND VALLEY'_

"Even better, Baby. Learn anything else out there? I think Fuego said something about meeting other raptors."

Elise nodded as she flickered her gaze over to the raptor. She was so proud of how well Owen was picking up the language. Sometimes he misunderstood what was being said, but he was doing so well.

It made Elise feel like Owen could keep the tightknit pack together if anything happened to her.

But, the Indominus felt her happy mood lessen slightly when she wrote, _'SHORT ONE FOUND BRIDGES HE IS DEAD'_

"Oh."

Elise would have laughed at the shocked tone if it wasn't for the somber subject. She still wasn't sure if it was her fault that the man had been killed, but Bridges probably would have gotten away had Elise not sent that raptor after him.

She hadn't killed him, but Elise felt she had helped set the stage for his death.

Owen rubbed the back of his neck as he stared at the words before quietly asking, "Did you double check to make sure?"

The Indominus took a deep breath as she shook her head before slowly lowering herself onto the ground. Fuego cocked his head in confusion, and Elise chittered to him that it was time to catch their human up on everything that happened.

The raptor twitched his tail in thought while Owen walked over to lean against the scarred shoulder as he said, "Come on, Fuego. It's quiet time."

The Indominus chittered again as Owen patted the spot next to him, and Fuego paused before trotting over. He missed bonding with his pack, the grooming, talking, and he felt much, much better with the useless meal gone.

Maybe these Alphas weren't as idiotic as he originally thought.

Regardless, the dark scaled raptor picked his spot next to the man before sighing. It was nice to have this moment of calm, and he was relieved to realize that Brave Idiot wasn't as dumb as he looked. The Velociraptor felt better saying his side of things.

Brave Idiot was a good listener, and good Alphas listened to _all_ their pack.

Owen slid to the ground with a sigh as he extended his injured leg out before Fuego stretched out comfortably with his round belly bulging. The wood shavings were much more comfortable than they had been last night, and the soothing lull of Owen talking with Elise comforted Fuego. He had two idiots for Alphas, but they were strong idiots.

Now was a good time for a nap, and the raptor chittered quietly when Owen brushed off a small chunk of the wood shaving coat.

Brave Idiot was good.

* * *

No… She had done wrong…she was bad...

Tacet sank onto the ground in defeat as she blankly stared at the wood shavings shaking under her powerful breaths. The Indomitus hated the twisting, heavy feeling in her gut.

She had hurt an innocent, and that was bad. _She_ was bad.

Tacet knew she was bad because of what Bad Smell had taught her. He said it was okay that she forgot sometimes, he would never get mad at her for not learning as quickly as he wanted because everyone learned at different paces, _but_ he had one rule that was the solid line between good and bad.

Under no circumstances was it ever okay to hurt someone who hadn't hurt her physically or with words. He would always forgive her less than stellar memory, his patience would be endless when it came to her self-harm, but Bad Smell would never tolerate her attacking an innocent.

White One had been an innocent, and Tacet now remembered how she had bitten the snowy scales first. Even her mate had attacked only after she had started it. The Indomitus just wanted to scream at herself for messing up so badly, but she couldn't do that.

What was _wrong_ with her? Why had she allowed herself to attack the gentle creature whose worst offence was being annoying? It was so frustrating that she couldn't control her own mind, her own body was just something to maintain, and Tacet despised her very existence. The constant whiplash of emotions was exhausting, the lessons with her human only slashed her self-esteem to pitiful ribbons, and now she had done the one thing, _the one and only thing_ she had promised to never do.

She hurt someone who hadn't hurt her first.

She was worthless, and the Indomitus shamefully turned her head to instinctively avoid eye contact despite no one else being in the room. She hated herself so much for messing this up, and now she understood why Bad Smell was gone.

Why would he want to be around her after breaking his one rule? Her head hurt so much from forcing those muddled memories to clear, and the gasped whimper was hardly heard in the silent room. The only comfort she could find was in the one thing she hated most.

Herself.

Tacet curled as tightly as she could while squeezing her eyes shut in hopes of simply blanking out again. Her own mind was a cruel one that refused to yield mercy when she desperately needed a moment of calm. It was getting hard to breathe as the pieced together memory of her wrongdoing played over and over again.

She had attacked first. White One had screamed in pain. Over and over again as the coppery blood ghosted over her tongue, and the silent shrieking only grew louder. It hurt her ears, but there was no actual sound to assault the Indomitus.

It didn't matter; her mind was malicious

She started that fight, and the Indomitus shivered when her gut gave a tight clench. She felt ready to throw up, and there was only one way to stop it. To just make it all stop because she couldn't handle it.

The screaming, the steaming blood splashing everywhere, the brutally clear memory; it was madness, and Tacet couldn't let herself go there. When her mind's failsafe of shutting down simply failed her, there was a last resort to make it stop.

But, she didn't like it. Tacet sincerely hated the failsafe she had created for her first failsafe, but her mind continued to attack her.

She was bad.

 _Worthless._

 _Stupid._

And probably broken.

Her failsafe was blessed, attention grabbing pain. This wasn't the first time her broken brain had scattered about in a mayhem of self-hatred, bad memories, and gut-wrenching guilt.

 _But,_ nothing forced her mind to focus quite like a slash in her scales. It was a quick snap, and then it was all better. This was her safety net when she felt she was losing control of herself. When her mind refused to cooperate or just _had_ to focus one something that needed to be ignored.

It wasn't like Tacet enjoyed the actual feeling of digging her sharp talons into her own skin. Her mind didn't like that, she knew it was wrong, _but it helped her._

Because Tacet knew only a worthless creature like herself would be stupid enough to create such a painful failsafe.

She hated herself, and the Indomitus made a pained whine as she backed herself into the corner. In this silent, empty room, she was a prisoner to the repeating memory of the snowy dinosaur screaming in pain.

White One had seemed so nice…those crimson eyes were so bright and happy to see her. It confused Tacet, but it was harder to remember that snowy dinosaur.

All she could think about was the bite, the blood, and the scream.

Her sharp teeth sinking into the exposed, snowy scales. The salty blood gushing over her tongue as the chewy skin shredded between her teeth. The earsplitting shriek echoing from a wrongly attacked dinosaur.

Tacet attempted a low moan as her own talons dug into her skull in hopes of spearing her sadistic brain. She just wanted it to stop. She was sorry…she hadn't meant to hurt her…Tacet didn't know why she did.

Tacet couldn't control herself sometimes.

Sharp teeth in the snowy scales, the gushing, salty blood from chewy skin, and an earsplitting shriek from a dinosaur.

Tacet couldn't stop her own mind from repeating it over and over again. It was her fault, and this wasn't going to stop until she got what she deserved. Tacet knew this. It was just like Bad Smell though her mind wouldn't play a memory around him. It was just the taste of blood on her mouth as her gut clenched tighter and tighter until it threatened to burst.

The Indomitus suddenly slammed the side of her face into the cement wall in hopes of jostling her mind enough to stop the memory, but it only got faster as the small dribble of crimson danced down her face.

Sharp teeth, gushing blood, and earsplitting shriek.

Tacet suddenly stumbled onto her side as her eyes threatened to roll with the loss of control in her own self.

Teeth, blood, shriek. Teeth, blood, shriek. Teeth, blood, shriek.

It was her fault. Tacet knew she just wanted teeth, blood, shriek.

No, no! She wanted peace and quiet. The Indominus couldn't stop the teeth, blood, shriek.

 _No!_

Her mind wasn't cooperating! She wanted teeth, blood, shriek.

 _Clear thoughts! She wanted clear thoughts!_

The Indomitus slammed her head into the cement teeth, blood, shriek.

 _Walls! They were walls! Why was her mind so insistent on this memory?!_

Teeth…blood…shriek…

 _She was sorry!_

Teeth. Blood. Shriek.

The Indomitus quickly spun around in hopes of finding teeth, blood-

 _A distraction! Just one distraction!_

-Shriek. Teeth, blood, shriek.

 _It's empty! Just like her own mind! Her own mind was so empty, broken, and absolutely teeth…blood…shriek…_

Tacet froze with her blooded gaze focusing on the empty room with no one to help, and she let out a single, shaky sigh of defeat.

Teeth. Blood. Shriek.

* * *

"I like to eat, eat, eat apples and bananas…"

Lowery quietly hummed to himself as he crunched the juicy apple while flicking through the different cameras. It was calm without having to worry about guests getting into trouble, and he wouldn't complain.

Most of Control had decided to take a late lunch, but he wasn't worried; they would be back by two-thirty.

At least everything was quiet, and he paused to make sure Repair was still doing well. Most of the team was currently gathering supplies to begin the project that would be the fence, but Lowery didn't think it would take them long.

It was almost funny, Claire had sent Repair out to see what they could do, and there were only massive projects or little, pointless ones.

The doors to Carnifex's paddock had been an easy fix after the tree was removed, but it was pointless thanks to Bridges inability to deal with poachers like a normal human being. Lowery didn't understand that one, and he flicked through the camera to check up on Tacet.

It made him sad to watch her, and he didn't know why. Lowery was nervous about her going on another rampage, but he wondered what kind of person was behind those silvery scales. She looked lost in the literal dark with no one to talk to.

The man crunched another bite off his red apple as he raised an eyebrow when he realized she was doing absolutely nothing in a way that disturbed him. She was just sitting there with an expression he didn't understand, and Lowery paused mid-chew to squint at the blood dripping down the side of her face.

He had no idea how she managed to hurt herself in an empty room, but he would ask Romano or Owen to look at her.

Had she clawed herself? It almost looked as if something had hit her really hard.

Nothing could prepare him for Tacet suddenly snapping her jaws into her own arm, those ivory daggers sinking deep into the scales, and Lowery immediately startled into spitting chewed apple chunks onto the screen.

He had to call Owen or Claire _right now_ , and the man squeaked when the Indomitus shook her silvery arm.

She was going to tear off her own arm, and all Lowery could think about was those Tyrannosaurus jaws she had. They were strong enough to crush bone, and she was biting _hard_.

Was there even time to get Owen or Claire?

Lowery didn't think so, and he ran a hand through his hair as he chewed his lip before making the split-second decision to try and distract Tacet himself. If he could get her attention, then Owen would have enough time to get there and figure out what was wrong.

The man thanked the stars above that Tacet's paddock held the intercom system like almost every paddock here, but he froze with the phone to his ear when he realized he had no idea what to say.

What could he say?

The man swallowed; Tacet would be missing a limb if he didn't do something, and he did his best to sound calm and quiet.

* * *

"Hey, Tacet…"

The Indomitus startled with a sharp inhale as her teeth dug deeper into the burning flesh, but she blinked in confusion.

What just happened? Was it over?

Tacet hated being spooked for no reason, but it wasn't the pain that had startled her, it had been the…the…

Soft sound?

"Please stop eating your arm, okay? I'll get you better food…"

 _Eating her arm?_ She wasn't trying to eat her own limb, but the Indomitus blinked at the meek voice quietly echoing in her empty room as if it was afraid to speak louder. Never had she heard this voice before, but she didn't appreciate this sudden intrusion even if it had helped. _This_ was private to Tacet, and she immediately yanked her jaws free before shamefully hiding her arm close to her chest.

Now she was embarrassed for being caught like this, and the Indomitus narrowed her eyes until the soft voice tried, "It's okay, Tacet. I'll make sure you help for that arm…"

Tacet didn't care about that, she wanted to know where the voice came from, and she glanced over to the door to see none had entered her home. Was it possible for humans to throw their voices into rooms they weren't in?

She didn't like that, and the Indomitus slowly turned her gaze to the torn flesh; now it looked like White One's scales.

The burning wasn't so bad now that she had let go, and it wasn't like she could really feel her arm after all the years of abuse she put it through. Tacet remembered how she used to be able to feel the blood fall from her arm, but the nerves were too dull now; only the memory of the feeling falsely ghosted over in a drip, drip fashion.

Teeth, blood, shriek. But, it was okay now. Tacet could breathe again with the pain forcing her mind to focus on the blood and pain before her, and…this voice was something else to put her attention to.

"Hey…it's okay, Tacet. You're not in trouble."

The Indomitus made a low sound as she glanced around the room again. This voice was…okay, a little annoying, but quiet enough for her to manage. She didn't feel threatened with the little presence. Maybe he knew Bad Smell? He talked as soft as her blonde human, but he was lacking the confidence she was so used to hearing in all human voices.

Maybe he wasn't as big a human?

 _What if this was a really tiny human?_

Tacet wanted to see that; she had never seen a tiny human before, and the Indomitus held her injured arm close to her chest as she began to walk around in search of this newcomer.

This was good, this was a good distraction that she could handle. Tacet simply couldn't be threatened by a little human even if she was irritated by his trespassing.

 _But,_ she would be a little more patient on the grounds that his soft voice had helped her.

Once her curiosity was satisfied, she would kick the tiny human out before taking a nap. She was content with the very simple plan she could stick to.

She would see this tiny human, kick him out, and nap until she felt better. One, two, three. Easy said, easy done, and the Indomitus puffed air through her nostrils as she carefully glanced at the walls and floor.

"So…um…"

Tacet paused to stare at the dark corner of her room where a small gleam immediately caught her eye, and she blinked. Was the tiny human hiding there?

All she saw was a little box, and Tacet _knew_ that wasn't a human.

The Indomitus cocked her head suspiciously at the practically shivering camera before Lowery slowly said, "I…yeah, that's me you're looking at in…the corner here. My name is Lowery…nice to meet you…hi…"

Tacet blinked at the box with one of the strangest names she had ever heard. Lowery. So odd, yet it seemed fitting for such a peculiar box. Had Lowery always been there? Tacet didn't think he had, and it made her nervous that he was suddenly here.

Could she get rid of Lowery without accidentally hurting him?

Tacet couldn't see Lowery shifting nervously in his chair, but she paused when the man timidly said, "I…will make sure that your arm is going to be fine, okay?"

The Indomitus swore the box had just said that. She knew her memory was poor, but Tacet felt no need to remember useless things.

This conversation was pointless, and Tacet was too tired to dedicate any more of her energy into focusing on Lowery. Talking took so much out of her even if she never said a word back. It was so stressful to be around humans, and she wanted to be alone for now.

Her head was aching, her arm was throbbing, and Tacet just wanted to sit in silence. She was disappointed only to see a little box and not an actual, tiny human.

What a letdown...

Her lip slowly began to curl in irritation as she glowered at the little box, and the man behind it shrunk in fear as he softly blurted, "I needed your opinion on something…that's why…I'm…talking to you…okay?"

Tacet _really_ didn't like that. She didn't care if this was a stranger because she could mess this up. It always frustrated Bad Smell when she did something wrong, and that ingrain fear of disappointing felt no different in this situation.

Tacet was afraid of talking with strangers even if she tried not to show it.

The Indomitus began to wonder if she just needed to ignore the little box until Lowery cleared his throat before confidently saying, "You're smart, and I needed help with something that's…not really important to other people…"

The man quietly trailed off, and Tacet blinked. He thought she was smart? _Her?_ Not even Bad Smell deemed her an intelligent creature despite the praise for anything she did correctly. Sure, the kind redhead this morning had called her smart, but she said it in a way that really didn't mean anything to Tacet; she had said it like praise.

Lowery said it like he meant it, and that confused Tacet.

From the few conversations she had heard on the other side of this thick wall, Tacet was apparently emptyheaded as well. While she didn't understand the meaning behind the phrase, she knew the intent of the insult was similar to being stupid.

Why would this box human think she was smart? Tacet didn't know what to do with that, and she shifted. Lowery felt very odd to her. Even if Tacet wasn't the most observant creature in the world, it was obvious that he didn't talk the same as other humans.

It was almost a relief to her actually. The way his voice betrayed a nervousness she could relate to, the stuttering that she knew her Bad Smell never showed. Lowery was a mess up like her.

But, the Indomitus couldn't help but to be struck.

How isolated was Lowery to think she was an intelligent creature? Maybe he didn't know very many creatures.

Was his memory like hers as well?

Tacet didn't know what to do with a creature like herself. Was she supposed to like this creature or hate him for being like herself, who she hated?

It was confusing, but Tacet did know that Lowery didn't make her feel lesser in terms of intelligence.

There was always something frustrating and even degrading about being forced to realize she had problems the humans didn't seem to suffer from. Tacet didn't want to think she was _stupid,_ but she did think that. Bad Smell hadn't used that word towards her, but she knew its meaning. It had been said by other humans.

Tacet was aware that she was stupid, and it was how she regarded herself. She was stupid for hurting herself, for her inability to remember what her human attempted to teach her, and for always rubbing her nose raw from licking the walls.

Tacet never had the best memory, but she would never forget how it felt in discovering that she was stupid. It was one of her clearer memories, and that made her sad. She didn't want to be stupid, but being around the confident humans who asked her hard questions did make her feel stupid.

Stupid, stupid, stupid. There was no word that sounded so simple and harsh to Tacet. Unintelligent, empty-headed, short memory, and sick would never hold the equal weight of 'stupid' due to the understanding lightening the blow of the previous words. There was no compassion in using the word stupid.

So far, Lowery didn't make her feel like that. She still wanted him gone, but _maybe_ he could come back later.

She gently waved her tail as Lowery quietly said, "I need help naming someone, and I narrowed it down to two names. It's not important, no pressure, but…I just wanted someone else's opinion."

Tacet had to make a decision? She wasn't so sure about that, but Lowery continued, "See…she's really brave, and the names were Joan or Lundi."

The Indomitus shifted as the man explained the meaning behind both names, but she zoned out as soon as he mentioned this Joan was another woman from whatever. Good for her, but Tacet continued to stare at the little box as the man's voice droned on.

It wasn't too bad when she didn't pay attention to it; Lowery was now background noise. It was kind of nice listening to him drone on. She didn't feel alone, and the noise was soothing enough for her mind to handle.

Lowery's voice almost sounded like a nice shade of yellow.

"So…what do you think? Joan or Lundi?"

Tacet blinked at the camera because she had no way to decide between them. This wasn't very important so she could make a mistake, right?

It was just a name for something she didn't know, and the Indomitus huffed in irritation before Lowery stuttered, "O-Oh, right…um… So, I guess between Joan and Lundi…."

Tacet suddenly nodded because that had worked with getting rid of the redhead this morning. If this box was intelligent enough, then he would come up with his own answer and leave.

Lowery needed to leave because Tacet didn't know what to do with someone who thought of her as smart.

She waited expectantly for him to mull over her open answer, and the Indomitus tilted her head when the man mused, "Joan…Lundi…Joan Lundi. That's actually really catchy, Tacet."

Tacet blinked at the happy tone when Lowery continued, "Yeah, the Joan of Arc who hits like a cold, hard Monday without coffee. That's _awesome_ , Tacet. Sounds like the next Jurassic World action figure…I wonder if Claire would go for that."

The silvering dinosaur shifted again as the unexpected, small feeling of happiness warmed her chest. It wasn't anything huge or moving to her, but it felt nice to help Lowery. She had actually met his expectations of being smart.

It was…she felt warm.

The little box in the corner of her room was definitely different from the humans, and Tacet felt as though she could eventually learn to tolerate him if it was always like this. However, for now, she wasn't in the mood to deal with anyone else, and the Indomitus glanced away.

It had been her only way of hinting to Bad Smell that she was done.

The Indomitus had no idea that Lowery found that funny; she didn't know he found her bluntness amusing. He wasn't offended when she made it clear she didn't want to talk.

Tacet didn't know that Lowery liked her more than not, and she flickered her gaze back when he murmured something about getting help for her arm. Tacet didn't care because she was now tired.

"Thanks, Tacet...um…if you need anything, just grab my attention through this camera. So…bye…"

She puffed air through her nose before turning her head back to the most comfortable corner in her little home. Tacet assumed Lowery had left somehow without taking the box with him or maybe he fell asleep, but she didn't want to question it.

She didn't ask 'how' or 'why'.

Tacet easily scraped the soft shavings into a padded nest before hiding her arm close. Everything was silent, and that was good. No humans, strangers, talking…

Or White One.

* * *

"Alright, tell me the truth," Owen raised a brow at the sprawled raptor next to him before he glanced at Elise as he asked, "Am I boring or is my voice just really soothing?"

The crimson eyes filled with a light-hearted fondness as the Indominus rested her head on the wood shaving bed with a low, soft rumble. Owen snorted as she gave a content sigh, and he quietly said, "Both it is."

It was peaceful right here, and Owen could feel that missed nap coming back even if he knew he wouldn't be able to catch it. But he raised his hand to gently rub a circle on the injured, scaled arm as he softly said, "We're going to be okay, Baby. I think we're going to be fine."

Elise cracked open a crimson eye to glance at him as he added, "We'll get Tacet figured out and go home with Fuego. He'll have to stay in the girls' old paddock until the test results come back if we leave tonight."

The Indominus let out a soft breath, and Owen glanced at her when he continued, "We can get you a nice bath…I'm thinking we're going to use a full bottle of cupcake shampoo, aren't we?"

Elise made a soft snort as she flickered her gaze to the jungle outside. She would be using no less than _two_ , full bottles of cupcake shampoo, thank you very much. The snowy dinosaur would be reunited with her loyal Munchkin Army as a walking dessert if she had anything to say about it.

"We'll have to leave Fuego here when we go see Tacet with Judge Knight. Claire said she was bringing another person to assess Tacet's mental health."

He glanced at the raptor practically dead to the world around him as he added, "It's just another accident waiting to happen if we bring him."

Elise blinked at the blue scales though she softly rumbled her agreement, and Owen closed his eyes when his radio crackled.

Break time was over.

Fuego didn't even move when Lopez's voice growled, "Grady, I need you and Ghost at the labs. We've been pissing around with this slab of concrete for too damned long, and the Repair Team is ready to go."

Elise lifted her head with a sigh, and Owen replied, "We're headed there."

He gently patted her arm before pushing himself up as the Indominus slowly rose. The duo blinked at the Velociraptor still happily sleeping, and Owen began to limp over to the doors as he said into the radio, "Lowery, I need you to keep an eye on Fuego. I'm sure he'll stay asleep, but he might panic if he realizes we left without him."

Elise waved her tail gently as she waited for her human to shut the massive doors, it was always nice how quiet they were aside from the buttons' beeping, but Lowery nervously asked, "You're leaving me in charge of the wild Velociraptor? _Me?"_

Owen sighed patiently as he winked at Elise before answering, "Yes, you. If he starts to panic, play some music or talk to him. Fuego just needs to think he's not alone. Keep your tone calm, and play soothing music. He won't be able to get out of here, alright?"

The tech geek reluctantly murmured a reply, and the duo paused to admire the lush jungle. The birds were chirping, the sun was shining, and Owen could almost forget how bad last night had been.

Almost, all he had to do was walk around this building to behold the absolute mayhem that had shamelessly ravaged the settlement. All the mistakes, the deaths, and the bloodshed.

His own brush with death…

 _The boy's arrival..._

But, Owen wasn't in the mood to focus on that, and he let out a breath before rubbing his hands together, "Alright, Babe. Time to burn rubber because Lopez sounded stressed."

The Indominus chittered her agreement as she gently scooped up her human before limping down the road.

She only hoped Fuego would stay asleep.

* * *

"About damned time you ladies show up. Christ, my dead grandmother can run circles around you two at the rate you're going."

Lopez crossed his arms at the towering dinosaur before he sharply added, "Ghost, Babe, I know you're hurt, I'm proud you're sucking it up for us, but please don't walk like you're dying. It's not good for morale, and Grady's got two legs. Until he's missing both, he gets to walk."

Owen snorted when he was gently dropped onto the ground, and Lopez raised a brow as he asked, "You two powdering your noses or something? We got shit to do."

Elise internally grimaced; Lopez was getting stressed. The Commander was normally cool tempered, but he became incessantly sarcastic when he was tired, irritated, and stressed. Not that Elise blamed the man.

Owen was hardly fazed by the snappish growls, and he calmly replied, "We're here and ready to go, Commander. Lead the way."

Lopez snorted at the show of cooperation from the normally stubborn man, and he said, "I need Ghost to help us lift a slab of cement before we pop another expensive tire. Oh, and since Judge Knight is going to be an hour late, you get to babysit Repair until the fence is up."

Owen nodded, and Lopez continued, "Now, I don't want to be completely insensitive to Ghost, but this is to recover a…"

Lopez trailed off as the helicopter suddenly flew over them, and he squinted at the silver bird pausing over the landing pad when Owen said, "That's not a Jurassic World copter."

"That's Knight's ride."

Owen tilted his head to eye Lopez's own watch as he replied, "Guess she decided to show up on time, but we can move the slab before heading over there. Elise just has to pick it up, right?"

Elise blinked when Lopez gave her an odd look; it wasn't one she had ever seen from him before. She almost thought it was pity, and the Commander turned unusually quiet when he replied, "No…no. You two head over to Knight since she's got priority. Once you're done talking to Tacet, you come back here."

Owen blinked, but the Commander shooed them off as he continued, "The slab can wait. I'll take some of my team to get Repair started, but you let me know when you're done with Knight. Got it?"

Elise crooned her promise to the Commander in hopes of getting him to relax. She knew this was a stressful day for everyone, but she wanted Lopez to feel better knowing that he had people he could count on.

She and Owen would help Knight in a timely manner so Lopez wasn't bouncing from each project by himself. She wanted to do more to help the guards; it was the least she could do for them. This had to be a solid team despite the loss of fellow guards. Elise wanted to pull her own weight and more to help cope.

Lopez winked appreciatively at the croon, "There's my hard worker. Don't let Grady slow you down."

Owen only snorted when he was scooped into Elise's hands the moment Lopez turned his back, and the Indominus softly chittered to him as she limped towards the landing helicopter. She was actually happy that Knight was early.

It meant they could get Tacet figured out sooner. Elise would rather talk to Tacet now than worry about it all day, and maybe today's talk would go better without Carnifex suddenly popping up.

The Indominus didn't want to think about how badly everything had gone last night. She didn't want to wonder why her older sister didn't seem happy to be around another of her kind.

Elise was simply afraid her older sister would reject her, but she just didn't see how that could happen. They were _sisters,_ bound through the same blood. What sisters didn't love each other? Even Echo and Blue, who fought at every opportunity, loved each other.

If Elise could learn to love humans, her own mother still loving her very different looking daughter, hot tempered raptors accepting her as their own, and even the world loving her back…if that could happen, then Elise didn't see why two estranged sisters couldn't learn to love each other as sisters should.

It would go better today.

Claire was already waiting by the crumpled pad where Carnifex had obviously taken to stomping on it, but he could have done worse; the pad was still usable. The chopper was only slightly tilted, and Elise made a soft croon at seeing the peppered bun of Judge Knight.

Owen was less happy to see four strangers step out after her, but he paused at the bright red handkerchief hopping out last.

"I didn't know she was bringing Dr. Grant."

Elise immediately recognized the silver ball Grant tugged out behind him, and she was suddenly homesick for her squeaky bone. She missed chewing it, but she gently set Owen on the ground next to Claire, and he quietly asked, "Why is Grant here?"

"He evaluated Elise…"

Owen immediately gave Claire a disapproving look. He really didn't think Tacet needed to be bothered today, but the redhead only gave an apologetic shake of her head. It was out of her hands, and he did not doubt she had tried to postpone this in order to give Tacet a better chance to adjust to them.

"Miss Elise."

The Indominus made a warm sound to the elderly woman who had tucked the sleek tablet under her arm before lifting her hands to sign along as she continued, "How are you?"

Elise loved when people signed while they talked to her; it always helped her learn more words. She appreciated it, and the Indominus replied, _'I am tired, but good.'_

The man couldn't stop his smile until he flickered his gaze over to the four suits standing next to an ever cranky looking Grant.

He would never see an odder combination of people, but Owen was distracted when Knight turned to him, "I'm very happy to see Miss Elise's sign has improved."

"An hour of learning each night at the very least, your Honor. She wants to learn it all, and we're changing her pamphlets to include the Sign Language alphabet so kids can participate a little more."

"Very good. I hope we can shape a similar happy ending for Tacet." Judge Knight paused to extend a hand towards the mixture of suits before continuing, "As you can see, I've already brought a team ready to evaluate her. We will essentially be going through the same routine as we had with Miss Elise."

Owen did not think that was a good idea, but he remained tight lipped while the judge gestured to the tallest, and most familiar, "You remember Mr. Graves. He is here to represent Tacet and safeguard her rights."

Elise quietly sniffed at the silvering lawyer who hadn't changed since the last she saw him, and she almost expected to see timid Hart standing next to him. Still, the lawyer smelled like a liar as always.

But, her attention was grabbed by Knight gesturing towards the most colorful man of the group. Even Owen couldn't stop his brows from raising at the sight of the dark red suit and burly handlebar mustache.

"This is Carlos Fernández, and he will be representing the public's best interest. He's a prosecutor in Costa Rica, and he came highly recommended despite the short notice."

Short was not a word Owen would use to describe the man who was as wide as he was tall. The two buttons on the red jacket were in need of major praise for keeping it together, and Elise tilted her head at the large cigar being lightly chewed right underneath the thick mustache.

She wondered what Owen would look like with such facial hair, but the Indominus blinked at the shiny, steel clamp acting as the man's left hand. She knew humans were notorious for losing limbs, but she couldn't help but to stare.

The steel clamp looked so little compared to the rest of the confident man.

Owen was simply struck by how Carlos didn't seem to care that he was in the presence of a forty-two foot long, nine ton dinosaur. It wasn't that that red suited lawyer wasn't impressed, he just didn't look afraid.

The same couldn't be said for the next two suits Judge Knight introduced as, "These are the psychologists here on request of Mr. Graves and Mr. Fernández. Dr. Daniel Lín, and Dr. Rémy Dubois respectively. They will interview Tacet after Dr. Grant establishes competence."

Owen almost snorted at Grant's 'done' look. It was obvious the ride over here had been something else, but Knight didn't seem to care or notice as she continued, "Obviously Tacet hasn't taken to Sign Language like Elise despite Mr. Bridges' attempts to teach her, and that concerns me. I don't care much for how differently she's acting compared to Miss Elise. It's obvious she's suffering from something."

Owen couldn't agree more, and it made him all the more nervous as to why Knight didn't think it was more important to give Tacet time to adjust to new people before shoving in even more new people in her face.

It gave him a really bad feeling.

"Miss Elise."

The Indominus glanced at the judge when she continued, "Despite the slight differences in DNA, I assume you can understand Tacet?"

Elise wondered why no one had informed the judge of Tacet's lack of voice, but she signed, _'She speaks very little.'_

"Well," Knight paused to clasp her hands in front of her, "I suppose that's better than nothing."

She glanced at the two psychologists, obviously dying for their air conditioned offices, while continuing, "I expect you two to word your questions in a way Tacet can answer. I have no doubt she understands our English, but what she can say may very well be limited to 'yes' or 'no' questions."

Owen still didn't like how the duo seemed to be nervously glancing at Elise, but Carlos rolled his eyes impatiently as he began to walk down the road, _"Hablando demasiado._ I did not cancel my important case just to talk in the heat. Move."

Elise blinked when the man simply strolled by her, but Owen crossed his arms as he snapped, "I'm not sticking one foot in there until we establish some lines."

Carlos gave a glare that would have broiled lesser men, and Owen gestured to the psychologists as he continued, "I'm not dumping a bunch of strangers on Tacet for no reason. I don't care what you had to drop to get here because it won't make a difference if she just shuts down or worse."

Owen turned to Knight as he finished, "I think Tacet needs more time to get used to Claire, Elise, and me. She doesn't have anyone she can trust right now."

He ignored the impatient huff from the Cuban lawyer, but Knight answered, "I understand, Mr. Grady, but Tacet is exhibiting dangerous tendencies of self-harm. Even if she is here on Isla Sorna, the Jurassic World headquarters and InGen are based in California. That's one of the many reasons why I was chosen to be the presiding judge. I'm from California."

Owen didn't understand what that had to do with anything, and Knight continued, "Each state has varying laws. In order to prevent confusion and contradiction, it was decided that Elise would be under mercy of Californian laws even if she's never seen the States. The same will go for Tacet."

"…Okay? And?"

Carlos sighed in exasperation, and Knight pressed her lips before saying, "Our concern is not only Tacet's competence, but if she's a danger to others and herself, Mr. Grady. California Code Section 5150 states that she must be evaluated in a timely manner after the incident. We should have done the same with Miss Elise after her rampage, but we will act accordingly with Tacet."

Owen blinked before bluntly asking, "You mean last night's incident? She never tried to kill herself last night."

Claire leaned close to gently say, "But, she was a danger to others even after Bridges tried to get her to stop, and that's why they're here. They want to make sure she's not trying to kill herself or harm others…and she bit her arm pretty bad about twenty minutes ago."

Owen blinked in shock, and Knight nodded her head, "We will be using both incidents as probable cause for her evaluation. I know you would prefer a larger adjustment period, but I need to establish if she's able enough to decide where she wishes to live. Her current paddock…isn't to my liking."

"She's not a little cat we can fly in the helicopter, Judge. We've only got two options thanks to Bridges feeding people to Carnifex, but until Elise's old paddock is given a proper inspection, Tacet's is her only choice right now."

Elise startled when Carlos suddenly tapped her foot with his prosthetic arm, and he lowered his bushy brows, _"Blanca Grande,_ either you pick him up and walk, or I'll carry him myself."

Owen glared at the man though Judge Knight patiently said, "Mr. Fernández, you knew full well that this case would be time consuming and tedious."

Carlos switched the cigar to the other side of his mouth when he fearlessly retorted, "I knew I would be dealing with picky American laws. I didn't know I'd be dealing with an idiot. Can we at least walk and talk?"

Elise thought this man was very brave for using that tone with Knight, but the judge easily said, "Mr. Grady, I am fully aware of how dangerous Tacet is. I see Miss Elise's injuries, I see the destroyed settlement, I've seen the casualties list, _but_ if Tacet proves willing to cooperate, she will not be deprived."

Owen still didn't see why this couldn't wait, but the judge continued, "That means she has the right to have access to trained psychologists as soon as possible. It also means that if she's competent, and not a danger to herself or others, Tacet can decide if she wishes to live on Nublar or here…it even means she can refuse treatment."

Owen was stunned enough to actually take a step back before he retorted, "She is a nine ton animal with an obvious problem, and you're actually keeping a straight face when you say _she can decide if she doesn't want treatment?_ People have to take care of her, Judge!"

Claire stiffened at the dangerous tone that was going to get them all in trouble, but Owen continued, "Her paddock has to be cleaned, she needs to be fed, her injuries need close supervision, and you are seriously giving her the right to refuse treatment? _More good people are going to die if that happens._ You-"

"I understand how terrifying it is to give human rights to something that doesn't even look remotely human." Judge Knight flickered her gaze to Elise before adding, "But the simple fact is we cannot pick and choose for convenience. I either give Tacet the same rights every human should have or she will be properly treated like an endangered zoo animal."

Owen could feel the crimson gaze weighing heavy on him as Knight continued, "This is a delicate, brand new process for all of us. I see now how very convenient and easy going Miss Elise was. Laws are grey and confusing, but I have no intent of letting Tacet do as she pleases either, Mr. Grady."

Owen opened his mouth to argue, but Judge Knight stood firm, "Every human, no matter how they look, should be born equal. And, just like every other human on this planet, the right to swing their fist ends where another human's nose begins."

Elise blinked in confusion as she glanced to her human taking the lecture with all the grace he could muster under the circumstances, but his words almost hurt her. She knew Tacet was doing a lot of things that didn't make sense at the moment, but Elise almost felt Owen talked about her sister like she was just an aggressive animal.

Every human, no matter how they look, should be born equal.

The Indominus was suddenly very humbled by the judge who stood true to what was right or wrong despite how hard it was. Elise understood her sister was a massive problem who few people would want to deal with.

Elise herself almost didn't want to face this problem; she wanted to go home, but Knight was fearless in diving into the mess head on. Elise respected that. She respected Knight.

It was hard to stand up for a massive giant who had helped decimate an entire settlement in mere hours. Owen was still lashed at by those who suffered losses at her own claws, and Elise had no doubt this woman would receive the same from families of victims who died here.

Who died last night. People who wanted to go home…

Elise risked a glance around them where blood stained the concrete. She couldn't help but to wonder how many chairs would stand empty at dining tables. Families who were now missing a piece of themselves. A little light gone for good.

Would Tacet forgive herself for that? Elise still hadn't…

Knight didn't see the saddened look of the snowy dinosaur, and she nodded at the silent psychologists, "That's our goal today, Mr. Grady. To confirm the human in Tacet, and whether she's still a danger or not. If Tacet is willing to cooperate after that, we will allow Dr. Dubois and Dr. Lín to have a quick session with her."

Owen didn't think Tacet was going to let them step one toe into her home let alone bombard her with startling questions. He knew he wouldn't have appreciated strangers just waltzing in with startling, hard to answer questions.

But on the chance that these people could actually prove useful, that Knight somehow knew what she was doing, Owen wouldn't deny Tacet a chance to get help. Regardless, Knight was on a mission today, and she curtly said, "If there's nothing else, then I suggest we get moving. I know ACU needs you two for other things."

Owen only nodded as the woman walked by him, and Elise glanced down when Carlos tapped her foot again. She never had a stranger so fearless around her besides Bridges. The Indominus startled when he plucked a white hair from his prominent mustache and showed it to her as he growled, _"Miras, Blanca Grande,_ I grew another damned white hair standing here so long. I'm going to match you by the time we're done."

Elise blinked as he led the way down the road, and she stared at her clearly annoyed human next to Grant. Owen raised his brows, and Elise couldn't stop herself from signing honestly, _'I like him.'_

Owen sighed when his girl plucked up the metal ball from Grant before moving to keep up with the Cuban, and Grant walked alongside him in the back of the group. The psychologists were already comparing their degrees and theories though the paleontologist quietly said, "There's no sitting after that ass-chewing. You and Elise look like hell."

"Walked right through it, Dr. Grant. It was not pretty."

Owen gave a small smile when the elder gently patted his shoulder before commenting, "You're hobbling pretty good too, Owen. It's a good thing you're not a horse."

"Elise got it worse than me. She was stuck between Tacet and Carnifex, I just had a wall pin me."

Grant nodded his agreement before the duo glanced up at Carlos loudly starting an argument with Graves though Knight hardly seemed bothered by it. The Cuban sounded ready to kill someone, but Owen couldn't tell if he was actually angry or not.

"So, you don't have a phone."

Owen raised a brow as he retorted, "No, do you?"

Grant pulled out the older iPhone model when he answered, "Got it only after I realized how good of pictures it took of the fossils, but it's still a phone. _And_ I also got a call from a certain mother wasn't willing to bother Claire with another message."

Owen paused mid-step, and Grant finished, "She said there would be a 'Come to Jesus Meeting' if you didn't call her by tonight. Her words, not mine."

The paleontologist didn't give the younger man time to process the literal death threat before asking, "So, what can I expect from Tacet? She mellow like Elise at least?"

The man licked his lips nervously as he wondered what his mother could do from her home in the States, but he answered, "She can be really quiet, but it's not Elise's mellow. Tacet makes me nervous."

Grant ignored how the group seemed to be further ahead of them, and he stopped walking to face Owen, "Nervous as in Velociraptor kind of scare? Or scare you as in you're stuck in a room with an unpredictable person?"

"…Both."

The paleontologist nodded with a sigh as he eyed a completely crushed building. He wondered if someone had the misfortune to be under it, but the elder asked, "So, what's the plan in case she panics again?"

Grant raised his brows at Owen's blank look, and he growled, "You don't have a Plan B after what happened last night? Take a look at yourself and Elise, Owen. I'm not in the mood to run from dinosaurs again."

Owen blinked as he glanced at Elise limping down the road as she carefully watched Carlos loudly exclaim something about despising flimsy pencils, but she seemed tired.

Elise was tired despite her promise to suck it up for ACU, and Owen wondered if Tacet would panic over having too many people in the room. She didn't remember him, but would seeing Elise help Tacet remember last night's fight? Would that spook Tacet into attacking?

Now the man was even more hesitant to go in there. He suddenly wished Alexander would have decided to stay closer rather than go home even if he was _the boy_.

Owen would never complain about a selfless, undyingly loyal boy who was always ready to save Elise when she needed the help. That wasn't too much to ask right?

Elise was injured, and she couldn't handle another fight with Tacet. But, Owen just wasn't sure how the rest of the group would take to a Plan B when they wanted to use the mindset of assuming Tacet was like Elise.

Tacet wasn't like Elise, so why was _he_ assuming it would go as smoothly?

Owen was a little more tired than what he wanted to admit, and he suddenly plucked out his radio before shutting it off. Grant only raised a brow when it was handed to him, and Owen quietly said, "I think I left this at Dr. Romano's."

"Smart, bring something good back."

"Elise!"

The Indominus startled from Carlos' ranting of cigar prices, and she blinked at how far behind Owen had fallen. Was his leg hurting? Elise made a croon of concern, but the man pointed down the road as he said, "Baby, I need to go get my radio from Dr. Romano's office really quick."

Elise swore Owen had just used it to talk to Lopez, but the man continued, "Don't let anyone in that warehouse until I get back, okay? You're the guard, and they are civilians. Got it?"

The Indominus couldn't help but to glance at Judge Knight raising an amused brow at her. They both knew who the top Alpha was around here, and it wasn't the nine-ton animal. Regardless, she promised with a nod of her head, and Owen began to quickly limp down the road.

" _Blanca Grande."_

Elise glanced down at the Cuban man before he indignantly continued, "How do you get _anything_ done with the molasses pace he moves at?"

The Indominus had already decided it would be better for everyone if she found Carlos to be funny, and she couldn't stop herself from retorting, _'I ask Mother to roar at him.'_

Carlos raised a brow at the translation as they continued to walk, and he exasperatingly asked, _"¿Dónde está tu madre?_ We need a good roar now if we want to get anything done."

Grant rolled his eyes at the drama, and Knight patiently replied, "Mr. Fernández, Mr. Grady isn't one to drag his feet when it comes to the welfare of animals. Definitely paperwork, but not living creatures."

The Cuban only shrugged his broad shoulders before retorting, "Maybe he's not slow to you, but he is to me. I'm just saying, at the pace he's moving, _I'm_ going to be the dinosaur in the ground before we're done."

Carlos flickered his gaze up when Elise gave her sucked in laugh, and his mustache twitched up in a hidden smile.

* * *

Fuego snorted as he suddenly sat straight up when he realized something was wrong. The raptor remained completely still as the feeling of dread froze him in the realization that it was far too quiet.

His idiot Alphas were gone.

The raptor immediately bolted up with a loud chirp only to discover the large doors had somehow shut themselves, and his breathing hitched with the thickening fear.

Not good, not good at all.

He was alone, but Fuego made a soft whine; his Alphas _promised_ they wouldn't leave him! What happened? Did they abandon him? No, he got along well enough with them to stay, right? Pack never split up without good reason, and Fuego was very curious as to what was serious enough to leave without _him_.

The raptor made a low moan as his sickle claws began to tap on the ground in agitation before giving a turn to really soak up the situation.

Yep. He was stuck in this suddenly too small room without food or his Alphas. It didn't matter if nothing could get to him because he was _alone_. Fuego would rather share this tight space with Proud One than sit in the very loud silence.

What was he supposed to do now? Fuego blinked and the answer hit him; he was supposed to get out.

The raptor made another turn as he began to pace the walls of the room just to move around while looking for a way out. His feet made a soft sound, and Fuego needed that background noise. He couldn't allow himself to panic over the very loud silence if he was going to get himself out of here in one piece.

A good Alpha was one who remained calm and collected. When the Alphas weren't here, Fuego became his own Alpha.

Life had been stressful lately to say the least, and the raptor lashed his tail when he paused by the smaller door where Brave Idiot sometimes left through. He could open this, couldn't he?

If an idiot could open it, Fuego could open it, and he chirped in thought. The crimson eye cocked to assess the shiny handle, and the raptor made a low growl as he scrambled his mind for any memory to help him. This was something like the cage doors that had once trapped him.

Maybe…pull it?

The raptor huffed when the door only shook slightly, but then he pushed down on the handle just to see what it would do.

No, no, this wasn't the same, but this handle was supposed to move.

Wait…where was the screaming box?

The raptor unhooked his claws from the locked handle, and he glared at the strong frame of the door for the screaming puzzle. There was nothing here that bore any resemblance to his old cage door, and he huffed.

No screaming box…

Fuego turned his gaze to the other doors in the large room, and he gave a frustrated growl before freezing at the blinking light near the massive doors at the end of the room.

There! Sweet salvation!

Fuego eagerly trotted over to the little box; he couldn't believe he hadn't seen this before. Had Brave Idiot touched this box this morning? Fuego tapped his sickle claws in thought; perhaps he had been too focused on getting out rather than paying attention to the box, but it didn't matter!

He only had to push the little squares that would make a shrill shriek, and then the light would change color before he was freed!

It was too bad he hadn't watched Brave Idiot press the buttons in the right order, and the raptor wasn't exactly sure how he was going to force these massive doors open. But, if an idiot could do it, then so could he.

The raptor began to tap his sickle claws again as he eyed the security box, and clawed fingers twitched from the unnatural shaping needed to push buttons before the first button gave a loud beep.

This was good, this was very good. Fuego was delighted to hear the protesting shrieks from the little square, and he pressed three more buttons until the security box made the harsh, double beep.

The Velociraptor understood the meaning behind _that_ taunting sound.

No freedom.


	87. Chapter 87

**A/N**

 **Hey guys! I apologize for being a day late, but I do plan on having another chapter next week. I missed all of you guys, and I'm glad to hear from all of you, I hope you're all having an amazing start to the year! I hope school, work, and life in general is going well for you.**

 **Elise's Fangirl, you have no idea how much I love puns. Those were fantastic!**

 **I thank you all much and mighty for not only taking time from your day to read this chapter, but also leaving a review or critique. I hope you all have an incredible day and night!**

* * *

' _And then I saw me walking in front of myself. But, it wasn't really me. Watch out. The gap in the door…it's a separate reality. The only me is me. Are you sure the only you is you?' -PT_

* * *

"Me, Myself, and I."

"I know…the phones are crap…"

Lowery leaned back in his chair with a sigh as his girlfriend replied before he said, "I know, Jackie, but Claire is the only one who gets good reception. I'm pretty sure half her salary goes to the phone bill. You'd think Verizon would sponsor better coverage instead of a dinosaur."

He smiled at the giggle from the other end until Jackie asked a serious question, and he answered, "Elise is pretty messed up, but she's holding up. Have you guys found Sobek yet?"

Lowery grimaced at the answer as he glanced at the ceiling and sighed, "I'm sure he's wondering why Elise suddenly disappeared. Hopefully she'll be back on the next boat with us. Claire is pretty much ready to hand things back to the normal Control here. I'll be back in my own chair by tomorrow."

The tech-geek raised his brows at the question as he turned his chair back to the screen while replying, "Fuego? Ah, he's not too bad right now. A lot like Blue, but he's just- _opening the door!"_

Lowery yelped when the raptor pushed _exactly_ four buttons on the passcode box before waiting until the double-beep taunted him for being wrong, but Fuego didn't seem put off by it.

The man completely forgot about his girlfriend on the phone as he watched, wide eyed, when the Velociraptor went back to pressing the buttons. It was terrifying to watch, and he immediately picked up his radio to squeak, _"Owen! Owen! Fuego is messing with the door! What do I do?!"_

Lowery froze when he didn't get a response, and he tried calling the man's name again only to get silence. He didn't know what to do, and the man gave a quick bye to his very concerned girlfriend before punching in the speaker code.

Calm voice, he had to be calm, _but stern_.

* * *

Fuego! _No!"_

The raptor turned around at the voice with as much authority as a wet leaf, and he made a chirp of confusion. Weak food didn't normally try to grab his attention, and the raptor tilted his head when the speaker attempted to be stern, "Um…good boy."

Fuego blinked at the praise before making another chirp of confusion. Wet leaves weren't normally on his side, but the raptor was content to ignore it as he went back to the tricky door.

" _Fuego…"_

The Velociraptor only flicked his tail at the voice because it didn't register as a threat to him nor was it worth investigating. As far as he was concerned, Wet Leaf was background noise; it actually calmed the raptor a little more because he technically wasn't alone.

"…Please?"

Fuego garbled in response before glancing back in confusion when the upbeat symphony of stringed instruments sang their welcoming of new life through the speakers. The Velociraptor blinked as short notes from violins reminded him of birds chirping, and he huffed while going back to the door.

Vivaldi's _Spring_ could take a hike, and the raptor growled when the double-beep taunted him for being wrong. The violins' constant screeching didn't sound right to the raptor, and he made a loud bark for silence; he refused to budge from this box.

Another double-beep later, and the irritating noise finally quieted.

Fuego flicked his tail in thought before leaping up with a startled shriek at the booming entrance of _Eine Kleine Nachtmusik._ The loud stringed instruments hurt his ears, and he despised how they would go promisingly silent before another _boom!_

He was growing antsy as if hearing panicked shrieks to run, and his stomach churned in warning against the too fast music giving an overwhelming need to flee. It was an anxious, heavy feeling that weighed him down; Fuego actually felt like he was about to be cornered by Proud One. He was too slow with all this _weight_.

He couldn't run on such a full stomach, and Fuego made a low moan as his body reacted accordingly. He couldn't run even if there technically wasn't any danger to run from.

* * *

" _Oh my God!"_

Lowery startled back in his chair as he smacked the radio off and exclaimed, _"Mozart makes raptors puke!"_

He grimaced at the splat of red meat spewing in chunks on the floor, and Fuego made another, garbled sound as his stomach forced itself empty. The tech-geek sailed far beyond horrified on the Shocked Spectrum, but he couldn't help but to wonder how good old Wolfgang A. Mozart would take this very negative reaction to one of his most famous pieces.

Fuego actually threw up, and Lowery wasn't sure if he needed to cry or laugh. Owen wasn't responding to his radio, and the tech-geek swallowed before quietly murmuring a sincere apology over the speakers.

At this point, Lowery wasn't sure if he was apologizing to Mozart or Fuego, and the man bit his lip at the snarled curses that he understood without needing to know the language.

Lowery didn't think it was a good idea to randomly try new stations, but he knew which channel played what. Fuego just seemed to be getting angrier with the lack of response, but at least the raptor was focused on the camera rather than the passcode box. It was funny, Fuego almost looked scarier than Rexy.

Almost.

The tech-geek ignored the shivers clawing down his spine as he went back to the radio while biting his lip, and he glanced at the raptor again. He had no idea what would appeal to Fuego, but he did recall reading animals and people _usually_ enjoyed music within their vocal range or understanding. Whether it was true or not was about to be tested.

Raptors had a pretty wide vocal range, but that wouldn't mean much if Fuego didn't like what he heard.

Lowery cringed to think of what the next choice to pick. Elise liked classical music, but she almost had that presence about herself. In other words, Lowery wasn't surprised that she like classical music.

What would speak to Fuego?

The raptor clearly didn't appreciate the composers gifted in the ability of creating timeless symphonies. Maybe a singer who sounded just as angry as Fuego looked? Raptors were creatures a violent anger. They sounded mad, they usually looked dangerously annoyed, and they killed with psychopathic gusto.

What genre fit that profile? A singer who could technically be a Velociraptor?

* * *

" _Till I collapse I'm spilling these raps long as you feel 'em!"_

Fuego immediately whirled around at the snarling singer as he shrieked at the ruthless challenge. The raptor had no idea who killed Wet Leaf and took over, but he would _not_ tolerate this rude, aggressive invasion of space. This furious human was just looking for a fight, and Fuego was ready to give it his all.

" _Till the day that I drop you'll never say that I'm not killing them!"_

He flexed his lethal muscles dangerously as attentive eyes focused on the speakers at the very top of the room, and the raptor immediately bolted for the wall before making an impressive leap. Lowery could be heard yelping over the radio, but Fuego misunderstood that to be the singer's battle cries.

He wanted a fight, and he would get it.

* * *

Lowery snapped the radio off again though the bloodthirsty raptor continued to leap at the wall in attempt to get at the speakers; it hadn't been his brightest idea, but at least Fuego was done with the passcode box…

On the other hand, the Velociraptor was now on a mission to slaughter the very angry sounding singer who apparently had his own way of lighting a fire in these dinosaurs.

At least Fuego hadn't vomited, but the man was afraid to try another song. He was even more terrified of having this celebrity visit Jurassic World, and Lowery let out a breath.

"Okay…Mozart makes raptors vomit, and Eminem just makes them _really_ mad…"

* * *

" _Mira esta."_

Elise tilted her head when Carlos pointed to his shiny clamp hand before continuing, "Proof of my dedication to justice for the people! I would not have hesitated to prosecute you. This is why you do not frighten me."

The Indominus made a soft rumble because she didn't understand how his missing hand was proof of his fearlessness around her. She had asked a simple question of why he wasn't afraid of her, and now she was confused. The Cuban was probably the loudest human she had ever heard and twice as stubborn as Blue in a bad mood.

She wouldn't let him in the warehouse, and that made him mad. Elise really didn't care, and that made the man even madder which was a little funny to her. Now he was chewing his cigar like a miffed cow chewing her cud as he raised a brow expectantly for a retort.

Elise glanced at Knight standing behind the man before signing, and the judge said, "She doesn't understand the example, Mr-"

" _Blanca Grande!"_

Elise didn't fail to notice how his booming voice had scared away all wildlife, and she sincerely feared Tacet's reaction to this man. He simply wasn't quiet. Maybe he was going deaf.

Grant sighed as he glanced down the street for Owen, and Carlos waved his prosthetic in an almost offended manner, "This hand is a symbol of hope for my people! Chopped off in the back of a filthy van!"

Claire went wide eyed as she immediately questioned Knight's judgment of good lawyers, and the man continued, "Ten years ago, I prosecuted a _Capo_ for bringing filth corruption to my homeland. I was the key prosecutor to the case, and his men kidnapped me in the middle of my sister's wedding. I was shoved into a van with no windows and surrounded by six men armed to the teeth! Literally chewing bullets like I chew this cigar!"

Elise blinked in shock, and Carlos grew all the more animated in his movement as he continued, "They warned me not to prosecute their boss or they'd kill me. If I did not flee my country, they would go after _mi familia._ "

Carlos held his cigar in his hand while the steel clamp waved, "But, they did not bring me just to talk. They wanted to make an example of me, of the law they held no respect for! They tied my arm onto a cinder block before pulling out a bone cleaver."

Claire put a hand to her forehead in horror when Elise's gaze attentively followed the chopping motion of his right hand, and Carlos continued, "One swing, and my hand rolled onto the ground before they threw it to the fat dog in the front seat! It was eaten faster than you can swallow a man."

Grant raised his brows at the tasteless jab, but Carlos continued, "They were not done with me. They took my clothes and dumped me in the middle of the market square at noon. The whole town was there, and I stood in the middle with nothing but my _calzones_ and a sock around my bleeding wrist. It was humiliating."

Elise made a soft sound at the deep growl though Carlos proudly finished, _"Querer es poder._ I never feared them. The next day, I prosecuted that bastard with a ruthless vengeance, and he went to jail. _I_ made an example of _him_ and the scum he led."

He paused to tap the shiny steel before saying, "I am not a lesser man for having less limbs. You agree, _Blanca Grande?_ It is not the hand that makes the man, but the love for his country. _That_ is why I am here to make sure they are safe from your sister. I _love_ Cuba, I _love_ Costa Rica, and I _love_ my people. Bravery is always found in love and passion. _That_ is why I am not afraid of you."

Claire buried her face into her hands at the impressionable Indominus, and Elise made a low croon of amazement. The story was something she could truly call wild start to finish, and it put the _Ugly Duckling_ to shame.

She had no idea if the story was true or something made up to impress her, but she was impressed. It had action, bad guys, a hero, admiral bravery, and _a missing limb as proof!_

What if it was true? She couldn't smell a lie, but Elise wasn't close enough to really smell the difference. It could be true…and the Indominus nodded her head. She could at least agree that Carlos wasn't a lesser man for missing a limb.

He needed to teach Disney how to tell an exciting story. What song could they possibly write about that animation?

The Cuban beamed as he popped the chewed cigar back into his mouth, and Owen quietly limped over to Dr. Grant in the back of the group before inconspicuously taking his radio back. Elise flickered her gaze to him and immediately chittered how he had just missed one of the greatest stories in the world! _He was so slow_ , and there was no way she'd be able to tell the story as impressively as Carlos!

She wanted Owen to hear this story too…it had actually cheered her up with its exciting action and morals… She wanted Owen to be cheered up by a great story! Carlos had to tell it to Owen, but her human only glanced up as he said, "I know, Baby, I'm sorry for taking so long."

The Indominus huffed at his misunderstanding, but the Cuban growled, "About damned time. Can we please get a move on?"

Owen nodded and crossed his arms while replying, "I know we want to treat Tacet like Elise, but she's not Elise. We'll have to do this a little differently."

Carlos opened his mouth, but Owen continued, "Claire and I will go in first since she already knows us, and we'll explain the situation to her. I only want people in there when they are absolutely needed."

Knight frowned slightly, but it was conceited Dubois who dryly said, "We wouldn't even be on this island if we weren't absolutely needed, Mr. Grady. We're not here to gawk and admire."

Owen wasn't fazed by the derogative tone, and he easily retorted, "Every person who sticks a toe into her territory will be trespassing, and I get the feeling Bridges was usually the only one with her. How do you think she'll feel with _eight_ strangers suddenly in there?"

Dubois cocked his brow, and Owen continued, "Only Claire and I are needed to explain to Tacet, and you two aren't needed when she opens the ball with Dr. Grant. After that, if she can handle it, then you two can go in when Dr. Grant leaves. Get it? As few people as possible at all times."

Owen expected the psychologists to protest, but Carlos growled, "Owen has a point; we can't be stupid around Tacet. She's a large animal that I don't want to anger."

Owen could have fallen over at the cooperation, but he did startle at the heavy pat on his shoulder when the Cuban continued, "I agree with the plan, enough talk, and let's put it into action. Don't talk her ear off, Owen."

Carlos gave a gentle nudge that would be considered an outright shove by normal men, and Owen stumbled towards the warehouse door before Claire tugged him along. Elise couldn't stop a light laugh at the miffed expression, and Carlos loudly said, "He runs with three hundred pound animals, a push from me shouldn't even move him. Is he swept off his feet often, _Blanca Grande?"_

' _When Claire smiles.'_

Owen shook his head at the loud laughter after Knight translated, and Claire gently said, "He's just giving you crap, Owen. He was doing the same thing with Elise while you were gone."

"And she didn't eat him?"

The Indominus' loud laughter soon joined Carlos' roar, and Owen lowered his brows at the obvious answer. Claire couldn't stop her small smile before turning serious when they paused at the solid paddock doors. Owen could still see the drag marks from Tacet's feet, and he wondered if Bridges had built the paddock in the warehouse before or after Tacet snapped. Would the man have treated her kindly had she kept her sanity?

Had he treated her well from the start or was Lonicera doomed to become this?

"So, how do we want to do this?"

Owen took a deep breath to think before answering, "We keep it short and simple. I'll have Tacet draw a line, and we'll make sure the others heed that line."

"That easy?"

Owen nodded, and Claire asked, "Do we want to maybe rehearse…?"

"Nope."

He pressed his lips at the dry look and said, "Claire, I don't think Tacet will be as cooperative as Elise. We'll have to improvise in there."

The redhead put her hands on her hips when she retorted, "Owen, I go into every meeting ready to improvise everything, but I still go in there with I plan I can use just in case it actually does go smoothly."

Owen pressed his lips at the massive door before rubbing the back of his neck as he said, "Well…we go in there, stay calm, and just explain what's going on. We keep it simple and watch Tacet in case she starts to get overwhelmed."

"I think she can handle it if we explain it right."

"That'll depend on whether she even wants to cooperate." Owen gestured to the doors as he continued, "Elise at least trusted us to keep her safe when she didn't understand what was going on. I'm not sure Tacet will do the same."

Claire pressed her lips before saying, "Then we keep it short and simple."

Owen nodded, and she added, "And we make sure she feels safe."

The man nodded again though he couldn't stop his small smile at the redhead entering the code into the security. He liked to think himself a simple man when it came to his taste in women; pretty and smart, but there was something about Claire that was so much more.

Two things would never fail to make Owen's heart skip a beat when it came to Claire. When she shot a gun, and when she acted smart around animals.

"You are so beautiful."

Claire blinked at him as the door's lock slid open, and she gently replied, "Focus, Raptor Dad. We have a long lost child to attend to."

Owen couldn't stop his chuckle while following her in. Maybe this situation would go better if he adopted the same mindset while remaining careful. This was the second day with Tacet, so who was he to suddenly decide she would be a terror for the rest of her life?

Tacet was another surprise child. Elise had been a surprise. The difference was Tacet was obviously a little sicker, but that could be helped.

The Indomitus could be helped.

Despite the positive thought, Owen couldn't help his grimace at the dribbled blood coloring the wood shaving bed in the dark. Why wasn't the ceiling open to let in some light? He still couldn't understand how Tacet kept any form of sanity in this very barren room, but there was something off about how the large Indomitus simply blended into the background.

Elise, despite her ability to hide, had easily stuck out like a sore thumb against the thick, overgrown jungle when she wasn't camouflaging. There had always been something about Elise's presence in her old paddock even when Owen thought she escaped.

Elise's paddock had felt suffocating, disturbed, and muggy with anger.

This wasn't like Elise. Tacet's paddock was silent, the air was cool, and everything was almost muffled.

Tacet had a very little presence about herself. If she resented living here, she didn't act like it.

The man startled when Claire gently nudged him to do something, but he softly said, "You're the one who talked to her this morning. I'll still talk, but it might be better if you wake up Tacet."

Claire licked her lips like she didn't want to, but the woman gently called out, "Tacet, Honey. Are you awake?"

Owen had no idea how Tacet would hear that when he hardly could, but the Indomitus lifted her head like Claire had yelled her name. The garnet eyes were startled, and Owen internally grimaced when they hardened at the sight of them.

He couldn't tell if it was because they woke her up or if she just wasn't happy.

Regardless, Claire didn't falter as she asked, "Honey, would you please come over here so we can talk to you?"

Owen raised his brows at the panic flashing across the blooded eyes before Tacet seemed to tuck her arm close to her chest as she stood, and he gave a nod to himself. Even if she didn't act like a raptor, she knew when to hide evidence of doing something bad.

So she did know it was wrong to bite herself; Owen would be sure to tell the two suits out there.

Still, the Indomitus lumbered in a slow, ungraceful way that Owen could never picture a healthy animal walking. Each step almost looked like the one where Tacet would stumble over herself, and Owen couldn't help but to think of a topsy turvy cake that always looked ready to fall over.

But the cake was an illusion with support to keep itself steady; Owen had no idea what was keeping Tacet from collapsing in on herself.

The Indomitus suddenly halted at a line he couldn't see; invisible to everyone but her. Kudos to Bridges for accomplishing that much, but Owen couldn't stop himself from nodding at the cradled arm as he gently asked, "Is your arm okay, Tacet?"

Owen had expected Tacet to look away in shame like Elise had this morning, but she didn't. The Indomitus evenly met his gaze with an unreadable expression before tucking her arm closer to her chest as if to say ' _Mind your own business. You see nothing'_.

"Can I look at your arm to make sure it's fine, Tacet?"

The Indomitus didn't seem too thrilled with that idea, and Owen tried, "You're not in trouble, Tacet. I just want to make sure your arm is going to be fine. Please?"

Tacet still didn't move, and Claire clasped her hands as she said, "It's okay, Tacet. Owen won't touch your arm, but he's good about looking at bites."

Owen silently nodded to himself when the silvered arm was reluctantly lowered, and he walked over while pulling out the small flashlight that came with the ACU uniform. It was becoming obvious that Tacet was already deciding that she would be listening to Claire sooner than him.

That put more responsibility on the redhead's shoulders. It wouldn't matter if Owen became Tacet's sole caregiver because she was making Claire something of an Alpha to follow.

Owen could maybe be seen as a Beta at best, but the man remained quiet and quick as he flashed the light over the swelling wounds. Why she bit herself was beyond him, and Owen was too afraid to actually confront her on this.

Still the man couldn't stop himself from asking, "Tacet, can you feel your arm?"

The Indomitus blinked before touching her injured arm, and Owen grew confused at the gesture. He didn't understand, but Claire asked, "Tacet, does it hurt when you're touching your arm right now?"

Tacet had taken the question literally, and she made a soft rasp of frustration at not answering right the first time. She resisted the urge to glare at the nosey man, but she nodded.

It did hurt having her arm poked. Did it hurt a lot? No, it had numbed down.

Owen nodded as he shut the flashlight off before saying, "Well, the bleeding is already stopping, but it'll need some stitches. Good news is you didn't bite anything major."

"Are you sure?"

The man didn't feel safe enough breaking eye contact with the enormous carnivore as he walked backwards to Claire and replied, "Yeah, it looks like the time Blue got ahold of my arm. She didn't mean to, but I was dumb enough to let some Oreo ice cream get on my arm. A quick snap with a little shake."

Claire furrowed her brows at the confused look on Tacet's face, and she cleared her throat before saying, "Tacet, we'll get some help for your arm, but there are a few people here who want to talk to you. They're good people, they'll speak quietly, and they will ask questions you can answer so you don't get frustrated."

Tacet let out a very soft breath, and Owen swore she literally deflated. The Indomitus actually grew smaller as the panicked look filled her eyes, and he quietly said, "Tacet, if you want, we can bring in Elise to translate."

Owen wasn't surprised with the confused look, and he tried, "She looks like you, Tacet. You might call her 'White One'? You met last night."

The great thing about dinosaurs and their names was the lack of diversity when it came to Elise. She was a bright, white color, and what else could perfectly describe her besides 'White One'?

Tacet blinked a few times; she didn't know what to say back to this human, and she was getting nervous with the look he was giving her. What was she supposed to do? Maybe he'd go away if she stared long enough…

"Tacet. Do you know a white dinos-"

Tacet gave a sharp nod of her head. Yes, she knew White One. There was nothing in this grey room that made her feel stupider than these simple questions. The worst part was Tacet remembered being asked about the white dinosaur today.

She knew White One, she didn't like her, but she paid for attacking her. She bit herself like she had bitten the white dinosaur because it made the bad feeling go away. When in doubt slash it out.

Owen licked his lips before saying, "Well, her name is actually Elise. It's what we know her as."

Tacet didn't care about the silly sounding name though she attempted to make a mental note of it, but Owen continued, "I know you can talk to Elise, and she can talk to us. She knows Sign Language and can translate your answers to us."

The Indomitus froze, and Owen was almost afraid of that look as he finished, "So…anything you can tell Elise, she can tell us. Do you understand that?"

It took every fiber of his being not to take a step back in fear. Owen was terrified of setting the Indomitus off, but she just seemed…frozen. Had he said something? Or had her brain decided now was a great time for another fit of violent rage?

Tacet was simply stunned. White On-Elise had actually learned the odd movements of the hands? She understood that? Elise could communicate with humans?

The only thing the Indomitus could do was flicker her gaze to the dull handle on the door behind the humans. If Elise could talk to humans, but she couldn't…did that mean she really was broken beyond repair?

Every day she told herself she wasn't, but…

Tacet recalled Bad Smell replacing the old handle on that door. It hadn't worked right so it was deemed useless. Now the door worked. Elise could talk to humans, but Tacet couldn't, and her nonexistent self-confidence silently disintegrated to dust with this harsh blow. How could she argue against something so black and white?

On the surface, Tacet was blank, but she was actually crumbling.

 _Why wasn't she good enough?_ That was the only question Tacet allowed herself to ask. _Why_ wasn't she good enough to do anything besides mess up?

The bitter bile burning her throat was disgusting, and she felt the need to give a light slash on her arm. Just a little one this time; thin and short, but stern. Tacet just knew her mind was going to focus on this and slashing her scales would stop it from starting…

Hopefully. Having strangers in her home was overwhelming.

But Tacet wouldn't hurt herself with an audience present, and she silently struggled against the cold, suffocating blues.

Elise wasn't broken. Functioning. Intelligent. Social. Her memory probably flowed like gentle lines. Was the brighter scaled dinosaur here to replace her? Where did broken things go? Was that why humans were suddenly here to talk to her? To put her with broken things? Was this the real reason why Bad Smell had abandoned her?

So many questions…Tacet didn't like those…her head was aching…her tummy hurt…

Not only had she broken Bad Smell's only rule, but he probably met Elise. She was better. He'd leave her for Elise…he would leave her…Tacet never felt love for the human even if she had wanted to make him proud. He left her because she was stupid and broken.

None of this would have happened if Elise hadn't shown up. Everything had been fine until she appeared. Tacet missed her rosy, consistent life of existing with as little purpose and expectations as possible.

Now the humans wanted confusing things from her, and Tacet resented Elise for it.

"Tacet, do you want Elise in here to help translate?"

Never had the Indomitus remembered how to shake her head so easily. _No._ No, she most certainly did not want that nosey stranger to barge into her own home and rub her superiority in her face.

Now the bitter confusion gave way to indignant anger, and she curled her lip as she took a step back. Elise was not allowed in here.

Owen pressed his lips before saying, "Tacet, it's okay if you don't want her, alright? We just want to make this as easy as possible."

Tacet interpreted that as making whatever _this_ was less difficult. She would have normally liked that, but there was something so humiliating about that fact that she knew Elise wouldn't have needed _this_ to be made easier.

It was embarrassing. She felt like the humans were just here to mock her before tossing her with the broken things.

Owen risked a glance back at Claire when the Indomitus made a poor growl, and the redhead quietly said, "Tacet, we're going to bring in a man named Dr. Grant who is going to give you a quick test."

She pressed her lips at the sudden terror in Tacet's eyes and comfortingly said, "It doesn't matter how long you take to complete the test, there's no pressure."

What Claire really wanted to say was how simple the test was, how easy it would be to complete, but a little red flag in her mind warned against using those words around Tacet. What if the test wasn't easy for Tacet?

That would crush the Indomitus, and Claire didn't want that.

"And, there's going to be three other people with him, but they aren't going to talk. You can ignore them."

Tacet nervously flickered her gaze to the silent camera in the corner of the room, but Owen said, "You don't need to answer questions for this test, Tacet."

Claire lightly nudged Owen as she added, "I'll go get Dr. Grant and the others."

The Indomitus gave no indication of caring or hearing, but Owen waited for Claire to leave before he said, "Tacet, I want you to draw a line in the dirt. Wherever that line is, we can't step over it. I need you to establish your space."

The silver dinosaur blinked at him and glanced to the ground; she didn't like having this much authority out of nowhere. Now _she_ had to tell humans what to do? Where to stand? Why couldn't they think for themselves? Unless this was some cruel way to really poke fun at her. Bad Smell never gave her that authority, and despite her lack of contact with the outside world, Tacet understood cruelties.

She heard plenty outside these walls. She knew what mocking was; she had been mocked before. Not by Bad Smell, but she had been mocked by strangers cleaning her home. Bad Smell took them to someone named Iudex for being mean, they never came back, but Tacet always remembered those words.

Cruel is what this was, but she refused to lie down and be kicked.

Owen patiently waited, and Tacet blinked at the invisible line she had heeded every day of her life whenever Bad Smell came in. It had been established when she grew taller than her blonde human.

It was the Safe Zone; she wasn't giving territory to humans, but this was where they stood so she didn't hurt them. Simple. Easy. Smart. The Indomitus had no other place to draw a line.

Owen nodded when the line was drawn clean and straight, and he said, "I'll make sure people don't step over it. And, Tacet?"

The blooded eyes blinked blankly at him, and Owen resisted the urge to cross his arms as he added, "If you start to get overwhelmed with what's going on, I want you to tell me."

Tacet allowed her head to loll sideways at this never ending conversation, and Owen added, "I'll make sure you get a break to calm down. I'll stand over there the entire time, Tacet. Does that sound fine to you?"

The Indomitus blinked, but she appreciated his offer as best she could. This man said too much, but at least he ended with something useful.

That made _this_ less stressful, and she gave a single nod.

Owen smiled before the door opened, and a silver ball rolled in. Tacet seemed bewildered by the sight of Carlos strolling in fearlessly with Knight and Graves behind Grant, but Owen was proud of how she seemed to hold it together.

Despite that Tacet overwhelmed easily, she did try to process the situation as best she could.

The Indomitus tried not to flinch at the growling voice before staring in confusion at the white bone gently waving at her.

"Alright, Tacet. My name is Dr. Grant, and I want you to try and get this bone from this ball."

* * *

"So…I can tell you a joke about a pencil…"

Lowery pressed his lips at the furious snarl as Fuego made another, impressive leap at the speakers, and he muttered, "but, there isn't a point."

The tech-geek would have giggled at his own joke if the Velociraptor wasn't already headed back for the door, and he sighed as he tried another station only to have Fuego immediately reject the song.

Fuego deemed Def Leppard to be a tone deaf singer.

Lowery felt absolutely terrible for basically provoking this animal, and he was pretty sure he could legally be fired for pulling this kind of thing. He was teasing Fuego even if he didn't want to, and both parties were growing frustrated.

Lowery had other things to focus on, and Fuego just didn't need to be agitated. He was already a high strung animal who wasn't very forgiving, and the man wiped his face.

One more song; then he'd have to do an emergency lock on the paddock doors. It would take _forever_ to unlock again, but it was better than a raptor surprising people.

The man cringed as he flipped to the next station, and Fuego immediately turned around just because this was the little pattern they had established. He'd shriek at Wet Leaf and his annoying pack to shut up and then take seven steps back to the door.

Fuego didn't know it was seven steps, he had simply memorized the right distance.

The raptor huffed as he marched back before cocking his head at the very upbeat and pleasant voice. It was just fast enough for him, and Fuego rather liked that husky call that almost sounded like a long, low cry to go hunt.

" _Oh, you know I am on tonight, and my hips don't lie!"_

Fuego couldn't stop himself from tossing his own head back to mimic the throaty cry just because it brought back happy feelings. Whoever killed Wet Leaf this time was welcomed to stay as long as she kept talking.

The raptor didn't understand the words nor did he care about the male that would interrupt this female with the soothing voice, but he did enjoy giving a little bounce with his own cry to hunt every time she sang a long note. This made him happy, and he practically forgot about the doors.

The song ended all too soon for the raptor, and he immediately snapped his gaze to the speakers.

Fuego only curled his lip when Lowery made quiet, shaky promises to find another song by the same singer.

Fuego didn't want to hear timid Wet Leaf! He wanted to hear the confident female with the long cry!

* * *

Well…that's one way to do it."

Owen raised a brow at the split ball as Tacet nervously waited for the verdict. She was scared of being mocked, but Grant adjusted his hat when he glanced up at her, "May I have my steel ball back?"

He nodded when it was immediately pushed back over the line before frowning at the rubber bone still in it.

"Tacet, you can keep that bone. It's yours. You earned it."

Tacet flicked her tail as she stared at the rubber bone. It was hers? She never had anything like that before. It didn't look edible, and Bad Smell never let her keep anything.

Not that she wanted anything. She simply didn't know what to do with any of the 'toys' she had been given.

But, she had earned this one…Tacet felt a little good about herself for actually doing this test correctly enough to _earn_ the toy. Did this feel better than helping Lowery? Tacet wasn't sure…she felt warm in helping the little box, but earning a toy…

…Tacet liked Lowery a little more since he didn't invade her space with confusing questions and sudden tests.

"Here you go, Tacet."

Regardless, the Indomitus took the rubber toy before giving it a critical inspection of what was now hers. She had something to call her own; a little possession all her own.

What was she supposed to do with it?

Owen almost snorted when it seemed like she had absolutely no desire to chew said bone, and he turned back when Grant eyed his broken steel while saying, "Yeah, she didn't open it the same way, but she tried to do it the way I did."

"The ball is a little small."

The paleontologist nodded his agreement, "Had I known I was going to do another test, I would have had the guys at Construction make it bigger. I didn't even know I was coming here until Judge Knight landed on the island."

The paleontologist turned to Knight and the lawyers as he finished, "Tacet didn't open the ball like Elise, but she was copying me."

Carlos lowered his brows before quietly growling, "The raptors copied you after 'a couple times'. Maybe she's just a good copier."

Graves held a finger up as he said, "I'm going to object to that, your Honor. Humans learn differently, and Tacet may very well be a visual learner."

Knight opened her mouth, but Carlos retorted, "Then why can't she learn Sign if Mr. Bridges has been trying to teach it to her every day?"

Graves easily shrugged, "I've been trying to learn Sign ever since I met Miss Elise nearly two months ago, but I've yet to do even the alphabet without looking at it. I learn visually."

"Objection on the grounds of a convenient lie about _also_ being a terrible visual learner just to prove they exist."

Owen frowned at the way Tacet attentively listened to the conversation. At a quick glance, she looked interested in her bone while oblivious to everything else, but there was something about how she slowly turned it over.

She watched people, and she used her teeny tiny, forgettable presence to her advantage. Whether she was actively aware of her own sneaky methods or not was something Owen was incredibly curious about, and Knight took a deep breath before saying, "Gentlemen, enough. Dr. Grant, do you have other evidence of Tacet's thought process?

Grant tried hard not to lower his brows as he answered, "The raptors never gave me back the ball without a fight. Tacet handed it over like any other person. She doesn't think like a raptor."

"That doesn't mean she thinks like a human." Owen internally winced when Carlos continued, "She could think like a Spinosaurus for all I know. I am concerned she's not like Elise."

Owen carefully watched how Tacet slowly stiffened, and Knight raised her brows expectantly as she asked, "Dr. Grant, do you have solid reason for the variation in the results?"

Grant had solid reason to get snippy with Carlos, but he calmly answered, "Humans _are variable_. I can give each of us the same wrapped candy, and I promise someone in the group will open it differently. I'll tear off the top, Owen could pull it apart, and Claire might even split it down the middle. There is more than one way to climb the tree, but we get it done."

The paleontologist pointed to the ball as he continued, "This ball is difficult to work with. If you want a more solid answer, I'll build a bigger one. Point is, she knew where it was supposed to open, and she gave both items back. Raptors, or even most animals, always fight for what's theirs."

Judge Knight nodded as she flickered her gaze to the very quiet animal, and Carlos started, "Your Honor, I object to that statement on the grounds of being argumentative. The test was to prove if Tacet thought like a human, and she failed. She forced the ball open like a raptor would. Dr. Grant _specifically_ said raptors forced their way through puzzles if they could."

The Indomitus briefly glanced to them, but Graves immediately cut in, "I'm going to object to that objection, Your Honor."

Knight raised a brow at him, and Graves continued, "Dr. Grant designed this puzzle to test the thought process of Velociraptors _not_ Indominus or Indomitus competency. When it was used with the Jurassic World vs InGen custody case, it was done so on the grounds of whether Elise thought like a Velociraptor or not. When she proved she didn't, she was permitted to further establish her own proof of being human. Tacet has proven that she doesn't think like a Velociraptor by handing the items back to Dr. Grant."

Carlos held the chewed cigar in his hand when he retorted, "But she proved she does think like one by forcing that ball open."

"Exactly," Graves gestured to the very quiet giant as he continued, "I feel this test has resulted in inconclusive results, and therefore I will be making a motion to suppress this entire test on the grounds of relevance."

Knight glanced at Carlos, and the Cuban growled, "This is relevant because we used it to test Elise when she had to prove her competency only two months ago."

Owen raised his brows at the continued arguing; he now understood why jury duty was hated. It was one big debate, and Graves easily continued, "There is no official standardized testing for Indominus or Indomitus competence, and we are not testing Elise in this case. We are testing Tacet and only Tacet. This test has proven nothing of value for this case and is, therefore, irrelevant."

Knight held up her hand when Carlos opened his mouth, and she quietly said, "I will decide if this test is relevant or not when I get the written motion. For now, this test stays. As far as I'm concerned, this test has not moved my impression of Tacet in either direction since she may very well be a different thinker as Dr. Grant has stated."

Owen risked a glance at Tacet, and he winced. There was something that just hurt in realizing Tacet was aware of herself and others right now. Competence was the argument here, but her awareness was crystal clear.

She had no friends, no family, no support, and Owen pitied her.

The man gently snapped his fingers while the lawyers argued, and Tacet blinked as he limped over to the line. The Indomitus carefully watched to make sure he didn't trespass, but Owen quietly said, "Tacet, these people are arguing for the sake of arguing. You did that puzzle just fine."

The Indomitus let out a soft breath as she blinked at him without giving a response, and Owen was tempted to say more even if he didn't know what. What could he say to her without compromising anything?

"It'll be fine, Tacet."

The Indomitus briefly flickered her gaze to the white bone in her hands before startling when Knight suddenly said, "Mr. Grady, it may be best to bring in Dr. Dubois and Dr. Lín right now. Even if this test didn't give the results we were hoping for, I want to see how Tacet can answer for herself."

Owen immediately felt that nervous gaze burning into his skin, and he quietly said, "Tacet is limited to yes or no questions, Judge."

"Not without Miss Elise to translate."

Owen opened his mouth to remind Knight of Tacet's apparent immunity to Elise's charms, but Carlos huffed, "Objection. I want Tacet to answer for herself."

Graves raised his brows, and Knight dangerously asked, "You want Tacet, with no way of communicating with us, to answer complex questions through yes or no answers? You really wish to deny her a voice, Mr. Fernández?"

It was a loaded question, but Carlos glanced at Tacet as he fearlessly answered, "I feel Elise will be biased since this is her sister. And, she has a talent for unintentionally adding intelligence to animals who clearly don't think like humans. I want to use Sobek as an example. Owen and Elise asked _an animal_ of the layout of this island, and they got a solid answer."

Owen couldn't help crossing his arms as he asked, "Your point?"

The Cuban easily shrugged, "Is Elise translating for a human who simply doesn't yet know Sign, or an intelligent animal? Sobek isn't human, neither is Rexy, or your raptors, but they've all had their words translated by Elise. Or has Dr. Grant wrongly informed me?"

Owen immediately answered, "The first difference is Tacet understands us. When I asked Sobek questions, Elise had to translate it. He doesn't understand me, and even the raptors don't understand the language except for words and commands they've been taught."

"Fine." Carlos took a few steps towards Tacet before growling, "Do you understand the words I am saying or are you trained to answer questions?"

Owen mentally kissed the Cuban goodbye when Tacet narrowed her eyes, but Knight clasped her hands as she said, "Tacet, I wish to bring Miss Elise in to translate your answers. It's not your fault that you haven't learned to communicate with us just yet, and this will make this process smoother for everyone."

The Indomitus flicked her tail as she glanced to Owen, and he tried, "If we bring in Elise to translate your answers, this'll be done faster. Conversation will get done sooner, and Elise won't step over the line. So, do you want Elise to come in to translate?"

Tacet glanced to the line below her. Maybe this conversation was a little more than she could handle on her own. These humans loudly bickered, and that fat red one was already mocking her for not being able to speak.

Cruel human…what happened if she bit him? He hurt her with his words…she was now technically in the right to bite him, but did these humans abide by Bad Smell's rules? Would they understand?

Or, did they not care what her reasons were?

Elise could make this go by faster? At least she could mostly understand the snowy dinosaur, and Elise wasn't here to tease her. Tacet would set aside her irritation if it meant getting rid of the noisy humans, and she would even reward the snowy dinosaur's success with a little more tolerance.

But there was no way she'd allow Elise in here.

Owen startled when the Indomitus suddenly leaned over him to draw a line as close as possible to the big doors, and he internally cringed after she went over the line again to make it twice as deep.

Elise was not allowed in here, but Knight cleared her throat before saying, "Mr. Grady, if you'd please go get Miss Elise and have Miss Dearing open the doors."

This is the part of the conversation where Owen would draw his own line; this was far too small a space to squish two big carnivores into, but Tacet didn't seem bothered. She was already back to admiring her squeaky bone without a care in the world as if that deep trench really was all she needed to tolerate Elise.

Owen highly doubted it.

Grant had begun to tug his silver ball towards the small door but paused to say, "Judge Knight, if it'll help, I'd suggest getting ahold of Tacet's dental records if she has any. Elise has molars in the back of her mouth even if she's not using them. Maybe Tacet has molars as well."

Knight nodded her head as Owen followed the paleontologist out, and Tacet froze when she realized she was alone with odd strangers.

She didn't like that, and the Indomitus pretended they weren't here.

* * *

"Tacet is ready for you two."

The two psychologists glanced up from their conversation as Owen added, "She wants Elise to help translate."

Elise immediately felt a warmth blossom in her chest, and Claire patted her cheek as she said, "Be patient, Elise. Tacet isn't used to having so many people around her."

The Indominus made a low sound when Claire walked over to open the large doors, and Owen said, "Elise, Tacet drew a line right at the door…you know what lines mean."

Elise stood before nodding; this was Tacet's little space, and Elise could understand that her older sister didn't want a stranger invading it.

If it had been her, Elise knew she wouldn't have been comfortable with suddenly having something like Tacet in her old paddock; even if they shared blood. Elise still remembered how furious she had been in having _three, little_ humans in her old home.

Besides, Tacet wanted her help, and that made Elise feel good. It felt like she had a sister again; she was always helping Small One with just about everything, but Elise never minded.

The Indominus focused on Claire's back with a small wave of content warmth washing over her before Owen suddenly grabbed her attention by pointing at his eyes.

' _Look at me.'_

Elise gave an upward nod of her head, and the man gestured to the inside of the paddock before holding his hands out like he was measuring a Subway sandwich and sweeping it to the side with both hands. Elise had no other was to describe it after Lowery had gotten the tune stuck in her head, but she knew the meaning.

A plan.

Claire was completely oblivious, working to make sure alarms weren't sounded, as Owen quickly signed the rest before he suddenly realized Dubois was shamelessly staring. Lín hadn't noticed with his attention focused on his phone, but the Frenchman crossed his arms as he raised sharp brows in a silent question. He obviously expected an answer, but Owen didn't feel like cooperating with the snob.

Elise flickered her gaze between the duo until Claire said, "Alright."

The doors slowly opened though Owen couldn't stop himself from quickly placing his index finger on the tip of his nose before making a 'C' motion that ended right under his nose as if protecting it from foul smells.

Elise risked a glance at Dubois who narrowed eyes slightly in response to Owen, and she panicked a little. She thought the man didn't know Sign, and that wasn't something nice to say about someone. Owen didn't seem to care, but this was exactly why she didn't speak ill of anyone right in front of them.

What if Dubois was going to be mean to her sister for that? The Frenchman was already walking inside with Lín, and Elise resisted the urge to nervously knead her claws into the dirt. Teasing Tacet's judge was not being a good sister, and the Indominus was worried.

What would happen if Tacet failed to prove herself? Would she be treated like an animal?

Was Dubois going to be mean now because of Owen? What about Lín? He hadn't seen the rude gesture… Maybe-

A warning bell in her head gave a cheery ding, a little voice cautioning her against potential danger, and Elise glanced up before blinking in confusion.

Tacet looked…very angry, but not angry. It was odd to Elise as she stared at that blank face. Tacet's face held no emotion the Indominus could identify. No lip was curled, claws hung carelessly loose, but her expressionless face was so dark. Murderous? Furious? The silvery nostrils were crinkled shut and it clicked.

Rotten, and Elise blinked again. Her sister looked like she was carrying a rotten, putrid corpse in her mouth, and Elise had no idea why. The Indominus wanted to think that look wasn't reserved for her, and she reminded herself that Tacet had asked for help; her help.

Elise wondered if she ever appeared that sour. She sincerely hoped not.

Either way, Elise supposed the line had been drawn for her own safety, but she still hissed a very polite greeting in hopes of setting a better tone to the conversation.

It didn't as far as Elise could tell; Tacet continued to carry that invisible, rotten carcass in her mouth for no good reason whatsoever.

She only glanced at the line once more to make sure Elise wasn't even close to it, and the snowy dinosaur would admit the awkward feeling emanating from uncomfortable humans was hurtful. They knew there should have been more warmth between two sisters, but Judge Knight said, "Miss Elise, since Tacet hasn't learned Sign, I need you to act as her translator."

The snowy dinosaur nodded, and Carlos opened his mouth before Knight continued, "I expect you to translate Tacet's words _verbatim_ , Miss Elise. I will not take kindly to you fluffing her words like you may or may not do with the raptors."

Owen crossed his arms, and the Indominus blinked before lifting her hands to carefully sign, _'Spinosaurus tongue is simple.'_

Elise briefly glanced at the Indomitus before adding, _'She says less than Sobek.'_

The Indominus lowered her hands after spelling out the Spinosaurus' name, and she resisted the urge to sigh at the psychologists' unhappy looks after Owen finished translating; it wasn't her fault they were even more limited in their questions. Tacet's expression only grew sourer with every word she was forced to watch Elise sign, and the Indominus didn't know what to do with being caught in the middle.

Telling the truth was supposed to be liberating, but this was a sick feeling in her gut.

She was frustrating the humans responsible for helping her sister, but Tacet only seemed to grow all the more aggravated like she was being teased for not knowing Sign. Tacet did say less than Sobek, but that wasn't her fault.

The Indominus just wanted to comfort to her sister, but Elise didn't forget how stiff Knight had been when they first met; the concern about her being trained to answer in a certain way.

Elise did not doubt they would assume anything she said would be to help her sister seem more intelligent, and that hurt Elise. She hurt for her sister being put through this. The Indominus would always remember how indignant she felt when humans thought she wasn't smart enough to speak for herself.

The best course of action was simply nothing. She was a translator and nothing more. If she did her job correctly, then Tacet would prove herself just as human as the ones in the room.

Elise had faith in her older sister. Sobek had easily given the layout of his old home. Tacet could answer for herself.

The Indominus glanced down when Dubois adjusted his round glasses as he quietly said, "Well, now that we've established lines with Miss Elise, I would like everyone else to leave so we can speak with Tacet."

Owen raised his brow, and the psychologist added, "Client confidentiality, Mr. Grady, but…neither Dr. Lín nor I are fluent in Sign Language. Either you or Judge Knight will translate."

Owen only frowned in thought. The man didn't know why they wanted him in the room when Elise was perfectly capable of writing; unless they didn't care about client confidentiality as much as they should. He had no legal authority to sit here, and Owen wasn't sure if even Knight had the right to sit on this session.

Elise was a translator, and she could write. If confidentiality was sincerely a concern, Elise needed to be the only one in the room with Dubois and Lín. Weren't they supposed to ask Tacet if she was fine with people bearing witness to this technically very private matter? Didn't the suits care about that or were they more preoccupied with something else?

Writing was slower than Sign Language…but that wasn't excuse enough to violate her rights. Owen doubted he was a security blanket to these two, not with Elise obviously on their side.

Tacet wasn't going to answer well, he just knew it. This wasn't a fair judgement on her, and he had a feeling these two were here more for the title of being an Indomitus' psychologist; it made him reluctant to leave Tacet alone with them.

How could he put his foot down without receiving Knight's foot up his own rear?

"I feel like it would be safer for all of us if you acted as translator, Mr. Grady. I'm not an expert in dinosaur behavior."

Owen blinked in surprise, and the judge added, "But, I expect the same truthfulness from you like I do Miss Elise. I don't believe I need to make you take an oath of any sort, correct?"

Owen opened his mouth, but Grant leaned against the doorframe as he chimed, "Nah, just threaten to tell his mother. That'll keep him straighter than an arrow."

If it wasn't true, he might have said something, but Knight snorted at his silence. Elise crooned her gentle comforts to Owen that she feared her own mother too, and Knight said, "I'm satisfied with that, Mr. Grady. The rest of us will be waiting outside."

Elise glanced down when Carlos patted her leg with his steel prosthetic while Dubois watched to make sure all the others were out of earshot, and Owen raised a brow. Maybe the psychologist was concerned about confidentiality but wanted the reassurance of a man who understood dinosaur behavior? Owen couldn't say for sure, and he flickered his gaze over when Lín turned to the snowy Indominus, "Miss Elise, I was hoping you could elaborate a little more on how basic Spinosaurus language is."

The Indominus blinked at the man, but she could already feel Tacet's burning gaze. Elise had no idea why her older sister felt angry, and she truthfully signed, _'Simple questions. Simple answers.'_

Dubois glanced to the Indomitus as Owen translated, and Lín softly asked, "And if we feel the need to ask a more complicated question?"

Elise briefly met Tacet's hard, offended gaze; it was a dare to insult her intelligence, and Elise took the easy way out by answering, _'Ask her.'_

The suits flickered their gazes to the very silent Indomitus, and Owen tried to keep the irritation from his tone, "Look, Sobek was able to tell us about his territory. Ask common sense questions, and we'll see what she can say. What she can't say can wait until she learns how to sign or write it. We don't have to do everything today."

Lín didn't seem too happy about that, a man who preferred to have a little more control than right now, though Dubois hardly seemed ruffled as he replied, "Some questions must be answered today, unfortunately."

The Frenchman paused to clear his throat before starting, "Tacet, my name is Dr. Rémy Dubois, and this is Dr. Daniel Lín. We work as clinical psychologists; we help people heal their emotional wounds and or manage emotional problems they struggle with."

Tacet blinked, and Dubois opened his mouth until Lín added, "It's why we're here. We know you're struggling with more than a few things. We can help you overcome those problems so you can live a normal life like the rest of us. You won't have to be stuck in this little room for the rest of your life. We want to give you a chance to be happy with friends, family, and a purpose."

Tacet wasn't happy about that. As a socially anxious creature, alone and silence were her safe haven. She could not care less what these two considered normal because her normal was this little room that had sheltered her from loud sounds all her memorable life.

Now her head was beginning to thud again, but she didn't want to panic just yet. No one was ordering her around. If she didn't respond…maybe they'd get bored and leave her. Bad Smell was easily bored.

They'd leave soon…hopefully. Humans were busy little things, and her home was not entertaining for busy creatures.

Owen raised his brows when the Indomitus made no reply, and Dubois quietly said, "I understand it's overwhelming to have so many people in your personal space, Tacet. We do have your best interest at heart, but right now, we are here to ask you a few questions. We want to make sure everyone on this island is safe, and that includes you. We want you to get all the help you need so you can live a healthy, happy life, do you understand?"

The Indomitus continued to stare at her squeaky bone before pausing to remember what the 'yes' motion was, and she slowly nodding her head. She understood that she wasn't going to be very happy with whatever these two decided to ask her. They talked _so much._ It was hurting her ears already.

She wanted silence, not humans. Being around these humans made her nervous, and she didn't know why. It wasn't even the same nervousness associated with Bad Smell, but Tacet felt as though these humans were going ask about things they didn't need to know about.

What if they wanted to know about the _Very Bad?_

The Indomitus almost shivered; that was completely off limits even to her.

Neither psychologist noticed their newest patient's inner turmoil, and Lín started, "We have a lot that we'd like to get through with you, Tacet, but we'll start off simple and progress into more complex questions as we go along. By the way, how are you feeling today?"

Owen didn't even need a translation at the strong hiss, but Elise still signed, _'Wants to be alone.'_

Dubois flickered a warning gaze to his peer before folding his hands as he said, "We'll keep things short, Tacet, but some questions do need to be answered today."

The Indomitus blankly stared, and Owen made a mental note to kick the both of them the moment they were out. Why did these two professionals step on each other's toes right in front of Tacet like this? Owen could already tell she was confused and anxious.

Was she answering a bunch of hard questions all day or was she going to answer simple questions for a little bit? That was a huge thing for her to mull over. Tacet wanted to know right now, and she found it difficult to focus on anything else.

She wanted to listen to the quieter human since he sounded like he'd be gone sooner, and Dubois nodded at her arm, "What we're mainly concerned about is you hurting yourself on purpose. Are you trying to end your life?"

Tacet could appreciate his simple, blunt questions, but acknowledging the wounds like that was not appreciated. She could feel the suffocating embarrassment squeezing her chest as she tucked her injured arm close to her chest. He was a stranger, he had no right to call her out on her injuries like that; it was an invasion of her own privacy.

But, if she answered his questions, he'd leave. Tacet desperately wanted her room empty again, and she paused to remember the question before shaking her head. It was such an odd movement that she usually associated it with trying to think, not communicating the answer 'no'.

Odd humans. She was in no hurry to fall into death's embrace. In fact, this was the only thing keeping her from killing herself; Tacet couldn't even begin to imagine how terrible life would be if she didn't have this method to control her fragmented mind. It was supposed to care for her body, and hurting herself was the best way to remind her brain of that.

If she let her mind run rampant as it pleased…Tacet couldn't bear living with such an agonizing torture. As much as she despised the setbacks, this worked for her, and she had no intent of changing for fear of her vengeful mind retaliating.

"Do you have a reason for hurting yourself?"

Tacet nodded as she flickered her gaze back to the bone; she had many reasons though regaining control was the main one. That was an easy question, and the anxious binds squeezing her chest loosened ever so slightly.

Dubois paused to ponder before Lín clasped his hands to ask, "Why?"

Tacet wouldn't even be comfortable telling Bad Smell why she hurt herself, and he took care of her. It was a personal subject with contents meant only for her own self, and the rest of the world would have to just mind its own business; it never cared before.

Why should she spill everything for humans who wanted to mock her?

Elise blinked at the simple hiss and signed, _'Don't want to talk about it.'_

Owen raised his brows when Lín blinked, but Dubois calmly replied, "That's perfectly fine, Tacet. We understand."

The silver dinosaur was relieved to feel those gripping binds loosening even more, and she felt brave enough to look at the man. She didn't like eye contact, but the round glasses on his face grabbed her attention. Why wear those? Tacet didn't understand, but she wasn't curious enough to ask. His eyes were a nice brown; those were calm colors, and she preferred it to the dark blue of Bad Smell.

"It's not something you should feel ashamed about either." Tacet flickered her gaze to Dubois' arm when his slender fingers lightly tugged the hem of his sleeve down though the others didn't notice. Bad Smell never did that, and the Frenchman continued, "You'd be amazed at how many people are addicted to self-harm, but it can be helped. You only need to ask, and no one will judge you for it."

Tacet simply flickered her blooded gaze to the walls, and Elise tilted her head. Her older sister sat so…hunched over, almost like she was ashamed of herself. The Indominus didn't understand why Tacet avoided their gazes.

She was different last night. Tacet just seemed timid then, but she felt resentful right now. She didn't want to do this, and Elise wanted to know why she wasn't just chasing them all out. Had this little room crushed her battered spirits? The Indominus hoped her sister knew she wasn't going to be stuck in here forever without even a bug for comfort.

The Indominus started from her thoughts when Lín decided to move on from the closed subject of self-harm, and he started, "I feel it's obvious, but we still have to ask if you want to live among humans. Protocol with Judge Knight and the lawyers. No one would want to live here, but do you want to have a life with humans?"

Owen raised his brows at the lip immediately curling, and Elise signed a simple, _'No.'_

Lín blinked in complete shock; he was at a loss for words as his gaze slowly glanced around the empty room for something of value. Owen wasn't surprised even if he hadn't expected the answer, but Dubois raised a brow, "Humans abide by rules to make sure we don't hurt one another, Tacet. Not everyone follows those rules, but we need to know if _you_ are willing to follow those rules. Are you willing to do that even if you don't want to live among us?"

' _No.'_

Because Tacet had no intent of living among humans; there was no point in learning their rules if she wasn't going to live with them.

Owen cringed, and Dubois patiently replied, "Tacet, it is wrong to kill humans unless in self-defense. It is also wrong to hurt another human mentally or physically. Are you willing to obey that rule? Not hurting or killing humans?"

Tacet glowered at her bone; there was something very degrading with how these two talked to her. They spoke so slow like she was stupid. Tacet would have laughed if she could, she did know they think she was stupid.

It was why they were here. They wanted to mock her lesser intelligence because broken things were worth nothing more than a cheap laugh before being taken away.

It was so obvious in their tone, and it hurt. They articulated their words, kept their tone gentle and they were tip toeing. They didn't speak like Bad Smell who simply spoke softly nor did they talk like Lowery.

Lowery talked to her like she was smart, but these men…

They spoke differently to her than they did with Elise because _Elise_ wasn't broken.

It infuriated her, and the Indomitus flickered her gaze to Owen before deciding she had enough of this. Now was the time to see if he was serious about the power she apparently had in ending an overwhelming conversation. Let these cruel creatures have their fun with some other creature; if she wanted to feel stupid, Tacet could do that just fine by herself.

Elise startled at the quick snap of jaws before the rasping hiss whispered between glistening teeth, and Owen gave a small sigh. It was no surprise to him when Elise signed, _'Go away.'_

Owen crossed his arms after translating, and Dubois gave a small nod of defeat. Owen mentally gifted the man a point for cooperating like that, but Lín was stubborn, "Tacet, humans have also wronged Elise, and we do want to make everything right with the both of you. Miss Elise lives very happily with a large family she's made for herself. She's getting help, and she's very different now thanks to her therapist."

Elise wouldn't speak ill of her therapist, Dr. Roth, but that was giving the blonde woman a little too much credit. Owen deserved most of the mentioning, and Lín continued, "We want to give you opportunities to be as happy as possible, Tacet, but we need to be able to trust you. Before we could help Elise, she had to prove that she wouldn't hurt another human. Are you at least willing to avoiding hurting humans?"

The Indomitus only turned to Owen who said, "Alright, session is over. Out."

Tacet puffed air through her nose, but Lín started, "You are here as Elise's translator-"

"And Tacet's since you don't understand the meaning of 'go away'. Do I have to carry you out, Dr. Lín?"

Owen ignored Dubois eyeing his injured leg, but the other psychologist argued, "I just don't want to deprive Tacet. She needs help, and we can give it. She needs lines."

Owen was not going to be here when Tacet figured out how easily she could sail over a human drawn line, and he nodded at Elise. Lín suddenly wasn't so sure when those crimson eyes turned to him, but Dubois didn't put up a fight as if this wasn't a loss to him.

Owen wasn't sure who irritated him more in all honesty, and he said, "Let's go."

Elise twitched her claws in warning, but Dubois turned back to Tacet as he said, "Thank you for talking to us, Tacet. We sincerely appreciate it, and I'm sorry if you feel we've wasted your time."

Owen would give a fourth of a point to the Frenchman for at least being polite, and Tacet turned her gaze to the side.

Tacet missed having Bad Smell in charge even if he had apparently abandoned her, and she wondered if the kind redhead would come back to fill his place. Although, this human had kept his word…

It would be better to be left alone, but the Indomitus blinked at her bone. Kind One had taken such good care of her, and Tacet gave a sudden hiss that startled the group into pausing. Dubois and Lín hadn't gotten a chance to actually leave the room while Owen furrowed his brows in confusion.

Elise only tilted her head at the attempts to communicate a complex question, but Tacet was determined to get an answer.

Where was her mate who should be here though he wasn't? The one who was supposed to protect her for a little longer…why wasn't he a forever mate?

No…he was food if she saw him again…right? No, a life mate if he brought her a kill…or did she chase him off for coming back? Wait…he could still be a temporary mate…it was still the right time…no, no…yes…

 _No._ She wanted her mate to protect her until it was time to leave, but that time wasn't up. He was still supposed to be here, and that was final. Tacet _knew_ that.

Owen remained cautious when Elise nervously flickered her gaze to him before softly hissing back, and Tacet seemed to grow dark when she repeated herself again. He couldn't help lightly patting his pocket, Plan B, but Lín asked in a hopeful tone, "Miss Elise…?"

The snowy Indominus seemed reluctant though she signed, _'She wants Carnifex.'_

Owen wanted to curl his lip at the spelled out name, but he reminded himself to be gentle in breaking the news, "Tacet, Carnifex…the dinosaur you spent a lot of yesterday with, he ran away after last night's fight. He's…not here, and he's not coming back."

Owen immediately felt bad when the blooded eyes slowly turned dull and dark with sadness. The large carnivore seemed to grow small as she held her bone for a bit of comfort. Poor kid dealing with her first heartbreak over a boy. This was exactly why he was so adamant about keeping Elise from Alexander. Tacet had sincerely liked Carnifex, and now he was gone like a thief in the night. He had smooth talked her, won her heart, and…and…

Owen slowly blinked before slowly paling in realization of witnessing his worst nightmare in the flesh. Again. _This_ could have been Elise had he not educated her about _boys._

This was bad, but was it? There was no way Tacet could actually get…not on her first time.

But it _could_ happen, much to Owen's horror, and the Indomitus rex wasn't given a chance to ponder her mate's abandonment before Lín caught on and bluntly asked, "Tacet, why did you have sex with Carnifex? Are you prepared to deal with the possible consequences?"

Dubois' eyebrows shot up, and Elise couldn't remember the last time she had been so struck by a blunt question that she simply went blank. Had it been when Claire asked if she ate Small One? This question wasn't even directed at her, and she felt the heavy weight of it smacking her.

There was no shame in mating, but it was _private._ This was like asking Owen if he was prepared to deal with babies with Claire.

Owen actually stumbled back a step, but Tacet blankly stared at the psychologist before glancing to Elise in confusion, and the snowy dinosaur cringed. It was bad enough that her sister wasn't aware of the blood she shared with Carnifex, but did she actually forget mating with the fiery male? How was she supposed to explain _that_ to her?

Maybe Tacet didn't know the word?

The snowy creature didn't know what else to do, and she timidly hissed if her sister remembered mating…? It felt so wrong to intrude on her sister's business like this. These were terrible questions, and she intended to have words with Lín after this.

Owen could only glance up when Elise slowly let out a sigh of relief at the simple hiss, and she signed, _'Does not understand question.'_

It was déjà vu all over again for Owen as he said the translation aloud without really realizing it. He actually had to restrain himself from yanking Elise out of there to drill another lesson into her head.

Education prevents surprise babies, education prevents surprise babies. Repeat, write it down, and say it like a prayer every night.

But, Owen didn't get a chance to drag her out before Lín easily clarified, "Pregnancy, Tacet. We know you had sex with Carnifex yesterday. Were you doing so to create a stronger bond with Carnifex-"

Owen immediately peered around the very silent Indominus to interrupt, "I-Dr. Lín, excuse me. I…she's six years old. These questions…"

The psychologist didn't see a problem and retorted, "Miss Elise is mentally a matured teenager, I assume Tacet to be the same, _and_ she has had sex regardless of your phobias of the idea. I want to know why."

What Owen wanted to know was if there was an emergency morning after pill that Dr. Romano could give Tacet. He could feel his ears growing a little too warm at the uncomfortable conversation, and Tacet blinked when the psychologist continued, "Tacet, when you had sex with Carnifex yesterday, were you trying to create a stronger bond with Carnifex? Did you consider the consequences of possibly getting pregnant?"

Was _nothing_ private around here? Tacet had no idea how the nosey humans had figured out her private moments with her mate, but she _did not_ want them to know about it. The Indomitus wasn't ashamed of mating, it was a happy memory she could treasure, but it was supposed to be _her_ memory. She wasn't sharing, and this conversation was supposed to be over.

Kind One had been a wonderful first mate, and Tacet wouldn't allow these humans to ruin it for her.

Elise winced at the stern snarl that sounded like a choked wheeze, but Tacet only had to say it once this time. Tacet technically didn't even need to say anything when that rotten look turned putrid.

' _Not your business.'_

Owen rubbed the back of his neck as he translated, and Tacet turned her gaze back to the squeaky bone. He would have to get Claire in here to talk about this, and the man pressed his lips when Lín gently said, "Tacet, we understand that was a private matter. Humans are very protective of those private moments, but we only need to know if you were acting on instinct or if you took the time to consider consequences."

Tacet curled her lip in warning before turning to Owen, and he pinched the bridge of his nose as he said, "Dr. Dubois, Dr. Lín, you two…for one, this session ended a minute ago, and two, this isn't fair for you to ask her."

"We need to prove if she thinks like a human-"

"She did exactly what she was supposed to do."

Elise slowly turned her shocked gaze to Owen, but he gestured to Tacet as he said, "Bridges obviously never educated her on this. It's the Spinosaurus in Tacet that decided on this subject, and the Spinosaurus in her is obviously functioning."

Owen ignored Elise's disbelieving gaze burning a deep, smoldering hole into his hypocritical soul, but he finished, "This isn't fair because she wasn't educated like a human. She acted on instinct, and that instinct is functional. There's a courting process that has to be completed correctly or else the…mating doesn't happen. If something went wrong, it wouldn't have happened."

The man sternly told himself to sound as neutral and normal as possible when he asked the Indomitus, "You just knew what to do with Carnifex, is that right? You knew he wasn't allowed to hurt or force you? You knew he had to present himself correctly?"

Tacet blinked at the man before giving a small nod as she pulled the squeaky bone a little closer. She didn't know why this was even being talked about, but she knew he was defending her. She was grateful for that much even if he wasn't doing a good job of getting rid of these nosey humans.

Owen nodded as he stared at the psychologists. There. He _said it._ He did the impossible, restrained himself from cringing and rolling around in agony while spitting out the words in front of his innocent, pure daughter and _defended_ Tacet's actions because it wasn't fair to make a big deal out of this. Did he blow it out of proportion with Elise to scare her?

Hell yes he did, but Tacet had already done the deed. This felt like his sister announcing her own surprise pregnancy resulting from a one night stand, and Owen would take example from his own father's reaction.

There was nothing he could do about it except stay calm and help her deal with whatever consequences would follow. There was no point in screaming at Tacet for acting on instinct, it wasn't going to change anything, and that was final. Making Tacet feel bad wouldn't help anyone. He would get Claire to educate her, hopefully nothing would result from this little fling with Carnifex, and Owen would have another talk with Elise in attempt to scare her.

Elise would not be looking at _the boy_ for as long as Owen breathed. No boys. Ever. Again. Never.

 _Never._

Dubois chewed his lip in thought, and Dr. Lín finally said, "Tacet, we apologize for stepping over a line. You're just very brand new to us, and we don't want to mess it up for you."

The Indomitus continued to focus on her bone, and Lín pressed his lips before asking, "Are you sure you aren't willing to answer more questions, Tacet? We do have more, but they don't need to be-"

The Indomitus shook her head as she flickered her gaze around the empty room, and Lín said, "That's fine. Thank you for answering our questions, Tacet. We'll leave, but I'm sure Judge Knight will be back for another conversation."

This day couldn't end soon enough for the Indomitus, and Elise tilted her head at the very long, soft sigh. Tacet didn't look happy with that, she didn't look happy in general with that sour carcass in her mouth expression, and Dubois glanced in Owen's direction as he said, "Mr. Grady, if you'd please come with us as well."

What Owen wanted to do was assure Tacet that everything was going to be fine; he wasn't sure if she comprehended that she could possibly get pregnant, but it was obvious the Indomitus was done with talking as she had already gone back to her new toy.

Elise made a soft sound when Owen glanced up at her, and he pressed his lips at the suddenly much larger workload. It wasn't good, and she was very sad for that. Elise knew the psychologists wouldn't have kind things to say, and she allowed the humans to walk by as she silently watched her sister.

Tacet only continued to turn the squeaky bone over in her hands; completely oblivious.

* * *

" _Tsamina mina zangalewa, this time for Africa!"_

Fuego happily leapt into the air before making a delighted turn as he let out a long, low cry to go hunting. He had no idea who had replaced Wet Leaf in the little box, but he adored this voice! It was low, husky, and warm like his first Alpha in the wild; it brought back many happy memories!

The first freedom, the first run in the jungle! The delights! Fresh smells! Oh, the sounds singing a perfect melody, welcoming him to his proper place among the food chain!

The dark scaled carnivore had completely forgotten the passcode box until he blinked at it. The red light flashed a reminder that he was still technically trapped in this human cave, and the raptor was torn. Fuego knew he needed to find his Alphas, but this voice made him so happy. Her voice calmed him with the low, long cries or quick, friendly barks.

She hardly sounded like his kind, but the tone was there; Fuego could associate it with similar cries of his language, and he _loved_ it. He needed to just focus on the box…

" _Your time to shine, don't wait in line y vamos por todo!"_

But the raptor couldn't stop himself from making a small jump forward before throwing his head back to give a loud, trumpeting cry. His Alphas were smart, and Fuego didn't think he needed to babysit them like this. A part of him knew they could take care of each other, and he had to trust that for now.

Besides, he wanted to hear more of this gift from above, melodic and practically god-like voice. He would go searching when this human stopped talking.

* * *

"Huh…"

Lowery raised his brows, but he wouldn't complain. Fuego had good taste in music as far as the man was concerned, and he rubbed the back of his neck when he went back to his computer. At least he could repeat this song over and over, and Lowery would play it until Fuego was sick of it.

It was a little funny to see the deadly carnivore 'dance' so happily in his own way, but Lowery preferred this to taunting Fuego. If the raptor wanted this music, he would get it, and the tech-geek flickered his gaze to the camera where Tacet patiently sat like a small child with her toy. She looked little, but Lowery couldn't stop his snort when Fuego made another dazzling twirl.

His hips didn't lie; Fuego was a fan of Shakira.

* * *

"Are you sure, Dr. Lín?"

Owen raised his brows when the psychologist confidently nodded, "I think Mr. Grady is right. We won't have anything solid until Tacet actually has time to adjust to new people. She's not very cooperative, and rightfully so. I cannot stress how important it is that you keep a consistent schedule with her."

Dubois silently crossed his arms in thought as he glanced to the wall before saying, "I do believe Miss Elise would have behaved in a similar manner had we interviewed her in the beginning, but I won't say Tacet is not a danger to people, Judge."

Owen pressed his lips when he turned to Elise, and Lín added, "We are sure she isn't a danger to herself. It's very obvious that she self-harms, but we doubt she's suicidal."

Elise risked a glance back at Tacet who had stopped turning the bone over, though she couldn't tell if the Indomitus was paying attention or not. That blank stare was a solid wall, and she turned back when Owen asked, "You're one hundred percent sure Tacet isn't suicidal? Just asking her once?"

Dubois easily nodded as he said, "Despite the stereotypes, those who self-harm are rarely suicidal or begging for attention, and she's obviously been doing this for some time. Tacet could be self-harming as a way to punish, calm herself, or even get a high from it. Regardless, this is classified as a non-suicidal behavior, but…that doesn't mean she can't have an accident."

Owen nodded, but Elise slowly turned to stare at her oblivious, sick sister.

How could something like that even happen? Why? _How?_

She didn't understand why anyone would do this nor did she like the idea of Tacet indulging in such dangerous behavior. It was like Blake drinking his brown bottle full of poison, but Elise wanted to know _how_ Tacet even started this problem.

Did she loath herself? Elise doubted her sister was very happy if she readily harmed her own body as if it was an annoyance, and the Indominus was crushed.

She assumed the brown bottle at least had some kind of good taste to it, but to slice your own flesh? What, in Tacet's mind, decided it was a good thing to spill her own blood? How did that help anything, and why hadn't Bridges curbed this behavior? Her sister wasn't an idiot, Elise knew there had to be a reason for this terrifying behavior.

Elise made a soft sound before Tacet glared and curled her lip in warning; she knew she was being judged, and Tacet was quickly losing her patience with this entire situation. This was not how she wanted the conversation to go.

They should have left as soon as she said to go, but Elise's presence gave them a bravery they hadn't earned. Even Elise's little human wasn't so tense when he was hiding in the snowy annoyance's shadow, and Tacet was growing angry with the white dinosaur. Her kind mate had probably left because of Elise as well!

Her very quiet, simple life was no more because of this white dinosaur's intrusion. This was the _second_ major event Elise had ruined, and the Indomitus froze when she heard the harsh growl of the fat red human. Her sensitive ears easily caught the terrifying string of words; it was like discovering the meaning of 'stupid' all over again.

"Your Honor…you know I can't approve of Tacet being left here if Blanca-Miss Elise isn't here to always act as a guardian."

The judge raised a brow as she retorted, "I highly doubt Tacet can swim to Costa Rica. I'm not moving her somewhere brand new without good cause. There's fewer people here."

Carlos glanced at Owen next to him before replying, "I'm here to protect the land and public from Tacet. I read the contracts for the employees here, and _nothing_ agrees to something of Tacet's magnitude. Until she proves otherwise, I say she's a danger to others, and Miss Elise is the best defense."

Graves opened his mouth to protest, but Carlos added, "I know Tacet isn't Miss Elise, but she's just as dangerous if not more. I wish to make a motion to add the video of Miss Elise killing the ACU team from the December Incident."

Tacet glanced to the snowy dinosaur blocking most of the doorway to her paddock when Graves loudly protested, "I object on the grounds of _relevance!_ Tacet never ambushed ACU like Miss Elise. We can't judge her for Miss Elise's actions."

Knight flickered her gaze to Carlos who almost seemed ashamed when he argued, "But, it does prove her capability against the Jurassic World ACU, Your Honor. Those men never stood a chance against Miss Elise, and you know just as well as I do that lethals will never be pointed at a mentally ill human. Half the non-lethals won't even be acceptable to use if we follow California standards. She is more dangerous than Miss Elise because we have to assume she holds no regard for human life."

Tacet blinked in shock; she was dangerous? _Her?_ Was she severely mishearing?

Only because she didn't want to abide by their rules and ended the conversation early? Tacet had no intention of going out of her way to harm humans, but she was being punished just for having the ability to be dangerous?

 _What was the point of even answering their worthless, stupid questions?!_ Now she was in trouble because they were afraid of what she _might do?! What did they want from her?!_

Tacet stiffened indignantly when Elise glanced back at her with a look of pity. It was so obvious that Tacet caught it, and she felt ready to vomit.

Elise knew what she did…how _dare_ she pretend to care… _How dare she ruin her life without a second thought?_

 _This_ was her fault; _all of it._

Tacet just couldn't let go of the fact that Elise had drastically changed her life in a way that she wasn't ready to deal with. She didn't want to be forced from her own home just because of what Elise had done, and the Indomitus suddenly froze when she understood with crystal clarity.

 _These humans were treating her like another Elise._

That was why these humans were really here, wasn't it? Because of what Elise had done? These little humans wanted to make sure she didn't hurt others like Elise. Now they were going to take her to another place to keep her from hurting others? Would they listen if she tried telling them this was wrong?

Tacet lost her breath; what if Elise wanted the humans to think they were the same? She messed up everything else, maybe she wanted her to get in trouble! It would explain why she suddenly showed up without warning, what if she wanted to be attacked last night so this would happen?!

 _What if Elise really was doing this on purpose to make herself look better?_

Elise had killed humans…but if the humans focused on her…they wouldn't have time to be mad at Elise. Humans were busy, they were easily distracted…it made sense to Tacet, and she couldn't breathe anymore. She couldn't explain herself to the humans…

She was trapped. Her protective mate was forever gone, her only leader and caretaker was never coming back, and she was about to say goodbye to the only home she knew. Her life was changing, and Tacet would have to face that alone because this horrendous cruelty saw fit to ruin her entire life just to save her own skin from the humans' wrath!

 _Cruel without reason!_

She should have killed her last night…she should have torn out her throat rather than bite her exposed neck. It would have been easier…her teeth could have splattered all that hot blood, but there wouldn't have been a shriek.

 _Cruel without reason!_

Teeth, blood, shriek. No shriek, no sound, just teeth and blood this time. The throat this time, not the thick neck. Teeth, throat, blood. Teeth, throat, blood.

Claws, eyes, blood. Teeth, throat, blood. Teeth, arm, blood. Blood, blood, blood…

Blood, blood, blood, blood…scream…blood, blood, blood…

Tacet was drowning in a sea of bitter, hateful emotions, and her head went under when Elise turned her gaze to the humans again. Tacet was gone, but the Indomitus wasn't.

 _Cruel without reason!_

Blood, blood, blood, cruel blood scream. Blood, blood, blood. Eyes, throat, arm, blood.

* * *

Owen lightly frowned as he crossed his arms, and Graves indignantly growled, "All humans are capable of violence. We can't condemn Tacet for what she's capable of."

Knight held up her hand for a moment of silence as she stared at the ground where a dribble of blood led away from the paddock. It was a reminder of just how many people had died last night, and she carefully chewed her cheek.

For the first time, Owen thought the judge looked old and tired. He didn't envy the weight on her shoulders, and the woman said, "Mr. Graves has a valid point. Tacet doesn't have a history of violence towards others. If we are willing to overlook Elise's rampage, I wish to extend the same chance to Tacet. Your motion is denied, Mr. Fernández."

Dubois slowly turned back to the paddock as the woman continued, "Tacet will be moved to Carnifex's paddock after the bodies are cleared. The walls are safe-"

" _Elise!"_

Elise startled at the shriek from Dubois before whirling around when the silver scales lunged, and the Indomitus slashed razor talons down the snowy face in hopes of stealing at least half the snowy dinosaur's eye sight.

 _Cruel without reason!_

The skin was thin compared to the rest of the body, it parted so easily, and her actions were rewarded with blood. It felt good to hurt someone so cruel; just like last time.

Owen stumbled in his haste to bolt out of the way before a large hand snagged the back of his armor. He felt like a doll with how effortlessly he was yanked back, but it was better than being caught under the nine tons of scales slamming into the ground only inches from his face.

" _Move, Idiota!"_

Owen would never say Carlos let his bulk slow him down when the others scrambled out of the way. Grant was the first out of the warehouse with Lín hot on his heels, and Owen snapped, _"Go!"_

He was more focused on getting Claire to safety than anything until a terrified shriek from Dubois echoed in the suddenly tiny room. The psychologist was caught against the wall, too petrified to move when the Indomitus turned to snap her jaws into Elise's arm, and the massive tail swung behind her.

" _Dubois! Get down!"_

Owen's heart stopped when the powerful tail smacked Dubois across the room before the man landed in a crumpled heap. The delicate bones snapped loudly on impact, and Elise gave a cry of pain as sharp teeth shook her arm. Claire yelled the Indominus' name, but the little weight of hope in his pocket was enough courage for Owen to give a sharp, loud whistle.

The piercing sound momentarily startled the silver dinosaur, and Owen snarled, _"Elise! Plan B! Plan B!"_

Elise blinked at the heavenly orange feather in her human's hand before she gave a deafening roar at her older sister. The Indomitus stumbled back in surprise, and it was enough for Elise to bolt out of the warehouse. This room was far too small for the both of them, and she didn't know if anyone had been caught in here.

Big dinosaurs needed big spaces to properly fight and move.

It was infuriating to feel her tail being grazed by sharp teeth, but Elise reminded herself to be careful or risk dragging out a dangerous fight. She had to pin the Indomitus, who was bigger than her, and _that_ was the problem.

Tacet had shut down last night, it was the only reason why Elise had pinned her, but the Indomitus was surprisingly focused right now. The right side of her face stung in hot lines though Elise was grateful for the way her eyes sat deep in her skull.

Tacet's third talon would have scraped her eye right out if it hadn't gotten caught on the ridge of her frontal bone.

Another whistle from Owen reminded the Indominus that she couldn't run too far or he wouldn't be able to keep up; his leg was hurt, but Tacet was so close behind her. What was she supposed to do with so little reaction time?

What would Rexy do? Sobek? Joker?

Elise skidded to a halt when she immediately realized none of them would be running from a fight, and she curled her lip angrily before giving another, thunderous roar. She hadn't done _anything_ to make her sister mad! Elise even made sure her tail hadn't crossed that line!

All she had done was translate! How was it her fault?! Was Tacet seriously getting mad at her for _translating?! Translating?!_

The Indomitus stumbled slightly as if she didn't know what to do with an animal who actually wanted to fight, and Owen snarled to pin Tacet. Elise had the advantage in that Tacet had little to no experience in one on one fighting, and the snowy dinosaur charged; the Indominus knew one trick Rexy liked to use during rare play sessions.

The snowy dinosaur had the bad habit of standing taller to pin the powerful head, and Rexy could always throw her off balance by simply charging into the chest and thrusting her head up.

It didn't matter how sturdy Elise was on her feet because she would always end up flat on her side when Rexy decided to throw her off balance. Granted, it was no big deal being flopped over into thick grass during play, but Elise had to remind herself to _not_ be so intentionally rough when throwing Tacet over.

There had to be a misunderstanding here; there was no way _anyone_ could get mad at a translator. Elise had to give her sister the benefit of the doubt.

The Indominus ignored the sharp bite in her back when she ducked her head under the dangerous talons and into the warm chest. She could feel the large hammering heart against her neck while the ghostly rattle of a snarl sighed from above, and Elise was suddenly hurt.

She remembered her twin sister hugging her face during playtime…Elise remembered her sister's heartbeat. So delicate and soft…milky teeth biting her neck…fragile claws tickling her sides…that little squeal…

The Indomitus had no problem throwing her weight down to suffocate the snowy scales, and Elise snarled as she twisted to stumble her sister, but it didn't work. The Indominus briefly glanced down the road when Lopez tore around the corner before thrusting up with all her might.

But, it didn't work either. The Indomitus did stumbled back, but Elise's head suddenly snapped to the side when the sharp talons slapped her face in retaliation. The snowy dinosaur wasn't given enough time to pin her sister before the Indomitus recovered, and Elise forced another clap of thunder to fall from her jaws.

She could see Owen ready to strike as her sister took a few steps back with that crazed, blooded gleam darkening her eyes, and her jaws slacked like a broken animatronic. The Indomitus craved blood, it relished the thrill, and the silver scales charged with salivating jaws wide open.

Elise was tired of her face being beaten up; she couldn't handle another slash, and the Indominus went down on all fours before whipping her tail around to smash the silver face.

Her tail was made more for balance rather than fighting, but Elise was satisfied when her sister toppled onto her forelimbs. The Indominus doubted she would even leave a bruise, and the Indomitus shook her head before gasping a shriek when strong hands gripped her neck.

Elise's mouth was filled with a bitter bile rising in realizing she wanted to snap her own sister's neck like last night, just like how Sobek had shown her, but Lopez's yelling forced the dark thoughts away. Elise wasn't concerned about being gentle while practically sitting on the silver body though it was incredibly difficult to find the right balance between being too light or suffocating the raging dinosaur.

The Indominus planted her foot close enough to the silver thighs in order to prevent thrashing, clawed feet from hooking into her snowy leg, and the silver head remained pinned by a none too kind hand.

It was better than snapping that neck…

Elise gave a loud snarl of warning before Owen darted over as he yelled, _"Keep her down! Keep her hands away from me!"_

Elise shifted to tangle her bleeding arm with Tacet's flailing one before the Indomitus could lash out, and Owen pounced on the exposed neck. He almost yelled at Lopez sliding to a stop next to him, but the Commander snarled, "How much is that damned dart?!"

"Enough for her!"

Lopez jumped when the clawed hand threatened to free, and he simply threw his body against the neck to bulge the vein before Owen shoved the long needle between silver scales. He grunted at the surprisingly thick and tough skin but thrusted all of his own weight into large dart.

The dart that was meant for Carnifex last night, the one Romano never got a chance to use, and the one Owen had been given. It would take seconds in the vein and minutes in the muscle.

It felt like forever to the men, but Owen continued to hold his breath when that blood-filled eye finally glazed over as her body grew limp with a relaxed sigh. She was out like a light within seconds, and Owen breathed, "Okay, Elise. You can get up."

He took a step back before swearing in pain when his leg simply gave out, and Lopez caught his arm, "Jesus Christ, Grady! What the hell happened?!"

The Commander pulled him up, and Owen opened his mouth until Claire's heels clicked against the asphalt as she exclaimed, "Oh my God, Elise! Is your eye okay?!"

It was almost funny how the searing pain in his leg just went away when the cold fear seized his chest after Elise made a small whine. The crimson splattered to the ground from large drops of red blood, and Owen did his best to sound calm as he said, "Let me see, Elise. Come here, Baby."

Romano was a great vet, he could save an injured eye, Owen would still love Elise if she lost her eye, she would survive, she had her other eye, she wouldn't be totally blind-

The snowy head slowly swung around as Claire stopped next to him, and the adoptive parents held their breath. The wounds went to the bone, but Owen immediately let out a sigh of relief at seeing that big, beautiful, unharmed eye looking right back at him. The terror dissipated from his chest in seeing his own reflection, and he said, "You're okay, Baby. You'll just…Rexy is going to kill me."

Elise didn't feel very okay as the severity of the situation sank in, but she winced when the soft cloth of Claire's handkerchief pressed against the shortest slash above the ridge of her eye. Grant shook his head as he dusted off his hat, and Elise flinched again at Carlos furiously snarling, _"_ _¡Qué barbaridad!_ That does it! She's not safe!"

Owen opened his mouth to snap at the lawyer until the Cuban tugged out his own handkerchief and growled, "Here, keep it as long as needed."

Elise made a low rumble of thanks until Carlos victoriously said, "You just proved my point, _Blanca Grande."_

Claire clenched her jaw while gently dabbing the bleeding wounds, taking care to make sure blood wouldn't dribble into the crimson eye, and Carlos faced the shocked judge. Knight seemed heartbroken more than anything though it was obvious the Cuban was used to violence in his job.

He was completely at home, and Carlos pulled another cigar from his jacket before saying, "Your Honor, I rest my case."


	88. Chapter 88

**A/N**

 **Hey guys! I hope you're having a wonderful week! We'll have another chapter next week!**

 **I know we're tired of Sorna, and I'm happy to say we will be completely back to Nublar by next chapter. I thank you for your patience, but there's a lot of info and things I needed set up on this island for the future. I miss Nublar too.**

 **Guest, I got rid of Bridges because it was his time to go. I had fun writing him, but it was his time. It's practically Jurassic Park cannon that villains are thwarted by dinos in some way. As for Tacet and Carnifex, their relationship was always going to be temporary regardless of Elise showing up or not. I stand by what I write, but I thank you for reading this far.**

 **Guys, I don't know if warning is needed because I don't get graphic, but if you don't want to think, or read, about recovering a body involved in a fire, just skip the scene after Romano stitches up Elise.**

 **I humbly thank you for reading this as well as leaving your reviews and critiques. I hope you have a wonderful day and night!**

* * *

' _I scream, you scream, we all scream 'cause we're terrified of what's around the corner.' -Twenty One Pilots_

* * *

"Apples, Roses, and Suffolk Sheep."

"I want your main and Emergency ACU teams at their best at all times, Miss Dearing. I also want an updated report on Tacet's status every Saturday. She will have a personal psychologist living on that island."

Owen ran a tired hand through his hair when Claire only nodded as Knight sternly continued, "Tacet cannot live near the public until she proves otherwise. Her paddock will be in the Restricted Area with full security. Cameras, heat sensors, motion sensors, and I may consider you posting a few guards to watch her twenty-four seven."

Owen glanced back to the warehouse where Tacet slept oblivious to the world, and he leaned against a vegetating Elise. It had been awhile since he saw the Velociraptor temper in Elise, but he didn't blame her. She was furious and hurt. No one wanted to be attacked by their own flesh and blood, and any hopes for a close, sisterly relationship crumbled to dust.

Owen ignored the throbbing in his leg as he gently stroked the snowy scales before smiling at the enticed sigh. Elise just needed a few minutes to calm down after dragging her sister back to the dull, empty room.

Was it the most tasteful, respectful way of putting Tacet back? Absolutely not, and he knew Elise felt horrendous for that; they all did.

"I cannot give you more than a few days to get Tacet back to Jurassic World, Miss Dearing. She needs treatment, and a safe environment for everyone."

Owen knew moving Tacet like this was going to put her ten steps back, but he didn't have a say either. Claire nodded again as she quietly replied, "I already have three of my handlers going to Elise's old paddock to see if it's still livable."

Knight narrowed her eyes before curtly asking, "Which handlers?"

Grant pressed his lips at the dangerous tone, but Claire confidently answered, "Tim Murphy, who is in charge of our Tyrannosaurus, Barry Reed is our second Velociraptor Trainer to Owen, and Joyce Edwards is our newest handler. She's in charge of our Spinosaurus."

"I haven't met Joyce before."

Claire resisted the urge to shrug her shoulders when she replied, "Sobek has only been with us a week. Joyce and her husband got here a few days before that. She's still settling in, but I know she gets along very well with Sobek considering how…independent he likes to be."

Owen raised his brows high as he shared a glance with Elise. Had it only been a week since Sobek first arrived on their little island? The man actually had to glance up at the sky to do the math in his head.

It was March, Sobek had shown up in the last week of February, and Owen pressed his lips. Rexy and Sobek had their friendly fight yesterday?

Had it only been yesterday? Sobek had broken his fence the day before that… It took only one good fight for Rexy and Sobek to take an instant liking to one another? So much had happened yesterday…

Owen glanced at Elise as he figured that relationship was a hit or miss, and the duo had obviously hit it off. It was funny how that felt like such a long time ago, but he sighed a silent promise to keep better track of time.

Elise just wanted her face to stop hurting, and she glanced over when the sun caught Dubois' broken glasses. It made her so sad to see the flat frames lying in the dirt after being smashed into the ground by a heavy foot, but Lopez had already moved to pick them up. The Commander didn't bother with the broken glass.

The Indominus allowed her gaze to follow the small trail of blood before it abruptly vanished after Dubois had been put on a stretcher. The psychologist had surprised them all by surviving, but he hadn't escaped unscathed.

The Indominus didn't know what injuries he had specifically, but she felt it was safe to start with the man's arm considering how it had bent at an unnatural angle; Dubois had two elbows on one arm. He was already headed back to mainland with Claire's helicopter, and the snowy dinosaur sent her best thoughts to him.

She was happy with Owen safe on her uninjured arm, and the Indominus tucked him closer before letting out a sigh. They had no idea where Dr. Lín fled during the chaos though Carlos stood next to Graves while Grant continued to suspiciously eye the jungle kept at bay by the wall.

Grant didn't seem to have much faith in it, but he glanced over when Knight sighed, "I'm counting on Mr. Murphy and Mrs. Edwards to critically assess those walls, and I hope Mr. Reed knows how to stay ahead of an intelligent animal. We cannot afford to have Tacet get loose."

Owen flicked his gaze up when Carlos let out a soft snort, and he dryly asked, "What's funny? Happy Tacet proved your point by nearly killing Dubois?"

Elise let out a long, low growl when the Cuban gave him a dangerous look, but Carlos didn't seem at all angry while answering, "Yes and no. I'm happy she proved she couldn't be trusted _before_ more people could be hurt, but…I had secretly hoped she'd be another _Blanca Grande_ over here. You know…kiss, kiss, and hug, hug; something who behaves if she gets enough cuddles."

Grant raised a brow at the wounded warrior of a dinosaur, but he couldn't help his slight nod at the truth of it. Owen had expected an insult of some kind though he wasn't in the mood to fight with the large lawyer. Elise pressed him even closer, and Owen finally said, "Thanks for yanking me out of the way."

The Indominus immediately lifted her head to stare at Owen, and Carlos pulled the chewed cigar from his mouth as he raised his brows, "What did I tell you, _Blanca Grande?_ Hmm? He moves like molasses on a cold day. Maybe he'll move faster the next time you get shoved over so he doesn't end up like a tortilla."

Elise blinked at the Cuban before turning her horrified gaze to her human who patiently said, "Elise, Baby, I need you to focus on the fact that I'm fine, okay? It was a close call, but I'm fine."

Carlos snorted when the crimson gaze turned back to him; Elise had no idea what to do with this sudden shot of useless adrenaline attacking her heart. She had almost killed Owen when Tacet shoved her over? He almost died, and she hadn't known it? What would have happened had she actually landed on him?

He would have been squished! A tortilla! Those were so flat, and Owen wasn't meant to be flat!

Elise couldn't bear the thought of a tortilla Owen, and she was overwhelmed with the sudden urge to kidnap the man and flee far away from Tacet; she wanted to hide somewhere very safe with her human until all the danger had passed.

But, the danger was already gone; Tacet was back in her paddock. What was she supposed to do with that? Get over it? Worry?

Owen sighed when he slid off the snowy arm as Elise rose to press her fingers against her snout before lowering them towards the Cuban and repeating. She looked as if she was blowing several kisses to the confused man, but Owen explained, "She's saying 'thank you'."

And Elise continued to thank the man who had saved her from a heartbreak she'd never recover from until Carlos lifted his hand to say, "Eh, _Blanca Grande,_ I am a man of passion, not mush. You don't need to keep…blowing the kisses."

The Indominus glanced to Owen when she began to lightly touched her fingers to her brow, and he turned back as he said, "She doesn't know how else to thank you."

Elise let out a puff of air with a nod of her head; she was always grateful to be able to speak for herself, but it was always so warming when Owen knew what she was going to say. The injured man gave a small smile when the back of her fingers lightly brushed his side, but Carlos easily replied, "Ah, I can solve that problem. _Presta atención._ Whenever I need to thank someone who has done me a great service. I do one of two things."

The Indominus tilted her head when Carlos held up his two fingers before continuing, "I send them a good bottle of Cacique Guaro _or_ name my next _niño_ after them. I'll let you pick."

The Cuban glanced down when his phone suddenly rang, and he pulled it out while adding, "Just make sure you like me enough before you go naming any _ni_ _ños._ Names are forever."

Owen immediately turned to Elise when the lawyer walked away, and he quietly said, "You're not having kids for a long time, understand?"

He snorted at the easy nod from his baby girl before glancing over when Knight said, "That'll be the basics with Tacet, Miss Dearing. I'll send over all the official paperwork when I get back to the states. I expect a report emailed to me by this Saturday. Do you feel capable of doing all that?"

Claire was all business as usual when she nodded, "Yes, we will get it done. Tacet will be settled into Jurassic World by Friday at the latest."

"I want her and Miss Elise on the same island at all times."

Owen lowered his brows at the way Claire inconspicuously began to rub the hem of her sleeve with one hand while replying, "Elise won't leave until we can move Tacet, Judge. We will get it done."

Elise forced herself to look into the jungle so Claire wouldn't have to see her disappointment.

Tacet was a danger to others now; it meant she needed to be in a secure place where _everyone_ could be safe, and the warehouse paddock wasn't safe for people. Carnifex's paddock was a crime scene, but Elise's old one held the Observatory Room. Her old home was top of the line security, and there were trees and grass to sooth the Indomitus.

Tacet couldn't escape Elise's old paddock, and the Indominus reminded herself that she would have never escaped had the door not opened. Her sister was going to sit in her old, silent home.

Where her twin had died… Elise couldn't see the light at the end of the tunnel for Tacet, and nothing terrified her more than the thought of having another sister die in that maddening prison.

Elise just wanted to see her mother again. She wanted to curl close to those forest scales where that golden gaze would send any danger running for its life. She was ready to beg forgiveness for thinking she was ready to leave her powerful protector.

She missed her family, her Munchkin Army, Elise even missed Sobek.

Knight nodded in approval while turning away as she finished, "Very good, I know it's a lot to do, Miss Dearing, but I wouldn't trust anyone else to do it. We'll keep in close touch."

Owen immediately knew the praise was just going to stress Claire even more now that she had expectations to meet, and he quietly sighed before squinting down the road. He had a feeling Fuego was probably awake, and they still needed to help Repair.

They needed to remove the chunk of cement for whatever reason, and now they were the official failsafe against Tacet. But, the man figured it would be best if Romano looked over Elise first. One thing at a time; they would get there.

Claire almost lifted her hand to tiredly rub her face until Knight suddenly paused and turned around to say, "I almost forgot. The…Yutyrannus from BioSyn, you were given custody of her."

The redhead slowly nodded, and Knight added, "I'm not sure how soon you planned to move the Sinocalliopteryx pair, but the Yutyrannus needs to be moved off BioSyn property within the next three days."

Grant perked up with interest, but Claire almost seemed dumbfounded when she slowly asked, _"Three days?_ Why?"

"Apparently she's a handful, Miss Dearing. I received a phone call on the way to Nublar, and all her handlers quit as soon as they were given word that Jurassic World would be taking her. Two were going to stay, but…well, one is now short a leg after the Yutyrannus decided she didn't like her breakfast. He's in surgery, and the other called to announce he was quitting; he was nice enough to send over her files and records. If you wish to speak with him, I warn you of his very foul mouth."

Owen raised his brows high, but Grant couldn't stop himself from saying, "Yutyrannus is a fairly new discovery…four years ago, I believe. I didn't think anyone would have an animal out so fast. How old is she? She can't be more than a few months _if_ proper research went into her."

Knight seemed amused by the restrained excitement, and the woman pulled up photos on her tablet while replying, "I suppose it'd help Miss Dearing to know as much as possible about this animal right now. She'll be four years this November and is fully grown. Almost thirty feet from nose to tail, nearly nine feet tall, and about three thousand pounds."

The judge allowed Grant to peer at the photos as she added, "At least that's what the previous vet had measured her as until she took his hand."

Claire raised her brows when she carefully asked, "How many people has she eaten?"

"I didn't read her records over in great detail, but I get the impression that she prefers to bite people rather than eat them."

Owen almost laughed at Grant's expression as the elder swiped through the photos; the paleontologist looked like a child who had received a disappointing gift on his birthday. It actually reminded Owen of the time his father had given him a set of keys for his eighteenth birthday.

Owen had found a toy car in the garage. He remembered how his father had laughed so hard.

Grant immediately pressed his hat further down before sighing, "Damn eager-to-please scientists go and ruin everything. She's just another rushed theme park monster. I can't even begin to imagine the health problems she has. Yutyrannus was discovered _four_ years ago, so her geneticist only had a few months' research at best to make this one…"

Owen would never miss an opportunity to push Grant's buttons, and he lightly teased, "She can't be that bad. Does she at least blend in with the Jurassic World brand?"

The man paused when Claire raised her brows at the photos, and Grant retorted, "Worse; she's BioSyn. Jurassic World has the decency to put in at least two year's worth of research before making a new dinosaur. She looks like a four year old colored her in, and that four year old did not stay in the lines."

Personally, Elise felt all children put much love into all their artwork, and she treasured the drawings from those who heeded no lines. It was their own way of expressing themselves, but Owen was actually curious enough to limp over while ignoring her low sound of protest.

He wasn't safe if he wasn't in her shadow, and Knight handed over the tablet while saying, "Her handler did stress that she needs a cool place to escape the heat."

Claire's shoulders finally sagged from the heavy weight added to them, but Owen frowned at the picture of what he had actually thought to be a toddler's scribbles. The colors were almost offensive, it was already giving him a headache, and the man had to glance up at the blue sky to give his eyes a break.

Roy G. Biv had profusely vomited upon this poor creature.

Grant smiled when Owen rubbed his eyes, and the paleontologist said, "Yutyrannus were part of Northeastern China during the early Cretaceous. The feathers on the fossils suggested they saw their fair share of cold. I'm not sure how adapted to the heat that one is, but it looks like she's inside a building in those pictures."

Owen turned his focus back to the pictures of the very colorful blob of feathers before glancing to the background. The animal didn't give much to be seen besides herself, but there was an obvious lack of natural sunlight.

"Unless whoever created her actually had a brain, I'd say she'd need a room no hotter than sixty degrees."

Knight nodded at the paleontologist, "Mid-fifties, her handler managed to make four things very clear. She's a picky eater, she needs attention or she gets agitated, she needs a shaded room of fifty-five degrees Fahrenheit, and she's very talkative."

Owen frowned as the blob of bright colors slowly took shape to form the feathery dinosaur with beady, black eyes, and he asked, "She needs attention? Or she just needs to have puzzles to stay busy? Is she intelligent?"

He paused at the last photo where the Yutyrannus haughtily curled her lip at whoever took the photo, but something was off with her rich blue face, particularly the sharp teeth in the rounded snout. He couldn't quite figure out what was stuck between the ivories.

Owen just wished the rainbow collision wasn't there to hurt his eyes, but Knight answered, "I'm not sure, but her handler gave me the impression that she has a love hate relationship with people."

Claire finally caved into placing a hand on her head, and Owen handed back the tablet as he dryly said, "Well, she'll fit into Jurassic World just fine. Looks like she nabbed someone's finger in that last picture…or a hotdog."

Grant let out a rare snort as Knight smiled, "The certainty in your voice warms me to no end, Mr. Grady. It's a finger by the way, good eye."

The silvering woman turned back to a quiet Claire when she added, "The Yutyrannus is well taken care of, Miss Dearing, and everything needed for transportation is already on that island in the event of an emergency evacuation. But, I leave this in your hands."

Owen felt Claire had more than enough for eight pairs of arms, but the judge smiled, "I'll be off to find Dr. Lín before we leave, and let me know what you intend to do with this island. Good luck."

Claire finally let out a long, low sigh when the woman began to walk down the road with Graves next to her. Carlos was still talking on his phone, but he gently patted Elise's nose with his prosthetic hand before smiling at the puff of air ruffling his thinning hair.

Elise did like the man despite his rude bluntness, and she was sure they'd cross paths again if Tacet was always going to be this difficult and dangerous. She hated thinking like that, and the Indominus shook her head.

Maybe Carlos would visit Jurassic World as a guest someday.

Elise liked that thought much more, and she turned her gaze back when Claire asked, "Dr. Grant, would you please stay to help us figure out a way to keep the Yutyrannus cool enough until we can build a paddock on Nublar?"

The paleontologist stared for a few seconds before asking, "This place have a good freezer?"

Claire slowly nodded as Owen frowned, but Grant shrugged, "Shaded paddock, good ventilation, fans, misters, and ice she can lay in. She looks a lot more bird than reptile, maybe freeze her meat or treats in some kind of electrolyte mix. She won't be moving around much if she's as sensitive to heat as we're thinking. Actually…"

The paleontologist nodded at the warehouse behind them as he added, "Tacet's paddock is fairly cool. It's not great place to keep an animal for a long time, but you put a good fan and misters in there…I think you'd be good if your Construction crew is fast."

Claire pressed her lips, and Grant adjusted his hat before saying, "There's no need to complicate it, but I bet I can design something better for her paddock in Jurassic World. I'll work with Gerry. We can make something safe for her and the guests…hopefully nothing that'll break your bank."

The paleontologist took a few steps until the redhead sweetly smiled, "Good, I'll send you off with one of the vets to inspect the paddocks we have available at the moment in case we can't put the Yutyrannus in Tacet's paddock. Then you two can look into the warehouses for fans or misters."

Grant blinked, and Claire gestured down the road as she said, "The Vet Office is down there. You can't miss it. Thank you, Dr. Grant."

Claire turned to speak with Lopez, but Owen couldn't stop his wide, crooked grin at the miffed expression from the elderly paleontologist. It was clear Grant had planned to get off this forsaken island as soon as possible, and the man muttered, "I already miss being my own boss."

"So you _are_ an official employee?"

Grant gave a dry look at the surprised tone, and he adjusted his hat while sighing, "Yeah, I'm a researcher for the Triceratops herd. Only way I could do it without having to sign every release form under the sun."

Owen snorted at the irritation before quietly saying, "Better get to it, Dr. Grant. I promise it's not pretty when the Boss has to bare her teeth."

The paleontologist only shook his head while walking away, and Owen glanced back at Elise as he added, "We should go find Tony or at least wash the blood off that arm before it attracts something. I don't think you're going to need stitches…maybe we can just tape it shut or glue it…"

Elise would very much so prefer that to the itchy stitches, and she stood before Lopez trotted over with a wary expression, "I really hope you two are done with fights. Just, Jesus, be calm for the rest of the day, and stay away from anything important."

Owen was tempted to give an immature, sarcastic laugh, but he carefully leaned weight off his sore leg while replying, "I think we're done, Commander. I'm going to get Elise's arm washed off, we'll pick up that chunk of cement, and babysit Repair if you need it. Just don't put us around Tacet."

Lopez raised a brow at the snowy dinosaur who chittered her agreement, and he sighed, "If Dr. Romano says that arm can do work, let me know. Repair is already working, but we don't need those two Tyrannosaurus sneaking up on us. If you can't use that arm, at least go sit with them _without the Velociraptor."_

Owen only nodded at the stressed tone, "Fuego stays in the paddock. Got it. We'll be back, Commander."

Lopez stared at the duo as if he really didn't believe the drama was over, but his crackling radio forced him to turn down the road with a sigh. Owen didn't envy the man's job, and he glanced back to Claire when she let out a long, deep breath. She looked ready to cave in with her sharp shoulders hunched and arms crossed close to her chest.

The redhead startled when he gently touched her arm before quietly saying, "Hey, we'll get through this."

Claire only took another deep breath as Elise made a low croon of comfort, and she breathed, "There's just…so much to do. I have no idea if Elise's paddock is still livable, I don't know what to do with an animal that can't handle heat, Tacet is just a mess, this place is trashed, Bridges the sonofabitch is still out there, and…"

She waved a hand with pressed lips simply because she didn't know what else to do, and Owen shared a glance with Elise before saying, "Elise talked to that little raptor from last night. Short One ran into Bridges."

Claire blinked when she immediately asked, "Is she okay?"

Owen had to snort at the concern for an animal over a less than likeable human, and he shrugged, "Well, she might get a bellyache from eating trash. She got Bridges, Claire. He's dead."

Elise gave Owen a look for speaking ill of the dead, but Claire continued to stare for a few seconds to actually process the news before asking, "He's dead?"

"I just said that, Claire."

She ignored the slight teasing in his voice while turning her gaze to Elise as if she really couldn't believe it. Elise only gave a nod of her head to confirm the truth of Short One's extermination job, and the redhead finally breathed, "Wow…I mean, he used to say dinosaurs would be the death of him, but I didn't really think one would actually get him…I can't believe he's dead…"

Owen could, and he wouldn't keep his happiness about it a secret. He was almost sad the little raptor would be staying here, but the man raised a brow when Claire suddenly asked, "Think she will get a bellyache?"

The man couldn't stop his short laugh before pulling her in for a quick kiss and murmuring, "You are so beautiful."

Claire lightly frowned, wondering if that phrase would become his way of laughing off dumb questions in the future, but Elise always loved seeing affection between her human parents. It was something to treasure, and Owen quietly answered, "I think she'll be fine. Animals are tough, Claire. If it upsets her stomach, I'm sure she'll just throw him up."

The redhead didn't seem at all sad about that, and she said, "I still have to send out search groups to find him because I can't officially take a Velociraptor's word seriously, but…that raptor wouldn't have a reason to lie."

Claire gave a sigh before lightly smiling, "I think he got exactly what he deserved."

Owen couldn't stop his slightly crooked grin at the truth of it though Elise tapped her index claw against her chest in thought. Did Bridges deserve to die like that? At the claws of a cranky Velociraptor? Probably considering how ruined Tacet was. Tacet didn't become this on her own, and Elise could feel her sympathy well drying for the blonde man.

Did that mean she wasn't in the wrong for sending Short One after Bridges? It was very odd to celebrate a death, but was that a good thing? Elise reminded herself again that Bridges would have gone and caused more harm had Short One not found him, but still…

Did _she_ wish to celebrate this death?

Elise didn't think so, she didn't wish to celebrate anyone's death, but she glanced down when Owen said, "We'll get through this mess, Claire. We'll do what we can with Lopez. Anything else you want us to do, Boss?"

Claire smiled at the flirtatious wink, that crooked, playful grin, before she answered, "Actually…yes."

Owen blinked, and Claire straightened his vest while adding, "Since you and Elise were the ones who figured out how to settle Sobek into our island, I'd really appreciate it if you could think of some ideas on how to keep Tacet calm on the way home. Maybe even how to make Elise's old paddock more livable."

She leaned over to kiss the rough cheek before smiling when Elise made a soft demand for the same affection, and Owen slowly said, "Well, you can start by clearing some space for her…clean out the bones too."

He paused to think when Claire gently kissed Elise's scaly snout, and the man continued, "Send someone out there to test the doors, _all the doors_ , make sure the emergency lock down system is still functioning, check all equipment. Claire, you can't rush a full inspection. Once Tacet is in there…"

Owen glanced back to the silent warehouse as he sighed, "You probably won't be able to do anything for a long time…it's going to be really hard to keep that place clean…unless we sedate her."

Claire nodded when he rubbed the back of his neck before suddenly asking, "You have Tim, Barry, and the other lady out there?"

"Joyce, and yes. They were supposed to do a basic look over."

Owen immediately shrugged while saying, "Put Tim and Joyce in charge of the brush and tree removal. They know what their animals need to move around. Have Barry supervise the inspections of the doors, emergency systems, and motions detectors. Tell him to treat it like a raptor paddock. If it's Blue proof, it'll be Tacet proof."

He glanced back at the warehouse before quietly adding, "I don't think Tacet is much of an escape artist anyway, but I know Tim and Barry can get _a lot_ done, Claire. I think you should hand the reins over. Make life easier."

The redhead pressed her lips, and Owen resisted the urge to huff at her reluctant expression. He understood how hard it was to give control on such an important project, but Tacet was already proving herself to be a massive project.

As Carlos had put it, Tacet wasn't going to get better with kisses and cuddles like Elise had. The Indominus had been willing to put forth her own effort to get better.

Tacet was unwilling to tolerate humans, unpredictable, and unable to communicate effectively. Owen knew he wasn't going to do this alone, he didn't want to risk making a mistake, and the man glanced up when Elise made a low croon for their attention.

Claire reminded herself, once again, that she needed to take Sign language classes when the Indominus pointed at her before hooking her index finger in the 'x' sign and flicking her wrist as if tapping an invisible table twice. Owen crossed his arms when Elise touched her head like she was thinking before allowing her hand to fall into the open palm of her other in a symbolic trust fall.

Owen allowed the Indominus to push her splayed palm towards them before she finished with a final, twice repeated, sign of pointing at a stiff thumbs up, and he said, "You need to trust your Alphas, Claire."

He appreciated how the woman tried her very best not to make that face where she seemed confused in an unintentionally snobbish way, and Owen quietly said, "The park is one, giant pack to Elise, Claire. All the little pieces of the puzzle make one, big picture. I trust Barry and Tim to do a good job."

The redhead trusted Tim and Barry to give their best effort, but this was a tremendous job that needed to be completed in a timely manner. It was one thing to direct a basic maintenance job for a large carnivore in the Restricted Area, and it was something else entirely with Tacet.

Claire could already feel an ulcer forming when she thought about all those little mistakes that could be made if she wasn't there to constantly breathe down their necks. Someone had to be in control over there, and Claire wanted to be in control.

However, Tim continued to faithfully tend the most terrifying dinosaur with perfected ease; he understood animal comfort. Barry was the only other employee who lasted as long as Owen with the Velociraptors. He understood just what those animals were capable of, and the man was responsible for maintaining security in the old raptor paddock. Joyce was new, but Claire was confident the woman knew how to get work done.

It wasn't like she had much of a choice. She still had things to do here on this island, but Claire was willing to lay most her faith in the official paddock inspector who refused to feel the pressure of deadlines; if a paddock wasn't up to code, she would tell anyone.

Owen raised a brow, and Claire finally said, "I'll give them a call so they can at least get started on clearing things, and we'll see what gets done. Tim and Joyce can handle the trees, and Barry basically treats the paddock like it's for the raptors."

"Just tell Barry to Blue proof it. That's all he needs to know, and he'll bring everyone from the raptor paddock to help."

Claire gave a small smile as she pulled out her phone and softly said, "I miss Blue already, and Rexy."

Owen wasn't very eager to face the Big Boss in the flesh again, he could already feel his skin crawling from that golden gaze burning him, but it was only going to get worse the longer he waited. Mama wasn't a patient lady. She did not forgive, and she did not forget.

The man winced when he glanced to Elise again, particularly the long slashes, and he nodded to himself; he was going to die the next time Rexy caught him. Whatever tolerance she had managed to work up for him was going straight out the window the moment she caught sight of Elise.

He needed to revise his will, but Claire sighed, "If we can't get back on tonight's boat, I think we can make tomorrow's, but we'll see. I'm not sure what Repair and Maintenance are scheduled to do today."

"Make it a priority."

The redhead raised a brow at her phone, "I got it under control, Raptor Dad. You should be getting our child's arm washed up before Commander Lopez chews you for talking."

Elise made a low croon as she nudged the man, and Owen finally chuckled, "Alright, alright, we're leaving. Just…I don't want to stay here longer than we need to."

"I don't either, Owen. I'm tired of this island too."

Claire put the phone to her ear before waving the duo off, and Owen snorted when he was gently scooped into the scaled hands as Elise made a low rumble in the back of her throat. The man fondly batted the long fingers while the graceful gait rocked him back and forth, and Owen said, "Blue is going to be so mad with us for not coming back today…or maybe not. She likes being her own boss."

Elise glanced down, and Owen asked, "Think they'd stick close to Rexy if anything happened to us?"

The Indominus easily nodded; she had no doubt Blue would keep the pack as close as possible to their matron. They didn't need to speak the same tongue to understand each other; they were no longer dependent on Elise to know what the other was trying to say.

They couldn't hold conversations, but Rexy and the girls had learned to read each other.

"Think they'll accept Fuego?"

Owen grimaced at the skeptical look in his tough baby's eyes, and he said, "I don't think he'll have problems with Delta. It might take a little bit for Echo to warm up to him, but Blue…"

Elise made a chitter of agreement, and the man sighed, "Blue is either going to really love him or really, really, _really_ hate him. Lovebirds or sworn enemies."

Owen paused to think before adding, "That reminds me, I need to make sure Fuego is actually snipped. I don't need a bunch of babies running around because Rexy just might be at her limit…unless she wants more kids to keep track of. Can we fit more raptors in that nest of hers?"

The Indominus' snort said it all, and Owen sighed, "Yeah, I figured. Mama Rexy is an old lady who needs a good nap every day. Gerry can neuter Fuego when we get back, and hopefully Blue will go easy on him. Think Rexy will let Fuego sleep in the nest?"

Elise felt that was pushing her mother's limit. If she did actually accept Fuego, Elise was very sure that would be the last creature Rexy would willingly allow into her nest. _That_ meant any hatchlings they planned to introduce would have to sleep in their own nests.

The Indominus gave a small sigh, and Owen agreed, "That's what I thought. Maybe we'll catch her in a good mood if Blue isn't driving her up the wall right now. Think she is?"

He smiled at the short bark from Elise as she limped down the road. The sound of construction was already filling the air, but the duo both knew Blue wouldn't even dream of annoying the Tyrannosaurus rex.

Rexy didn't put up with such nonsense.

* * *

" _Che peccato, Tesoro._ I thought you were a creature of peace. _Cos'è successo?_ What happened?"

Elise made a low sound as the slightly exasperated vet practically cauterized her bitten arm with his burning gaze, and Owen sighed, "Tacet's first encounter with psychologists and lawyers didn't go very well to say the least. Is it going to need stitches?"

Romano flickered his gaze to the snowy scales in thought before growling, "Are you attentive in keeping wounds clean?"

"You really think I could look Dr. Gerry in the eye if I wasn't?"

The Italian vet nodded at the truth of it and sighed, "I don't think we need stitches for your face if we tape it together, but the arm does. Be more attentive next time."

Elise winced at the biting growl, and she wondered if this was how Sobek would have sounded if he could speak. Owen pressed his lips to hide the sympathetic smile while the vet briefly disappeared to gather his medical supplies. The blood had already been washed away though Elise gave a small sigh at her injury.

Small One used to bite her…gently bite her…Elise remembered how Small One loved chewing her big sister's arm and tail…she didn't like chewing bark…it didn't taste good…it was an excuse for Elise to stay close to her fragile sibling…

She still didn't know what she had done to provoke Tacet so violently. Maybe her tail had twitched too close to the drawn line? Tacet could have taken it wrong when she turned her back, maybe that was it.

Elise had dumbly turned her back to a stranger with plenty of Velociraptor blood in her veins. Next time she would be more attentive, but was there a chance Tacet heard the conversation? It didn't make sense to Elise since Tacet appeared so oblivious to everything, but maybe…

She could have gotten scared in being forced to move, but Knight wasn't going to make her move. It didn't make sense to Elise; everything had happened so fast, and now she was sad.

"You did good in pinning Tacet, Baby Girl. We'll have to work with ACU so they can do the same thing in case I'm not there."

The snowy Indominus nodded her agreement with a soft rumble before Romano trotted back in as he said, "I almost forgot I wouldn't have to sedate you…it's so nice."

Owen snorted when Elise made a proud croon; she was always delighted to hear how wonderful of a patient she was. It made her happy knowing her doctors adored her even if it probably annoyed them with all the accidents she found herself in.

She really didn't mean to find so much trouble, and the snowy dinosaur adjusted with a soft sigh until a loud shriek loudly echoed from inside the building.

"I can't tell if Fuego is pissed at us or not."

The Indominus tilted her head at the next shriek as Romano dryly said, "He's been like that for a half hour. You can go check on him, Owen. You know that right?"

The vet gave a dry look that received a crooked grin, and Owen chuckled, "Is that my hint?"

"Do you need hints or me to tell you when to look at your animals?"

Elise winced at the biting tone that hardly stung the man, and Owen began to walk away while saying, "I'll go check on him, Tony. I'll give him a kiss from you too."

Romano lightly scoffed at the teasing chuckle before glancing up when the warm breath ruffled his hair. Elise hadn't quite figured out his less than stellar social skills, and the vet turned softer as he started, "You know, _Tesoro_ _,_ I think that little _bambina_ is going to make it. She ate a little bit after I got the ringer in her."

He gave a warm smile at the way her crimson eyes immediately brightened with sincere joy; this was the best part of his job. The wonderful feeling of knowing he had saved a life. The little Ankylosaurus wasn't out of the woods by any means, but she wanted to live.

The will to live was an incredible factor between life and death, and the baby wanted to live.

"Our Ankylosaurus handler managed to break her leg in last night's chaos, I doubt she'll be back anytime soon after all of ours escaped, and I think I'll send the baby over to Jurassic World once she feels better."

Elise made a low croon of happiness. She was very happy, and her arm hardly hurt anymore. The little tater tot was going to live! Such a strong, little baby. Elise was simply over the moon in knowing what she did hadn't been for nothing.

Now she could say something good happened today. A little life was spared.

"Since you're the one who saved her, I thought you'd like to name her as well?"

Romano's face crinkled with a wider smile when Elise immediately glanced to the wall in hard, serious thought. Her tail lightly flicked while her middle talon began to softly tap the soft earth. The seriousness in her eyes was touching to the vet as he continued to work on the arm in silence.

Even if it was just an Ankylosaurus, an animal she'd probably never see again, Romano appreciated her willingness to think of a fitting name.

It was humbling.

* * *

"That arm can work?"

Elise gave a confident nod as Lopez raised his brow, and Owen asked, "How big is this chunk, Commander?"

"Big enough for two hands, but Ghost will have to hold it steady so our lady can get the photos she needs. What I need to know is how solid you're feeling, Ghost."

Elise tilted her head in confusion; she felt very solid even if Tacet had bitten a few holes in her arm. Was she supposed to feel like a balloon? The Indominus didn't, and Lopez patiently sighed before saying, "This is to recover a body, and it's not pretty. We don't have dental records to confirm it a hundred percent, but we're pretty sure it's Dr. Wu. I know you haven't seen him since you were little, and…I wasn't sure how you felt about him."

Owen frowned, but Elise made a soft sound as she turned her gaze down the half-cleared trail of rubble. Wu had died? He was gone for good?

Just like that?

Elise wasn't sure how to feel about her…lack of feeling. She almost didn't believe it, and the Indominus made another soft sound.

Her creator was dead…

She barely remembered him, but he had cared about her in the end. He gave her information, trusted her with the responsibility of her entire species. He gave her so much dirty paper. He had wanted to meet her.

So…they were never going to talk again?

"Elise."

Elise blinked at Lopez, and he resisted the urge to cross his arms, "I really don't want to sound like a hardass, but if you don't remove that chunk of cement, I don't know how long Wu will sit there. We can't get big equipment to Wu without popping our tires."

Owen slowly gaped at the Commander for having the audacity to actually guilt trip the Indominus, and Lopez continued, "This is the part of the job that really bites; plain and simple. We have to make sure everyone gets home, and that includes the dead. Wu is our last body, Elise, and we need to get him home."

The snowy dinosaur gave a small nod before motioning for him to take the lead, and Lopez raised his brows in surprise. He really hadn't expected her to comply so easily, but the Commander breathed, "Alright then. Don't step on any sharp pipe, Ghost. We're already too afraid to face the Big Boss considering you look like Frankenstein."

Elise glanced at her newest stitches, thankful for the painkillers Romano had given her, but she paused when Owen quietly said, "Elise, come here."

The man pressed his lips when the snowy head lowered to his height, and Owen said, "If you get overwhelmed over there, for any reason, that's okay, but you have to keep a grip on yourself."

Elise planned on doing that; she was fine. She didn't feel much because Wu was gone and there was nothing to be done about that. She couldn't bring Wu back. It wasn't like they had been close. She hadn't seen the man for years.

She had no reason to be sad…

"If you need to focus on something, then look at me. Just remember that we are making sure Wu gets home so he can be buried. We're making sure he gets back to his family."

The Indominus gave another nod before moving to follow Owen who was already carefully looking for anything sharp enough to hurt Elise's feet. The path was just wide enough for the dinosaur to walk, but there were large chunks of debris she would have to step over.

She couldn't understand how or why buildings were made of so many different materials. There was no way to make sense of the exploded, burned mess. What had been windows? Walls? Why was there so much metal?

The Indominus didn't think she'd ever trade her jungle home in exchange for these little buildings that seemed much more fragile than sturdy trees that had fought to grow. Buildings were easy to destroy, but trees survived.

Owen hid behind a hard look when they came to the large chunk of cement that had only fallen down after the shock of the explosion failed to blow it away, and he internally winced at the loud silence. It would never cease to amaze him how incredibly silent Elise could be despite her large size.

It was funny, Elise was always loudest when she was silent like this. Her roar couldn't compare, and the man didn't have to look at her to know what she was focusing on.

Who she was focusing on.

It was almost surreal to behold the miracle worker of Jurassic Park and Jurassic World, but Wu didn't look like himself. Owen didn't know why that was even a thought when it was obvious the body was beyond damaged. The labs had been allowed to burn out with Wu sitting in it for who knew how long.

Owen didn't like the man. Wu had been a smug snob in life who shamelessly acted superior to just about anyone. After all, who could compare to the man who brought back dinosaurs? No one, and Wu knew it.

But, no one deserved to die like this. He sincerely hoped the man had died quickly, but he just couldn't tell with the way the arms and fingers curled tightly.

What surprised Owen was the hatred he suddenly felt for Wu. Not for all the bad he did in life, but for dying. Owen sincerely hated Dr. Henry Wu for dying like this because Elise was never going to forget him.

That slicked back, peppered hair was a distant memory. No longer would she think of the crows' feet around tired eyes or the sheepish chuckle. The loose tie was completely forgotten about while any and all words were foggy mumbles.

All she was going to remember was _this._ The body Owen couldn't look at anymore, and he limped to the side as Lopez cleared his throat, "Ghost, I need you to grab here, but…be careful with those claws."

Elise made no sound as she slowly shifted to snag her talons into the cement, but she couldn't stop staring at what was left of the human. It wasn't like she had never seen a dead human, but she'd never seen one killed in a fire.

So that's what the top half of a human skeleton looked like…but she couldn't help but to pause when the shiny glimmer of the gold tooth caught her eye. Humans and their peculiar ways. Why would humans feel the need to put gold on their teeth?

Funny, funny, odd, silly humans. Making fragile homes out of weak material, breathing life into extinct species for mere amusement, and allowing their lives to be dominated by dirty, smelly paper.

…Why did Dr. Wu have to die before they could talk?

The Indominus was startled by the sudden feeling of just being sad. The blue feeling in its most simple form; she was sad. Elise paused as she argued the rational facts against her hurting heart. She didn't know this man. He was a stranger who dumped her into a cold, cruel world without a second thought. He knew her sister had been sick, and he did nothing about it.

This wasn't a human to mourn… _but he was._ Elise acknowledged the painful burn in her chest. She had so many reasons to grieve this loss. She was sad.

This was the first creature who held her close, the first face she had laid eyes on; Elise had seen him before she saw her small sister, but she couldn't remember the specific details. They were a foggy memory, but…the feeling was there.

The welcoming warmth after being born into a cold world, and the soothing melody of a steady heart beating so loud against her ear. It was so hard to remember that Elise almost questioned whether or not she was just imagining how it had probably happened.

But he held her first. For his own reasons, Wu had held her first when she was only tiny, feeble thing he didn't understand. He never realized the gentle touch would be something she'd carry for the rest of her life.

She would hold Small One just as tenderly before creating the same habit with Owen. Precious treasures were held over the heart; it was as simple as that.

But, Elise couldn't hold Wu nor would she ever hear his heart beat ever again.

Life had robbed her again. She had hoped for one conversation with him. Just one, pointless conversation where they'd talk about anything. He could have prattled about how dinosaurs came to be once again, she'd pretend to understand, even try to follow as best she'd could, and then she'd bore him with her view of the breathtaking world.

She'd tell him how Rexy did understand her place on the island, and that the Tyrannosaurus wouldn't allow humans to hurt it. Sobek was cranky but adored the Big Boss, and Blue would do anything for a good Oreo. Echo loved chasing the rabbits, she kept Blue in line, but it was Delta who kept the peace in the family.

Elise would have told Wu that it was okay. She'd tell him that Small One didn't hurt anymore even if her life had ended too soon, she had died knowing how beautiful the world was. Elise would have told the man that she forgave him for doing so much wrong.

Because…it hurt to hold a grudge, and life had hurt the both of them enough.

Elise would have told him all of that and more, but she couldn't.

The Indominus decided to focus completely on Owen as Lopez directed her talons to move; her index needed to scoot a little to the left, her middle was close to the body, and she needed to be mindful of that when pulling up.

She didn't dare look down when Owen paled at the unforgettable sounds as the blonde woman photographed the not so clean underside. The man thanked the stars above that Elise was smart enough to focus on him, but he cursed Wu when that stench assaulted them.

A guard vomited.

Lopez lowered his brows when a few others glanced away. He _hated_ himself for not getting the slab lifted without Elise's help, but the Commander was so proud of her. Elise was the only one here who had good reason to get squeamish, but she held it together despite growing even more pale than what he thought was possible. She kept her gaze on Owen, and Lopez silently praised her for it.

"Alright, Miss Elise."

The Indominus continued to stare at Owen as the blonde woman added, "If you can just make sure the slab won't fall back over, I'd appreciate it."

Elise couldn't even begin to comprehend how this woman could sound so cheery. Was she not disturbed by this violent, horrendous death not two inches from her feet? Did she ignore it or accept it? Had she seen worse?

The woman sounded very kind and normal. Maybe someone who had a nice family with a cute pet that played with her children.

Elise never wanted to see or hear this woman again, and she turned to leave after pushing the slab back. She didn't want to think about this ever again, and Elise sincerely hoped this woman would never cross paths with her.

Elise just wanted to remember Dr. Wu from the video; maybe Owen would play it for her so she could forget that shiny, gold tooth gleaming in the sun.

Owen pressed his lips at Lopez with a silent plea to be a little lenient with her for leaving before being excused, and the Commander sighed, "You two get to babysit Repair until they're done with that fence, got it? Radio me after that."

The man nodded before quickly limping after Elise, but he couldn't help but to glance back at the body.

He wished Wu hadn't died like that.

* * *

"Elise! Baby! Hey!"

Owen huffed as his leg gave a painful twinge before yelping when the snowy Indominus suddenly swung around to scoop him up. He didn't like being grabbed so quickly, but he found himself pressed close to the snowy chest before he could protest.

The slow exhale echoed in the broad chest as the rhythmic, powerful heartbeat steadily pumped against his body while a shortened thumb ran down his back in her gentle hug. Owen pressed his lips when she made a soft, small whine, and he quietly said, "Baby Girl…hey…hey, I'm sorry Wu is gone, but he's going home now, okay?"

Elise pressed the man closer ever so slightly as she made a soft rumble and flickered her gaze down the road. She wanted to be an assuring presence to Repair, but she just wanted to hold Owen right now. She didn't want to lose her father.

"Baby, talk to me."

The snowy Indominus made a little sound before reluctantly setting him down in her shadow and lightly throwing her loosely closed hand up where her fingers splayed wide; like fireworks. Owen only stared as she quickly tugged a long, invisible beard on her chin and finished by pointing at him before waiting.

' _How old are you?'_

Owen blinked in confusion until she flickered her gaze back to the ruined labs, and the cold terror bashed into his chest. One, innocent little question packed with so much fear for the both of them, but he firmly said, "Baby, I'm going to live to be a hundred and twelve. Got it? I'm not going anywhere for a really long time, so don't worry about me."

' _I don't want you to leave.'_

Owen would have rather dealt with Alexander in the flesh instead of this kind of fear. He was helpless simply because he couldn't see the future, but he almost sighed, "Elise…I'm right here, got it? I'm right here. I'm alive, and I'm healthy. You can worry when I turn a hundred and eleven."

The snowy snout crinkled just the slightest as the fond amusement lit the crimson eyes, but she sagged once more and signed, _'You are little.'_

"I am actually pretty big for a guy, Elise."

The Indominus made a soft whine, and Owen admitted, "Alright, I am little compared to you or Rexy or Sobek, but that's not a reason to worry about me. I'm tough…we're tough."

That was her point exactly, her little human was surrounding himself with a growing number of very large carnivores, and Elise glanced down the road before gently scooping Owen up as he added, "Elise, don't give yourself grey scales worrying about that, okay? We're done with excitement because we are going to be smart with Tacet from now on. We've got a plan to knock her out quick in case anything happens, and we'll practice. Okay?"

Elise made a low sound before they startled when the brick wall of a damaged building suddenly collapsed, and she glanced at him expectantly. The man pressed his lips before admitting, "But…considering how things have been going…we just might end up dying on the same day. How's that sound?"

The Indominus finally gave a suck in laugh and nodded as she continued along. She knew her stomping had broken the already weak building, but she needed a reason to laugh. Even though the idea of Owen dying was a night terror in itself, Elise couldn't see it happening any other way.

Any trouble that would find Owen, would also meet Elise right next to him. The Indominus had envisioned her own death in different ways over the hard years behind the walls of her paddock. By her own claws, loneliness, simply giving up, or even the humans, but now she had a new prediction.

Elise was sure she'd die protecting Owen, but that thought didn't bother her in the slightest; not one bit. She only hoped the man would continue to live on. She would be fine with him planting a little seed over her body in the sweet earth where she'd become a strong tree one day.

Elise couldn't imagine life without Owen so she comforted herself with thoughts of Owen living without her, and that wasn't bad either.

Owen was a good light on the world. Elise would die to keep a good light.

* * *

Because there was a lot of dark in the world, and the Indominus resisted the urge to sigh as she flickered her gaze to the silent jungle once more while the Repair crew continued to diligently work.

Bridges had not lied when he said any sort of construction on this island was met with difficulty at every turn, and ACU was growing antsy the longer they sat without anything happening. Already they sat here for a few hours, and Elise glanced to the stiff guards once more.

They had jumped so high when Alexander roared in the distance not long after she joined the group. It secretly warmed every scale on Elise's body to know the male was concerned about her wellbeing, how he was willing to keep his promise, and she was sad she couldn't call him here to help keep watch.

The jungle male had made no reply after she gave an assuring callback that everything was fine, and she almost wished for a long distance talk.

It would have helped distract from the dark thoughts of Wu and Tacet, so she tried cheering herself up with Carlos' valiant story. It helped, but nowhere near as much as what the comforting presence of a big teddy bear of a friend could do.

She would have to make do without Alexander.

Owen shifted next to her, and Elise glanced to the dark faces before pausing at the one she hadn't seen for some time. She recalled first meeting him at the river during her rampage; Austin was his name. She remembered how he dragged away an injured man with a fellow comrade, and she swore he had fired the strong net that snapped her jaws shut.

He had also made her promise to bring Blake back alive when he fell into the Dilophosaurus paddock.

Austin didn't like her, avoided her, and Elise didn't think less of him for it. She was tired of fighting for the day, and the Indominus did as little as possible to draw attention to herself. Repair was frustrated with little setbacks yielding too much time being wasted, and Owen was lost in his own thoughts whiplashing between hunting down Alexander and solving their next problem.

They had a lot to think about. Elise had no idea how they were supposed to keep Tacet calm during the boat ride, and she knew Owen was thinking the same. He had that serious look on his face, and the man liked to look at what he was thinking about if it was possible.

He had flickered his gaze to her plenty of times while they sat here.

"I'm going to scream if someone doesn't say something."

The small group flickered their gaze to the skinny man, a newbie who managed to survive last night, and he added, "I just want something to focus on besides that stupid leaf over there."

Elise saw many leaves on the ground; she wasn't sure why he was so desperate for a conversation when it was obvious everyone here was missing someone. Silence seemed more appropriate, but stern Austin nodded in another direction, "There's a nice rock over there, Henderson."

The man almost rolled his eyes at his superior before glancing to Elise and asking, "Ghost, is Alex your new boyfriend? He coming back with us?"

Owen immediately turned his gaze to Austin as he asked, "Where's that rock you pointed to?"

Elise made a croon to be patient before shaking her head, and Henderson shrugged, "Why not? Hey, is he hot for a Tyrannosaurus?"

Henderson pressed his lips at the dangerous look though another guard quietly said, "Who knows how many more people would have died if he hadn't showed last night. Anyone who doesn't think he's the most gorgeous thing in the world clearly wasn't here. I'll be damned if my favorite dinosaur isn't that Tyrannosaurus rex after seeing him whip Carnifex into shape without even trying."

Elise only wished she had seen that fight; she wanted to see that natural grace in action as the rightful ruler of this island set everything in place with so little effort. Humble, calm, and confident in what he did. It was no wonder Sobek thought highly of Alexander.

She wondered what Rexy would have thought of the male? Elise felt she would like him, but the Indominus couldn't see any reason to bring Alexander to Jurassic World. He was needed here to rule the island. Currently, no one could take his place.

"Is Alexander hot for a Tyrannosaurus?"

Austin carefully hid his small smile when Owen immediately growled, "If we really want to talk about something… Is there a better way to get Elise and Tacet back to Nublar?"

The guards blankly stared at him as if the cut on his forehead screamed 'memory loss', and Henderson slowly answered, "I was thinking maybe that big ship we came here on would work, right?"

Owen rolled his eyes at the smart-ass answer, and he retorted, "Do you really think Tacet is going to stay calm for all that? And what about afterwards when we have to work with her?"

Henderson immediately shook his head, "Nah-uh, _you're_ the infamous dinosaur tamer, not me. There's no 'we' in this working with her, and I'm putting in a request to stay on _this island_ with Alexander. No offence, Ghost."

Elise didn't reply as the bitter shame burned her gut; she felt like she should have prevented that entire mess, but Tacet was unpredictable to her. Angry, oblivious, and forgetful. Elise wouldn't judge Tacet for her faults, but her hopes of a strong sibling relationship had already been laid to rest in the cold ashes of this fallen settlement.

There was no click or love, but Elise would never deny Tacet her understanding and patience.

Owen pinched the bridge of his nose as he sighed, "I can't wait to see her put that cage to the test. Where's Sobek's cage? The one he came to Jurassic World in?"

Austin hardly seemed fazed by the corner they were stuck in as he answered, "In storage in case we have to evacuate Nublar, but Sobek's cage is not up to status for an extremely aggressive, intelligent dinosaur. What if we cover her face? We do it with a lot of other assets when we have to transport them. It worked really well with the Baryonyx, Queen Anne."

The man nodded at Elise, "Have you ever covered her face or the raptors?"

Elise blinked in confusion though she recalled covering Lilly's eyes when the sea lizard had half-beached herself to eat the dinosaur. It hadn't worked very well, but Elise never remembered having her eyes covered, and Owen answered, "We don't exactly have a blanket big enough for Elise's face, and it just agitated the girls. We tried covering their faces when they were in their shoots to see if I'd help, but it made it worse. I don't think it'd work on Tacet."

"Why not? We have a tarp over there we can try on Ghost."

Owen nodded at the Indominus as he answered, "Thermal radiation. Elise can detect heat, and Tacet can probably do the same. Covering their eyes wouldn't do anything. I read a paper from a scientist in Florida who wanted to see how it worked with snakes."

Elise tilted her head, and Owen continued, "He covered the snakes' eyes with electrical tape so they couldn't see, which they could shed it off when the time came, but they saw just fine. Snakes can see in two ways. They can use their eyes like the rest of us or they create an image with their infrared sensors. It's their second pair of eyes without needing their actual eyes."

The Indominus made a low croon, and Austin sighed, "Great. We got an animal we can't blind…I heard rumor that Tacet doesn't remember squat from last night's fight. Think she'd forget the trip?"

"I wouldn't count on it." Owen paused to eye the Indominus before adding, "Unless she's sleeping for the entire trip, she'll probably remember everything, and that's why I don't want to lock her up for that long. Tacet isn't going to understand even if we try to explain it."

Elise sagged at the truth of it as her face and arm began to sting at the reminder of what her sister had done. She didn't want Tacet to be treated like some animal; muzzled and caged out of fear, but Elise wasn't understanding this…

Didn't her sister want to be around social creatures willing to repent for the cruelties committed against her? Where was the sweet Lonicera Bridges had begged her to find? It really was like two different creatures though Elise doubted another Indomitus was hiding.

Spaghetti.

The Indominus blinked in confusion at her own, random thought before recalling that last conversation with Bridges. Lonicera liked spaghetti; it was her favorite food, and she loved honeysuckle flowers.

She liked spaghetti…Elise liked beef…the Indominus had never tried the Italian dish that just looked like maggots swimming in red.

Owen never ate spaghetti again after she pointed it out to him.

Did Tacet still like honeysuckles? Bridges had pointed to golden flowers, so they were obviously on the island. What about cuddling the teddy bear? Did Bridges still have that? Maybe they were going about this in the wrong way.

Maybe if they treated her like Lonicera, helped her remember the good parts of her life…maybe it would bring out the better in her.

Or it would backfire horribly, and Elise would have to explain why Bridges was never coming back. Not only was she already given blame for chasing away a good mate, but Elise would receive all the credit for getting Tacet's only parent killed.

Owen glanced over when the Indominus made a low sound. It was safer to keep Tacet under control with that cage, but he knew he was going to pay for that later. He could keep the deck silent for her sake, but she was going to spend all that time wondering why she was bound while Elise wandered where she pleased.

Would the close proximity between the sisters provoke another attack?

"Two questions." Owen suddenly shifted before asking, "How much does that cage weigh and was anyone in the Marines?"

Austin crossed his arms in silent answer to the second question, and Owen added, "You guys have all the fun with those Super Stallion helicopters. I know they can fly Elise without breaking a sweat."

Elise snapped her gaze to Owen. There was actually something strong enough to fly her? The Indominus nearly went wide eyed with panic at the thought of being swung around in the air, and her stomach was already churning. What could humans possibly want to fly that was as heavy as her?!

 _What if they wanted to fly her back to save time?_ This wasn't good… Elise regretted not calling Alexander over as she almost nervously stared at the stern man when he sighed, "Yeah, we did think about flying Ghost here."

Elise actually managed to grow pale until Austin shrugged, "But, that cage is a lot heavier than you think. Even Russia's best cargo chopper would probably break trying to lift that _without_ the nine ton dinosaur in it. The combined weights are just too much for any existing helicopter."

Owen almost snorted at the not so subtle sigh of relief from Elise and replied, "Well, it was a nice thought. I guess we really are stuck with the ship then."

For far too long in Owen's opinion, but there was nothing he could do about it.

"We will have to give her a cover of some kind. Maybe that'll help calm her down." Austin shrugged his shoulders before adding, "If not…we tell her it wouldn't have to be like this if she wanted to behave. Teach her a thing or two about consequences."

Owen slowly nodded though he couldn't keep the slight sarcasm from his voice in retorting, "I'm sure that'll go over real nice with her."

"Tough shit for her. Until she starts community service like Ghost here, I'm not rolling out the red carpet for her."

Elise winced but didn't say anything; she doubted her sister would be willing to work with humans like her. Small One would have loved it…Small One would have loved children…maybe the world would have scared her for a little bit, but she would have been happy.

Tacet wasn't a happy creature, and the thought of one was a far-fetched fantasy at the moment. A happy, healthy Tacet who actually wanted to be around her.

Her big sister working alongside her. _Two_ incredible noses to find anyone lost on the island. _Two_ large dinosaurs to protect the island and its inhabitants from harm. _Two_ dinosaurs who could talk to humans through Sign Language.

Two. Instead of just one. The world didn't seem so big when there was more in it.

Elise wanted just one more in the world.

* * *

"And my hips don't lie."

Lowery bumped his hip into the drawer before wincing at the harsh slam, but he was grateful for the lack of people in the Control room. Fuego danced his heart out, so engrossed in the music that he never realized Owen opening the door to check on him, and Romano had snapped at the tech-geek for running an animal into the ground.

The vet almost hadn't needed to sedate Fuego to get a blood sample, but the tech geek didn't think much of it. He had been told to keep Fuego happy, and the Velociraptor was over the moon to be introduced to the master of hip moving, Shakira.

Lowery had done his job, and he was going home. Repair was nearly finished, it was past dinner time, and he wanted to sleep in his own bed.

Still, out of habit, the man leaned on the desk to do a final sweep with what cameras still worked just in case something decided to change from the last sweep.

Fuego was passed out on the floor in Sobek's old room, Romano was oblivious to the camera catching him in the act of pouring a generous shot of good whisky for himself, the docks depicted a guard or two patrolling, and Elise continued to bring comfort to the tired Repair pouring the last of the cement.

But Tacet…

Lowery had never seen such a depressed creature in his life, and the man slowly pressed his lips before sliding into the old chair with a small sigh. She looked incredibly lonely, and that hurt Lowery in a way.

It wasn't like a kid who sat alone at lunch or even being picked last for a team; Lowery could relate to those things, but this…

Tacet was shunned, and she knew it. Hunkered as low as possible with the heavy weight of negative emotions in the darkening room as the dying sun was bidding the world a goodnight. He pitied her despite the violent attack on Elise.

People were rightfully afraid of the Indomitus, but Lowery wasn't because he didn't have to face her in the flesh. It was easy to be fearless from Control where the scariest thing was a down camera.

If he could make a goddaughter out of Elise, Lowery could at least say a word of comfort or two to the dinosaur who was going through a lot for reasons she probably didn't understand. No one was taking the time to explain anything to Tacet for fear of making her angry again.

Romano was the only one who had gone into the room after she was sedated. At least her arm was put together again, and Lowery paused with his hand on the phone.

He had to be careful with his words. Lowery didn't want to make small talk, but maybe he could help her feel just a little less alone with a comforting phrase or two.

The world wasn't so scary when you weren't alone.

* * *

Every new day was something she was content to ignore; the world had never scared her because it never existed in her mind. Everything about her simple life was shattered to little fragments, and Tacet didn't know how to cope; she never learned to put things together as her very reason for existing was to keep fragments from ever connecting.

She didn't know a life beyond this room, Tacet understood she wouldn't survive out there where the world demanded active participation and attentive learning on a daily basis. She couldn't handle that. She just couldn't, and the Indomitus was empty in watching her life slip away.

Tacet wanted to live, she wanted peace, but it was overwhelming.

How long before she would say goodbye to the only home she knew? Tacet never knew she could be filled with such a bitter hate. It didn't even ignite the fragments responsible for violence, it was just a horrendous ache that threatened to eat a literal hole in her chest.

How could she convince the humans she wasn't a problem when she struggled to control all of herself? Tacet couldn't remember what happened; she had woken to a mouthful of fresh blood, humans long gone, and a wish come true. Her room was empty once more, but Tacet wasn't naïve.

She would say goodbye to all of this very soon.

She missed Bad Smell even if looking at him made her gut twist with guilt, but that didn't matter anymore because he was gone. The other humans had probably driven him away to get her. Maybe Elise got rid of Bad Smell to provide the humans easier access to this warehouse, because Bad Smell kept humans away from here. It made sense to Tacet, and that was all that mattered.

Elise had been a problem, and now they decided Tacet was the new problem.

Humans were the problem in Tacet's opinion, and the Indomitus slowly licked the rough wall. It tasted good, and she liked how it scratched her large tongue. Walls like these wouldn't be found wherever they were taking her.

And, the thought of physically fighting back never crossed her mind. Solutions obvious to others weren't always so clear to Tacet. She had learned unresponsiveness quickly bore humans into leaving. Violence enticed violence.

"…Hey, Tacet…"

The Indomitus startled at the little voice suddenly echoing in her silent room, but she wasn't angry with the surprise forcing her heart to thud a little faster. It lessened the hurtful ache in her chest, and she slowly blinked as if coming out of a trance.

That little sound was familiar, wasn't it?

"I…I'm really sorry things didn't work out…but I know it'll get better."

It took Tacet a second to realize that it was Lowery, and she walked over to the little box; she was happy his name came back to her like it was supposed to. It made her feel just a little more whole in relishing the fact that her mind cooperated this time.

Names were a little easier.

She could remember names if she saw reason to, but Bad Smell was the only human she consistently interacted with.

Tacet didn't know she once called that blonde 'Father' nor could she recall those long ago conversations where other humans, oblivious to her existence, called him 'Mr. Bridges' or 'Daemon'. Tacet wasn't even aware of those memories' existence, but they were tucked away with the rest of the _Very Bad._

The little box was there like always though the lack of shaky confidence in Lowery's voice had been replaced with a blue tone Tacet didn't like. She didn't want to drown in blue; she wanted that soft, healing yellow.

She needed to hear that in Lowery's voice. Tacet was desperate for anything even slightly good just so this horrendous day would be a little easier to deal with.

"Everyone is stressed, and we want to do the right thing for you even if it doesn't make sense right now."

Tacet would agree with that last part as she flickered her gaze to the stitches on her arm; it was a dull ache she could ignore, and the Indomitus glanced up when Lowery tried, "I know you're probably not happy with being moved, but…I think you'll like your new home. It's bigger, there's trees, and grass, and…it's really quiet too."

Tacet still didn't want to move, but it did feel nice knowing _something_ about where she was going. There. That was one good thing she could focus on, and the suffocating binds around her chest loosened slightly.

She was going somewhere with grass and trees; whatever those were, but they were apparently in her new home. At least it was quiet, and that was very, very good.

"So…um…"

The box crackled a little too loud, and Lowery cleared his throat before saying, "If it means anything to you…I'm going to Jurassic World too, that's the…name of the place where you're going, and there's a camera in your new home too. We can still talk there if you want. I wouldn't mind getting to know you."

Tacet only knew she wished to stay here with one human to keep all the others away, but she allowed her head to loll to the side when the man muttered, "That sounded creepy and weird…"

The Indomitus blinked in confusion; she thought the man sounded fine to her, but she understood her own skills in charisma and socializing were quite poor. Like their earlier conversation, Tacet was comforted in finding another thing in common with the little box on her wall.

Tacet knew she'd resent seeing herself in another, but these were things she could relate to. So did that mean Lowery was like her? He didn't annoy her like she sometimes annoyed herself…

He was different enough from herself, and Tacet was grateful for that.

It made her feel better to know she wasn't the only one who was bad with conversation. Tacet still wasn't thrilled with the idea of Lowery popping in and out at random, but she appreciated this conversation. Calm, quiet, distracting, and no learning.

"Did you know apples are part of the rose family?"

Tacet was struck by the simplest confusion she had ever experienced in her memorable life. It was very pure, weightless, and she didn't think less of herself when she ever so slowly shook her head.

An apple was part of the rose family. The Indomitus didn't know what an apple was nor had she heard of the rose family before…but now she did.

She had just learned something with absolutely no meaning.

Tacet slowly flickered her gaze to the wall in slight pondering of the simple fact, and Lowery sheepishly added, "I-sorry. I kind of…blurt things when I don't know what to say."

The Indomitus honestly would have preferred the box remain silent if he didn't know what to say. There was no point in speaking if he had nothing to say. Apples and roses. Now her head had less room for the important things she was supposed to learn.

Apples and roses. Why did Tacet get the feeling that she'd remember that for the rest of her life when she struggled to recall anything important like Sign? Now the silver dinosaur was mildly irritated with Lowery, but she could still appreciate the bitterness slowly seeping away.

There was a slight pause that didn't concern Tacet, and Lowery added, "I have to go, Tacet, but…try not to get violent. We really are your friends, and I know it's a lot of stuff to take in all at once. I know it's scary being moved when you don't want to leave home, but I really think Jurassic World will be better. It's happier there."

The Indomitus blankly stared at the camera as her head lolled. How this little box understood the terrors of being ripped from home were beyond her, but…Tacet _wanted_ to feel better about knowing that even if she didn't.

How was his experience going to help her?

"Just remember, if you're calm, I know it'll help keep everyone else calmer too…and quiet."

Now _that_ was some information Tacet was happy to hear. That was the trick to shutting everyone up? Staying calm? Why hadn't that worked before? She could do that much, and Lowery finished, "Try not to hurt anyone else, Tacet. That'll help keep everyone less…tense, you know? I know it's a lot to ask, but…if we try to cooperate with each other, get along, then this will be a lot easier. Okay?"

The Indomitus stiffened indignantly. These humans stupidly fell for Elise's lies, were tearing her from the only place she ever felt truly secure, and they wanted her to _behave_ throughout this entire process?

No.

Tacet didn't hear the tech geek muster his friendliest farewell before shutting the speakers off; this was a joke. Tacet knew jokes, and they irritated her. This was a big, fat, irritating joke.

The Indomitus saw the point in learning how to communicate. Tacet could justify those headaches, but _this?_

Was the little box legitimately serious? Humans expected her to behave and put forth her best effort to get along with everyone just to make it easier? After everything they put her through?

No. She didn't have a choice in going, but she wasn't going to 'cooperate'. There was absolutely no point or benefit in that.

They wanted her to participate in that loud world out there? The world that held no regard for her? She wasn't going to do it, and the Indomitus curled her lip high as she sulked over to the most comfortable corner in her room. This was unfair, it was cruel to her, and she was hurt with the way she was being treated.

Tacet was content to forget the world outside her walls, and she would fight to keep it that way. She belonged here in this room, and the Indomitus made a soft growl that only echoed in a soft sigh.

Apples and roses indeed.

* * *

"Make sure that gets to Dr. Gerry right away," The tired vet nodded as Romano tapped the ice chest while adding, "and have him test the Velociraptor sample for prions first."

Owen resisted the urge to repeat the order, but the younger vet gave another nod before sliding into the helicopter, and Lowery saluted the snowy dinosaur, "I will see you back home, fellow American."

Elise made a soft croon as she extended a talon for him to touch, and Owen quietly said, "Please keep an eye on Elise's old paddock."

"I'll try to keep you guys posted on their progress."

Owen only nodded as the tech geek squished into the helicopter with no longer needed workers, and Claire waved at the pilot to send them off. Elise was happy and sad to see the people go. This island had less people to watch, and that was good, but she still had to stay here.

She wanted her mother; the snowy dinosaur had decided she didn't care much for travel now that she tried it. Elise was homesick.

"I thought you'd be going with them, Boss."

The Indominus glanced down as Owen added to the redhead, "There's nothing else to do here, right?"

Claire looked tired even if every hair was in place with makeup proving perfect in refusing to yield to muggy weather. Her appearance was still like the day hadn't started, but Owen could see the slightest limp from the ridiculous shoes protesting all the walking around.

"No," Claire shook her head, "I still need to see what kind of paperwork I can recover in Bridges' office. I'll probably be there for a few hours. Are you two going back to Fuego?"

If there was anything Elise could find funny today, it was the fact that Fuego had literally danced himself into the ground. Every scale on her body ached, but the thought of the serious raptor twirling, hopping, and unashamedly enjoying himself just brought a smile to her face.

"We're going to do a quick walk along the walls to make sure Repair didn't miss anything. Did Barry ever call you back?"

Claire nodded as she checked her watch, the remaining street lights already flickering on, and she allowed herself to sigh, "Cutting down the trees isn't the problem, it's hauling them out. They had a truck stuck in the mud since the ground is saturated from the storm. Joyce can't find Sobek, he didn't show up for dinner, and Dr. Gerry had to give Rexy stitches in her jaw after his truck apparently hit her."

The redhead turned her gaze back to Owen giving a rare, blank look, and he had to blink a few times before saying, "Repeat that last one."

Romano snorted at the way Elise tilted her head like a very confused owl as Claire said, "Dr. Gerry's truck hit Rexy hard enough that she needed stitches."

Owen couldn't even begin to comprehend why Gerry would be suicidal enough to attempt a hit and run on the old lady, and he wondered why Blue hadn't killed the bad driver.

He could only imagine a ridiculous scenario where the old vet was simply fleeing in his bouncy pickup from Velociraptors. Maybe Gerry had drove fast enough over a hill to catch air while Rexy was walking by.

Or she could have been sleeping where he didn't see her, and Owen wasn't sure which was less terrifying or ridiculous.

"Okay."

Claire couldn't stop her small smile when the man accepted the situation. Too tired to question the 'how' or 'why'; Owen just wanted to patrol so he could eat and sleep. He would comprehend Gerry's manic driving adventures later, and the man beckoned for Elise to follow before Romano suddenly asked, _"Tesoro_ _,_ did you ever think of a name for that _bambina?"_

Elise almost felt ashamed when she shook her head, but the vet wasn't worried as he replied, "That is fine. I was just curious, but you two stay out of trouble. Stay away from Tacet's warehouse."

Owen gently wiped his sore face at the truth of it before pausing at the darkening sky. Wasn't he supposed to do something else right about now? It was an annoying itch in the back of his mind; Owen knew he was supposed to do something important.

But what?

The man frowned in thought though his mind wasn't willing to cooperate at the moment. He was tired, his leg _hurt,_ and Elise needed to get to bed after eating her own meal.

If he didn't remember, it couldn't have been that important, and the man smiled as he was scooped into the large hands with a soft chitter to stop thinking so hard.

Even if they weren't going home tonight, Elise was tired enough that she felt they would sleep incredibly hard. The wall had been rebuilt, the two Tyrannosaurs were content to relish their newfound freedom with little thought of returning, and any other life seemed to avoid this place.

Carnifex was their main concern, but Elise trusted Alexander to keep him in the northern part of the island. Tacet was quiet as a lamb in her silent room, and Fuego had no desire to roam tonight.

Elise would sleep as well as she could while comforting herself with the fact that she was doing everything to make this place safe. ACU guards knew they could come to her for help.

Yesterday was horrendous, today was exhausting, but tonight would be peaceful.

* * *

"I am terrified of meeting Sobek out there. I have no idea how Joyce just shrugs him off."

Barry let out a laugh, "She stays out of his reach, Tim, and I doubt Sobek would be on your side of the paddock without Rexy."

Tim dusted off his cap as the duo walked down the road running alongside the paddocks where guests weren't permitted. The park was due to close in a few hours though they had spent most of their day leading a massive cleanup in Elise's old paddock.

Tim was proud of their progress despite the mild setbacks, and he thoroughly enjoyed working alongside Sobek's handler. A down to earth woman who did her name justice in bringing small joys to the busy workers with her funny stories and rich laugh.

Tim knew Owen would get along great with the older woman, and he was sincerely curious to see how Joyce interacted with Sobek. She too was fond of nicknaming her animal.

She called him 'Pooky' whenever he felt like sassing her for being late with dinner. From what Tim understood, Joyce used the nickname almost as much as Sobek's normal name considering the Spinosaurus always showed up early expecting his meal ready to go.

Sobek hadn't come for dinner tonight, and Tim felt the need to check up on Rexy one more time as the girls were nearby; Blue wouldn't leave Rexy alone.

He gave a glance at the tall walls and replied, "I thought the girls would be the worst of it, and then Sobek showed up to eat the goat. Barry, I don't know what I would have done if Rexy hadn't stopped him from going after those people. As soon as Elise gets back, I'm making sure she thanks Mama for me."

"I just hope Mama is understanding when Elise gets home. Owen says she does not look good, and Tacet just wants to be left alone apparently."

Tim paused when he saw the bouncing, shiny trailer backing up to his little paddock door, and Barry added, "I'll have to help Owen with-"

" _No! No! What are you doing?!"_

Barry startled when Tim suddenly took off as the door was opened, and the trailer freed unhappy animals who were eager to run around as they pleased.

"Hey! What are you doing?!"

Tim tried to keep the irritation from his voice when the obviously new deliveryman didn't glance up from the clipboard. He only scribbled on the page while answering, "Delivery of fifteen Suffolk sheep and five Tennessee goats for the Metricansaurus."

The trailer gave a final bounce as the last animal happily bounded to freedom, and Tim exasperatingly corrected, "Metriacanthosaurus. This is the Tyrannosaurus rex paddock! You're not even close to where the Metriacanthosaurus animal pen is. How did you even get my passcode, and where are my Boer goats? We needed that delivery this morning, and it's nearly eight!"

The shorter man finally glanced up as he huffed, "Look, it's been a long day, alright? The ship's schedule is all screwed up, and Control gave me the passcode for the Metria-whatever animal pen. The door opened, I assumed I had the right spot, but we'll get the damned animals back. You want to speed things up, help us herd them back in."

The man turned to wave at his two co-workers, and Tim snapped, "You can't go in there, this is a Tyrannosaurus rex _paddock,_ not the animal pen."

"Paddock, animal pen, what's the damned difference besides spelling?"

The people flinched at the loud shrieks from three, incredibly curious Velociraptors sitting just on the other side of the wall, and Tim waved a hand in annoyance.

" _That's_ the damned difference."

* * *

Blue threw back her head with another shriek for silence when Echo snarled at her, but Delta cocked her head at the fluffs of white that had absolutely no idea what to do with the loud carnivores.

It had been such a depressing, boring day after their Tyrannosaurus elder made it clear she wanted to be alone, and their Alphas were nowhere to be found. Blue was stressed with the weight on her shoulders, almost losing Echo, and wondering why their leaders weren't home yet.

Stupid Alpha had promised to be back today, so where was he? Where was White One?

They were clueless as to where rusty Ugly One had gone and hid himself, but Blue just knew the pompous predator had the audacity to trespass in their territory. The very idea made her skin crawl, but now she was intently focused on these new creatures.

They were so…fluffy. They reminded her of clouds, but the dark markings on their faces and legs…

Like Oreos!

Echo growled softly when Blue gave a warm trill as she stood; there was nothing on this green, sweet earth more beautiful or innocent than an Oreo. How could these creatures, who looked so much like said heavenly cookie, be considered even remotely dangerous?

Blue had to touch one, just one, and if they were as soft as they looked…

The raptor honestly didn't know what she would do with all these bleating animals, but she knew she wasn't giving them back. They were hers now.

The fluffy flock slowly stepped back in a unanimous movement when the tall carnivore towered over them, and Blue cocked her head at the nervous bleats. They almost sounded like the prey they chased to Stern One every day, but these made deeper sounds.

Blue liked them, and the closest Suffolk flinched at sharp claws digging into her back before giving panicked moan when golden eyes widened with an actual gasp.

So. Soft.

Delta tilted her head further to the side when her older sister suddenly tackled the poor yearling ewe in a fierce, rib cracking hug, and the rest of the flock scattered to regroup further away from the too touchy carnivore.

Blue _loved_ this blessed creature of physical joy. It smelled nothing like an Oreo, but this creature was three times as soft and squishy as Echo's blanket. Blue smugly held the confused, panicking ewe even tighter as she relished the fact that Echo couldn't snap at her for touching these fluffs of delight.

Fluffs of delight? Legged Clouds? Legged Oreos?

The cautious man slowly stepped in, and Blue made a joyous shriek.

 _Oreo-Clouds!_

The Velociraptor happily buried her face into the ewe's shoulder with affectionate chitters until the warm voice amusedly said, "Blueberry, let go of the sheep."

Blue blinked at Barry standing by the doorway, and he held up a Double-Stuffed Oreo while adding, "You get an Oreo if you let go of the sheep before you break it in half. Come on. Let go."

The Velociraptor flicked her tail as the ewe made a soft plea for help, and Barry sighed when Blue defiantly barked. Humans always trying to take what was hers; she wanted both the cookie _and_ the Oreo-Cloud!

How could she get both…? A difficult puzzle indeed…

Maybe if she gave _one_ Oreo-Cloud in exchange for the Oreo cookie?

 _Or_ she could wrestle sweet Barry for the cookie…Blue liked that idea.

" _No, don't you even think about it."_

Blue wasn't deterred by the soft growl when she bunched her muscles to tackle the man, and the freed sheep immediately bolted for the center of her flock. The Beta lashed her tail when Barry refused to retreat, but Delta gave a furious shriek.

No touching her favorite human! Blue was too rough when she wanted to wrestle, and she'd hurt their soft caretaker! No!

The emerald raptor stood with a low snarl, a single warning to leave Barry alone or else, and Blue huffed as she retreated to the flock. She wouldn't bite Barry any harder than she bit Stupid Alpha when they wrestled…but she knew better than to antagonize Delta.

Blue had learned a patient raptor's temper unleashed was a storm rarely survived.

Delta gave a final, low growl as she settled back down, and Barry warmly said, "My beautiful girls. I know we miss Owen and Elise, but no fighting. Have a cookie, hmm?"

Echo snapped her jaws into the tossed treat before Delta caught her own cookie, and Blue made an indignant bark. She hated being saved for last when it came to getting treats. It always made her feel like she had done something wrong.

But, there was only the sincere, calm love in Barry's voice when he smiled, "Blueberry, I'd never forget about you. Here's your Oreo."

The blue Beta immediately forgave the soft handed man when she caught her treat and immediately began to slowly lick the sweet cookie. Joyous delights!

Barry pressed his lips at the way the possessive raptor had planted herself right in between him and the nervous flock of sheep, and he glanced to the silent, concealing jungle. He couldn't feel a stern presence warning him to behave nor could he catch a glimpse of those fiery eyes burning between leaves.

He didn't think Rexy was actually here. Barry hoped the girls hadn't annoyed the elder too badly, but he kept his voice stern when he said, "Blue, take the girls and find Rexy. Go on. Go find Rexy."

He raised a brow when Blue immediately froze before slowly turning to face the flock of sheep.

She knew the command to go find their elder, and she knew she was supposed to take Delta and Echo as well. Stupid Alpha always said it when he and White One needed to deal with the humans who swarmed the false log.

 _But,_ Barry had given her an idea…

Stern One was not herself today. She was slower, quieter, and inattentive to her surroundings. Blue didn't need to speak anything of the Tyrannosaurus language to know exactly what was wrong.

Stern One was sad.

These Oreo-Clouds were such a wonderful surprise, a beautiful gift from above, and an utter delight. As Beta, it was her job to keep _everyone_ in her pack happy, fed, and safe until the Alphas returned.

Stern One was an elder, she was sad, she wasn't eating, and Blue had been lost on what to do.

Until now.

Barry pressed his lips when the raptor quickly munched the Oreo before turning to walk over to the nervous flock.

" _No, go find Rexy, Blue."_

Blue made a low garble at the man she adored so much; he had no authority over her since he was bottom of the pack. Yes, Blue had decided this soft handed man had earned his way into their growing, odd family, and he fit just perfect. Barry was the very bottom, but he was pack.

So why hadn't he learned he couldn't boss her around?

What held her attention was how this puff of Oreo-Clouds seemed to move like a single body; they stuck together, but who was the head of this fluffy pack?

The raptor ignored another order from Barry as she slowly walked around the flock and was very intrigued by the way all heads seemed to nervously glance to the largest cloud. It looked older, more attentive to surroundings, and where _that one_ moved, the others followed.

Blue was always happy to learn something new, and she gave soft chitters to her sisters who perked up with interest.

Barry realized too late what his Blueberry was up to when the blue raptor inhaled.

"Blue! No!"

The earsplitting shriek was loud enough to give even the bravest man a heart attack as the flock leader immediately bolted down the well-worn trail in vain hopes of simply avoiding the loud carnivores while Delta and Echo gave their own barks to keep the flock together.

Blue only paused at the five Tennessee goats left behind, stiff as boards, and she poked one with interest. She hadn't noticed these hiding in the pack, but these were definitely like the prey she was supposed to chase to Stern One.

"Blue!"

Why wouldn't they move? It was like they were stiff with fear, and one goat found the strength to get up before falling over again when Blue loudly shrieked at it.

These were very amusing, but Barry wasn't very happy. He was pack, and she had to take care of him until the Alphas came back. So many responsibilities, so little time, and the raptor gave a comforting chitter to the flabbergasted man.

Blue decided to show her generosity by selflessly gifting these five fainters to her soft handed caregiver.

Honestly, he was lucky she adored him so much, but now she had to focus on the fleeing Oreo-Clouds.

Barry could only stare as the sound of sheep running for their lives grew faint, and the goats made nervous bleats for help.

Fifteen sheep. All gone. There was no way he was getting those animals back in one piece.

There was no way Owen was ever going to let him live this down.

"Where'd the sheep go?"

Tim poked his head in as the taller man lightly bounced his forehead on the doorframe in defeat, and Barry sighed, "Blue took them."

Tim raised his brows in half-surprise, but the deliveryman finally understood the severity of his mistake when he saw only five terrified goats ready to have a heart attack. He couldn't lose fifteen animals like this! He'd get a strike on his record for making such a mistake, and the deliveryman nervously tried, "You can't go in there to get them? You're their handler."

Barry immediately snorted, "With Pooky hiding out there in the dark without his tracker? I don't think so, and we'll have to sedate those raptors."

The man opened his mouth to plead until a faraway shriek startled the goats into falling over again, and everyone scrambled to scoop up the petrified animals. It was nerve-wracking with the dark jungle looming and wicked branches threatening to swallow them whole. They didn't know where Rexy was, and no creature in their right mind would rudely trespass in the Big Boss' home.

"Think the goats are okay?"

Tim grimaced when one fell over in the trailer. He wasn't sure if it was from shock or relief; possibly the shock of relief, and the deliveryman frantically chewed his lip in attempt to conjure up some valid excuse for such a heavy loss.

"Who has to pay for those sheep?"

The duo blinked at Barry, and the man added, "You know we aren't getting all those sheep back, right? Maybe a few if they get away from the girls, but most everything will be eaten tonight."

"Well, it's _your_ girls who took them. I'm not paying for those sheep. They're more expensive than my goats, and Rexy wasn't here. Delivery guy and Velociraptor Handler are responsible."

The deliveryman raised his brows as Barry retorted, "Who do you think they're taking those sheep to? It's not Sobek."

Barry crossed his arms until the deliveryman slowly began to walk away and Tim pounced, "Whoa, whoa, I don't think so, Man. You let those sheep loose in there. You get to help foot the bill."

The man looked absolutely crushed as he tried, "Come on, it's my first day, and Control gave me shit directions. Where's the dinosaur tamer guy and his sidekick?"

Barry immediately snorted, "He and Elise aren't coming back until we get another paddock up to code. It might take a few days."

Barry was sure they would be done with the paddock by tomorrow after the inspector put her stamp of approval on it; the crew was taking shifts to work through tonight, but Barry couldn't resist giving the poor guy a hard time. Control wasn't itself without Lowery, who had taken the rest of today off, and the odds of Tim and another handler having the same passcode were slim.

It was an unfortunate accident that could easily happen again, but Barry had no intent of paying for all fifteen sheep. Still, the deliveryman looked near crushed at messing up on his first day, and the merciful man caved into sighing, "Look, I can go into the paddock tomorrow if we can find Sobek. I doubt the girls will eat everything tonight since dinner wasn't too long ago."

Tim pressed his lips when he realized Rexy hadn't touched her own meals today, and Blue was a persuasive little creature. If she could entice Rexy's appetite, all but four sheep would be going straight to Mama for a late night dinner.

…Tim would happily pay for all fifteen if Blue managed to accomplish that. He'd feel much better knowing Rexy had eaten tonight even if it meant wool would get stuck in her teeth. The Tyrannosaurus was an older animal who needed all she could get and skipping meals was a dangerous habit that scared Tim more than he'd like to admit.

"Just go deliver the goats."

The deliveryman blinked, and Barry waved a hand, "We all get to pay for whatever we can't get back from the girls. Alright? There's nothing we can do tonight. Sheep aren't worth the risk of getting caught by Sobek."

"…Sobek?"

Barry shook his head, "Meaner than the raptors and bigger than Rexy. Get going."

Tim felt a little bad for the deflating man, but he only retreated to his truck with tail tucked between his legs. The deliveryman knew he was going to get a deserved tongue lashing from a handler shorted fifteen animals, and Barry shook his head when the truck began to drive away.

"I still don't have my goats…but I don't think Mama is going to come back until Elise comes home."

Tim crossed his arms with a frown; maybe he needed to risk crossing paths with Sobek just to make sure Rexy was eating _something._ Blue was just as ornery as Owen, but she adored the Tyrannosaurus. Tim trusted Blue to bring meals to the elder, and it made him all the fonder of the terrifying raptor.

Echo was the only early bird as far as Tim knew…maybe he'd take a quick drive tomorrow morning.

The man startled when Barry clapped a hand on his shoulder to reply, "All the more reason to get that paddock up to code as soon as possible. We do this for Elise, Mama, and fifteen sheep we don't want to pay for."

Tim finally snorted but nodded his agreement. That would make a great pep talk for the workers suffering long hours while dealing with the dangers of felling several trees in a short amount of time.

Please work faster to save fifteen sheep.

* * *

This was complete and utter nonsense in its most ridiculous form, and the emerald eye narrowed angrily at the silent door. He was perfectly camouflaged, even the birds above remained oblivious to his impressive being, but the damned younglings weren't coming through that entryway!

What truly irritated Sobek to his core wasn't even the fact that those snowy scales weren't appearing; it was his own, achy body protesting being still for so long. Bloody, rotten carcasses…he was getting old…

A sigh almost escaped the rusty predator as he mulled over his predicament.

His legs were _killing him,_ and Sobek was shamed by how weak his stomach had become. Honestly, he skipped one day of meals, and it was content to growl and yowl like he had missed days.

Pathetic. Shame on him, and the Spinosaurus allowed himself _one_ complaining huff. This is exactly what happened when he grew dependent on the humans for food. He was getting soft like rotting meat baking in the sun, and he'd sooner eat Death's putrid body than allow that to happen, but Sobek was smart.

He had an absolutely stunning, fierce warrior to fight any time he pleased. Wise One was proof that this island wasn't a complete waste of his time. As long as that glorious fighter was happy and strong, he wouldn't get soft or bored.

In Sobek's mind, that meant the oddball of white scales was also his responsibility. He wanted Wise One happy, and Twisted One made her happy.

Protect the oddball, resist eating the possessive snacks, and Wise One would be happy, which made him happy. Repeat, repeat, repeat. Sobek had reminded himself time and time again to prevent himself from yielding to sheer boredom, but a loud yowl from his own gut startled a bird into taking flight.

The Spinosaurus actually deflated before being reminded, yet again, that his old bladder was also in need of emptying, and that couldn't be done here or he'd give his perfect hiding spot away through scent.

He was old…

If Sobek was capable of it, he would have actually pouted while shoving himself up, and he growled at the branch rudely stabbing his proud sail. Stubborn, waste of time, this was unacceptable!

The Spinosaurus felt a little better when the offensive tree was promptly shoved over for showing such little respect, and he proudly turned his nose up while limping down the trail. He was going to eat, stretch his legs, and empty his bladder.

Sobek would make sure Wise One wasn't too sad, and then he was coming right back here. The Spinosaurus was bound and determined to give the snowy youngling a very thorough chewing, and then he'd roar at Stranger for allowing this inconvenience in his own life.

Dumb human, foolish youngling. Sobek was upset, and he would gladly tell anyone, but the Spinosaurus wouldn't roar right now.

Tonight, _no one_ would keep track of him. Maybe his legs weren't as tough as they used to be, and perhaps his stomach had grown a little too accustomed to consistent meals, but Sobek would be a shadow in the night. No human would find him, no pack hunter would cross his path, and a certain powerful one would reward him with a glorious fight after her wandering youngling was returned.

That would make all of this worth it in Sobek's mind.

* * *

Tomorrow. Tomorrow, she would make herself feel better, and that was final.

The forest scales walked with a slow grace down the trail, and a soft sigh escaped large lungs. It still hurt, but the will to live was overcoming the ache, and Rexy had found comfort in one detail.

There was always a chance her youngling was still alive if she couldn't find a body or blood. That was a tremendous comfort, and Rexy had realized the snowy scaled dinosaur practically raised herself.

Despite being naïve about the world, White One had made it this far without a parent to raise her. That was good, and even if it didn't sit right with Rexy's gut, there was always a chance the snowy dinosaur simply moved on.

Without her pack…without giving any sign of wanting to leave the nest…

The Tyrannosaurus rex suddenly stopped as if her own body just refused to move, and she allowed her gaze to fall to an old tree with particularly rough bark. It always felt nice to rub her neck against that bark, but she hadn't done it for a while.

Not since becoming a mother again, and Rexy turned her gaze down the trail once more as she silently questioned her own actions. She hadn't gone to see her tall son after Rude One almost attacked the false log, no food had enticed her stomach, and patrolling was such a chore.

Rexy knew nothing was really going to trespass into her home; not with those tall walls she pretended not to notice. White One and her little human had brought a lot of change with them, but it had been good changes. Now the duo were gone as suddenly as they came.

The Tyrannosaurus was faced with her old, twenty year routine of patrolling, eating goats, and sleeping. What a heartbreaking bore; she wanted to be a mother. She had tasted the adventures of motherhood once again, and it was wonderful.

Rexy was happy to feed her own, pass on wisdom, and the tender grooming sessions were better than the old days of roaming this entire island without humans. It made the Tyrannosaurus' day to share a nest with those oddballs. Rexy felt younger when her daughter looked to her for guidance, and the aches in her hips became easier to ignore at seeing little hatchlings scampering around.

Terrorizing the rabbit population…attempting to keep the peace between everyone…and-

A demanding bark startled Rexy from her thoughts, and those little golden eyes scolded her for acting so out of character. Blue gave another bark for attention, and the Tyrannosaurus would have smiled if she could when her snout lowered to lightly nudge those silvery blue scales.

Greeting her jubilantly; this one would survive just fine on her own, but Rexy would never take the attentive grooming for granted.

Blue gave a soft chitter as she happily rubbed against the strong jaw, pausing to carefully inspect Dr. Gerry's handiwork; the raptor caught the sharp scent of the old veterinarian, and she chittered again. As terrifying as that old human could be, he was very good with healing wounds. Blue was grateful for the healing touch on this strong jaw because it meant Stern One would feel better sooner.

 _And_ she was going to be back to her normal self with the surprise Blue had gotten her.

The forest scaled dinosaur gently swiped her tongue up the raptor's face before pausing when Blue darted down the trail and glancing back eagerly. She took a few steps back to the large carnivore and bolted down the trail again to look at Rexy hopefully.

Hatchling behavior from a full grown pack hunter, and Rexy puffed air through her nose before following. Today's nap had comforted her, but returning home to this blue hatchling made life a little brighter.

Rexy would never find a clearer image of herself even if she looked in a mirror.

Blue couldn't help an impatient chitter as she turned to make sure the elder was keeping up; Stern One was walking so slow! It was agony for the fast paced raptor, and she finally gave an exasperated scree before bolting down the trail.

What if this didn't work?

Maybe if she played dead, but Blue didn't think the elder would take kindly to tricks…would she even believe a play dead trick? Stupid Alpha almost fell for it once, and the raptor suddenly paused.

Stupid Alpha wasn't home today…and neither was White One… What if they never came back?

Blue immediately shook herself as the ground thudded with Rexy's steps. She had a powerful elder, two intelligent sisters, soft handed Barry, and a land full to the brim with prey. She would take care of this pack because that was her job as Beta.

This pack would remain strong, and that was final.

Rexy made a low rumble when the blue scaled Beta chirped, but the familiar sounds of several animals startled the large carnivore into halting at the sight of her defiled nest.

Fluff. All over. Touching her nest, disturbing the grass, and constantly complaining with annoying bleats.

…Was this what happened when she allowed energetic hatchlings to do as they pleased for _one_ day? It wasn't even the whole day…

The Tyrannosaurus rex slowly lowered her gaze to the very proud raptor eagerly awaiting any kind of reaction, but Rexy was caught in a mixture of unsurprised shock.

She was stunned to see prey dirtying her carefully hidden home like it was some carefree meadow, but the Tyrannosaurus was hardly surprised her blue hatchling had something to do with this.

Delta and Echo were already tired of the sheep as they hunkered low in the nest with irritated chitters to get rid of the prey they weren't allowed to eat. It was a pain to herd these fluffy clouds, and any little sound just startled them into bolting.

Currently, no sheep was brave enough to even breathe when they realized a titan had arrive, and all eyes intently focused on the Big Boss of the food chain. It didn't matter if they had never seen her before. To sheep, just about everything wanted to eat them, and this big thing was going to eat them without a doubt.

What happened to the fields they grazed? That's what the leader of the herd wanted to know; he missed his short, lush grass with tasty grain and the attentive guardian who protected them. The four legged barker who kept dangers at bay.

Now he was stuck in this very hot land, and the bellwether wasn't happy.

Rexy finally made a low sound, and her sharp gaze stabbed into a particularly close, petrified younger ram that simply fell over in response. Blue gave a startled bark as she immediately trotted over to the fallen ram. No! She didn't want to lose any Oreo-Clouds! Was it dead?!

Nope; still alive, and Blue silently praised the animal for doing such a good job of playing dead. Smart cloud, very smart, it almost fooled her, and the raptor mentally dubbed this unmoving animal 'Trickster'. Smart, tricky cloud, and Blue turned back to the elder of their pack who was finally losing her patience.

Prey attracted predators, and Rude One was a big predator she didn't want near her nest. These things smelled odd to her, they were making a mess of her sanctuary, and the irritation sparked a little something of her old temper.

The thunderous roar was an instant heart attack to skittish sheep who immediately panicked into scattering. The sheer terror of dying was fierce enough to purge any thought of herd mentality, and Blue made a loud, deep moan at the clearing emptying within seconds.

She had worked so hard to keep them here! Now she had to get _all_ of them back, and Blue was very sure the petrifying roar had killed those two sheep flat on their sides. Look at those soft skinned fluffs! Oreos were meant to be handled with tenderness, and Stern One's roar was not tender.

She killed two Oreo-Clouds with a roar! No! Echo and Delta weren't in the mood to help her keep this fluffy pack together anymore, and the Beta huffed.

Oreo-Clouds were not intelligent creatures, but they were very fortunate that _she_ was. Blue glanced back to the Tyrannosaurus _finally_ looking more like herself, and the Beta decided these fluffs were not going to survive. Idiot prey, but it was good fortune she took pity upon their soft, glorious hides.

They needed a smart Alpha, and Blue intended to dedicate her spare time to guiding that unintelligent pack. She would be Stupid Alpha's Beta, but this pack of Oreo-Clouds was now under her command.

First major decision…Oreo-Clouds were not allowed to sleep here apparently, and Blue made a determined chirp. She would be a good Alpha.

The three carnivores silently stared as Blue snagged her jaws and claws into the larger of the unconscious woolies in order to drag her as gently she could. Stern One had made it perfectly clear that these Oreo-Clouds weren't welcome here, and Blue would not allow any of her new pack to die on her watch.

Blue pretended not to notice how her sickle claw grazed the ewe's leg because she was a good Alpha who didn't hurt her own. In fact, this particular member of her family was now dubbed…

Weak Heart.

The sheep flopped into the brush in faint hopes of just being left alone as Blue went back for the other Suffolk that she would name…Ugly Teeth.

It was a fitting name.

Rexy never did allow herself to believe she had normal hatchlings, but odd thinkers were sometimes smart thinkers. Why the silvery blue scaled carnivore wanted to keep the prey was beyond her, but Rexy glanced to the nest with the two, more normal hatchlings.

She didn't want to sleep anymore…and that was a good thing. It meant she still wanted to live, and there were things to do. Maybe she would give a patrol before night fell, and perhaps tonight would be an easier sleep.

She still had three hatchlings, a tall son who worried easy, and her strong human daughter. It was important to maintain a bit of normalcy in times of hardship. Tomorrow, she would patrol like normal, and the scheduled visits to her tall son would be adhered to.

Echo and Delta perked up when the forest scales gave a soft rumble; they never understood what it meant specifically, but the raptors had learned to associate it with patrolling. Blue was more focused on dragging smaller Trickster over to the other two sheep as the trio melted into the darkening jungle, but the shrunken family felt a little better despite being short two members. A walk together would be healing.

And tomorrow would be a new day.


	89. Chapter 89

**A/N**

 **Hey guys, we will have another chapter next week!**

 **We're finally off Sorna and back to Nublar by the end of this chapter. I thank you for your patience with this island. I know it hasn't been the most fun. I hope you're all having a wonderful week wherever you are. Thank you much and mighty for your reviews and constructive critiques!**

* * *

' _They had to contain the story within the frame; the best picture contained a whole war within one frame.' – Tatjana Soli_

* * *

"Hamartia."

"Owen."

The man startled awake before softly sucking in a deep breath at the way his leg jostled with being so suddenly moved.

Tylenol. He wanted Tylenol right now; it didn't matter what time it was. It was time for painkillers, but the soft hand on his shoulder forced the man to blankly stare at the redhead leaning over him.

Owen immediately glanced over to the dark blue raptor, completely unaware of the intruder, and he turned back to softly growl, "Claire, you could get killed if you startle Fuego. Wild. Velociraptor."

"I did something really illegal."

Owen squinted to make sure he was actually talking to his redheaded girlfriend, who did absolutely everything by the rules, and he was completely shocked to see it was indeed Claire before him.

What time was it? Why did he hurt even more than yesterday? How was it that Claire's soft voice was what woke him, and not the horrendous snoring practically roaring from Fuego's jaws?

There was no way on God's green earth that silence loving Rexy was going to even humor a half hour with this monstrosity, but Owen couldn't stop the lulling strokes of sleep from gently reclaiming him as he mumbled, "It can't be…that bad…"

Claire lowered her brows at the man ready to give his own snores, and she flatly retorted, "I broke into a house and stole some things."

She expected the shocked look as Owen immediately lifted his head, but confusion took over when he asked, "What? What house is here? Whose house? You're a CEO, what could you possibly want to steal that you can't just buy?"

They flickered their gaze over to the dangerous raptor when his loud snoring momentarily paused with a slight adjustment, and Claire tried to keep herself quiet, "I…found a key in the main office, and I broke into Bridges' house. It's not far from here."

Owen scoffed as his head rested back onto the snowy scales acting as a pillow, and he sighed, "Claire, you could empty a gun into his corpse for all I care. Put the stuff back you little grave robber."

Claire rolled her eyes at the man going back to sleep, she was half-tempted to lightly kick his leg, but Fuego would end up on the ceiling from the man's screaming. Elise was still fast asleep, and she looked precious with her arm tilted just right to keep Owen from rolling off.

The swelling wounds looked less precious, but Claire was determined to get the man up. If there was anything she had learned in her line of work, it was getting people to do what she wanted without having to do more than say a few convincing words.

And she wanted Owen to wake up and go through the spoils attained by her sticky fingers.

"It's all in my room. With hot food, a shower, and a bottle of Tylenol."

Claire expected no less when the man stiffly rolled off Elise's snowy arm with a soft groan, and Fuego briefly cracked open his crimson eyes. The raptor's sleep wasn't disturbed by Owen's heavy limping, but the carnivore did briefly lift his head at the door shutting just a little too hard.

His body ached terribly from all the running around yesterday, and Fuego decided today would be a lazy day as he hobbled over to the warm spot on the Indominus' arm. The fogged mind did nothing to comprehend that their human was gone because it was safe in this little room.

Just a few more minutes of blissful sleep…

* * *

"Wow."

Claire rolled her eyes at the unimpressed man who dryly added, "I better hide my valuables and change the locks when I get home. How much is Patches here going to get on the black market?"

Owen raised a brow as he leaned down to get a better look at the old bear that had seen its better days. Missing the right arm and an eye with poor stitching keeping the torn body together, the teddy bear had not been fortunate to call a gentle creature its owner. Even the blue and white plaid bowtie was tattered to shreds from milky teeth.

"It belonged to Tacet, and that house has to be searched by the authorities. I could get into trouble for compromising something."

The man glanced to her in surprise at the valid point though the early morning fogged alarm bells, "I have no idea how you live so dangerously. Breaking into homes, stealing items of sentimental value, and how do you know this is Tacet's? Could be Bridges'. He's weird enough to keep his own bear."

Claire shook her head as she walked over to the humble desk pressed against the wall and returned with a thick envelope filled to the brim with crisp photos before handing it over to Owen.

Kids today would never understand how the world would always seem to pause when in the presence of a stack of photos. A little magic in the art of storytelling was lost to digital pictures, and Owen slowly sat on the bed with Claire next to him as he began to flip through this short story.

One picture at a time.

It was a beautiful start to life with not a worry in the world as a tiny life blinked in confusion at the camera. Garnet eyes sparkled with an intelligent warmth that almost looked odd on an animal, and silver scales were lovingly hugged by a fluffy pink blanket. The baby had been born into gentle hands despite her purpose in the world, and Owen flipped to the next picture.

She was fearless and happy. How soon she had learned to work her little legs wasn't known, but there was an immediate love between this little ball of energy and her old bear who had seen many years before her. The quieter of her two teachers, the old bear had attempted to teach a rambunctious hatchling a lesson or two in being mindful of those sharp claws of hers.

He had the scars to prove it took her some time to learn said lessons, but she was a better student, unlike his former, fire scaled owner.

The next chapter was family. She had a father she loved very much, and her charming, bright personality was more than enough to entice a sincerely warm smile from the human face she pressed close to. The little silver body twisted in a way only babies could, and the jaws full of milky teeth were wide open in a gaping smile. The large pillow dented from two heads always sharing it at night, and the man's face crinkled mid-laugh when that camera button snapped.

They were a goofy duo. The baby didn't know how to be serious while the man just couldn't keep the grin off his face whenever she was around. She made him happy.

Food was always played many a chapter in life as the next picture took its time in telling of her non-existent table manners. The silvery scales were no more as every inch of her was coated in rich marinara, noodles, and delicious meat. Those garnet eyes were unashamed with being caught, and the content look spoke volumes of a father who understood it was easier to laugh at a mess rather than grow angry.

"That's my favorite picture."

Owen smiled at the soft voice as Claire gently rested her head on his shoulder. The little baby sprawled on the dinner plate of spaghetti was endearing, and the man flipped to the next picture before replying, "I think this one might be my favorite."

What was life if it didn't include the colorful, outside world? The dark emeralds were practically lit by the abundant flowers of rich gold, and the silver head seemed to fit just right among earth's treasures. She had grown since her first picture, and the silver creature didn't understand how beautiful she looked with a yellow honeysuckle resting on her snout.

Happy days when golden pollen powdered the silvery scales rather than a harsh talon to rip the flesh apart. The rich earth provided all the natural makeup for this pretty little girl to play in from thick mud to grass stains and crystal clear waters.

The chapters were as many as they were happy and colorful while Owen continued to go through each one. The silver scales quickly grew from a tiny infant who could fit in two hands to a very beautiful child just eager to see the whole wide world. Her stuffed bear shared in all the adventures, and now they understood why the chocolate fur was so worn and patchy.

This was a bear who had seen the entire world right by his owner's side.

It wasn't long before the photos became fewer, but the silvery scales seemed just as happy. Sometimes she appeared a little warier of the world, her eyes darkening to a serious gleam, but the camera didn't lie.

Not a single scar blemished those shiny scales.

But the story's joy ended just as suddenly as it started, and Owen blinked in surprise at the young baby looking afraid in the fourth to last photo. Clearly she had been caught doing something she wasn't supposed to with her delicate hand resting on a dull handle to a simple door, and her loyal bear resting on the ground. Owen was most confused by the plastic water bottle poking from under the stuffed animal.

Owen frowned at it until Claire offered, "That's the basement door…it's pretty creepy down there."

The man turned the photo over in hopes of finding more information as he said, "Bridges could have scared her on accident with the camera. I'm not sure she would go in there if he didn't want her to. Did it look like it used to be a play room? Maybe she stayed there when he was at work…could explain why she had the bottle of water."

It didn't explain that gut feeling that she knew she was doing something she wasn't supposed to. Owen just couldn't fathom what that would be from a baby's point of view.

Claire allowed herself to shrug her shoulders, "She's not very old in that picture. If it was a playroom, it doesn't look like one now. It's cold, the walls and floor are cement, and it's not lit very well. It's creepy down there. I was afraid something would pop out from behind the stairs, but it just had files. I found the bear and the photos in an old cardboard box in the back."

Owen shifted his dully aching leg while retorting, "She can't be more than a year old. Elise is a teenager at six years old…Tacet would be…three or four years old mentally in this picture? Bridges had time to change this room. Whatever she was interested in could be gone…assuming she even knew what was down there. Was it just one room down there?"

"I saw a door, but it was blocked up by boxes. It just goes to the backyard. I went around to open it from the other side, but it was locked with a passcode."

Claire slowly nodded as Owen flipped to the next picture as he added, "That doesn't mean Bridges wasn't up to something in that basement. I don't care what he said, Tacet didn't get these problems on her own. Look at this."

What was obvious to others wasn't always so clear at the time as the silvery child held her worn bear for comfort, but she no longer had the courage to meet the photographer's gaze. At a passing glance, she was simply looking to the side, but her head was turned submissively; a defenseless creature's attempt to look small and unimportant in hopes of being left alone.

Her shortened thumb had been tenderly wrapped with a thin, white bandage, and she tried hiding it in the rough pelt of her loyal friend, but the chocolate fur had become too short to offer such comforts.

"She's stressed, Claire."

Claire took the photo as she furrowed her brows in thought, turning the picture this way and that in search of more telltales, but no such clues would be found. The silver scales looked sad, even a little tired, and Claire asked, "Think he abused her emotionally?"

Owen wanted to blame everything on the blonde, but he knew Bridges wasn't stupid enough to _intentionally_ do that. The man was fully capable of being that cruel, but he wasn't a stupid businessman.

Damaged goods weren't as valuable.

Owen frowned, "I would go back to those papers to see if he has anything on selling Tacet, Claire. Maybe his computer has something. I don't think Bridges would lay a finger on her if he wanted to sell her, but if he lost his buyers…"

"She'd lose all her value to him. It wasn't like he could put her in the paddock to replace Elise's sister since we already knew she was dead, and hiding something like Tacet would get him fired at the very least. Why would he keep her if he lost his buyers?"

Owen flipped to the next photo as he unintentionally snapped, "Because Bridges was a sick, sadistic bastard who got a kick out of feeding people to Carnifex. He wasn't sane in the head, and he had this little, innocent baby to take care of…"

Claire wasn't fazed by the tone; she only wrapped her arms around the tired man to offer what comfort she could. He was injured, angry, and in need of someone to lean on. Claire felt better when he gave a small sigh with muscles loosening, and the kiss on her cheek was tender.

The photo wasn't.

It was the calm before the storm with everything in place; a serious scene void of any emotion as that silver child coolly eyed the camera with an unusually blank expression. Those vivid, garnet eyes had dulled with exhaustion as she draped herself on the neat bed, and her loyal bear sagged on the nearby nightstand. She would come to a man's hips at full height with clean teeth gleaming in the dim light and a single feather plucked from her own arm.

The broken tip had accidentally smeared a delicate drop of blood on the sheets near her hand.

Her thumb had already healed, not much time had passed since the previous photo, but she looked older. She was worn and tired. The baby, who had yet to see her first birthday, lacked that energetic luster to color her bright soul. Life from Lonicera's point of view had neared its conclusion.

Owen flipped to the last photo, and a sad sigh escaped him. Few details were crystal clear as the camera had swung away when the button clicked, but that said everything he needed to know about the situation. The Indomitus, who hadn't aged since the last photo, had finally snapped into lunging at the camera. Teeth coated with her own blood rushed the photographer, but her head was angled just right to allow a glimpse at the recently sutured throat. Owen didn't have to be there to know she wouldn't have made a sound.

Cruel without reason.

The End.

"This was everything you could find?"

Claire pressed her lips before admitting, "I just saw the pictures and the bear…I was hoping you would see something I didn't, but I didn't think to look for anything about selling her. I wonder if he was going to sell her to BioSyn."

"Why would BioSyn buy her like this?"

Claire crossed her arms to think as Owen flickered his gaze to the sad bear, and he wondered if Tacet would even want this back. Would it be smart to just shove this back in Tacet's face and hope for the best? He didn't think so, but maybe she would want it later; the man knew Elise would like to see these photos for herself.

It added a little good to Tacet to know she used to be a happy creature. It was just a hair easier to find that extra patience she needed when they could envision who she had been.

"To cover his trail?"

Owen blinked, and Claire shrugged, "I'd have to go through his paperwork, but moving ownership could have given him a lot of loops even if he was caught with Tacet. Mrs. Dodgson is a widower, I bet Bridges was just using her to take the heat of his own back. I'll tell Judge Knight after I eat my breakfast."

Owen nodded as he silently slid his hand into Claire's for no reason other than to simply touch her. He never understood how such a strong woman could have hands this soft, but he was content to run his thumb along hers.

He needed to check Elise's slashes again, feed the duo, keep a lookout for _the boy…_

 _The boy…_

"Think Tacet would want the bear back?

Owen glanced back to the stuffed animal before clearing his throat, "I don't think it'd be a good idea to give her the bear right now, but we'll hold onto it. Did you ever talk to Tony about Tacet and Carnifex?"

The look on Claire's face suggested not, but she slowly asked, "You really think Tacet is going to get pregnant?"

Owen was sure life was having a grand time of spitting in his face when it came to large projects like this. The odds were not in his favor, and the man just wasn't comfortable assuming nothing would happen. Why would nothing happen? Would they be that lucky?

"Carnifex was with her for an entire day, Claire. Tacet is healthy."

The redhead raised her brow, and Owen quietly added, "Physically. She's got the body weight to support a pregnancy. You have a backup plan for that, right? Jurassic World has massive dinosaurs, what do you do when you need to prevent a pregnancy?"

Owen knew his girls hadn't done anything as far as egg laying went; even unfertile eggs weren't deemed important enough to bother creating without ever seeing or hearing another male. That wasn't the case with other species on the island, and Claire slowly said, "Owen, Sobek is the only male dinosaur on the island, besides the scavengers, and Fuego. Is he fixed?"

"He will be if Tony never got him."

The redhead glanced to the side before saying, "Sometimes it's a lot cheaper to breed a female rather than create the baby in the lab."

"Raptors lay an average of _twelve_ eggs, Claire. I want to keep it at a nice, controlled four _maximum."_

He held up four fingers just to make sure the point got across loud and clear, and Claire nodded patiently as she gently pushed the hand down, "My point is we keep things simple. No boys, no breeding. All the dinosaurs with frog DNA have either changed sex already or didn't change at all, and most of them are too old for reproduction, like Rexy. I doubt she'd change her sex."

"So as far as a day after pill kind of solution…?"

Claire knew Owen was just being desperate at this point when she kept her tone quiet like she was talking to a little kid, "Jurassic World has not fully explored the reproduction field simply because we've never had the need to. We carefully monitor what females we _choose_ to breed. If an egg isn't deemed healthy or worth saving, we freeze the eggs before disposing of them."

Owen opened his mouth before lowering his brows when she gently cupped his face to slowly add, "Dr. Gerald Harding absolutely will not perform surgery on an animal unless necessary. That is his line, he has already torn my board members to bits over it, and I know he won't do surgery on Tacet unless her life is in danger. Surgery is the very last option for him, and we don't have anything to give her to prevent or terminate a pregnancy."

She gently squeezed his face, mostly because the man's cheeks looked hilarious when they were mushed, and Claire finished, "Medically speaking, it's just safer to let the dinosaur lay her eggs, and then we interfere. Dinosaurs don't handle surgery well, Owen, they don't. It's why they're so tough to begin with."

That was not comforting to Owen, and he sighed, "So if Carnifex has strong swimmers?"

The redhead almost rolled her eyes as she answered, "We deal with it _if_ that happens. Besides…Tacet has human rights, and California believes a woman has the right to her own body."

Owen opened his mouth again only to have her firmly say, "So _if_ she gets pregnant, keeping the babies is up to her unless she's deemed unfit, and even then I'd have to double check."

The redhead blinked when Owen slowly rolled flat onto the bed and sighed, "I'm stressing…"

"You'd have a heart attack if you did my job."

She smiled when he only agreed, and the man groaned just to show how tired he was with the growing problems. He felt less ready to face the day, but life felt just a little better when those soft fingers began to lightly trace his sore face.

It was going to be okay, and maybe life had enough of ripping them to bits.

* * *

Today was not a good start to being a good Alpha.

Blue was a little more than disappointed to learn young Trickster was not actually a good actor, but in fact an animal with a sincerely weak heart. It had a taken a good chunk of time to get the pack of clouds to safety in the plains, and Blue went back to the nest feeling proud of herself.

All Oreo-Clouds were left safe and sound in the lush grass with a nearby pond, but the Beta had come back to discover Trickster did not survive the night. The pack of clouds didn't seem too broken about it, that was good, but Blue now knew that Stern One's looks apparently could kill.

That was also good to know, and she would warn Stupid Alpha about the fatal gaze to prevent more unneeded deaths.

The sheep weren't thrilled about the massive Velociraptor turned part time sheep dog, but most of the wooly family understood how to be herded. Not that it really helped when their terrifying guardian was still learning even if she was a fast learner. The leader of the herd was less than happy with the forced acquaintanceship, and the old bellwether had dubbed the carnivore 'Terror' while Blue named her new Beta 'Angry Oreo'.

Currently, the little herd grazed at a distance from Blue and the fallen Trickster. The blue raptor was content to know their elder had woken to patrol like normal even if the movement seemed a little forced, but today Stupid Alpha would come back. Stupid Alpha always returned.

Her scales were crawling with disgust at knowing Ugly One was deep in their territory, and the Beta paused to glance back at the remaining, fourteen sheep. She would have to hide them always or they'd be eaten or stolen. These clouds made her happy, and they had cheered up Stern One. To Blue, the sole purpose of this fluffy pack was to cheer up hurt pack members when no one else could.

She'd move them soon, and hopefully they wouldn't be too terrified of her after she finished her meal.

He didn't taste anything like an Oreo, but Blue still counted Trickster as absolutely delicious.

* * *

He was awake, he was hungry, and he wanted to see some beautiful blue skies. That fair wind would kiss his nose today, and Elise cracked her eyes open at feeling the cool breeze before flicking her gaze over at the proud chirp.

He was a brilliant creature, yes he was, and Fuego gave a loud bark to get up! The water here had no flavor compared to the crisp, laughing river, and he went through all the trouble of guessing the correct pattern on the screaming box.

He was so smart, Fuego couldn't help licking his own chest in self-praise. Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant. Humans were not the smartest things in the world, nope, he could work their little boxes just as easily.

The snowy Indominus gave a small sigh as she continued to lie still; her body somehow knew it was in for a world of hurt if she moved, but Fuego was a believer in tough love as he walked over with a firm bark to get up. He would take care of hurt family always, but she could walk.

He couldn't bring water to her, and the dark scaled raptor gave a firm nip on the cheek. No lazing about! Today wasn't a lazy day anymore! It was only a slightly lazy morning.

Up!

Elise puffed air through her nose at the hard headbutt on her shoulder, and Fuego loudly snarled. _Move!_ Big things needed lots of food and water, and Alpha Elise was a very big thing! She was in the process of healing, and the raptor wouldn't be satisfied until she drank.

Up!

Another headbutt into the cheek forced the Indominus to lift her head, and the stiff pain was something else entirely. Why hadn't she hurt like this yesterday? Elise felt like a crusty, sore mess. She wasn't hungry or thirsty; Elise just wanted to rest.

Life was painful again…

Fuego chittered to get up or die, and the Indominus sighed her own retort that sleeping was not dying. She wanted to rest, but Fuego knew better. Sleeping was for _after_ eating and drinking.

Water was very important; Fuego understood that much very easily.

The river wasn't too far a walk; they wouldn't have to go to the same spot as yesterday, and he gave an unbearably loud, long yowl until she tilted her head in irritation. His lungs were beautiful, healthy, and Fuego was content to show just how large they were until his snowy Alpha moved.

Maybe his throat hurt a little by the time Elise forced herself up and slowly after the pleased raptor. Now the Indominus was seeing the differences between Fuego and Blue. Both were incredibly stubborn when it came to what they wanted.

But, Blue was content to go about her day if the rest of the pack didn't want to bask in her presence.

 _Fuego_ wasn't about to leave anyone behind even if he had to yell, bite, and headbutt the pack member who outweighed him by more than a few tons. She gave a low moan in wonder of how Rexy was going to react if she ever decided she wanted to sleep in.

All things beautiful, it wasn't going to end well for Fuego, and the Indominus followed the perky little thing into the jungle without a second thought about the wide open doors. She didn't wonder why they were suddenly open.

Elise was more focused on what tree she'd plant on Fuego's mushed body after Rexy was done with him. Maybe a stubborn weed for his persistent personality. Elise liked that idea.

Perhaps a pretty dandelion.

* * *

"It's a good thing you didn't see Alex, Baby."

Elise gave the man a dry look as he shamelessly added, "It means Alex is off doing his own thing, _far away_ , and you're right here where you belong. Away from him. He's probably making sure Carnifex won't come back. _Way_ on the other side of the island."

The Indominus gave a sigh as she lowered her head; she wasn't feeling very cheery despite the calm walk to the river. She didn't get to see any Brachiosaurs this time, that made her a little sad, but no Compys felt angry enough to follow them.

That meant they probably found another meal, and that was a good thing.

She was still sad about Dr. Wu's death, and she hurt knowing that Tacet didn't like her.

It wasn't a good day even if she didn't count it as bad, and she had hoped to find Alexander to cheer herself up. Elise had wanted to talk with the male one more time before leaving, but everyone was content to stay close to base in hopes of making the time go by a little faster.

Fuego was happy to chitter his Alphas' ears off after discovering just how incredibly important and wonderful Owen's hands were.

A perfect backscratcher, and the dark scaled raptor threw his head back with a delighted trill when the fingers dug just right into his spine. _This_ was a good, wonderful human who had figured out how to merge with his own kind. Good human, and Owen couldn't help a small smile at the chitters of praise.

He liked Fuego, and the man sincerely hoped the raptor would mesh well into the pack. He felt the Velociraptor would get along with patient Delta as long as Blue didn't despise his very existence. Maybe mellow Echo would prove willing to befriend the new member.

Or everything would work out and Blue would happily welcome Fuego with open arms.

Owen snorted; that wasn't going to happen even if he pleaded and begged the Beta, but he glanced over when Elise gave a small sigh. He hated it when she wasn't herself, and this was something more than getting sick from injuries.

Elise was bummed, and he didn't blame her.

Fuego gave the man a dangerous look when he dared to pause from backscratching, but the carnivore was appeased with resumed affection as Owen quietly said, "Hey…Elise, it'll be fine. I'm sure Alex is off doing his own thing."

The Indominus gave a small sigh, and he paused before trying, "I went and saw the little baby Ankylosaurus. She tried taking a swing at me. She's doing better. Did you think of a name for her?"

Elise slowly opened her eyes as a little warmth of happiness seeped into her chest. It did make her happy to know the little baby was doing better, but she felt guilty for not thinking of a name and lightly shook her head.

"Well, let's think of one right now, Baby. We've got time to spare."

Elise shifted slightly to better face the man, and Owen gestured to the bed of wood shavings, "Got any ideas?"

She lightly shook her head, and he insisted, "Come on, I hate seeing you like this. She's a cute, fiery little girl. I bet ten bucks that says she won't be afraid of anything when she grows up. How about Amber?"

Elise paused to think as the man reached into one of his many pockets for a small notepad he nabbed from Claire's office this morning. It was already half full of bored doodles, but he wrote the name down while adding, "Sophie, Honey, Brooke, Belle…maybe Matilda?"

The Indominus slowly lifted her head and began to lightly tap her talon in thought; she did want to give the baby a very meaningful name like Owen had done for her. It had to be a good name, one easy to remember so all guests would know it, but with a good reason.

Honey was pretty, but it was a nickname, and she didn't want to give a name without reason. Brooke was very simple and beautiful, and the baby hadn't been found too far from a river. The names Matilda, Sophie, and Belle meant very little to her, and she shook her head.

Elise was named after her favorite song after, technically, being saved by Owen. Now she had saved this baby, and she wanted to do the same in giving a meaningful name.

But…she doubted the baby had a favorite song…maybe a favorite food?

Lettuce? Carrots? Grass?

Naming was hard, and Owen smiled at the soft sound from a stumped dinosaur before he offered, "Eve, Blossom…Butter…Rocky…"

Elise gave a dry look; butter was a food…but so were tater tots, and Owen sheepishly replied, "What? All the cartoon Ankylosaurus are yellow like butter. She's going to have a pretty mean swing with that tail. We can name her after Rocky Balboa. He's a great fighter who could overcome anything."

It was a cute name…but she wouldn't name a baby _Butter_. There was no meaning, and it'd only be cute as long as the tater tot was a baby. No, she wanted to give a good name.

But Owen had given her an idea…maybe she could name the little herbivore after someone important. Someone good who brightened the world in their own way. The Indominus had a feeling she wouldn't see the tot after this trip…she could get away with using any name, but it felt odd.

How confusing it would be to have more than one Owen, Claire, or Tim. Very confusing, and the Indominus paused when Owen chuckled, "How about Olive? Kid looks like one."

Elise snorted at the man; the baby looked like a grey tater tot, and she wouldn't be convinced otherwise.

…It was odd to give someone's name to someone else. Carlos had expressed it as a form of gratitude, and Elise had many humans to be grateful towards, but to use a living creature's name for another?

It almost didn't feel right.

There was Claire, the epitome of a determined woman, Rexy was a wonderful mother…Jackie was the rainbow everyone needed…Owen was her father, Lowery her godfather, Barry a good cuddler, her nephew was bright eyed Tim who took care of the family…Rosie, Charlotte, Ted…Dr. Wu created her.

She wouldn't even have family if it wasn't for Dr. Wu. She wouldn't have her sister, her pack, her parents, or anything. No wad of dirty paper she didn't care about, no chance to decide the future of her kind, not that chunk of amber, or even knowledge of her other sister's existence…

Wu gave her a lot when she stopped to think about it.

Owen raised his brows when the Indominus carefully stretched her arm to write out the name she liked, and he couldn't help his smile.

' _HENRY'_

Owen knew Elise was only familiar with one Henry, and yet he found it fitting from the Indominus' perspective. It was a bittersweet feeling of relief in knowing that Elise was not only willing to forgive the man who caused so much harm, but honor the much good he had created in the world.

From the tiniest Compy to the largest carnivore to have ever trembled this earth. Every tall Brachiosaurus to graze on treetops owed its second chance at life to a brilliant man who breathed life into a near insane vison of a man who remained a child at heart.

Dr. Henry Wu had hurt the world plenty with his callousness, but he paid the ultimate price of his own life. Whether he had a change of heart in his last moments wasn't something Owen could know for sure, but Elise was willing to believe Wu changed for the better. It was a naïve, but admirable thought.

"I think Dr. Wu would like that."

Elise crooned as she lightly traced the name again before freezing in realizing that was only the first name. Why humans insisted on full names was beyond her, but Elise would never deprive another living being of the same rights.

Baby tater tot needed a full name.

Owen raised a brow when the Indominus wrote, _'MIDDLE NAME'_

He leaned back with pressed lips, and the Indominus made a soft sound as she immediately took a liking to Amber. It was a pretty name, but Dr. Wu had given her a beautiful chunk of amber special to him. The first chunk to hold dinosaur blood.

' _AMBER'_

Elise didn't think middle names were as important as the first, but she was named after an apparently fantastic country. It was Lowery's way of extending that same glory to her despite never setting foot on such land.

Amber. Simple, beautiful, and very, very important to Jurassic World. To the man who brought back dinosaurs, amber had been essential. For Elise, the amber chunk was the second most sentimental thing Wu gifted her.

She owned the first chunk of amber, and this was the first dinosaur she was going to name.

Henry Amber.

Owen couldn't help the crooked smile at the light, happy feeling filling him. The adorable innocence Elise was capable of showing time and time again never failed to make him stop and smile.

Despite her intelligence and ability to quickly grasp human culture, Elise never allowed herself to be strictly bound by culture norms she deemed to be pure nonsense. This baby girl would be named after a deceased, intelligent man, and that was final regardless of gender.

Granted, it helped that none of the Ankylosaurus would beat up Henry Amber-

' _TATER TOT'_

He raised his brows high as Elise gently swiped the dirt over before writing out the full name, and Owen counted the little girl lucky that no Ankylosaurus would beat up Henry Amber Tater Tot for having an odd name.

Owen would have taken a little more control if this had been a human or fellow Indominus, but this was a simple herbivore. Elise was given presiding power over naming said herbivore, and he used his foot to draw a short line between the last name before saying, "There we go."

 _HENRY AMBER TATER-TOT_

A jumble of odd names with so much meaning that strangers would be completely confused. To humans who put everything in its own category, a full identity consisting of a boy's name, a girl's, and a food was a very odd combination.

Yet, he wasn't at all surprised to see it from Elise.

Owen just hoped she wouldn't be given too much grief over it, but he made a mental note to hold just a little more control over the naming the eventual additions to the pack.

He had to hide a light snort at Elise's content look. She was very pleased with herself, proud for having reasons on why she chose what, and the man leaned back while lightly tracing the scarred indents of Fuego's back.

He approved of the name Henry, Owen liked the sound of Amber, but he was completely lost on why his baby girl concluded Tater-Tot sufficed as a last name.

Did she even like tater tots?

* * *

"Fuego!"

Owen startled awake at the harsh bark as the Velociraptor leapt up with eyes wide, teeth bared, and claws itching to slash the idiotic creature who dared breathe his name without permission.

The feathers perked up with interest at seeing that familiar face, and Romano smiled, _"Vieni qui, Fuego."_

Owen raised his brows high at the thick steak being offered as the vet added, "It's your favorite. Ribeye."

"Tony, what are you doing?"

Elise stared, head tucked between her hands, as Fuego practically flew to meet the tossed meat with excited vigor before those jaws snapped shut on the rare prize.

 _Tender kill from Teacher! Delicious!_

Romano snorted while leaning against the door frame; he was sad life in the wild hadn't worked for the raptor, but Romano didn't think twice about the animal's fate on Jurassic World with caring people, intelligent vets, attentive handlers, and healthy packmates.

Plus, Romano couldn't help but to like an intelligent creature who knew a good cut of meat. Fuego deserved to have it, and the vet tucked his hands in his pocket while answering, "Miss Dearing said the ship would be here soon. I hate darting Fuego, he doesn't need to be shot at, and those tranquilizers are gentler. I'm just glad he forgot that trick."

Owen would remember that as Fuego joyously groomed his claws clean and chittering self-praise over snagging such a great late lunch. He loved these kinds of kills from Teacher.

So tender, juicy, and delicious. Why could he never find the creatures who yielded such delicacies? It had been too long since he last tasted these joys. Fuego lovingly flickering his gaze to Teacher before pausing at the pressed lips.

He faintly remembered that expression…from what?

The raptor slowly swiped his tongue over sharp teeth once more before the slightly guilty vet also gave a shrug of his shoulders. Fuego knew what _that_ meant.

 _Sleepy meat…_

If he was going to sleep… What was going to happen to him? What were the humans planning?

 _No!_

Fuego bolted out the large doors with a petrified shriek; this was supposed to be a calm day! He wasn't going quietly! They wouldn't take him alive!

Elise lifted her head at the shriek fading into the jungle, and Romano rubbed the back of his neck, "Maybe he does remember…we should have closed those doors…but the tranquilizer should hit soon enough, and he has a tracker."

The Indominus sighed at the silent question when Owen glanced to her, and she rose with stiff grace to follow her panicking packmate. With her luck, Fuego would fall face first into the river, but her sharp nose managed to avoid being damaged in the fights. She would find their drugged raptor and bring him home before Compys could eat him as payback for yesterday's rough treatment.

And she made a mental note to never take food from Romano.

* * *

It was also a comfort knowing that Fuego, despite being so intelligent, wasn't very bright when it came to evading capture.

Elise couldn't help another snort as she gently puffed the ground to confirm the raptor's arrow-like trail through the jungle, but he had made something of a slow arch around the settlement. It was a very easy trail to track with the many plants betraying his path by holding the musky scent.

The Indominus felt a little better knowing the Velociraptor wouldn't drown in the river behind them, but the nervous concern returned when her foot sank into warm sand holding a vast ocean at bay.

Fuego had allowed no obstacle to slow his escape with his footprints far apart and deep, but the silhouette of a lone carnivore pacing along the waters enticed an amused rumble from Elise. She couldn't help glancing down the beach and a soft laugh escaped her throat.

Despite all that effort to put so much distance between himself and Romano, Fuego hadn't done very well in actually getting away from the settlement that was just a short walk away. She could actually see Repair making final touches on the dock where a large ship was meant to be.

She was happy to see said ship in the distance, and the Indominus moved to give some kind of comfort to the sluggish animal who probably thought he was going to die.

Maybe talking of home would help him.

* * *

This was not good…not good at all.

What were they plotting against him?! Fuego was ready to kick himself for so foolishly forgetting about Teacher's sleepy meat. How could he forget _that_ the valuable lesson?! How to open the cages, _and_ to not eat any human kills!

Foolish! Fuego let out a low garble as he ignored the way his legs gracelessly stumbled, and the raptor snapped his gaze further down the beach. It was dangerous to sleep here; the sandy grounds held many little pickings for cowardly scavengers.

He'd practically be a feast if he stayed here!

Maybe he needed to swim…could humans swim?

Fuego snapped his gaze back to the waters with a low whine. He didn't want to wake up with sore skin, bitten skin. He didn't like being forced to sleep.

Clever Teacher catching him when he was unsuspecting; Teacher would live a long time, but Fuego couldn't say the same for himself after his leg suddenly gave out. It was mere luck and sheer will that he forced it back into place.

His head felt so light…what creatures hunted the salty waters? Were they bigger than him? Was he food? Fuego felt he would be food, but the sudden, soft chitter was delightful music to his ears.

Alpha Elise!

Incredible! She managed to tack him despite his speedy evasive tactics! The raptor wobbled over with waves of praise for her skills as he ignored his swimming vision.

Fuego was very happy to see Alpha Elise again. How long had it been since he last saw her? Wait, where was their Brave Idiot? Idiots needed to be watched; Fuego knew that much. Dawn was an idiot even if he was fond of her.

Where was Dawn again?

Fuego paused to glance around as his fogged mind failed to bring up the details of her whereabouts. What about Cheshire? That lazy oaf would sleep the day away if he wasn't put to work.

The raptor made a low sound when he nearly lost his balance, almost face planting into the sand, as he wondered where the duo were. Cheshire was going to love Brave Idiot and his hands that scratched in all the right places. Dawn would be a little afraid of the human at first, but she was going to get along great with Alpha Elise.

Dawn would love to have another female in the pack; especially one so confident and protective. Maybe Alpha Elise was experienced in raising hatchlings, and she could help Dawn with next season's clutch.

What happened to them?

Fuego made a slow turn in hopes of seeing the duo, whose faces he couldn't quite recall in this disoriented state, but he happily forgot all about it at a comforting chitter.

A very good Alpha was always there for pack members; even the bottom of the pack. Alpha Elise was good, and Fuego stumbled closer to her while chittering his growing affection for her.

He was very happy that she found him so the humans couldn't bite his neck, and Fuego barked a stern order to keep watch because he couldn't. The sleepy meat had finally gotten the best of him, but Fuego felt he put up a good fight this time.

Next time, he would resist the temptations of sleepy meat.

Elise tilted her head when the raptor simply succumbed to the tranquilizers by flopping onver, and she turned her gaze to the blue waters softly chuckling as if amused by this one of many creatures it had seen over the long, endless years.

The ocean had seen dinosaurs, and the Indominus took a deep breath in hopes of coaxing the dancing sapphires into telling her a story of such times. Wind was incredible at painting tales for her, but the ocean spoke a difficult language.

Maybe it was because she wasn't a creature of the ocean. Perhaps Lilly spoke water's words; she understood the soft songs deep below the surface. What wonders could the lizard behold if she was free to roam the earth's oceans?

Could Lilly make herself fit in the world if anything happened to Jurassic World?

Elise didn't know, and she took another deep breath as the breeze shifted. The jungle's lullabies were her first tongue without words, a comfort in the night, and the Indominus closed her eyes as the wind painted the picture.

Humans worked tirelessly despite being exhausted in a scarred settlement, but the strong smell of trauma was slowly fading. Not far was a fresh river where life made merry in times of plenty and new neighbors reluctantly got to know one another.

Even if she couldn't hear them, Elise could faintly catch the rich scent of herbivores releasing a pleasant perfume into the world through broken leaves and trampled grass where it collided with the ocean's crisp scent.

That jungle smell…that was home to her, and Elise took another, deep breath to bring herself closer to peace. It was a harmonious scent, a strong one that brought forth happy memories along with a warmth to her chest.

Towering trees, cool soil, all the little lives calling the same place home…he smelled wonderful…

He?

The jungle was bound by no gender, and Elise turned her head in confusion towards the thick tree line in search of the source of that musky smell.

Fuego lightly twitched in his drug induced sleep as Elise shifted to face the wall of emerald where a craftily camouflaged creature remained invisible in all ways but smell, and curiosity tempted her to move for a closer inspection

Why did this smell so familiar? She knew this scent…

The Indominus also reminded herself not to stray far from vulnerable Fuego as she gently poked her snout into the thick leaves. She would puff air in hope of catching another hint before moving down to repeat the pattern of Guess and Check, and the pleasant scent grew stronger until a shiny dribble of saliva on a large leaf caught her attention.

Maybe a carnivore who saw an easy meal in Fuego? But, Elise wasn't alarmed by this scent…it was a good one.

The Indominus carelessly shoved her face into the thick brush before freezing at warm scales meeting her snout. No sharp teeth made to sink into her skin for the rude invasion of space, but the large creature's snout gently pushed against hers to reveal healthy, emerald scales.

A handsome personification of the jungle, and Elise brightened when those warm amber eyes met her own.

Her hero!

* * *

"Do you know if Fuego's fixed?"

Romano glanced up from his dart gun to think as Dr. Grant continued to stare down the beach through binoculars belonging to the vet, and Owen crossed his arms. Tacet was slowly going down from her own tranquilizers, and Elise needed to help put her sister in the large cage.

…To put her own sister in a cage. The bitter shame weighing heavy in his gut was hard to ignore, but the vet shrugged, "He is. We never fixed any of the other males because Fuego was so aggressive. We had to try something, but I believe Dr. Salvador's intern performed that surgery."

Romano squinted in thought and nodded, "I remember because Fuego didn't mellow until after he took that intern's arm a week later. I've learned male animals on this island have amazing intuition when it comes to figuring out who took their balls. It's incredible really."

Grant snorted as he glanced around just to make sure no sneaky carnivores were prowling about for easy prey, and Owen raised a brow, "You mean the same vet who let Elise's sister die? The one who botched Tacet's throat? Any way I can convince you to double check?"

Romano snorted and replied, "Dr. Salvador was intelligent but lazy and indifferent. That intern wasn't incompetent even if that was our first time castrating a Velociraptor…I wasn't there for the surgery, but he signed off the records saying it was a success."

Owen was not comforted by the way Romano paused to recall the intern who hadn't lasted long on the island. The vet remembered complaints regarding the man's younger age and inexperience, and the Italian added, "It's not that difficult to castrate, Owen. I did it with Sobek after he got cancer."

Owen opened his mouth to point out how much easier it was to pick out big boulders compared to little pebbles before Grant suddenly said, "Speaking of males…has Elise ever shown any interest in seeking a mate like Tacet?"

" _No…"_ Owen leaned over to dangerously eye the oblivious paleontologist still looking through binoculars as he added, "Elise doesn't like any boys. At all. None. She doesn't… _why?"_

Romano raised a brow as Grant shrugged, "Guess I'm looking at a very masculine female Tyrannosaurus rex. Not that-"

Owen immediately snatched the binoculars away to gape down the beach where drugged Fuego baked in the sun while Elise gave a slobbery kiss right on the scaly cheek of _the boy…_

Sonofabitch! The bastard had caught him sleeping, and Owen made to rescue his daughter from the sneaky cradle robber before a strong hand gripped his vest as Grant sighed, "I'm going to pretend you didn't just try running _towards_ the Tyrannosaurus, Owen."

"I'm not leaving Elise alone with that male! Dart him, Tony!"

Owen had to admit he was amazed by the strength of Grant's hand, and Romano snagged the binoculars for his own look before dryly saying, _"Calmati,_ Owen. I studied Tyrannosaurus rex couples when we had them. I've never seen a male bold enough to be aggressive with a female. They are like…the, what's the word? Not the boring husbands…"

Owen raised a brow as the Italian's brain attempted to sort through the double dictionary of two languages before he shrugged, _"Un mazzolino di fiori._ They're like the sweet boys who always bring flowers and wait for the girls to make the first move, you know? Do not fret over Alexander. They are only grooming."

The vet glanced to the dark gun by his side and added, "Besides, this a _small_ dosage meant for Fuego if he decided to fight what I already gave him."

"Elise is not ready-"

The Italian impatiently waved a hand as he cut in, "Are you seeing any mating behavior out of either of them? I won't provoke Alexander."

Owen rolled his eyes, and Grant snorted before asking, "How old is that male? He's smaller than Rexy and Elise. Is he full grown?"

"Males are usually smaller. Leonardo was and so is Mario. I don't know how old Alexander is, but…I wouldn't put him at anything older than maybe…early twenties?"

Owen went white as a sheet as Grant nodded, and Romano glanced over to joke, "I'd ask him myself, but English was hard enough to learn. I can't imagine how my Tyrannosaurus would sound."

The paleontologist gave a crooked grin at the truth of it before the vest suddenly became much lighter when Owen took his opportunity until the sharp click of a gun forced him to freeze. Grant couldn't stop a wide grin when Romano sternly snapped, "Hands in the air, on your knees, and walk back slowly."

Owen blinked in confusion as Grant leaned over to quietly ask, "Is that what the authorities say in Italy?"

"…Of course. You can't run if you're on your knees."

The paleontologist had to give a small chuckle before Owen took another step towards the oblivious dinosaurs, and Romano snapped, "We don't have another body bag, Owen. You want this dart in your butt or not?"

"I'm _not_ leaving Elise alone with _the_ _boy."_

Romano was tempted to simply fire the dart gun as he argued, "It's not even breeding season for Tyrannosaurus, Owen. I can promise Alexander won't make a move unless Elise gives him permission. Come back or I shoot."

Owen refused to budge, and Grant eyed the gun, "He's not running with that leg. We can catch him pretty easy, and Elise can come pick him up. How fast will that work?"

Owen couldn't hear the vet softly murmur, "Fuego is three hundred pounds roughly, but Owen's taking plenty of painkillers that I don't want mixing with this stuff."

"Ah, we're bluffing."

Romano nodded as he adjusted the powerful dart gun, "Owen, you come back or you get the dart."

Owen risked glance back at the duo still grooming one another, and Grant pulled out his phone, "I wonder what your mother would say if she got a picture of you going after Alex…"

"That's low, Dr. Grant."

The paleontologist only gave a crooked grin as he retorted, "Remember that little plastic dinosaur toy you made me dig up? Think of this as harmless payback."

Romano raised a brow, and Owen tried, "If you tackle Tony, I'll let you dig up Alex after I bury him. No plastic toys this time. He's even a Tyrannosaurus."

Grant only snorted at the hopeful bribe.

* * *

Now Elise considered this a very good day as the teeth carefully nibbling across her shoulders with a soft rumble. Elise wasn't sure if it was coincidence that Alexander was happened to be here or if he was looking for another conversation, but she was all too happy to have a grooming session.

Elise was completely oblivious to the nearby hostage situation as she gave a low rumble that Alexander returned. They hadn't spoken more than simple greetings, preferring to let body language get the message across, and both were content with everything said.

There was a little click between them that required little words and effort.

With a verbal language lacking the complexities humans took for granted, the act of grooming was a perfectly acceptable excuse to get to know one another; the foundation they would build their relationship on. What it would grow into wasn't something either were concerned about at the moment.

The male moved to better nip between the sharp weapons dotting her neck as he allowed his gut to say what it pleased. It actually didn't have much to say, but he liked what he felt around her. Bright Scales suddenly appearing added in unexpected flavor to his life, and the Tyrannosaurus swiped the snowy scales again as he pondered if she was something he wanted to indulge in or ignore.

After leaving the river, Alexander had found himself patrolling back home with an empty feeling in his gut. A quiet warning to go back or risk missing an important opportunity. What Alexander wouldn't admit was he had gone and blown bubbles in clean water at every opportunity in hopes of enticing that unique flavor back to his senses. Bright Scales had woken him in a way he liked; she was fun, and Alexander never realized how boring his life had grown until he met her.

How unusually silent his life was without need for his own language until now. She definitely held the potential to be very important in his life, that concern he felt after hearing her furious roars yesterday was all the proof he needed for that argument.

Alexander made a soft sound when she moved to nip his own neck. He was happy to see her again, and the Tyrannosaurus wished to at least earn her favor enough to make these grooming sessions a regular thing. How he missed grooming, and her thorough, careful nibbles soothed all the aches he never realized he had. That terrifying itch in his gut, that blaring alarm that he could be the last of his kind, was abated for the moment.

A little more flavor to his life, and right now, he could freely enjoy this fun, new flavor to his simple life. No worries, no plans, only grooming and whatever entertainment she brought with her besides the fainted pack hunter over there.

" _Elise!"_

The duo startled at the sharp snap, and Elise blinked at Owen frantically waving his arms where the settlement met the beach. She didn't understand that signal, but the shining gleam of a large gun caused her to tilt her head.

Did they think Alexander was a danger to her? That couldn't be right…surely they knew she'd give a roar for help if the Tyrannosaurus was being aggressive, but the Indominus was confused.

Maybe it wasn't good to leave Fuego in the sun…

Alexander made a low rumble as his lip curled; gross humans. His belly was already churning in realizing just how close he was to their scarred territory, but the Tyrannosaurus froze at the sunlight rolling down the barrel of a gleaming weapon.

He knew what those were, and he knew how they left deep holes in the defenseless living. This wasn't safe, and the male began to leave an agitated sound before Owen suddenly leapt into the air with a howl.

The large carnivores simply froze in shock as the man landed flat on his back while frantically shaking his leg, and Elise made a low whine of concern. The carnivores were confused when Owen began to tear at his leg, and Romano glanced to his dart gun.

Elise never knew her human could be so…dramatically flustered when he managed to yank the would-be assassin crab from his pants before throwing it towards the ocean waves, and Grant began to laugh. It only seemed to make Owen angrier when he tried moving towards the carnivores only for Romano to lift his gun again.

Now Elise was very bewildered. She thought the vet liked Owen. Was he being held hostage? Sam and Derick hadn't trained her for that situation yet; she wasn't sure how to help him, but Dr. Grant was a friend.

Was her human in danger? He just looked…furious…

Owen snarled at the fearless vet who made his own, sharp retort with a nod of his weapon, and the other man gestured back with a wave of his own hand. Of course, an offensive wave of the hand towards a hot-blooded Italian was just as dangerous as thumbing one's nose at a short tempered raptor.

It was begging for a fight.

Alexander was growing nervous with the loud yelling from both parties, and Elise began to realize her own profanity library was very bare and dry compared to the former Navy's vast, colorful collection of curses. _A_ _nd_ she had learned some Italian today even if she had no idea what the words meant.

The amount of combinations and intricate selection was something very…artistic if one had the ear to appreciate it. Truly, words were a versatile weapon in a battle of wits. Curse words were the extra spice and hard punches in conversation battles when used intelligently, and Elise wondered why Owen left her hanging with such few curses for her own use.

A simple middle finger was so dull and boring compared to the words she was hearing now. Elise wondered if his mother knew all those words. Would Romano be willing to translate those long, fluid words for her?

She couldn't be certain the vet was cursing, but Elise was willing to assume the loud words had nothing to do with the blue sky above.

Alexander, despite his massive size and irrefutable claim to top of the food chain, didn't like all this yelling and drama. It had nothing to do with Bright Scales, and the male turned with a low rumble. He would come back later when the loud squabbles had stopped, and he could resume peaceful grooming with the snowy dinosaur. This was her territory even if he hadn't caught any scent markers, and Alexander assumed she'd want to dedicate her attention to putting the humans in their place.

It'd be nice if she simply drove them all away. He'd even help if she wanted.

He only paused when the Indominus made a soft sound of disappointment, and the male glanced to the snarling humans. Wasn't she bothered by the disturbance of her quiet space? Alexander waved his tail as his gaze fell to the unconscious pack hunter, and he supposed humans and pack hunters were very similar.

Angry, little, loud, and fearless. Maybe Bright Scales felt human fights were just as normal as pack hunter squabbles. Still…Alexander never liked loud even if she obviously wanted to continue the grooming. Maybe he could entice her to a quieter part of the jungle for the sake of their hearing.

" _Elise!"_

The Indominus turned her gaze back over as Owen angrily yelled, _"We're leaving right now! Tell the boy to go away!"_

Elise blinked in confusion when she realized the vet had already stormed off, and Owen snapped, _"_ _He's going to get the wrong idea!"_

He bristled when she refused to move; Elise wasn't being stubborn, but she wasn't about to let the man assume something so low of Alexander. He was very well mannered and gentle. They were just grooming one another. There was nothing wrong with that at all. If Alexander got the wrong idea, Elise would correct him.

It was that simple.

" _Elise, I'm_ _ **not**_ _in the mood to chaperone you! Move!"_

Grant continued to stare through his binoculars, and Elise didn't stop herself from throwing her middle finger into the air in response; a beautiful rocket sailing into the vast sky while the smoke left behind formed all the words needed to form her inarguable retort.

Grant dropped his binoculars, and Owen gaped.

 ** _"Elise America Grady!"_**

Elise wasn't sorry as she turned her nose to Alexander; Owen had taught her that people rude to her for no reason deserved to see her classy middle finger. His words were blunt, and that tone hurt so much. Owen wasn't about to get away with this unprovoked lashing. Father or not, she wouldn't tolerate that tone he saw fit to use on her.

Like she was acting incredibly stupid or naïve. Elise wasn't about to disregard the male who saved _a lot_ of lives, including her own. The Indominus didn't owe Alexander her affections, but he at least deserved sincere manners.

She loved the idea of being friends with the mellow male. He was an incredible ally and a perfect gentleman as far as she was concerned. She would get to know him whether Owen wanted that to happen or not.

Owen wouldn't get away with acting so ungracious, and she had plenty more rockets to launch at him if he wanted to continue this battle. He earned all the respect as her parent, but she was her own creature, and Elise didn't budge when Owen snarled her name again.

What irritated the Indominus was she knew Owen wouldn't dream of using that tone with anyone else. Not Blue, not Rexy, not Charlotte, not Claire.

Especially not Claire.

Alexander lowered his head as he took a step back at the dangerous growl; this wasn't his business. Obliviously Bright Scales wasn't in the mood to groom, but he'd try again later. Hopefully after Howler was squished or sent swimming.

Elise immediately sagged at the unsure behavior, and it made her all the angrier at Owen for being this dumb. She didn't want Alexander to leave like this.

The Indominus wanted to part on a good note, and Elise couldn't help but to be a little smug when Lopez and Claire walked over to the fuming man. Even from here, Elise could see the redhead wasn't pleased, and she unsympathetically crossed her arms when Owen attempted to sway her to his side.

The man's one sided story hardly held up against neutral, dry Grant who pointed down the beach before stepping onto the sand with Lopez. That was the final line for Alexander, who was already melting into the thick brush without even shaking a delicate leaf from scraping branches, but the male paused to wait.

He was curious to see how the snowy dinosaur would deal with invasive humans; maybe he'd learn something helpful in getting rid of the loud things.

"Is he going to charge us, Ghost?"

The Indominus flickered her gaze to the Tyrannosaurus before shaking her head; Alexander obviously would have preferred no humans at all, but if they stayed over there…he'd tolerate them for now.

Dr. Grant continued to stare at Alexander evenly meeting his own gaze. The Tyrannosaurus had a unique air, but he lacked that hair raising, blood chilling, natural presence Rexy effortlessly wielded over all lesser creatures. Grant would have never stared Rexy down like this, but Alexander was content to hide in the bushes.

He wondered why. Why hide in the bushes from two little humans? Grant was incredibly curious, and he was always happy to fish for ornery details just to push Owen's buttons.

"Is his leg hurting him?"

Elise blinked as Lopez glanced over to the tall trees, and Grant continued, "I noticed he limps a little. Did he hurt his leg in that fight with Carnifex?"

The Indominus immediately moved to carefully inspect the muscled leg leaning against a strong tree as she made low rumble of concern; she hadn't smelled blood last time they talked… Maybe he found his own trouble?

Elise only pulled away after the male gave the soft warning growl; it wasn't angry or aggressive, but his way of establishing a line. It's how they got to know one another, and Alexander didn't care for dangerous weapons near his leg, but he did like how their snouts bumped again.

He couldn't recall if his parents bumped noses, but it was friendly.

Were the humans not a problem to her then? She wasn't paying them any mind, and Alexander poked his head from the thick leaves to get a better look at these rude, brave intruders.

They weren't impressive.

He preferred it when they ran away…maybe he needed to squish one with his jaws, but it was always so hard to get that terrible ick off his scales.

Elise shook her head at the paleontologist, who was more thrilled to simply observe the duo's soft conversation. It was incredibly fascinating even if Grant kept in mind the good possibility that Alexander wasn't a mirror of his ancient predecessors.

Still, Alexander didn't look like a theme park monster…a little too tame, but maybe male Tyrannosaurs weren't as aggressive when there wasn't food or young to guard.

"I'll guess that's an old wound considering injuries to the leg would be pretty hard to recover from given his size. Do you know how old he is? Was he here when Jurassic Park used the old labs north of here?"

Elise almost found it funny how Grant was a harmless curious, and she adored it. She was even happier that Alexander didn't seem to be bothered by the paleontologist's gravelly soft voice.

Grant was a calm creature, and Elise suddenly remembered Alexander had left this island on his own adventures. Dinosaurs leaving an island was big news, and she wondered if maybe the older man had heard of said news as she wrote in the sand, _'LEFT ISLAND AS BABY'_

"That…doesn't make sense." The older man crossed his arms in thought before continuing, "Obviously he came back… he's not old enough to be on the official records of Jurassic Park. There's no reason to bring a Tyrannosaurus hatchling off the island unless it was someone trying to start their own park. Who raised him? People?"

Elise shook her head, and Grant pressed his lips, "Hammond did have a couple Tyrannosaurs on this island just in case something happened to Rexy and that youngling she was raising…that'd explain who his parents are…"

' _FATHER LEFT ISLAND WITH HIM'_

Grant furrowed his brows as he risked glancing back at Lopez leaning over Fuego, "Did Hammond have any reason to transport male Tyrannosaurus off this island?"

The Commander knew the history of Jurassic Park and Jurassic World like the back of his hand and answered, "Hammond never wanted a male on Nublar."

"Alexander here says he left the island with his _Tyrannosaurus_ father."

"Well, I'd go out on a limb and assume he was the infant that InGen tried taking with a big buck. San Diego Incident. It explains why he's…weird around people."

Elise brightened with excitement, and Grant couldn't help a small smile as he gestured to the Tyrannosaurus crinkling nostrils shut as if smelling something foul, "Does Alexander remember breaking his leg? Are you able to…ask him if he remembers people wrapping something really stiff around his leg after it broke?"

The Indominus gently nipped the jungle jaw for his attention before rumbling her question, and Grant couldn't help but to be amazed again; he loved studying the complex world of communication.

Rexy remembered breaking out, but what was Alexander's memory? The male would only be an infant. Was the Tyrannosaurus capable of remembering that far back?

Alexander made his own, soft rumble at the gentle questions, and Elise turned back to Grant as she swiped over the sand before writing, _'GENTLE FEMALE MALE WHO ALWAYS TALKED'_

She blinked when the man almost let a snort slip, and Grant just couldn't stop his grin. _He knew it._ He knew all along Malcolm couldn't resist the sound of his own voice, and all Grant pictured was the talkative mathematician chittering an infant's ear off.

No wonder poor Alexander was so wary of loud, talking people.

Why was it so funny to imagine the mathematician blathering Chaos Theory to a sedated baby? Malcolm was a respected college professor, and Grant snorted again in realizing stereotypical college students were probably like sedated Tyrannosaurus infants.

Hardly aware of what was going on around them, zombie-like, and unwilling to move until rescue came. Some weren't even ready to leave the nest.

It was the perfect audience for Ian Malcolm in Grant's opinion, and a short laugh escaped the man as he fished through his pocket. Alexander retreated further into the jungle when the sun caught the silvery sheen of the older phone, but Grant only smiled, "Elise, thank you very much."

The Indominus didn't know what she was being thanked for, but Grant snapped a photo of those wary amber eyes. As much as he hated this island and being around dangerous carnivores, this was a forever treasured memory.

Besides, the terrorizing Spinosaurus was already on the other island.

"Tell Alexander to stay safe out there, and don't worry too much about Owen. He's just being overprotective. Claire's the one with common sense here."

Elise didn't think Owen would back down so easily, but Lopez kneeled next to the sedated raptor as he said, "I love pushing Grady's buttons just as much as the next guy, but we're pressed for time, Ghost."

The Indominus tried not to sag, and the Commander shrugged, "Believe me, if we had the time, I'd tell you to take your conversation with Alex out of Grady's sight just to make him sweat."

Grant gave a rough chuckle, but Lopez nodded to the jungle male, "You give him a kiss goodbye, and if Grady threatens to roll over dead, you tell him that kiss is from everyone Alex saved last night. The ship docks in twenty, and I want everyone ready to go, alright?"

Grant had already moved to have a good look at Fuego when the Indominus turned her head before warming at the accidental bump of their snouts. It made her feel giddy in a light-hearted way. It was a light touch, and she couldn't help but to playfully bump her nose against his once more just because it was funny.

She would have made a game of it if she thought Alexander was that patient, and the Indominus sagged when she realized it really was time to go.

She didn't want to say goodbye. The Indominus had wanted to see the lush valley, explore the wild, rescue more babies, and it would have been much safer with her newest friend acting as a guide.

Elise just wished she could have spent one day with the male before leaving. She enjoyed his company, and the Indominus didn't know when she'd be back. He lived in the wild…his life was dangerous even if Bridges was gone.

What if she didn't get a chance to see Alexander again? Elise was sad to think that, and she made a soft rumble of farewell.

Alexander wasn't surprised with the sudden departure. The air had been put off by the nosey humans…maybe he could see her in a few suns, but the male startled at a loud, blaring horn of an arriving ship in the distance.

He knew _exactly_ what that was, and the male wouldn't be caught anywhere near it.

It'd draw far too many humans, and Alexander backed further into the jungle before flinching when strong fingers carefully snagged his jaws. He began to curl his lip in warning until the gentle tongue washed up his cheek.

 _That_ was a goodbye kiss because Elise liked him enough, and she crooned that she'd see him again, but she was leaving on that human carrier.

Alexander really didn't like that. If she was going, then so would his opportunity to make any kind of relationship with her. Companion or simple grooming; he was going to be alone again. Bright Scales was leaving so soon? With the humans and pack hunter?

But…

…It was technically no loss to him if he really paused to think about it beyond simple gut feelings. She talked like him, smelled something like him, but her lifestyle was not like him. He didn't want humans nor pack hunters in his personal life, and she lived with both species.

That life wasn't for Alexander; not now it wasn't. If he paired with her, he would have to follow her lead in their hunts, where they nested, and how they parented. She was going to lead him right to humans, and he didn't want that.

He just couldn't see the benefit to it, and the snowy dinosaur gave another kiss before she left to scoop up the fallen pack hunter. How odd her front limbs were compared to his own…how useful.

She was really leaving, wasn't she? She was going away...

Elise startled to a stop at the soft growl, and she glanced back to the male taking a single step from the treeline as he made the same growl again. It was a simple growl with only one meaning.

Stay.

It wasn't an order, but a humble request by a male who didn't want to be alone for the rest of his life. Alexander had no idea what he currently felt for the snowy creature, but he didn't want that door to shut for good. He didn't know what the future held; if she'd only make for a good neighbor, a grooming partner, or his future life mate, but Alexander couldn't let her leave without making that growl again.

Stay.

It wasn't desperation that motivated him, but that knowledge of how important clicks were between two companions. Clicks transformed surviving into thriving, ordinary into extraordinary, and existing into living. Alexander knew because his parents had clicked. From they met until his father died protecting his loving mother, they had brightened each other's lives. Even if they died tragically, they had lived happily.

Alexander couldn't live a complex life of adventure, spicy romance, and thrills, but he understood joy. He realized the importance of happiness, and if this creature could make him happy just from blowing bubbles in a river, then her name Bright Scales no longer had anything to do with the snowy scales.

She brightened his life, and Alexander didn't want to lose that. The gut-wrenching fear of losing that light made it crystal clear; it was that simple, but he had to offer everything before she would even consider leaving her home across the endless waters. This island hadn't been kind to her, he could see the wounds, and she had the tired look of one strayed too far from home. He could see that now, but she could make a life here.

He took another step from the trees as he made that growl again. Stay. That click would be her advantage over any normal female of his kind. She made him happy, and he knew he could do the same for her. If it would make her stay, he would happily make a kill and offer it to her. He would go make that kill right now if she would just wait for him.

If she would stay, Alexander would willingly learn to appreciate and adore everything unique about her. He would take all the challenges in stride, he'd be more patient with neighboring pack hunters and humans, and he'd proudly call any healthy baby his own; no matter the color of their scales. The difficulties of survival could always be overshadowed by a warm, happy light. He'd protect her until his last breath.

Alexander would do all this and more, if she would stay with him and continue to be that bright light in his life. It wouldn't always be that simple, but he wanted to try. If she would stay just one more day, give him a bit more time, he could show her exactly what he saw in their future.

Because he didn't have the words or ability to say it, but he could make that single growl in hopes that she'd understand.

Elise lost her breath, and she didn't know why. It was gone in that humble plea as expressive amber pools said everything she needed to understand. To stay with him, and Elise didn't know what to do. She had to leave obviously, but her hero...

Alexander had no place on Jurassic World right now, and she couldn't stay on this island. It was black and white; this was the part where she corrected Alexander. This is where she would argue that didn't know the male well enough to make that kind of decision. Where she would explain that she wasn't ready for a mate, babies, or even leaving her mother's safe shadow.

But, that sound of gentle rejection stuck in her throat because her gut had only a single, irrefutable statement.

She felt safe with Alexander. Humans complicated everything, but every other creature in her blood wasn't so complex; even the Velociraptor. The human in her was such a slow, philosophical thinker, but basic instinct was a snap of the fingers. It wasn't the human in Elise that held the sole decision on her potential mate, and the fear of leaving her mother's shadow wasn't as terrifying when she had someone else's to walk with. Elise wasn't ready for babies, but she was ready to find a companion.

In human terms, a boyfriend or girlfriend who would become her life partner in the years to come. Who better to try that path than with her handsome hero who had a gift in making her crummy day happy? He smelled so good, he had kept his word to come when she called, and he treated her with respect. He sincerely wanted her to stay.

The blaring ship horn startled the Indominus into yelping, and she snapped her gaze to the docks as Fuego limply lied in her hands. Lopez slowly flickered his gaze between the duo, and Elise let out that lost breath. She had to go back to Jurassic World to protect the island from her sister. She was an Alpha to the Velociraptor pack, and Elise couldn't say goodbye to her entire family; she'd miss them so much.

Was it wrong that she wanted to ask Alexander to come with her? Was that selfish of her to ask the male who had traumatizing experiences with humans? She'd give Owen a heart attack.

It probably was selfish, and now Elise realized she no longer had the right to mock Disney princesses. She actually wanted to leave with Alexander on a whim. She adored the image of cuddling this male whenever she pleased, making a nest with him, and even having a nest full of loud babies in the years to come. She could see her life on this world happily passing by with Alexander by her side. To wake up every day to those vivid amber eyes and to kiss that cheek every night before sleep.

But, in reality, he was a stranger she didn't know; a friend at the very most right now. She had to go back, and he was needed here. Elise could only hope that this opportunity would present itself again in the future because, this time, she had to say no.

She would not stay, and he could not come.

Lopez furrowed his brows before realization dawned on him when Alexander glanced away in disappointment, and Elise turned to leave. Grant only smooshed his hat down as he began to follow the Indominus, but Lopez continued to stare at the male Tyrannosaurus. The pity was overwhelming, and the Commander glanced back to Elise before giving a soft whistle.

It was foolish, but the Code of Brothers demanded he take action.

Alexander blinked at the man as Lopez lightly patted his chest, "I know you've got no idea what I'm saying, but, Buddy, you better come back every time you hear that ship's horn because I can promise she'll be back one day. Got it?"

Was the human actually garbling at him? Alexander was confused, but the man was already trotting down the beach after Bright Scales. The Tyrannosaurus wanted to leave, but he couldn't move. He simply watched as the brightest creature in his simple life slipped away with the two humans walking alongside her like family. Maybe it was for the best. Alexander had heard a faint roar on the winds earlier; two more of his kind. He could always fight for the female, but...

Bright Scales had hesitated, and that was enough to light a burning determination in his chest. It would remain there in her absence, and the male settled into the brush just in case she changed her mind.

He was a simple creature who enjoyed his life of hunts, patrols, and sleep. Alexander would go about his day like every other for the years to come, but he would learn to heed that ship's horn echoed across the island. The captain of the ship would quickly establish a pattern of using that horn only when a certain creature sailed here.

Only then would Alexander break from his simple routine to find the bright scales. And, for every trip she graced him with, for every time she would leave on that ship, Alexander would always give a simple, single growl.

To stay with him.

* * *

"And if Owen ever pulls that again, you just throw him over, Elise."

The Indominus tilted her head at the smoldering redhead who firmly added, "Don't you dare let him back on, have the captain radio home, and I'll send a helicopter for him…eventually. He's a former Navy, he can swim and think about his attitude."

Elise made a gentle croon as she gently brushed her hand against Claire before Lopez trotted over, "Praise God, Jesus, and Todd the crane guy, we can finally leave. Let's move, _quickly,_ before something else happens. _Please."_

He lightly jabbed the snowy scales in an almost desperate way as if terrified more tragedy would strike in last attempt to thwart them from going home, and Elise almost snorted. She was sad to say farewell to Alexander, but her mood had been severely dampened by seeing her slumbering sister in a cage.

It hurt to see someone so much like herself deemed an incompetent hazard to basic life. Elise sincerely hoped Tacet would sleep as much as possible, and she glanced down when Claire gently said, "You'll be fine, Elise. Keep Fuego calm, and I'll make sure we have everything ready when you get home."

The Indominus lowered her face to lightly nudge the redhead in gentle affections before warming at the soft kiss on her sore scales. Nothing was better than a mother's kiss, and Claire gave a small smile as she began to walk up the docks to take her helicopter back home.

She was half-tempted to leave Grant after he riled Owen with pictures of Alexander, but the redhead figured revenge would be better in the form of a fully designed Yutyrannus attraction and paddock. All on paper with expenses calculated by next week.

"Alright, Ghost, let's move. _Please."_

Elise snorted as she turned before Lopez startled at seeing the newly appointed Commander of Isla Sorna's small ACU team standing in their way.

Lopez couldn't resist pushing the serious man's buttons with a smirk, "Come to kiss me goodbye on the docks? You romantic you. How are you still single?"

Elise couldn't help a glance back down the beach. Austin raised his brows as if he was going to snort but instead gestured to the snowy dinosaur, "I want a word with her. Alone."

Lopez blinked before actually deflating; he had failed to get Elise on the ship before the final strike of disaster slapped them silly for even thinking they could leave so easily. He had almost made it, he thought Alexander was their last hurdle, but the man tried, "Austin…we need to leave, and I know you don't like-"

"Got it. I'm just talking."

The rich skinned man waved a hand in dismissal now that he and Lopez stood on equal grounds, but he still tugged the tired Commander into a brief, fierce hug. Austin wasn't one for affection, but he respected his former leader.

Elise tilted her head when Lopez's gave her a warning look to keep the peace before trotting away, and Austin crossed his arms, "I'll cut right to the chase because I still don't like you. The next time you see Blake, I need you to ask him about building a memorial."

She blinked at the sudden request, but the Indominus lowered her head to better eye the man who continued, "He and I sometimes talked about it when he was Commander, but when he comes back to ACU, he won't have Commander duties to keep himself busy, and when he gets bored, he drinks; not enough to get in trouble, but he doesn't need that temptation anymore."

The Indominus began to lift her hands, but Austin shook his head, "I don't want a conversation with you. I'm not ready for it, but I know Blake has been dying to whip you into shape. If you two have this…little project to bond over, I'm sure you'll be the best of friends before the year is over."

Elise couldn't tell if that was sarcasm or not, and the man nodded to the waiting ship, "You got him on the bottle, you got him off the bottle, and you are going to keep him off the bottle. This memorial project is just the thing to keep him busy and your sharp nose in his business."

Austin crossed his arms before finishing, "Will you do that for Blake? Keep him from drinking since I'm going to be busy with this not so shabby island?"

He wasn't surprised when Elise immediately nodded; she would happily do what she could to make sure Blake wouldn't take poison from the brown bottle. She could still feel that sharp, ugly stench biting into her nostrils, and Elise knew she could get others to help if a problem ever arose.

She wouldn't need to involve Blake in an incident for help, and the Indominus made a soft sound as Austin suddenly turned to leave, "Great, and try not to let your sister destroy Nublar. Earn those wings and halo, Ghost. Blake will be calling you Angel by this time next year."

Elise blinked at the departing man's back as she contemplated asking if she really had to earn wings to help Blake. Austin knew she was terrified by the mere thought of flying, right? And what use had she for the little, orange fruits children were fond of?

Maybe those were supposed to be Blake's treats for good behavior. It made sense to Elise.

The Indominus startled at a quick whistle from Lopez already on the ship with everyone else, and she stood to leave with a sense of relief filling her. They would return home with half the help and twice the work, but Elise found tremendous comfort in knowing her mother's shadow was on the other island. Elise would never take the safety of that shadow for granted, and she briefly paused to glance back to the beach where that rich, jungle smell enticed her sensitive nose.

If it wasn't such a bad time, Elise couldn't say she wouldn't have asked to stay a few days with Alexander just to see what would happen.

* * *

It was an unending nightmare, and he didn't know how to wake up. The horrors just wouldn't end, terror after terror, and his temper were growing all the more volatile; it was poisoning his very soul with a bitter burn.

Carnifex curled his lip in a hurtful rage. He wanted to just bare his teeth at everything to instill fear, he wanted to be safe, but life wasn't cooperating. It was a horrific wake up call to realize he wasn't as strong as Father allowed him to believe.

Why would Father allow that to happen? His parent was supposed to prepare him for the world…

The Spinosaurus paused to sniff the swampy grounds before limping down the trail again; he had no idea what to do. He was desperate for any kind of meal, but prey was sharp and he was focused on finding his human. If he found Father, he'd find his old life once again.

Carnifex wanted that, but he also wanted food…he _needed_ food. His gut had never ached so badly before with hunger clawing deep and unforgiving, and the Spinosaurus startled to a stop at hearing the familiar growl of a human carrier.

Maybe it was Father, and the Spinosaurus did his best to shake the exhaustion off as he softly walked on the marshy ground muffling his steps. He knew how to sneak up on humans, and Carnifex wasn't sure if this was his human or a different one with the loud sticks that hurt his nose and face.

And underside; he still wasn't over that unprovoked attack. Sure, they had all tried to kill each other, but Carnifex never thought to attack any male _there_.

Just…that wasn't right. Even in his mind.

The Spinosaurus quieted his breathing as he stalked close to the thicker foliage with the unfamiliar voices growing louder the closer he drew; none were Father. Father wasn't here. Just other humans, and Carnifex curled his lip as his belly burned with heavy anger.

 _Salt_ deep, deep in his emotional wounds in realizing these humans had wasted his time. _Filthy trespassers wasting good air and soiling clean earth…_ Carnifex had never despised something so bitterly in seeing those _worthless no goods cruelly raising his hopes for nothing._

They had _teased_ him.

"How was I supposed to know everything would go to shit when we arrived? We're just lucky the big Spinosaurus got shipped to the other island."

"Old sonofabitch is going to get fat and lazy over there; I saw him not too long ago, and all he does is fish."

Carnifex narrowed his eyes when the group of five fell silent until one added, "A real shame, he would have made a hell of a hunt. Did you know he downed supply planes? It's why they couldn't build anything up here; Sobek wouldn't let them."

"I think he's got a son here, but there's no way I'm going to fire a gun with all the guards on this island. Can you imagine the fine we would get?"

The first poacher snorted dryly before he retorted, "I can imagine how pissed I am with all the money I spent for nothing. Not even a raptor."

He paused to inspect his gun and sighed, "I wanted a shot at that big Tyrannosaurus buck."

"Come on, he's the last one on this island. I think he needs to be left alone."

The man rolled his eyes as he stoked the fire, glancing up for any signs of smoke, before he replied, "You sound like Roland; he turned into a preachy thing when someone asked him about hunting dinosaurs at that Hunting Expo."

"Okay, but he's kind of earned that right. I remember someone saying Roland wrestled crocodiles, and like, I believe it even if the guy is in his seventies."

One of the poachers suddenly frowned as he glanced over his shoulder to blink at the thick brush before turning back when the first waved a hand as he snapped, "I don't see what the big deal is, it's not like they can't come back, right? InGen can always make more Tyrannosaurs again if they need to. So what if I get the buck?"

 _They reeked like pests…_

Filthy vermin were not welcome here, never welcome to this land, they were not worthy to breathe this air because that's what Father had taught him. Carnifex learned that hatred from his human. He couldn't allow filth to live, hunt, or even flee from here. Never. No pest would find mercy from him, and the Spinosaurus relished the numbing knowledge that this island was full to the brim with this…garbage.

This poisonous meat of the island, this agonizing sickness that needed to be put down, and Carnifex knew exactly how to cleanse this island of its unfortunate infestation.

He had found a purpose beyond the safe walls with Father.

"You know what I'd pay good money for? Hunting Elise. _She_ would have been a real challenge out here."

One of the poachers raised his brow when he replied, "She's got enough human in her, that's murder in my book."

"Tree hugger."

The poacher glared before the other waved him off with a sigh, "Whatever, it's not like I can get to her anyway, she's dead from what the news is saying."

"The news still isn't reporting the same thing. Half of them are-"

The Spinosaurus allowed a ruthless snarl to fall from salivating jaws as he parted from the thick brush, and the poachers froze in horror. _Cowards! All of them!_

Here or in his old home, pests were all equal in Carnifex's eyes. They all deserved to die.

They never expected him in all his rightful glory, and the Spinosaurus relished his wounded pride stitching back together with that sheer terror acting as a gentle needle and thread. He just couldn't help it. That thrill of knowing he was vastly more powerful was so fulfilling.

Crushing pathetic prey like this just soothed his soul; it calmed him. Did he kill because it pleased Father or because it felt so good?

The Spinosaurus quickly snapped his jaws into the first poacher as he lashed unforgiving talons through another while the remaining three scrambled for their car. The hot blood in his mouth was exhilarating, and Carnifex was lost in the intoxicating thrill.

Maybe he'd take their carcasses to that nest Old One left behind. It made him feel good to see those bleaching bones drying in the sun. Maybe he'd add Limper's bones one day.

It was too bad pests rarely good meals, but Carnifex was famished; this pitiful plague was a feast tonight, and the Spinosaurus turned his attention to the car desperately spinning its wheels in the swampy mud.

So worthless were these cowards, they couldn't even properly escape.

Carnifex made a low sound as his long talons speared the roof of the car, and the screams of terror acted as a gentle bandage to the pride Limper had so viciously destroyed during their fight. Carnifex felt as if he hadn't even been a challenge to the powerful one, but _this_ was the elixir to cure all emotional wounds. The key to life, and his reason to live.

He felt like he was still important if he could instill terror into these humans; he still had power over something familiar.

The car was slowly flipped onto its side as Carnifex began to pull it apart, and he felt his muscles relaxing. He was making Father happy, and that euphoria tingling down his long spine was addicting.

Pests. Edible plague. Filth.

It didn't deserve to exist, it had no right to breath, and the Spinosaurus hissed when his talon speared the soft flesh of a shrieking poacher. Father always rewarded him after dealing with the unworthy vermin fouling the air. If…if he hunted pests out here, then maybe it would entice Father into finding him. If he killed enough, his human would bring him home. They could hunt together.

Carnifex liked that idea as he ripped the poacher from the car before the hot blood burst from a crunch of his long jaws.

He would hunt what didn't belong on this island, and a firm snap silenced another poacher as Carnifex glanced to the last one desperately trying to hide himself. Carnifex could smell the fear; it was an enticing perfume as thick string of bloodied saliva dribbled from his parted jaws.

No coward would be allowed to leave this island alive.

He would survive; Carnifex was determined, and Limper couldn't win every fight. The Spinosaurus would learn all his tricks eventually, and _every trespassing human_ would be exterminated from this island before he would die a very old animal.

Carnifex would rule after Alexander, and this land would one day be free of poachers because of his obsessive, bloodthirsty nature. Bridges had taught the Spinosaurus everything he needed to know in order to survive Isla Sorna's most dangerous predator.

Poachers.

* * *

Dangerous indeed.

Rexy gently swished her tail again as she continued to watch the oblivious, very bored, and tired Spinosaurus mindlessly drool over the large branch. The old male continued to entertain himself by chewing and slobbering over the wood, but it was funny to catch the normally so proud carnivore acting like a bored fool.

Maybe Rexy had grown concerned with the Spinosaurus' whereabouts when he made no responding calls today. Now it was late, time for sleeping with her little oddball terrors, but Blue One vanished _again_.

She was busy with trouble, and Rexy wouldn't bother worrying over the hatchling's business as long as the trouble stayed away from her territory.

Still, the Tyrannosaurus found herself wandering White One's home once more in dwindling hope that she'd come across her baby, but she found bored Rude One obviously waiting for something.

Or someone. Rexy didn't question how she knew he was waiting for a bright scaled hide, but it did make her fonder of him for it.

At least he hadn't vanished, but he had resorted to hatchling behavior in attempt to keep his attention. Chewing an old, dry branch like it was a meaty bone…it was entertaining.

The Spinosaurus froze with wide eyes when she allowed a rumble to escape her throat, and she silently begged him to pretend he hadn't been caught acting foolish. She wanted to see how he'd save his mountainous pride, and Rexy tilted her head when the branch was promptly snapped by strong jaws before the old male held his head high as if he intended for her to witness the entire thing.

He didn't chew branches for fun…his tooth was sore…that was Sobek's story whether he could tell her that excuse or not. All his actions had purpose…only idiotic hatchlings chewed tree limbs for entertainment…

He wasn't a hatchling.

Sobek didn't count himself an idiot either. So there. He was brilliant and damned handsome too.

Rexy lowered her snout to the ground as Sobek promptly decided to groom his claws to make sure she knew he was a mature adult who could care for himself. She had to know he was brilliant, yes? Maybe she thought he was damned handsome too? Even if they weren't the same kind?

Sobek liked to think he was so handsome that even females of other species couldn't resist his charm. It was settled then. Sobek, once more, deemed himself _gorgeous._

The Spinosaurus paused from self-worship when the Tyrannosaurus made a soft, sad sound, and he immediately huffed. No! No being… _this._ Sobek had it under control, and he made a low hiss in attempt to communicate that much.

Wise One needed to be her grand, glorious self while _he,_ the mature, brilliant, and gorgeous adult, handled this situation. He'd find Twisted One, and he'd bring her sorry hide back to her mother so he could challenge her to another fantastic fight.

That was the plan, and Sobek intended to see it through despite his hurting, full bladder. He needed to leave again…because maybe he was a little old, but he'd be right back to catch Twisted One. He knew she'd return, his gut promised him, and his gut had never led him astray.

The Spinosaurus curled his lip before pausing when the forest snout lightly bumped his. Sobek didn't mind, he adored her enough to welcome this invasion of space, but the male blinked when the powerful jaws gently bit his own.

…What?

Sobek was so dumbstruck that he couldn't react. She had half his snout in her mouth for…no apparent reason other than to give a little light chewing that he almost couldn't feel. He didn't process a threat with this odd action, and Sobek only grew more confused when she lightly bobbed her head with a soft rumble until realization dawned on him.

 _Did she honestly believe his beautiful nose could substitute as a tree limb for chewing amusement?_

Hilarious! Sobek was as close to sarcastic as an animal could get when he gave a warning growl. Enough. He needed his snout to survive, and her jaws were just a little too dangerous to be chewing said snout.

She had her fun, he wanted her to spit out his nose now. Come on. Spit. Now.

…

 _Now._

The Spinosaurus huffed when the sharp teeth released his snout with an amused rumble before the Tyrannosaurus turned to leave. Rexy sincerely wanted to sit here and wait for her youngling to appear, but it wasn't smart.

The Tyrannosaurus had to trust that her intelligent daughter knew where to go, when to come home, or maybe even move on as an adult. She was large enough, but Rexy startled from her sad thoughts when sharp ivories gently trapped the tip of her tail.

An emerald eye evenly met the burning gold as he flicked his own tail before giving the softest squeeze just to prove they remained on even ground. She wanted to chew his nose? He got to chew her tail.

Sobek only released the forest tail when it lightly waved in warning, and he leaned forward in order to admire the departing view. Such grace with each step, she hardly looked old despite the heavy sadness, and the Spinosaurus rested his gaze on the slightly boney hips.

She would recover the lost weight; it would be fine as soon as Twisted One returned, and he rose to find food and water before coming back.

Sobek was a determined creature; he would catch the duo at these doors if it was the last thing he did.

* * *

"Alright, last stop of the night…"

Owen nodded tiredly as the lead ACU vehicle slowed to stop, and Lopez asked, "Am I going to get a call at three in the morning about a loose Velociraptor?"

"It's Blue proof, and Rexy isn't here to give Fuego a boost over the walls. We won't get the test results for his blood until the day after tomorrow, Commander. Fuego stays put."

Lopez glanced into his rearview mirror where Elise longingly gazed to a particularly comfortable patch of grass, and he asked, "You taking Ghost home after we get Fuego settled?"

Owen didn't need to look at his baby girl when he answered, "She's not taking two more steps after walking all that way to drop off her sister."

They hadn't acknowledged their fight, and Owen regretted getting so snappy with her. He had no idea _the boy_ had asked her to stay, and Elise felt no need to mention it to him.

"…At least Tacet was quiet the entire time. I almost thought we overdosed on her sedatives."

Owen let out another sigh as he resisted the urge to recline in his seat; Tacet, who had done exactly what they prayed for, unintentionally ravaged even the most steeled nerves on that endless trip.

They gave her silence, a comfortable tarp tied over her body for protection, and she had rewarded them with docile behavior all the way. The Indomitus ended up sleeping most of the time after exhausting herself with worry before the trip.

Owen felt like he had been playing the worst game of Jack-in-the-Box with Tacet; every minute had seemed like that one where she would simply explode with a rage filled fury in retaliation for being bound like some animal, but no.

Tacet slept soundly, only waking once to give a soft sneeze that startled a guard into tripping over Elise's own tail.

A loud shriek from the transport vehicle startled Owen from his thoughts, and he couldn't stop a small snort. Fuego, for all the unusual patience he had, was a very outspoken animal who hadn't taken so kindly to waking in a cage. Owen even learned a few new curse words after Elise did her best to explain the situation to the wronged raptor. Fuego had refused to hear any excuses as _he_ was the only one in the cage while his Alphas strolled about as they pleased.

The dark scaled male had been mildly appeased only after ACU, desperate for constant silence, locked Owen up in his own cage for a few hours in hopes of making everything a little fairer to the loudmouthed animal.

Owen hadn't consented to being locked in a cage, and Elise _might_ have found it a little funny to watch the two males sulk in their separate prisons while the golden ray of sunshine, Shakira, occasionally graced their ears through a crackly radio.

"We better get Fuego before he decides to chew me out again."

Owen couldn't help a wide grin as he slid out the armored car; maybe Fuego had attempted a little bargaining when he realized Lopez was technically the big Alpha of the ship. What better way to prove himself than through a good old-fashioned fight for the right to walk around freely?

The proud raptor had been more than merely insulted when Lopez sanely declined, and Fuego refused to keep his voice below an earsplitting screech _unless_ Alpha Elise kindly translated all his insults to the weak willed, scrawny coward.

What Owen had to love, admire, and fear about Fuego was the fact that he was gifted in quickly handling a situation, even for a Velociraptor. The girls sometimes forgot Elise could translate their words, but Fuego had demanded she sit put to make sure Lopez knew exactly what he thought of him.

Owen wasn't sure if Fuego was a little more intelligent than his girls, but he knew Blue wouldn't take kindly to the male. Fuego was many things, humble in the presence of others wasn't one, and Blue's pride wouldn't tolerate anyone better than herself.

It wasn't going to be pretty, and the man sighed, "Alright, just back the truck up. I'll open the door and the gate so he can head into the paddock. The truck can leave after I shut the gate."

Lopez was all for it as he walked over to talk with the driver, and Owen startled at Barry's voice, "You're finally back."

Owen blinked at his best friend trotting over to give a sudden, tight hug, and Barry added, "Thank god you're both back safe and sound."

Owen flickered his gaze over when he caught sight of Tim exiting the old office, and he was immediately suspicious of the sheer relief coloring Barry's voice. Sure, a heartfelt welcome back was always warming, especially after brushing with death, but Owen couldn't stop himself from asking, "What did Blue do this time?"

Barry's silence was his warning to brace, and Tim walked over with a sheepish grin, "We, uh…got into a little trouble with Blue, Owen."

Owen wasn't surprised as Barry moved to give a tender hug on Elise's scales while Tim explained, "So…last night, our new delivery guy had a bit of a mix up, and he turned twenty animals loose into Rexy's paddock, but the girls were right by the door."

Elise gave a soft croon when Barry's fingers found all the soft spots on her face; she missed the gentle strokes, but Owen bluntly shrugged, "I'm not paying for twenty animals the girls ate, and you know they brought whatever was left to Rexy, so that's all on you two."

The Indominus made a low croon to be patient, mistakes happened, and Fuego gave a loud snarl as Barry sighed, "We got five goats back, but Blue and the girls took all fifteen sheep into the jungle. We couldn't go after them because we don't know where Sobek is."

Owen raised his brows, and Barry added, "I know some of those animals scattered, Owen, and that paddock isn't safe for anyone until we get another tracker in Sobek. We need you and Elise to rescue the surviving sheep as soon as possible."

Elise hardly heard any of it; she was ready to fall asleep right now, but she startled when Owen suddenly let out a laugh, "You two are hilarious. I almost believed it."

The duo blinked, and Owen grinned, "Good one. I needed a laugh. Thanks, guys."

Lopez gave an impatient whistle, and the man moved to help unload Fuego before Tim turned to the sleepy, snowy dinosaur, "Elise, you have to believe us. There really are sheep in that paddock."

Elise wasn't sure she even knew what a sheep was at the moment; she didn't know why Tim would lie. She also couldn't fathom why Blue would see fit to hoard live food like that, but a faint roar echoing on the wind startled her.

It was Sobek, and he was furious.

* * *

Flower gave an impatient bleat that was met with a rude snarl before Sobek shoved his nose into the cool river, and the Boer buck waggled his short tail with another, reprimanding sound.

If this big scaly kept leaving, the little scalies were going to swarm this place! Flower wasn't about to put up with that as he stomped a heavy hoof into the hard stone. He wanted his grass, his water, his protective tree over there, and this old scaly to sit put and eat the swimmers.

Honestly, was that so much to ask? Flower felt it wasn't as he gave a toss of his large head, crowned by strong, proud horns. He was an old man who found another old man to enjoy company with. He was done with being patient.

As a former petting zoo animal, who had clunked one too many grabby toddlers, Flower wanted his forever home to remain the same _with that dumb scaly sitting put! Where was he going?!_

The Boer buck gave a long, loud screech as he hopped after Sobek before huffing when the Spinosaurus responded with a furious roar to shut up. Worthless screamer! It didn't even smell appetizing, and the large carnivore curled his lip when the goat argued with an earsplitting retort.

Flower could play this game too. He wanted the big scaly to stay and that was final.

Sobek curled his lip to simply snap up the annoyance before freezing at a far off, responding call suddenly echoing on the winds, and he stood as tall as possible to intently listen. Could it be? At long last she decided to show some life?

The Spinosaurus gave another roar, and he perked up when that faint, echo of a roar graced his ears.

 _Glorious hunts! He knew she was alive!_

Sobek _loved_ it when he was right, and the Spinosaurus immediately turned to leave for those doors with newfound vigor. He doubted Wise One heard her youngling's calls, but that didn't matter. Twisted One was in for a thorough chewing to-night! He knew that sly youngling was going to try sneaking in to avoid trouble, but he wouldn't allow that to happen after everything she put them through! Not on his watch!

Stupid, selfish youngling wasn't ready to wander off! How dare she worry her wonderful, glorious, busy warrior of a mother, who already had enough to stress about with this soft island? Twisted One was spoiled, and he wouldn't tolerate it! The Spinosaurus was just dying to hear what pathetic excuse was actually good enough to justify-

Sobek startled from his thoughts when a hard thump smacked into his foot, and he glanced down half-expecting to see a log, but the Spinosaurus blinked in shock at the impatient gaze actually scolding him.

Flower snorted before ramming his hard horns into the scaly foot and glancing up again.

There. Dummy.

Now he had the scaly's attention, and Flower easily dodged the jaws snapping shut right where he had stood not two seconds before. He was old, but the goat was agile as he thumped the hard leg once more before bolting into the brush. He could outsmart this creature. Flower hadn't survived as long as he had by being a dunce.

Flower was observant, intelligent enough to open gates on his own, and patient enough to sit through simple puzzles in order to get what he wanted.

He wanted Sobek to sit put to scare away the raptors, and Flower would make sure that would happen even if it meant antagonizing the Spinosaurus into staying. It wasn't the first time he used an old, cranky creature to get peace of mind. Flower had once avoided the horrors of his travelling petting zoo by making nice with an old cow who liked to kick. He learned that where she went, the grabby humans did not go.

Where _this_ dummy went, the little scalies _did not_ go, and that meant Flower would follow Sobek to the ends of the earth because little scalies were going to rip him to shreds if they grabbed him. The Boer goat would follow faithfully, and he leapt over another log with grace as Sobek attempted to shove his face through the thick brush.

Child's play to Flower, and he gave a loud shriek just to let the dummy know he _wanted_ his attention.

No scalies would eat Flower tonight.


End file.
